Writing about insurance. Is it sexy? No. Is it straightforward?

Also no.

In general, decision-makers are not confident in their understanding of insurance. We know this because 56% of Americans feel “completely lost” when it comes to insurance, and 75% of businesses don’t have the right insurance.

Since you’re here, you’re probably in a position to help those folks. But how can you write insurance content that’s simple and helpful?

Why you should write insurance content

Let’s be honest. If the average person is reading about insurance-adjacent topics, they’re not having the best day. Something has triggered them to ask a question or seek out information.

Insurance is a complex topic because it involves legal language and unfamiliar terminology. Insurance policies cover all eventualities, so reading through official documents can be tedious. And it’s not something most people do every day.

Wow, we’re sounding pretty dreary so far. Why do you want to write about insurance, again?

Insurance agents and insurance providers have an incredible opportunity to educate readers. Your content can help calm any negative feelings they associate with insurance. Wouldn’t it be great if your prospects and customers thought of your brand as the voice of reason in a tumultuous sea of legalese?

Of course it would be. So, roll your sleeves up and get ready to take advantage of this opportunity.

How to write insurance content that engages and educates

Incorporate these five strategies into your process for valuable content that’s clear, concise, and even a little bit fun. (Don’t worry, we won’t have too much fun.)

1. Ensure your writer understands the product

In the insurance industry, I’ve found that the person writing the content is often not the insurance expert. Agents and underwriters are busy doing what they do best, and content creation is outsourced.

Even if you have an in-house marketer to write content, they’re not working with your insurance products daily. They might not be familiar with the details or have a formal insurance background.

Of course, writers are pro researchers and can do quite a bit of learning on their own. But one of the quickest ways to get them up to speed is to kick off the content with an expert interview.

Here are a few questions to ask your subject matter expert (or to answer if you’re the SME):

• What are some common misconceptions about this product/topic?

• What are customers’ biggest challenges in this area?

• What would it look like for a customer to use this product/navigate this topic successfully?

These will help unearth your readers’ underlying goals and other questions you didn’t know you should ask.

2. Clearly structure your insurance content

When you present a complex or unfamiliar topic to a reader, a barrier immediately forms in their head. They’re mentally repelled. They have a knee-jerk reaction of “I don’t understand this.” And they’re looking for any excuse to stop reading, because it’s taking effort.

This is natural. We’re all human and want to take the easiest path possible while still achieving our desired outcome.

If you confront your reader with a wall of text about said complex topic… well, their repel-o-meter will skyrocket. And they’ll go elsewhere for the information.

To avoid this, do everything you can to show your reader what they’re getting into from the very beginning. Some tips to do this:

• Write a short introduction and include a table of contents. The TOC is a list of anchor links to each section of your content.

• Chunk information up into clearly-defined sections. Try to keep each section under 300 words.

• Use the appropriate tags (H2 or H3) to give each section a descriptive header. Clever or creative headers will not help your reader. Keep them straightforward. I often find H4 too messy, but there are times it makes sense.

3. Use clear, simple language

The second your reader encounters a word or acronym they don’t know, their repel-o-meter rises. First, an unknown term makes the idea impossible to understand. And second, by not defining it, you’re implying they should know it. You’ve made them feel stupid.

From this perspective, working with a writer who’s not an insurance expert is actually great. They’re more likely to dig into those industry-specific terms and spell them out. If you’re writing insurance content and you do have that expertise, try to check it when you begin and remember who you’re writing for.

Here are a few easy ways to simplify your content:

• Shorten everything. Yes, I mean it. Yes, even that. If a sentence is longer than 15-20 words, separate it into two sentences. Keep paragraphs to three or four sentences.

• Get rid of all your adverbs. Okay, you can keep a few. But take a critical eye to your adverbs and you’ll see that nearly all are unnecessary. Think you absolutely need one? Maybe there’s a more descriptive alternative. Ex. “run quickly” >> “sprint”

• Avoid using a passive voice. An active voice makes it easier for your reader to understand who’s doing the action in the sentence. Once you get used to writing this way, your writing will become so easy to follow. Ex. “the policy was issued to the business” >> “the carrier issued the policy to the business”

Use the free Hemingway app to identify all these opportunities to simplify your content. Here’s an example I took from page two of the Google results for “what is an insurance premium” (publisher will remain anonymous).

An insurance premium is effectively the cost of your insurance, whether for health, auto or life insurance. Most companies allow you to pay the annual premium via monthly installments. However, some companies may require you to pay your premium on an annual basis or a semi-annual basis. Some may even want the entire insurance premium up front. Companies often decide they want the insurance premium up front if you have previously had your insurance policy canceled for non-payment.

I pasted this paragraph into the Hemingway editor and spent a couple of minutes correcting the issues it highlighted. Isn’t it easier to read now?

An insurance premium is the cost of your insurance. It’s what you pay for your health, auto, or life insurance policy. Most companies allow you to pay your premium in monthly installments. But some companies require you to pay your premium on an annual or semi-annual basis. Some may even want the entire insurance premium up front. Companies often ask for premium up front if you’ve ever had a policy canceled for non-payment.

4. Use visuals, diagrams, and graphs

Hello, it’s 2023, and nobody wants to read content that’s only words.

Today, it’s easier than ever to “show AND tell” by creating media to go with your written content. Visual elements like images, videos, and diagrams can make complex topics easier to understand.

They also help your readers scan the content for the highlights. Use visual elements to draw attention to your most important points and answer their most common questions.

Finally, visuals can trigger emotions and create a lasting impression. Writing about insurance, you have a huge opportunity to control the emotions your reader experiences. Use graphics to take them from frustrated to confident.

Some examples:

• Color: Different colors can send different messages, from anger and fear to joy and excitement.

• Typography: Using certain fonts can convey emotions such as intense energy, darkness or serenity.

• Images: Showing people in certain environments can stir positive or negative responses.

• Symbols: Symbols like hearts, peace signs, and skulls have connotations that we relate to emotionally.

• Animations/video: Use animations and video clips to show a story or idea that elicits an emotional reaction.

5. Prove transparency and build trust

In my experience, transparency is one of the hardest things to do simply when writing accurate content. Sometimes, being honest means addressing every possible scenario to give context.

Tackling this challenge and getting it right is one of the best ways to stand out amongst your competitors and peers.

In high-expertise industries like insurance or healthcare, people often feel infantilized and patronized. It can feel like the insurance company is saying, “It’s far too complex for you to understand. Just believe me, this is how it is.”

But in most cases, people want to understand. The insurance industry makes that very challenging.

Trust your readers to understand. Invest the time and effort into explaining not only what, but why. And remove all the friction you can by using the strategies discussed here.

It’s one of the lowest-hanging fruit opportunities an insurance business has.