Marketing. Marketing. Marketing. You know it’s important, but you and your agency have lots of other important work to do too (like serve existing clients and generate new ones). So how do you know when you’ve done enough? Marketing strategist Cheryl Heppard has some great guidelines for what your marketing team should shoot for every single month.

Consult this abridged version of the eight effective MONTHLY marketing strategies that Heppard recommends to see if your agency’s marketing team is hitting all the marks.

1. Three or four blog posts (including strong keywords in your title and content, and format that includes bold print, subtitles, and bullet points for easy reading)

2. Three or four newsletters (including articles, photos, videos, social proof/testimonials, case studies, etc. -- keywords: useful content)

3. One downloadable resource to attract new prospects (checklists, guides, podcasts, etc.)

4. One press release (must be something truly newsworthy; post on high visibility distribution site)

5. One list-building endeavor (free telecast, webinar, live training, etc.)

6. One compelling graphic (infographic, social media meme, etc.)

7. One revenue-producing offer (early-bird pricing, bonuses, resources, guides, etc.)

8. One paid advertising effort (Facebook ads, postcards, etc. -- something -- even if your initial budget is tiny)

Whatever you do, says Heppard, remember that creating a content schedule is crucial to increasing your productivity and to keeping your marketing efforts on target. To get started building your own monthly marketing strategy, contact AgenciesOnline, an award-winning marketing agency dedicated to independent insurance agencies.