The Open Enrollment Period (OEP) creates an excellent opportunity for independent insurance agents and health insurance agencies to shine. Things can indeed get a bit frantic this time of year. There’s a lot to shuffle, from following up with leads to handling renewals and client requests and managing internal needs. However, it’s important not to neglect your marketing. In fact, now is the time to turn on your marketing charm, boosting conversations and turning cold leads warm.
During the OEP, both your current client and new prospects are examining their coverage options, and many are looking for expert advice. Effective marketing strategies can get you in front of the right people when they’re looking to buy.
The Importance of Omnichannel Marketing
In the modern world, virtually everything is interconnected, making omnichannel marketing more important than ever. This marketing strategy recognizes that the customer journey occurs across multiple channels and focuses on creating a positive overall experience as customers and prospects move between them.
For an insurance agent or agency, this may mean reaching your target audience through email, social media, web browsers, and your company website. The ultimate goal is to meet your customer or prospect where they are and ensure you’re available at the time and place that works best for them.
5 Ways to Stand Out as the Go-To Expert
During the OEP, individuals have limited time to make a potentially life-altering decision. Often, they don’t fully understand their options and may feel frustrated or overwhelmed. As an insurance professional, your goal is to integrate yourself into spaces they’re already occupying and position yourself as an expert willing to help. If you do so successfully, you can maximize your conversions and grow your book of business. Start with these five tips.
1. Understand Your Target Audience
Before you put any time, money, or energy into marketing, it’s critical to understand exactly who you’re marketing to. Start by examining the leads you’ve closed in the past, paying attention to their demographics, determining where they spend their time, and exploring their pain points.
Are your prospects active on Facebook or Twitter? What types of things do they search for online? What concerns keep them awake at night? Understanding the answers to these questions will help you build focused marketing strategies that convert.
2. Build a Strategic Social Media Strategy
Having a social media presence is important, especially during the OEP. While most people don’t go to social media to research insurance options, with the right strategy, you can use these platforms to connect with them on a more personal level. This allows you to position yourself as a trusted advisor who can help them make the critical decisions that are weighing on them during the OEP. Using targeted ads can help ensure your posts reach the right audience, increasing your chances of conversion.
As you build out your social media strategy, be sure to create a professional Facebook page that is separate from your personal account. This will allow you to keep your personal life private and ensure you always put your best foot forward in your professional communications.
3. Sharpen Your Advertising Plan
Keep in mind that OEP can be an overwhelming time for many. It’s common for people to have concerns about gaps in coverage, how changes in their employment affect their insurance, how they’ll afford the coverage they need, and more. As you create your advertising plan, focus on these fears and show how you can help. Also, be sure to create various ads with different focuses and rotate them so they continue to have an emotional impact.
4. Educate, Entertain, and Inspire
Successful advertising and social media campaigns typically focus on educating, entertaining, and inspiring. Instead of constantly posting about your business, share educational information and mix in a few other posts. This will keep your feed interesting and help you connect more personally.
5. Create On-Demand Accessibility
Customers and prospects want it addressed immediately when they have a question or need. You can meet this need by installing easy-to-use resources onto your website. For example, you may create a self-help section that addresses the most frequently asked questions or integrate chat into your site so customers can connect with an agent on demand. For an individual who is anxious about a decision, resources like these will set you and your agency apart and may make you the agent of choice.
Make this OEP Your Best Ever
Taking a strategic approach to your marketing during OEP can help you increase your conversion rates and grow your business. For more tips to help you optimize your marketing efforts, check out Claro’s Marketing Manual for insurance agents.
