Drive conversions during Open Enrollment with these top marketing tips.
For many insurance agents, Open Enrollment season is a time of frenzy — managing new leads, taking care of current client requests and renewals, handling internal needs, and trying to stay organized between them all can be difficult and overwhelming.
With the many demands you have on your plate during the Open Enrollment Period (OEP), it can be hard to consistently market your agency, let alone know how to do so effectively. Here are nine simple, strategic marketing tactics your insurance agency should try during OEP.
Why Is Marketing Important for Insurance Agencies During Open Enrollment Season?
OEP is a busy, yet critical time for insurance agents. During this time, prospective and current clients alike are examining their insurance policies and are much more open to considering other options. Some may be in the market for new providers, while others may be looking for additional policies.
Knowing how to market your insurance agency during OEP will help reach the right people at the right time — enabling you to maximize conversions while saving valuable time, energy, and money.
Smart Marketing Tactics for Insurance Agencies During Open Enrollment Season
Every agency’s marketing plan during Open Enrollment is different. It will likely vary depending on the amount of time, energy, and resources you have to allocate to your marketing efforts. However, the value of marketing shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s one of the most important ways you can support your business.
1. Look Into Lead Vendors
Purchasing leads can be a worthwhile investment if done wisely. Thoroughly research each lead vendor and make sure you understand the different lead types and levels they can provide you during the OEP. Lead vendors like NextGen Leads can provide insurance agencies with high-quality leads.
Select a vendor that is reputable and reliable, and remember: When it comes to lead purchasing, quality is much more important than quantity.
2. Publish Strategic, SEO-Driven Content
Many consumers search online before making a purchase, especially with something as important as health insurance or employee benefits. You want to make sure your agency shows up in their search results.
Blogs are a smart way to get your business in front of inquiring clients. Utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics to shape the strategy behind your blogs. Conduct research to see what people are asking about Open Enrollment, then write and publish blogs that address those questions or concerns.
For example, you can write about topics like “What to Ask Your Agent During Open Enrollment,” “Things To Consider During Open Enrollment,” or “The Top 10 Most Confusing Things About Open Enrollment, Simplified.” Consistently writing and publishing blogs with relevant, valuable content will build trust in your target audience. In addition, it will also establish your expertise and credibility.
Like your blog, the other pages on your website help drive traffic when people are searching for OEP information. Ensure your entire website is optimized for search engines to get the best results. Incorporate research-backed keywords and phrases (as they pertain to your agency) like “ACA,” “Obamacare,” “Open Enrollment health insurance,” “employee benefits,” etc. on your website, when applicable. Doing so will help you rank well for these terms and drive more traffic to your site.
3. Optimize Your Website's Lead Form
Lead forms give visitors an easy way to request information about your services. Optimizing your lead forms can increase the likelihood that prospects will fill them out — which is especially important during OEP when consumers are shopping around.
Here are a few best practices:
- Include no more than four to five fields. You want to make sure the essential information is there such as their name, phone number, email address, and what the visitor is looking for.
- Place the lead form near the top of your webpage, “above the fold,” so that visitors can find it easily.
- Consider which fields could be optional. This can be especially useful if there is additional information you’d like to know about a lead outside of those four to five essential pieces of information stated above.
- Make your form responsive. No matter which device your visitor is on (desktop, tablet, phone), you want to make sure they can easily and quickly fill out your form.
4. Check Your Agency’s Google My Business Listing
When someone searches for your insurance agency on Google, what do they see? Do they see a Google My Business (GMB) listing on the right side of their search results (pictured below)?
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If not, you probably haven’t set up or claimed your agency as a business on Google. This platform is a powerful, effective way to enhance your client’s experience and improve visibility in search results. Setting up your GMB page enables searchers to contact you easily and gives them the confidence to know that your agency is a real establishment.
In addition, searchers can view client reviews on GMB — which are a powerful tool for driving sales considering that 89% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase. You can also post business updates, special offers, promotional posts, manage your reputation, reply to client reviews, and more on GMB to keep your clients updated with important information.
5. Identify Cross-Selling Opportunities
Cross-selling with your existing clients is a smart way to drive more sales and boost customer retention and satisfaction. You should always check for cross-selling opportunities with new clients after a few months or at your next renewal meeting.
Run a cross-selling report in your agency management system (AMS). Once you’ve identified cross-selling opportunities, reach out to your clients through your email marketing efforts. Make sure the message is personalized, mentions the additional policy’s benefits and value, and lets them know that you’re available if they have any questions or concerns.
6. Review Your Agency’s Technology
Review your agency’s technology to ensure your agents have the tools they need to sell policies and service clients efficiently. Do you have an AMS in place? Is your AMS easy to use? Is it mobile-friendly so that agents can access their book of business anytime, anywhere?
The right technology can make it easy for you to deliver excellent service to your current & prospective clients. The better your service, the more likely they will become a Promoter and refer your agency to others.
7. Stay Top-of-Mind With Automated Email Campaigns
Automated email campaigns enable you to stay top-of-mind with both new and prospective clients. Tailor your communication according to where each individual is in the sales pipeline. Streamline this process by using an AMS that enables you to filter this data, generate reports, and build campaigns within it.
For example, you can also create a variety of emails with different purposes, such as lead follow-up, product promotions, industry insights, upcoming carrier changes or policy expiration notifications, and more.
8. Ask Existing Clients for Referrals
Referrals are a powerful way to get new business. Find out which of your clients are likely to refer your business to others. You can do this by finding out their Net Promoter Score (NPS). Ask the clients who score a 9 - 10 on the NPS scale if they have any friends, family, or colleagues that are searching for insurance or benefits. Then, contact those new leads and start the sales process.
The NPS can also help you identify which clients are dissatisfied with your agency so that you can take action to keep them happy.
9. Promote Your Agency on Social Media
With 3.6 billion social media users globally, and its expected continued growth, social media is a key opportunity to reach new and existing clients during the OEP. Post valuable tips to help clients navigate Open Enrollment. Let your followers know of any promotions your agency is running. Share helpful industry insights and blogs you’ve written to establish your expertise. Respond to clients and encourage them to engage with your content.
Staying active on social media is a great way to promote your business and build lasting client relationships.
How AgencyBloc Can Support Your Marketing Efforts and Much More
With the right technology on your side, Open Enrollment season is much less overwhelming.
An industry-specific agency management system (AMS), like AgencyBloc, will have everything you need to handle your agency’s needs — from marketing to lead management to business growth, and beyond.
Use our intuitive lead form builder to successfully capture and organize new prospects. Once a lead submits the form, their information is saved in AgencyBloc and assigned to an agent. Utilize our automated workflow technology to streamline internal processes and ensure your agents are aware of everything coming up. For example, you can set up automated reminders for agents to reach out to their clients or follow up with new leads.
What’s more, our platform enables you to easily set up automated email campaigns based on your client data, making it much easier to communicate proactively with clients. For instance, you can set up emails to send at a specific date before Open Enrollment begins and tailor the message based on who you’re sending it to. If you know of upcoming carrier changes, you can search your book of business for clients with that carrier so that you know who to contact.
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This blog was originally published on 8/4/2020. It has been updated and republished on 8/18/2021.
By Kelsey Rosauer on August 18, 2021 in Online Marketing
Kelsey is the Marketing Manager at AgencyBloc. She helps lead a team of talented marketers in their efforts towards serving and educating life and health insurance agencies. Favorite quote: "You can't use up creativity. The more you use the more you have." —Maya Angelou More articles