Over the past year or so I have had an uptick in questions with regards to marketing and leads for health. Confusion is still very high among consumers when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. Add to that that there are a lot more people looking at their options and you have opportunity.
I have given my thoughts enough times that I figured it was time to put it down in writing so I could offer up a link. This is a very general framework and you can add any ancillary techniques you like but these are the cornerstones I see working.
Please also note that most people asking are newer to the game and have more time available than marketing budget. If you already have a strong book mailers are clearly going to be a better option than cold calls and door knocking.
My Health Insurance Lead Plan
I have found that a combo of marketing and lead buying in addition to great service and follow up (for referrals) is the best bet. That said, there is no one size fits all magic formula to attack health insurance leads. Please consider these suggestions starting blocks rather than absolutes.
The combo that is right for you really depends on your available time and budget. My suggestions are based on personal experience and a number of folks I know that take different angles based on their target market. Clearly the audience is key and the same methods might not be as effective for Medicare sales as a 30 something SMB owner.
Low Cost / High Time – Marketing
Public data and data lists for mailers and cold calls have been good options for lead gen. The key is having a tight market and a proven mailer. Once you have a list be sure to spend a lot of time on the mailer. Take a look at mailers see from carriers, ask agents what is working at place like Insurance-Forums.net or hire a copywriter if you are not sure. Also be sure to test different versions over time (both message and format) and stick with the best responder.
With direct mail the response will be slower than online ads but you can definitely get consistent and reliable results.
Obviously mailers are going to be more costly than calling or door knocking. The trade-off is that they scale. If you try your hand at calling you will want to scrub any lists against the do not call registry if you are working the consumer market.
Sources:
https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov/faq/faqbusiness.aspx
https://insuranceleadsguide.com/insurance-leads/insurance-agency-marketing-tools/ – See Direct Mail and List Services
https://island-of-freedom.com/senior-insurance-sales-list-guide/
Higher Cost / Less Time – Lead Buying
I have found shared internet leads to be the best bet for the time invested. Exclusive can be great if you have a good source but I they are often fleeting and much lower volume.
The caveat with shared health leads is that you have to test the market and find lead vendors that deliver well in your territory. Every vendor has strengths and weaknesses and they vary greatly by location / ZIP. You have to put the time in and set reasonable expectations. This is critical.
When factoring your ROI don’t base everything solely on the instant results. Also consider expected conversion with follow up, cross-sell opportunities, renewals and expected rate of referral from new clients.
Sources:
http://www.healthinsuranceleads.com/
https://www.insuranceleadreviews.com/leads/health/
http://www.insuranceleads101.com/health-insurance-leads/
Online Ad Automation
Regardless of where and how you market or advertise always be sure to include your website or agency profile page.
Hopefully you have some backend control that will allow you to place Facebook and Google Analytics or Adwords retargeting tags. This will allow you to create those ads that follow you around based on sites you visit. Yes, they can be creepy but they are crazy effective.
Anyone that hits your site will be added to the retargeting list which you can then create ads for users that have already shown some level of interest in your services. You can target audiences by specific page visited so be sure to funnel visitors where you want them to go in your email or mailer.
These ads end up being very cheap compared to all other sources and help to automate the follow up process with more passive points of contact.
The return is as good as it gets, especially with traffic from paid leads.
Sources:
inboundascension.com/facebook-fishing-formula/
ppchero.com/ultimate-guide-to-adwords-remarketing/
The Key
There are a lot of turn and burn approaches in health. I implore you to resist these tactics and focus on building something real and defensible.
Exceptional and helpful service is the key to everything in health. The masses are more confused and need advice. Given the high level of confusion you will find plenty of folks that will not ready to make a decision. Give great advice, help solve problems, follow up and be sure to ask for referrals.
Before long you will see your marketing and lead buying expenses decrease because your funnel will be filling up with word of mouth referrals.