Holly, Jolly Healthcare: Things You Need to Know About Selling Insurance

As we near year’s end, many families are searching for the best healthcare coverage for their families in 2015, all while shopping for clever presents, attending holiday parties and whipping up festive feasts. This time around, they’re insurance shopping with some additional skepticism and anxiety. That’s because last year’s rollout of the optimistic Affordable Care Act created administrative chaos for agents and consumers alike.

As we near year’s end, many families are searching for the best healthcare coverage for their families in 2015, all while shopping for clever presents, attending holiday parties and whipping up festive feasts. This time around, they’re insurance shopping with some additional skepticism and anxiety. That’s because last year’s rollout of the optimistic Affordable Care Act created administrative chaos for agents and consumers alike.

Fortunately, we’ve analyzed those historical bumps in the road to coverage and have come up with three tips you can use as you market yourself to families this December and January.  Our suggestions aren’t necessarily seasonal, though — you can use them anytime!

• Target Female Consumers.  Statistics show that in general, women make the important healthcare decisions for themselves and their families — not men, who defer to their judgment.  And they’re not just randomly calling insurance companies they find in the Yellow Pages: They’re shopping online like they do for everything else.  Make sure to craft a Web experience that suits them.

• Beam Your Laser.  The best way to reach out to woman is to concentrate your efforts at advertising on the digital hotspots they frequent, including websites, blogs and social media channels.  Pinterest is a clear winner — of all social media venues, it has the highest percentage of female participants.  Believe us, you want to get pinned, even more than you want to get liked or shared.  Start by going to PinGroupie and checking out the group boards that can give you the best exposure.

• Educate Shoppers.  Don’t just talk about your brand and its benefits — provide a healthy takeaway to inspire pass-along readership and create a reputation for your brand as helpful, informative and altruistic.  Specifically, mothers love preventive health.  Any info you provide that helps their children avoid possible health conditions will win them over and make you less like a carrier, more like a part of the family.  Segue into what your brand in particular offers to foster preventive care, like annual physicals and screenings.  Remember—healthcare is a soft sell.

There is always a healthy dose of public doubt about insurance coverage.  We recommend you be honest, forthcoming and straightforward to entice new clients into choosing your brand as their wellness winner.