Since most Medicare marketing takes place during two time periods—when prospects turn 65 (Age-In) and the Annual Election Period (AEP)—prospects are hearing from you and your competitors. Here’s how to make your creative work extra hard to break through.
(1) Use official-looking outer envelopes. This is true for insurance mailings in general and Medicare in particular. In test after test, packages that look very important and urgent outperform those that look more promotional. Remember, the only function of a direct mail envelope is to get opened so that readers will see your message inside. They’re more likely to open a brown kraft envelope with black barcodes (or even a white envelope with no teaser) than one that looks like advertising.
(2) Inform and educate. Medicare is complex and plans change every year. Prospects want information—and providing that information helps build trust. Yet it’s important that your mailings are easy-to-read and benefit-oriented. Use direct mail to communicate the benefits of the information you’ll provide. For example, “learn about Medicare and your choices” or “find the right plan for your health needs, budget and lifestyle.” Then, provide the promised information in the form of a FREE Medicare Guide or other material they can request. This lets you keep your mailing simple and strong with a valuable offer and clear call to action.
(3) Communicate the right message at the right time. There’s so much to say about Medicare that it’s easy to lose sight of the appropriate message. When your prospects’ 65th birthday is still 6 months away, they’re probably not interested in the benefits of your Medicare Advantage plan; instead, they need to learn what a Med Advantage plan is. During AEP, you don’t need to teach them about Medicare; you need to sell competitively.
(4) Choose images carefully. Prospects may think they look younger than they do, and people aged 65-plus look, feel and act younger than generations before. But they probably don’t look like models or ride tandem bicycles through the park. Choose images they can relate to. Show them engaging in activities they can participate in or aspire to. Avoid showing a person alone.
(5) Create urgency. Remind prospects of the very real Medicare enrollment deadlines. When those deadlines are weeks or months away, remind them why it’s so important to start learning and shopping now. The earlier you can get them to respond, the better.
Direct mail is still the workhorse of Medicare marketing. Call us at 888.694.5094 for more tips to help yours work even harder.
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