Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is just around the corner, and connecting with your senior audience should be a top marketing priority. As seniors focus on their Medicare options, you’ll want to position yourself as the business they go to for answers.
So, what’s the best way to grab the attention of your senior audience? Try using an omni-channel marketing strategy to improve your lead generation online and offline this AEP. Omni-Channel marketing is a strategy that uses multiple marketing channels (Print, TV, Radio, Outdoor, Digital, etc) to deliver a seamless customer experience.
Recent studies show that marketers using 3 or more ad channels in any one campaign, earned a 287% higher conversion rate than those using a single-channel campaign. When using an omni-channel strategy, brands experience greater outcomes for gaining and retaining membership, boosting revenue, and building stronger relationships.
The Senior Demographic
Seniors aren’t always the easiest to connect with during AEP. They’re constantly bombarded with mailers months before open enrollment begins, so the more time you take to understand the needs of your audience, the easier it will be to connect with them.
Seniors want answers to their Medicare questions. They want a Medicare plan that gives them cheaper prescriptions, accepts their doctors/specialists and gives them the coverage they need. Most importantly, they want to work with a brand or person they trust. Incorporate the following into your AEP strategy:
- Explain your services to them in a way that is simple and to the point.
- Ensure the privacy and safety of their personal information.
- Create ads and messaging with simple layouts and larger fonts.
- Keep your content straightforward with clear calls to action. Do you want them to schedule an appointment, fill out a form or call you?
- Segment your ad campaigns and messaging to reach both the young tech-savvy seniors and the older seniors who will respond to more traditional advertising methods.
Reaching Seniors Online
Marketing to seniors through print and direct mail is essential, but don’t ignore digital marketing. Seniors use the internet to compare prices and get information about many of their healthcare services. To effectively reach seniors online consider targeting them through Google, Facebook, and YouTube advertising. Another great way to reach seniors online is through email marketing, webinars, and even display ads on newspaper websites.
- 58% of Americans 65 and older identify with ads on Google.
- Seniors between the ages of 50 and 70 respond to Facebook advertising. Facebook also has retargeting features that share ads with them based on purchasing interests.
- Outside of Facebook, YouTube is the second most used platform by seniors 65+, and provides a great opportunity for your to run a short video ad before, after, or in the middle of their programming.
- Hosting a webinar is a great way to reach seniors who might not attend an in-person seminar, and gives you the opportunity to educate them about different Medicare plan offerings.
- Use Email Marketing to discuss 2023 Medicare changes and updates.
- Seniors spend more time on their phones, so you may also want to include SMS/Text marketing in the mix.
Reaching Seniors Offline
Marketing to seniors offline works because they’re used to Medicare advertising through mail and phone calls. Americans 65 and older also value face-to-face interaction.
Advertise in the local newspapers, on billboards and buses, on the radio, run tv ads, send out a direct mailer, and/or host Medicare meetings at local senior centers and retirement communities.
Radio & TV Ads
According to Statista, radio is one of the most powerful mediums in the United States, with a weekly reach of around 82.5 percent among adults. News/talk radio tends to be the most listened to format followed by adult contemporary and country. For seniors 65+ years old, a whopping 81.2% are reached every week through radio.
Traditional television is yet another great advertising tool to reach the senior market. In fact, research from Statista shows that daily T.V. consumption for seniors ages 65 to 74 years old is nearly 4.5 hours per day, while those 75 years and older watch an average of 4.77 hours per day. Thus making T.V. ads an excellent way to get in front of seniors this AEP.
Out of Home
With the pandemic seemingly in our rearview mirrors, many seniors will be on the road this AEP which makes billboard and bus advertising a great marketing channel to reach them. If you’ve got a bigger budget, large freeway billboards will provide you with lots of exposure and brand awareness to drive leads. If your budget is more limited there are lots of cost-effective options for junior billboards found on city streets, posters placed on bus shelters, and ads placed on the sides or back of city buses.
Direct Mailers
When sending out a direct mailer, use a clear call to action with a unique phone number or URL so you can track your ROI. The frequency of your messaging is directly tied to the results of your campaign, so be sure to mail to the same group more than once. Ensure your mailer looks professional and provides seniors with credible information.
Omni-channel Marketing
Seniors consume information from both traditional and modern channels, so keep your messaging consistent across the board. Don’t get stuck in a silo, use various methods to engage the 65+ population and help them find your business on the marketing platforms they’re already on.
Generating the highest quality leads for AEP is easy when you properly position yourself in front of your target senior demographic. Study online and offline behaviors, consider what drives you, your parents, or your grandparents to respond to an ad, and develop an effective plan to reach your senior audience.
Not sure where to start? Let us develop a marketing plan that will help you generate more leads this AEP. Our marketing and public relations team will help you create an omni-channel strategy within your budget, so you can have a successful AEP!