How content marketing helps consumers make sense of health insurance options

When it comes to shopping around for healthcare products and services, effective marketing can make a world of difference for costumers who must sift through the overwhelming amount of information in the decision-making cycle, according to a Medical Marketing & Media article.

To make the process quick and easy for customers, the correct approach is to employ content marketing, the article states.

To guide health insurance marketers in this process, Tom Reid, vice president of healthcare for Serum, a standalone business within a global direct marketing agency called HackerAgency, outlines the following stategies:

  • Pay attention to where the customer stands. Marketers should note which part of the buying cycle customers are in, when they are researching certain products and how long they have been looking around, Reid writes. Marketers should also know what kind of solicitations they have sent to individuals and if they have responded.
  • Focus on the offer instead of the product. Providing an overview of the available plans and presenting multiple offers for each stage in the decision-making process, depending on the individual needs of the customers, helps them select the right type of plan.
  • Save the details for last. Only discuss the fine points--such as whether the product you're offering is a PPO or HMO--once customers indiciate that they "need the solution set associated with the product category product category," according to Reid.

Narrow network plans, which are increasingly common among health plans offered through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, also present challenges for insurers' marketing teams. One way to help consumers make sense of these plans' provider networks is to describe them using T-shirt sizes, from extra-small to extra-large, FierceHealthPayer has reported. The online marketplaces themselves have also improved the tools they offer to help consumers choose the right plan, though more could be done to make these features universal. 

To learn more:
- check out the article