Here at Little Egg Solutions, we’ve discussed the importance of integrating a social media component into the overall marketing strategy for small and medium businesses. Recently, we highlighted the difficulty in implementing a digital marketing strategy in traditionally print-oriented industries like Real Estate. The hesitation to jump into the social media pool extends across many other industries that historically have relied on television, radio, and print advertisement to attract leads, including health benefit brokers and the healthcare industry at large.

At first glance, it seems like a reasonable reservation. Digital communication can sometimes be viewed as impersonal and even cold: certainly not something that consumers want associated with the people in charge of such a personal matter as health care. However, social media has changed the way these digital conversations take place. Facebook is where friends and family converse, Twitter is where news is broken, and YouTube is where they find their entertainment and other useful information. All areas of life have become digitized to some degree, including the process of finding health insurance.

The vast majority of consumers research healthcare options online.

A 2013 study found that 81% of people looking to make a large or important purchase (a category in which health and life insurance definitely falls) research their options online. A similar study in 2015 found that 69% of Americans – and 81% of American Millennials – seek out the opinions of others before they purchase. These may seem like unrelated phenomenon, but when you realize that they seek these opinions on social media platforms, it highlights a major benefit of social media marketing: a captive audience.

Your potential leads are already there. They are on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and they are looking for help. Healthcare brokerage is about building relationships with people who need help finding their way through a labyrinth of coverage options. It’s about guiding them through the maze to the right coverage and a healthier, happier life. Social media is the entrance to that labyrinth, and they are trying to find someone to help them take the first step.

You can leverage social media to take care of both your clients and your leads.

It’s not just potential leads on there either; it’s your existing clients, as well. They may have questions or concerns, they may be ready to make a change, or they may be looking for someone with authority that they can trust to give them insightful, helpful, and factual information. Social media marketing gives you the opportunity to answer those questions, address those concerns, and share that information, all while drawing in leads as they watch you take care of those who need your help. It’s a win-win proposition.

One common issue that plagues the social media marketing efforts of healthcare brokers is the lack of a hard-and-fast strategy. Often, social media is considered an “add-on” or an “option” when creating a marketing plan. In other words, they dip their toes in the pool when they should be diving in. At Little Egg Solutions, we know that integrating a new marketing strategy can be exhausting, especially one as demanding as social media marketing, but it’s not a choice of sink-or-swim. We can throw you a life jacket and take care of it for you, so you can take care of your clients. Contact us today to find out how!