Using Strategic Healthcare Marketing to Attract New Members

The numbers from the last open enrollment period could reveal a great deal about the payer landscape. First off, which plans will the millions of Americans no longer eligible for Medicaid sign up for? What does the increase in plan choices for potential new members mean for payers? And, importantly, what tools and insight can help you navigate these and other new challenges – while still optimizing the health of your members and your business bottom line? 

There’s a new e-book for that, one that outlines successful strategies for attracting new members. “Using Strategic Healthcare Marketing to Attract New Members” which pares it down to a simple choice: work harder or work smarter. You’ve already got the marketing savvy, and likely some financial constraints on what campaigns and projects you can launch to let potential new members you’re the best plan for them. So you and your team can put in a lot of effort, spend the budget you have, and hope for the best.  

Or you can adopt more precise data about new member prospects, selecting a data vendor that can supply information beyond basic demographic and zip code location. Imagine how much more your message could resonate with each prospective new member if you get a more complete picture of their unique needs, most common health conditions and day-to-day challenges. There is a lot of attention these days on incorporating social determinants of health (SDoH) and health equality index insight as well, and for good reason. Accurate SDoH data, for example, helps you understand, engage and advocate for your members, both new and established.  

This is healthcare, which means all the while you’re working smarter to acquire new members you have to keep HIPAA privacy regulations in mind. Reduce this risk, and perhaps sleep a bit easier at night, by choosing a data source that steers clear of HIPAA protected personal information altogether. Think of it as a healthy compromise and strategic healthcare marketing. You learn more about your members to speak to their unique needs, without risking exposure of their sensitive data.  

The e-book explains how to optimize some of these expanded insights, such as:

• Current life stage
• Potential future needs
• Lifestyle preferences including location, housing and recreational licenses
• Financial asset profile 

The e-book also explains how to boost member loyalty and maintain engagement over time. Yes, there will always be attrition in member numbers as people move, switch jobs and experience major life events. But It makes sense to keep as many members as possible from the new member pool you just converted to existing plans members. 

Remain aware and act – rather than react – with continuously updated data. 

The same informed data source can let you know when new member prospects become available. This way, you can contact them directly and highlight your unique benefits before a competitor signs them up first.  

Learn what is driving the latest changes in the payer marketplace, just how much more choice members say they have when choosing a new plan, and how ‘strategic healthcare marketing’ can again help you work smarter in pursuing these new members. And speaking of being more savvy, members are continuing to be more engaged in their own insurance coverage decisions. Potential members are no longer just comparing plan premium and copays. They are more shrewd, expect more personalized communications, and more individualized services. As the eBook explains, the days of one-size-fits-all plan marketing to acquire new members are behind us.