For marketers of Medicare insurance, reaching the 65 and older market is becoming increasingly complicated – but not for the reasons you might think. Seniors are more and more divergent with regard to how tech savvy they are, as some adopt mobile and social platforms and others remain “old fashioned” in their approach to the digital age. Medicare marketers need to begin considering new strategies that will help them better connect this audience to their Medicare offerings.

The Medicare Market

One of the best options involves building a pool of exclusive Medicare leads (both Medicare insurance leads and Medicare supplement/advantage leads) that allow your company to develop qualified, interested prospects that match with the Medicare services your business is offering.

Before we get heavy into the lead generation discussion, consider this: according to a recent study by the Pew Research Centre, the “Over 65” demographic is considered to be the fastest growing segment using social media networks. In fact, statistical research from that study suggests that there has been a 35% increase since 2012 in seniors using Facebook (which reported roughly 630 million users over 65 in 2013).

While there will always be individuals in this age group that prefer to do things “the old way”, recognizing the opportunity that now exists to reach this segment in new ways through social and digital platforms is absolutely imperative for any marketer who is looking to increase their success in the very competitive Medicare space.

Combine this behavioral shift with the fact that the size of the “Over 65” demographic is well-known to be the fastest growing segment of the population, and the role that senior citizens will play in our marketplace becomes increasingly central to the success of business – especially those operating within the healthcare space.

Need even more proof? According to the Transamerica Centre for Retirement Studies, roughly 10,000 Baby Boomers are turning 65 each day for the next 16 years, and thus become eligible for Medicare. That’s an enormous amount of potential prospects and, as a result, an enormous amount of potential for your company’s growth, if you can optimize your marketing efforts in the correct way.

Considering what we know about the “Over 65” demographic, and factoring in some other important tidbits, such as the fact that healthcare spending is projected to skyrocket in the coming years and that the wealth of our current seniors has quadrupled over the last two decades, it becomes pretty clear that now is the time for Medicare marketers to really get serious about how they are reaching their target market.

Medicare Leads

Today, we present one solution to Medicare companies that are looking to better market their services to the “Over 65” demographic: lead generation.

Simply put, lead generation is the process of identifying individuals who are both qualified for and interested in the products or services that your company provides. Lead generation campaigns match your company’s services with potential clients in the hopes that those end consumers can benefit from what your company can offer them, improve their health, and make their everyday lives more manageable.

Lead generation programs can be customized to your company, and the campaigns will be tailored to the type of leads specific to your business, whether it is Medicare leads, Medicare supplement/advantage leads, or both! The right lead generation firm will be able to produce a robust campaign – both online and offline – that can effectively reach members of the “Over 65” market and turn those Medicare leads into prospective clients that not only boost your business, but will also be better able to improve their quality of life. This program will also be developed in collaboration with your existing brand messaging to ensure that your marketing dollars are further maximized throughout the campaign’s execution.

Once the campaign is launched, your company can get ready to watch the Medicare leads start rolling in! First, the lead generation campaign screens and qualifies prospects that are eligible and interested, and then those leads (or Medicare supplement leads) are delivered directly to your sales staff so that they can begin turning those leads into growth for your business!

Where Do I Start?

Before you pursue this lead (pun intended) any further, there are a few things to be aware of when it comes to selecting a firm to help you develop a list of Medicare leads. Here are our “3 C’s”:

• Compliance – There is so much legislation surrounding the execution of lead generation companies, and companies who do not follow these procedures can find themselves in some serious hot water. Working with a lead generation that is absolutely 100% compliant with the necessary procedures and regulations is the most important thing to ensure when looking to partner with a firm.
• Communication – When your lead generation partner develops your Medicare leads, it is important that you receive those leads and act on them as soon as possible, and while they are still “hot”. The faster that you follow up with a lead after they have been qualified, the greater the opportunity for your sales staff to convert them into a new client. Having a clear and efficient line of communication with your Medicare lead generation partner will make this step much easier and allow your campaign to be more successful.
• Conversion – This step is about internal organizational readiness. Often, companies start up lead generation programs without having the marketing strength to carry out those programs. Conducting an internal marketing audit and ensuring that you have the sales staff necessary to convert incoming leads into sales in a reasonable amount of time.

The “Over 65” market growing faster than ever before, and are ready to be reached through new methods of marketing. Lead generation is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this and grow your marketing and sales success.