With a business model based on creating and nurturing strong personal relationships, most TPAs have been somewhat hesitant about pursuing digital marketing strategies.
The influx of “millennials” now populating the TPA market as decision makers, employees and plan members has altered this dynamic. TPAs are discovering that this younger, 25-34-year-old audience prefers to utilize digital and social media channels for information on health plans and benefits coverage. They also prefer useful content over promotional ads and want to access their information via mobile devices – with content delivered in easily digestible chunks and formatted for viewing on smaller screens.
For years, Barcelona Creative Group (BCG) has been working with its TPA clients to incorporate advanced digital strategies into their existing marketing programs. Interactive websites, blogs, online videos, email marketing, mobile applications, paid search and social media postings on sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are generating increased interest from this younger demographic. These digital strategies have also significantly enhanced TPA brand awareness and are delivering quantifiable results.
Establishing an Online Presence
“In 2016, every one of our TPA clients saw a major increase in mobile traffic to their websites of from 28 to 46 percent. To maintain this growth and expand our capabilities in this key area, we’ve added new team members who bring a wide range of digital and social media expertise to our creative endeavors,” said Juli Barcelona, president and COO of Barcelona Creative Group. “When combined with our 20+ years of experience serving the TPA industry, these added resources allow us to maximize our clients’ online presence and build awareness and interest in the services they provide.”
Further, digital marketing can be less costly than more traditional advertising and captures valuable viewer data including contact information, business profiles and areas of interest. Digital media and social postings can also be targeted to reach a specific demographic, such as agents or brokers in a defined state or region.
According to Tom Barcelona, founder and CEO, program success is about more than just utilizing digital media. “It’s about building a cohesive brand with a common look, feel and message that runs throughout each web page, white paper, blog/social media post, sell sheet and proposal,” he states. “We work to ensure that all of these media are used in concert to position the TPA as an authority and make them easily recognizable, no matter the digital vehicle. No longer are big carriers the only online presence for health benefits information.”
Brooks Goodison, president of Diversified Group in Marlborough, CT, had a specific goal in mind when working with BCG on their digital strategy. “We want to be widely known as self-funding experts and trusted benefit advisors,” he states. “The branding and digital marketing initiatives developed and implemented for us by Barcelona Creative Group have helped us establish a strong and far more visible presence in the marketplace. In fact, brokers have told us that they’re seeing us everywhere.”
“We consistently get positive feedback from employers and brokers about our website and recently signed a stop loss carrier who was able to find us through an online search,” says Bruce Flunker, president of EBSO, Inc., a national TPA with sites across the U.S.
“The digital strategy we’ve developed with Barcelona Creative Group has enabled us to keep our widespread internal staff informed, while delivering qualified leads for our organization,” added Cindy Sheffield, CEO of EBSO, Inc.
About Barcelona Creative Group
Barcelona Creative Group has been supporting some of the most successful members of the TPA community for over 25 years by unleashing the power of creativity to build brand awareness and deliver proven results. Barcelona Creative Group – Driven by the belief that creative is not a department, that all media is social and that passion never punches a clock. Contact Tom Barcelona at tom@barcelonacreative.com and Juli Barcelona at juli@barcelonacreative.com.
