Knowing that half of employees are spending less time reviewing their benefits than it takes to get a pizza delivered might make employers feel it’s impossible to really reach their workforce. At any given time, there can be a million flashing lights occupying employees’ interests, giving employers a very limited amount of time to catch their attention. This is where benefits experts can truly shine. Put your true value on full display by positioning yourself as an accessible source of information beyond open enrollment period. Benefits administrators can accomplish this through smart content marketing – consistently sharing educational materials that resonate with both employers and employees.

Effective content marketing requires a strong understanding of the audience you’re trying to communicate and engage with. In our white paper “Marketing to Five Generations of Consumers,” we break down the importance of meeting your target audience where they are with messaging tailored to them. A one-size-fits-all marketing approach just won’t cut it.

Here’s the truth about healthcare consumers: THEY ARE ALL confused about benefits.

This is true in even the most diverse workplaces. In a survey of 1,400 U.S. employees, 42% reported they aren’t confident they understand how health insurance works. Furthermore, there is a high demand for benefits education, as 48% of employees say they would prefer to speak to an expert when selecting their benefit plan. To use this to their advantage, TPAs and brokers should be ready with the most relevant and applicable information. As a start, they must at least be aware that their messaging will be received by a multigenerational audience, and their content strategy needs to reflect that. The resulting content can, and should, take many forms, such as infographics, blogs, email newsletters and even podcasts.

With rising costs on everyone’s mind, benefits professionals have a very important story to tell. Employers turn to them to help control costs while maintaining vital coverage for their employees, and employees look for guidance through the healthcare landscape. Telling this story is critical to highlighting the value of utilizing a benefits expert, and can be told using carefully crafted educational content. This process shouldn’t be limited to open enrollment periods, but rather shared year-round as supplements to traditional media avenues, helping to foster a strong relationship between advisors, employers, and the employees they depend on.

As with any other marketing, content marketing can and should be measured and adjusted as needed. Because content can be shared digitally, metrics can be received in real-time. These metrics help you gauge how your audience is receiving your messaging and, in turn, how they view you as a reliable source of information. Almost 36% of U.S. marketing leaders consider conversion to be the most important metric in measuring performance success, so when content is generated it is often with the intention of turning onlookers into active purchasers. Informative content such as videos, webinars and downloadables such as white papers play an impactful role in converting audiences, and are especially successful when marketing plans take into account the platforms and media types their target audiences utilize most.

Barcelona Creative Group has been supporting some of the most successful members of the benefits administration community for over 25 years, using the power of creativity to build brand awareness and deliver proven results.