14 Proven Ways to Generate Leads for Medicare Supplement Sales

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Lead generation for Medicare Supplement sales is the art of attracting total strangers to your brand and converting them into customers. 

The challenge lies in finding people who are enrolled in Original Medicare and are in the market for a Medicare supplement (also known as Medigap). 

Lead generation has historically been a form of outbound marketing, where salespeople reach out to individuals and families in the quest for a sale. Inbound marketing rose to popularity as the digital era started, opening up more avenues to sell Medicare Supplement policies. 

Are you ready to bolster your lead-generation activities? We’ve put together 14 proven ways to generate leads for Medicare Supplement sales and categorized them as inbound and outbound marketing. We’ll also explain why they work and how to implement them well.

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Outbound Lead Generation Strategies for Medicare Supplement Sales

Inbound Lead Generation Strategies for Medicare Supplement Sales

Inbound & Outbound Lead Generation Strategy for Medicare Supplement Sales

Combine Outbound & Inbound Lead Generation Activities for Maximum Potential

Outbound Lead Generation Strategies for Medicare Supplement Sales

Lead generation trends are evolving, and we’ll keep you up to date on what’s new. 

Some outbound lead generation strategies may be considered a bit “old-school.” Nonetheless, they can be effective, especially when combined with other lead-generation strategies. 

1.  Direct Mail

Direct mail refers to sending some type of marketing material through the postal mail, such as postcards, brochures, flyers, etc. 

While direct mail was once one of the top marketing methods, it’s considered “old-school” by some today. Don’t let that discourage you from using it if you feel it could be effective. 

Direct mail can be effective because it allows you to reach a large audience all at once with minimal effort. According to one study, you can expect a 9% response rate on average. 

To maximize your direct marketing campaign, send mail to people approaching age 60 and those over 65. Be sure to include your email address and phone number. You might also include a QR code on the pieces directing interested parties to your website. 

2.  Door-to-Door Medicare Supplement Marketing

Along with direct mail, door-to-door sales were once the norm. 

However, current issues like crime and COVID-19 make some people hesitant to answer the door. Also, many people today have doorbell cameras. If they don’t know who you are, they just won’t answer. 

Door-to-door sellers have the advantage of being able to get in front of people. Nonetheless, according to Forbes, salespeople won’t have as much success with door-to-door selling as with some other marketing practices. 

Knocking on doors may be a promising avenue for pursuing Medicare Supplement leads who didn’t return a lead card, especially in senior living communities. You can also leave a door hanger and hope for the best. 

3.  Networking Events

Networking events take various forms, including speaking engagements, chambers of commerce meetings, seminars, and even happy hours. 

Networking works because it involves relationship building. As your business network grows and your relationships deepen, you can send referrals to other business professionals and get some in return. In this way, you can tap into different networks to grow your lead base even more.

Improve your networking skills by giving a talk at your local chamber of commerce and asking other business professionals to tell their clients about what you have to offer. Promote your talk on social media and email lists. Share photos of people attending your events, as seeing others having a good time will inspire them to attend.

4.  Telemarketing

Telemarketing is also called telesales, inside sales, or cold calling. Telesales marketing often gets a bad rap because it used to be a primary sales marketing activity, causing people to get inundated with unsolicited sales calls. 

Telemarketing isn’t as prevalent as it once was, so prospects may be more open to calls than they were in the past. A benefit to telemarketing is that it’s inexpensive. Also, it allows you to get your foot in the door and start the conversation. 

If telemarketing isn’t your thing, you can always hire someone to do it for you.

When setting up a telemarketing campaign, be careful about obeying CAN-SPAM laws and putting people on the “do-not-call” list. Also, make sure you know and abide by the CMS Medicare marketing guidelines. 

5.  Informational Booklets and Brochures

Informational booklets and brochures are a soft marketing activity. People are apt to pick up something to read while waiting, and it just may prompt them to call you.

A benefit of booklets and brochures is that you can use them for many purposes. You can hand them out during appointments and place them around town. 

Hotels, auto shops, doctor’s offices, senior centers, and anywhere else people spend time waiting are good places to set out a stack of booklets and brochures. 

6.  Lead Providers

Lead provider organizations have emerged to save Medicare salespeople the hassle of finding their own leads.

Often, lead providers will provide leads according to various demographics, such as age, income level, and geography. 

You can find 20 lead providers at Insurance Lead Reviews. For the best results, buy leads from a lead provider with proven success and good reviews from other insurance agents. 

Inbound Lead Generation Strategies for Medicare Supplement Sales

Inbound leads can help you shorten the sales cycle. The next part of our list offers inbound lead-generation strategies that may open up beneficial opportunities. 

7.  Lead Generation Website

Every business needs a modern website to ensure success. It’s essential to have an online space for people to learn more about you, your business, Medicare Supplements, and other Medicare programs. 

A website works well for lead generation because anyone visiting it is a warm lead. Visitors are looking for information online and are almost ready to buy, giving them some of the highest-quality leads. 

You can hire a website developer to set up your website, although it’s fairly easy to do so yourself using a web builder like WordPress or Wix. 

Be sure to add a landing page with an automated contact form. As the leads stream in, be sure to contact them as soon as possible.

Google’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide gives you the basics on how to create pages that will rank on their search engine. 

If that sounds like more time and effort than you want to invest, you can always hire an SEO specialist or digital marketer to optimize your web pages. 

As an added bonus, you can add a blog to your website to keep your brand in front of prospects and customers. 

Paid social media ads are similar to print ads, but they are online ads. You view them nearly every time you pull up a browser on your computer or mobile device. 

Why are social media ads an effective marketing activity for Medicare Supplement sales? EMarketer says that 84% of baby boomers have social media accounts. They predict that 10.8 million people aged 65 and older will make an online purchase after seeing a social media ad. 

Facebook is inarguably the most popular platform for social media ads, but the numbers are growing numbers on the following social media sites:

  • Twitter
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Snapchat
  • Reddit
  • Instagram

You can also put ads on sites like Google and Amazon.

Where do you start with social media ads? Facebook and Google are good places to start, and they have advanced analytics dashboards that allow you to analyze and monitor your social media ads. 

From there, you can experiment with other social media sites a little at a time. Just be sure to watch your ad budget and monitor your marketing campaigns for effectiveness. 

It may be worthwhile to invest in a digital marketer who can create your ads, leverage SEO, and provide you with a report on the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaigns. 

9.  Referrals

Generally speaking, referrals are yours for the asking. Nevertheless, agents and brokers commonly fail to ask for them. People are usually happy to refer people they know to products and services that have served them well. 

One day, nearly everyone will qualify for Medicare, which means that nearly everyone knows someone else who is looking for information on Medicare. Considering this, don’t be shy about asking business people, friends, and acquaintances if they know other people who want to learn more about Medicare Supplements. 

Success in getting referrals requires you to approach the ask with the mentality that you are providing a program they need rather than begging for a lead. Reward programs may also help you bring in more referral leads. 

10.  Partnerships

For lead generation, a partnership means partnering with a related business that is not a competitor and who is willing to share its client list with you. 

For example, you might partner with a commercial or personal lines insurance agent and swap leads. 

To start a partnership, you need to get acquainted with a prospective partner and agree on how to exchange leads. Partnerships are an easy, inexpensive source of leads and may prompt you to increase your sales goals. 

11.  Video Marketing

Television commercials were the first video marketing campaign. Today, anyone can create a promotional video. 

According to Wyzowl, over 91% of businesses use video ads as a marketing tool, which is a testimony to the fact that they work. 

You could create a video on any number of informative topics, including:

  • How Medicare Works
  • Is a Medicare Supplement Right For You
  • The Difference Between Medicare Advantage and a Medicare Supplement
  • Defining Medicare Terms

Create a video for one topic at a time or a series of videos. Be sure to add a CTA at the end. Share your video using a quality screen sharing tool.

12.  Blog Writing

Blog writing is simply writing articles about everything related to Medicare Supplements. According to Semrush, almost 24% of the highest-performing blogs publish new posts daily. 

Medicare Supplement blogs are effective because they help you rank in search engines. 

For effective blogs, note the questions people ask most about Medicare Supplements and post an article explaining the answers. Visitors will likely check out the other pages on your website, including your contact form. 

13.  Online Events: Podcasts, Webinars

A podcast is a live or recorded session focusing on a specific theme. A webinar is simply an online educational or informative session. 

These events bring in warm leads as the audience tunes into the session, which means they’re already interested in what you’re offering. 

It’s not difficult to host an online event. Software is available for hosting podcasts. CrankWheel offers software for webinars with valuable features such as inbound lead capture, post-meeting direct, screen recorder, screen share videos, and custom branding.

Respecting your audience’s time is key to a successful event. Market your webinar or podcast early and keep your presentation concise and relevant. By leaving ample time for questions, you show your audience that you value their participation and engagement. 

Inbound & Outbound Lead Generation Strategy for Medicare Supplement Sales

14.  Email Marketing

Email marketing can be considered inbound and outbound marketing. Email messages may come in from any of your marketing campaigns, and you can set up email strings using email software to target prospect lists at any stage of the sales funnel. 

Email marketing works because it allows you to reach hundreds of prospects at a time, segment your lists, do A/B testing, and analyze your results. According to Litmus, email marketing campaigns deliver a $36 return on investment for every dollar you spend, which is higher than other marketing channels. 

Email marketing messages that are short and relevant are the most likely to capture prospects’ attention. 

Combine Outbound & Inbound Lead Generation Activities for Maximum Potential

Inbound and outbound lead generation activities have separate processes, and both are effective. 

For optimal results in lead generation for Medicare Supplement sales, consider combining inbound and outbound marketing activities. These are proven ways to generate leads, and this strategic approach can significantly accelerate sales potential and offer a promising outlook for your business.