Are you an independent insurance agent that’s tired of watching your AEP (Annual Enrollment Period) events fall flat? Feeling frustrated as you struggle to fill those seats and engage your target audience? You’re not alone – many agents face this all-too-common challenge.

To turn empty seats into a room full of eager prospects ready to do business with you, see 3 essential strategies to fast-track RSVPs and boost event turnout below.

Step 1: Engage your Clients

As an insurance agent, you’re always looking for new ways to drive attendance and engagement at your AEP (Annual Enrollment Period) events. But have you considered leveraging your most valuable asset – your existing client base? It may seem obvious, but reaching out to your current clients is one of the most effective, yet often overlooked strategies for boosting event turnout. These contacts already know, like, and trust you, making them far more likely to accept an invitation to your AEP sessions.

The key is to make those invitations personal and compelling. When you reach out one-on-one, whether by email or phone, you’re demonstrating that you truly value their business and want to help them navigate the upcoming enrollment period. Highlight the specific benefits they’ll receive by attending, such as insider insights into the latest Medicare plan changes and updates, as well as personalized guidance to ensure they’re enrolled in the best coverage for their needs.

Tips for Crafting Effective Invitations

• Keep it personal: Mention the client by name and acknowledge your existing relationship.
• Highlight the value: Explain how attending the event can benefit them.  Consider their pain points. What part of AEP is confusing?  How can you help your attendees better navigate this enrollment period?
• Choose the right communication channel: Whether it’s an email, a phone call, social media, or a handwritten note, pick a method that resonates with your client.

Step 2: Expand Your Reach

When it comes to growth, look to the assets you already have. By inviting your clients to bring friends, family members, or other contacts to your AEP events, you can unlock a powerful referral-driven strategy that solves your attendance woes. Not only will this boost event turnout, but it also opens the door to exciting new business growth opportunities.

Referrals are the lifeblood of any successful insurance practice. When a trusted client recommends your services, their endorsement carries far more weight than traditional marketing. Tapping into this referral network through your AEP events is a proven way to attract high-quality leads and expand your client base.

Here are a few strategies you can use to motivate your clients to bring new prospects:

• Education: Explain the importance of AEP to your clients and how it can benefit their loved ones.
• Engagement: Create an engaging and informative event that provides value to all attendees.  Again, really hone in on the pain points of your target audience.  What are they feeling (anxious, confused, frustrated, overwhelmed)? What are their loved ones feeling?  How can you cater your messaging to address these feelings?

Step 3: Leverage Social Media Marketing

In today’s digital-driven world, social media has become a game-changing tool for insurance agents like yourself. Don’t miss out on the incredible potential for reach and engagement that platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn offer. By effectively leveraging social media, you can significantly boost attendance and excitement for your upcoming AEP events.

Advertising Your AEP Event

Use social media to create buzz and build anticipation for your AEP event. Share enticing details, eye-catching teasers, and highlights of what attendees can expect. Encourage your followers to share this information with their own networks. This will expand your reach and put your event in front of a wider audience. Social media allows you to connect with both current and potential clients in an engaging way, driving registration and fostering excitement.

Tips for Creating Engaging Event Posts

• Use visuals: Share eye-catching images or videos to accompany your event posts.
• Utilize hashtags: Include relevant event-specific and insurance-related hashtags to increase discoverability.
• Increase post frequency:  If you aren’t already consistently posting on social media, now is the time to do so.  This will help drive engagement as  well as enhance your credibility.
• Consider Ads:  If your budget allows, consider running an ad campaign to increase visibility.

AGA agents, don’t forget to submit marketing materials to compliance.  Submissions can be made to compliance@appliedga.com.

How to Create an Event on Facebook

Facebook’s event creation feature is a simple and effective way to promote your AEP events online. By setting up a dedicated event page, you can provide all the key details, build anticipation, and make it easy for your audience to RSVP and share with their networks.

Follow these steps to create your online event though an existing Facebook Business Page:

Remember to Stay Compliant

When hosting Medicare AEP events, you need to follow specific rules set by CMS. There are two types of events – educational and sales – with different location and timing requirements. It’s important to properly register your events, as reporting deadlines vary by carrier.

The marketing of your events also has regulations, like not requiring contact info for RSVPs and including disclaimers. During the presentations, there are activities you can and cannot do, such as not using sign-in sheets or discussing non-healthcare products.

Unclear about the do’s and don’ts at a Medicare event? Check out our Medicare events blog post for more information.

And remember, our specialized event team at AGA is here to handle all carrier reporting procedures, ensuring your events stay fully compliant and successful.

Final Takeaway

Implementing the event marketing strategies we discussed will do more than just boost attendance at your AEP events – it will contribute to the long-term growth and success of your business. As you put these tactics into practice, you’ll find that your AEP events become truly transformative, not just informative, for both your clients and your own company.

Start applying these steps today, and watch your RSVPs soar. Mastering event marketing is the key to driving meaningful engagement and taking your AEP events to the next level.