Step 1: Engage your Clients

A highly effective yet often overlooked method for increasing attendance is by involving your existing client base. These contacts already have a pre-established connection with you and your organization, making them more likely to accept an invitation from you.

Start by personally inviting your current clients to your AEP events. A personal invitation shows that you value their business and want to help them make the best choices during the enrollment period. This can be done through email or phone with an emphasis on personalization.  Be sure to personalize and highlight the benefits of attending the event, such as gaining insights into the latest Medicare plans changes.

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

While retaining existing clients is important, you can also use your AEP events as opportunities for business growth. Encourage your clients to bring along friends or family members. This approach can lead to both a higher event turnout and potential business expansion.

Referral-based marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your business. When a client recommends your services to someone they know, it often carries more weight than traditional advertising. By encouraging your clients to bring friends, you not only boost turnout but also open doors to new opportunities.

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 age, social media plays a pivotal role in marketing. Don’t miss out on the potential reach and engagement that platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn offer. By effectively utilizing social media, you can significantly improve your AEP event turnout.

Advertising Your AEP Event

Use social media to create anticipation for your AEP event. Post event details, teasers, and highlights on your platforms. Encourage your followers to share the information with their networks, thus expanding your reach.

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

Remember to Stay Compliant

To host a compliant Medicare AEP event, you must adhere to rules outlined by CMS. There are two types of events: educational and sales, each with specific requirements for location and timing. Registration of events is important, with reporting deadlines varying among carriers.

Marketing the event also involves specific regulations, including not requiring contact information for RSVPs and providing disclaimers. During the presentation, you can engage in various activities, but there are clear do’s and don’ts, such as not requiring sign-in sheets or discussing non-healthcare-related products.

Visit our blog, A Breakdown of CMS’ 2024 MA and Part D Final Rule Changes for Agents for a full summary of compliance changes for 2024.

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

And don’t forget, here at AGA, we have a specialized event reporting and coordination team fully devoted to handling carrier reporting procedures. Their commitment is to ensure your events remain fully compliant and highly successful.

Final Takeaway

Mastering the event  marketing strategies outlined above will not only boost attendance of your AEP events but also contributes to long-term business growth and success. As you implement these strategies, you’ll find that your AEP events become not only informative but also transformative for your clients and your business. Start applying these steps today, and watch your RSVPs soar.