Employer Benefits Software Preferences to Meet Clients’ Needs

Ease conducted a survey on employer benefits software preferences 2018. The data I share with you today will provide you with an insider look at employers’ preferences when it comes to HR & technology in the new year.

The landscape of employee benefits has been consistently evolving over the last couple of years. Millennials and Generation Z are flooding the workforce, more and more employers are adopting employer benefits software, the future of healthcare reform has constantly been in question yet has remained a constant, and the list goes on.

In the midst of all this change, the broker has to adapt to meet the needs of employers as they seek out benefits solutions for their business. We surveyed employers across the country in December 2017 to find out their preferences when it comes to benefits administration software. The survey covered:

• Investment
• Broker engagement
• HR technology insights
• Tailored benefits
• Sales & marketing

This data will help you optimize your marketing strategy to meet the needs and expectations of employers in 2018. When thinking of employer benefits software preferences, the first thing to understand is that HR technology is in demand.

Benefits Administration Software Is In High Demand 

More businesses are including HR technology in their budget, and are in the market for a new platform. According to our research on employer benefits software preferences 2018, 75% of employers are budgeting for HR technology and half are looking to purchase new software.

As a broker, this means getting in front of your target audience with a benefits administration platform will be a key element to your insurance agency marketing strategy for 2018. With so many employers shopping for a solution this year, consider crafting marketing content that highlights your agency’s broker benefits software.

With direct-to-HR platforms around, it’s equally important to understand how to make yourself more relevant than your competition in the eyes of prospects. Insurance agencies that use employer benefits software to service their groups will have an advantage over direct-to-HR platforms. Your technology offering goes toe-to-toe with direct-to-employer HR platforms while they get to work with a broker (human). The broker and technology combo gives employers the best of both worlds as compared to a tech only option.

Thought Leadership: Educate and Inform 

I previously shared research from Harvard Business Review which found that B2B buyers want to work with a salesperson who:

• Offers unique and valuable perspectives on the market.
• Helps navigate alternatives.
• Provides ongoing advice or consultation.
• Helps in avoiding potential land mines.
• Educates on new issues and outcomes.

Employers we surveyed stated that training employees is the most difficult part of implementing employer benefits software. Knowledge of this data creates a perfect opportunity to execute a thought leadership strategy.

Use your online channels to share educational content on HR technology. Write a blog post sharing tips for employers rolling out a new platform. Record a short video of yourself detailing staff training best practices. Regularly engage with current customers on social media so leads see that you’re readily available and active online. Create short videos promoting your services and the broker benefits software solution you provide. These are just some of the ways you can leverage this data to create content that speaks directly to your audience’s pain points.

Employers Prefer Consuming Visual Content 

No matter what size group you look at, visual content reigns supreme as the preferred mode of content consumption. According to our study on employer benefits software preferences 2018, 50% of employers with less than 50 employees prefer in-person demos to learn about benefits administration software. For employers with more than 50 employees, 40% stated they prefer learning about new HR technology through videos.

Leverage this data to optimize your marketing strategy and customer experience. Use marketing research tools or marketing automation software to find out the size of a lead’s company, and create content to suit at different stages of the buyer journey. Here are some examples:

Smaller Businesses

When planning campaigns for smaller businesses with less than 50 employees, direct employers to schedule an in-person demo through your call to action (CTA). Use an online tool, like Calendly, to share your calendar and have leads choose from optional dates to schedule a demo. Check out my previous blog post on Insurance Agency Scheduling Tools to learn more about Calendly.

Bigger Businesses

When thinking of employer benefits software preferences for businesses with more than 50 employees, consider hosting webinars so they can learn more about the HR technology you offer through live video. Use this as your CTA in your campaigns targeted to businesses of this size.

This is what it means to optimize your marketing strategy to the customer experience. Segmenting your audience and customizing your buyer journey to employer preferences will help you close more sales this year.

Take a Deeper Dive Into the Data About Employer Benefits Software Preferences

These are just some of the key takeaways from our research on employer benefits software preferences 2018 and how to leverage this data to optimize your insurance agency marketing strategy going into 2018. Check out the infographic below, courtesy of Ease, for additional statistics that will help you grow your book and maintain your edge on the competition.

How will you use this data to optimize your marketing strategy?