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On June 13, 2011 Aetna announced they were acquiring Genworth Financial's Medicare Supplement business and all other related blocks of business. With more than 145,000 Medicare Supplement policyholders, Genworth was a leading provider of Medigap policies through Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee. For the block of business, Aetna paid $290 million.

Aetna’s chairman, CEO and president Mark T. Bertolini noted, "By acquiring this business, Aetna will significantly expand its footprint in the Medicare Supplement business." He also went on to explain that this growth comes at an important time, when the Medicare population is set to increase significantly with the Baby Boomer generation turning 65.

The acquisition is part of Aetna's plan to "broaden its product portfolio, add new revenue streams, and address the increasing needs of the senior population", adds Joseph M. Zubretsky. With this new block, they plan to grow their capabilities of Medicare Supplement business including "access to commercial retirees and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members, multi-channel distribution, and other Aetna product offerings", says Zubretsky.

Aetna currently serves approximately 33.8 million people and provides resources necessary for consumers to make informed decisions on their health care. Offering a variety of insurance plans, they cover a variety of individuals from all walks of life - from employer groups to college students. They plan to remain under the same business' current management, staff, and operations based in Brentwood, TN.

Please give us your feedback!
How do you feel about Aetna’s acquisition of Genworth Financial's Medicare Supplement business? Do you currently sell Aetna to your Medicare Supplement clients? What is the reception to their product?

Source: BusinessWire

As the second largest search engine, YouTube is continuing to grow and its full potential has yet to be tapped. Video is one of the fastest growing mediums online with large audiences searching for not only entertainment, but for information to assist in their buying decisions. YouTube offers a Promoted Videos feature that works just like AdWords as a cost-per-click auction based keyword and contextual targeting strategy. This allows you to get top placement providing the right content to the audience looking for it.

In a recent case study, insurance company American Family Insurance hired a search-marketing team to help with their video search performance. Being an SEO campaign the team first studied which of their video ads were already performing well, and they looked to see which keywords were being searched for more often. Based on the results, they increased their budget toward those keywords performing best within the states that the insurance company did business in. The results were closely monitored by YouTube Insight, which is an analytics and reporting tool provided to anyone with a YouTube account to track their audience.

The prospects had access to all of the videos the insurance company had created, as well as the option to contact the carrier via their website. The major results of the strategy were that organic traffic to their videos increased from 5,967 in October 2010 to 44,467 in January 2011. Plus, the videos enhanced the company’s brand experience, and they reached prospects earlier in their decision process.

The Medicare Supplement insurance industry is a great platform for informational videos. Seniors approaching age 65 might be confused in the differences between Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage, the benefits of having a Medigap plan, or the steps needed order to apply. These are all excellent opportunities to share your knowledge and place yourself as an expert. YouTube offers you a way to share your knowledge and approachability as an agent looking to serve clients.

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Do you think YouTube will be influential in the insurance market? Have you made any prospecting videos on YouTube? How have your results been?

Source: Search Engine Watch

Janet Switzer, author of Instant Income: Strategies That Bring in the Cash for Small Businesses, Innovative Employees, and Occasional Entrepreneurs and the adviser of marketing for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, offers advice for writing effective ad copy in the latest issue of InsuranceNewsNet. In the article, she advises agents not to neglect the ad copy in your prospecting verticals. The method she describes is called direct response copy writing in which you provide all information necessary to make a buying decision as well as emotional triggers to assure it’s responded to quickly and in high volume. She states there are 16 components that comprise all direct response sales materials whether that advertisement be a letter, website, brochure or postcard

1. The Kicker – Get your prospects interested in reading your ad
2. Headline – The most important benefit of your products or service
3. Salutation – Personalize your ad or letter with who you are looking to reach
4. Opening/Lead Paragraph –State why you are writing the article; introduce yourself and mirror the prospect’s situation
5. Body Copy – State the benefits of your products and services
6. Internal Sub-Headlines – The most important ideas of your ad, for those skimming to notice and take interest in
7. Testimonials – Use positive comments from past clients
8. Offer – Position your product in a compelling way so prospects will want to contact you
9. Call-to-Action – How should your prospects respond? Give instruction here.
10. Rationale – Tell your prospects why you are making this offer to them; how it can benefit them
11. Answer Objections – Answer why your prospects might object to your services based on your experience and provide proof to the contrary
12. Bullets – List key benefits in an easy to read manner
13. Upsell – If you have another product to sell (such as Final Expense on a Combo App) let your prospects know about that service as well
14. The Close – Reminder of how to contact
15. Signature – Close the letter or ad with your name and position title
16. Postscript – Repeat your rational, benefits, and how to respond

Please give us your feedback!
What prospecting verticals do you use in your business? Which are the most effective? Do you use all of these techniques in your ads or letters to prospective clients?

Source: InsuranceNewsNet