Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Welcome to Amerilite Marketing Mentors. I'm Jo Barker.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: And I'm David Belleville.
[00:00:11] Speaker A: And we are coming to you from medicareans. This is we are Wednesday, day three already here at medicareans and it has been a jam packed conversation, couple of days, lot of talk about marketing and we've done a ton of surveys and asked a lot of questions.
[00:00:26] Speaker B: Yeah, the conversations that we've had over the last three days have been so insightful, so beneficial. And today we're going to be breaking down a little bit of what we've heard at this conference from dozens and dozens and dozens of agents that are here learning themselves. And we're here to provide the marketing insights. And so Jo, let's dive in. So we had surveys throughout the week that we had folks taking for us and some of the numbers have been extremely revealing. So to start out, what we've realized is that a bulk of who we've talked to are more seasoned agents. A bulk of them are, have been in the business for four years or more. So what does that tell you in terms of where they're at and what opportunity there might be for folks at this stage in their career when it comes to marketing?
[00:01:16] Speaker A: Yeah, I think it was over 60% of the people that we, that we've had conversations with were either agents or agency owners. And like you said, they've been in the industry for over four years. So that tells us that they're not new to this game, they're not those neophyte agents. You know, they've been in this for a little bit and they really are trying to get to that next level.
What was really interesting to hear is how many of them, so I think it was about 80% of them are doing all of their marketing 100% by themselves and utilizing very little tools. So one of the biggest, I think talking points that we heard this weekend was there's a lot of demand to learn more about marketing and how to market. They're just not sure where to start and they're not sure if what they're doing is the right strategy and is, you know, where they, what they should be doing.
[00:01:59] Speaker B: So and on top of that, because of where they are in their career, oftentimes time is an issue as well. And so being able to have repeatable systems in place to make marketing simpler and more efficient and work with their schedules because they're at a point now where they likely do have a client book and they are regularly selling and nurturing those relationships. And so do you have any advice for those out there when it comes to developing marketing systems and how can they leverage them for efficiency?
[00:02:31] Speaker A: Well, I think a lot of it goes back to making sure, like you said, that there's actually a system in place. So if you're going to be utilizing different marketing tactics, it's making sure you have a CRM so you can actually track those tactics. What is it that you know, one of the things that we heard, their main goals is leads and referrals.
[00:02:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:46] Speaker A: So that was the majority of what we heard, is we want to connect with more people, we want to build our personal brands and we want more leads and referrals. So with that, if you're going to be putting that effort into it, you have to have a way of tracking them. So having a good CRM for those leads to go into, then setting up those journeys. So the email marketing. Email marketing was one that actually really surprised me.
[00:03:06] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:03:06] Speaker A: So email marketing was one that, within the survey where they said we're not doing a lot of it, but it was one of the ones where they said we would like to do more, but we need to learn how to do more. So I think they know, hey, email marketing is important and just to be transparent about it, it's still the number one ROI out there.
[00:03:23] Speaker B: Well, and that holds up with our own data. Jo, as the merelife marketing mentors, our email is the number one channel that we see the most success in. So the proof is in the numbers. Yeah.
[00:03:34] Speaker A: And we always say the fortunes and the follow through. So you're going to do all that work to get all those leads into your system and, and then you're just going to leave them. And that's, that's never the right tactic or the never the right strategy. You did all that work, now it's time to work those leads and now it's time to really follow through on all that work that you did. Nurture them, provide value. That is one of the top things that, you know that we try to tell everybody is don't try to sell, go out there, provide value and give them all the answers that they're looking for. Because what's happening is you're building that trust and now they trust you and now they want to work with you.
[00:04:06] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:06] Speaker A: So, so if I had to give any advice to the agents that are out here, it's get a good CRM, know where you're putting your efforts when it comes to marketing, and go all in and really put yourself out there. That was actually, we were talking about it earlier the YouTube was surprising.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: Yeah. So talk about putting yourself out there. I think what I'm seeing in terms of difference is between those who are leveling up in their marketing and those who are struggling or staying stagnant. Is, is taking that leap of faith and getting on camera. And it truly is intimidating if you've never done it before. So we don't want to discount that. But it does take a level of courage. And the numbers really do show that those that take that leap of faith, those that put themselves out there, are putting themselves in the minority. And that minority is paving the way in marketing. They are the ones that are getting organically found. They are the ones that are building trust before that first phone call ever takes place. And so YouTube is one of the most underutilized marketing platforms. But Jo, we both know that it's one of the best opportunities, especially here in the age of AI where trust is an issue.
[00:05:16] Speaker A: Yeah. So we saw when we asked about the specific social media channels of what is it that where are you at? Where are you putting your efforts? So right now it's from the 150 that we surveyed.
Number one is Facebook. Everybody's utilizing Facebook. Number two is Instagram. Then we've got LinkedIn and TikTok coming through and YouTube is down there. I mean, it's nowhere on the radar. But then what's really surprising is when you ask them, how do you want to learn? How is it that you want us to teach you marketing or how do you prefer? Number one answer, short form video.
[00:05:47] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: And where are you going? You're going to YouTube and watching those shorts, but yet nobody is actually utilizing that as a channel to teach themselves. So it really was kind of eye opening of it's what you prefer. So knowing that's probably what your audience prefers, but yet it's not on your radar and you're not quite there yet. So it is very interesting. So I think that tells us, as you know, Amer Life marketing mentors, we have to make it easier for agents and advisors to create those shorts and really break it down and make it digestible for them to where it doesn't feel so intimidating.
[00:06:17] Speaker B: Well, that's a great point because another insight that we were able to pick up from this survey is that step by step, tutorials and guides are, are another popular way that our audience likes to learn. And I often say, especially for those who might not be talking marketing every day and in the thick of it every day to just think about how you like to consume media. Oh yeah, absolutely. You Just made that point. And that can apply to a lot of different marketing strategies. But that is such a great point, Jo, that if you like going to YouTube for information, if you like how to's from YouTube, then your audience will as well. And, and we both know that Medicare is a complex topic and that's another piece of value that agents out there can provide is breaking down those complex topics in short form. Video.
[00:07:03] Speaker A: Yeah, we actually had somebody come up to the booth earlier and she was asking, she's like, you know, I want to get out there, I want to do videos, but I'm not quite sure compliance wise what I'm allowed to say and what I'm not. So we try to tell everybody, you know, it's always great to have that compliance check, but make sure you're just educating. If you're out there and you're giving the Medicare one on one of this is what part A is, part B, part C and you're breaking down education only. And so you're not speaking about the benefits or anything along those lines. You probably are in a safe space because education you can absolutely do. It's when you start self promoting, sale selling and when you start really talking about specific benefits of each area, that's when you can get yourself in some trouble. But really, and you can tell it's those type of friction points that stop people. So that was her push friction point and she was like, man, I know I need to be out there, I'm just not quite ready yet or I'm not quite 100% sure yet. So I think we're getting there. I think people definitely see the value of it. Like I said, now it's on us to try to build out programs and make it to where it's really easy for people to create those short form content pieces.
[00:08:06] Speaker B: Yeah, I totally agree. And another interesting piece of data that we found from the surveys and the conversations we've had is that social media is the number one channel that agents here are utilizing for marketing and it's also the channel that they're looking for the most education about. So, and that kind of makes sense. The more you use something, the more that you want to make sure that you're using it to its full potential. And so when it comes to social media, you know, if that's you who wants to learn more about social, it's not a place to sell.
[00:08:37] Speaker A: No, it's not.
[00:08:38] Speaker B: You were just talking about compliance. But that also applies to, to how these algorithms work and how consumers like to take in media on their social media platform. So is there anything else that you might want to add to that?
[00:08:50] Speaker A: Yeah, I actually, I really like the fact that everybody said, and I think it was like 60, over 60% said that they're utilizing Facebook. But those same. I think it was a bit more like 65% said that they want to learn more about it. And I love that because now it shows us that you found a platform that you're comfortable in. You're out there, but you know, you're not quite there yet. And you know that there's still, still so much to learn about it, which is great for us. And we've been telling everybody, especially in the Medicare space, Facebook is where it's at.
[00:09:15] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:09:16] Speaker A: I mean, the 65+community, that is the number one platform, social media platform that those guys are hanging out on.
[00:09:21] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:09:22] Speaker A: So you need to be where they're, you know, where they're at. The thing now is just providing value and not selling. So it's not going out there and saying, hey, you know, contact me if you want to hear more about Medicare. It's going out there and saying, hey, are you new to Medicare? Are you wondering what the difference is between part A, B and C? And here's what the differences are. Here's the, you know, the Medicare 101 basics and I'm the one that's going to be teaching you it. And you're not trying to sell them. You're answering those questions that you hear every single day from those real clients that are reaching out to you.
[00:09:49] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's funny because it seems like every single topic that we talk about, it all leads back to short form video.
[00:09:55] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:09:56] Speaker B: Because everything you just said really can perform well on Facebook. Facebook has reels in partnership with Instagram. They're all a part of the meta ecosystem. And so by producing that content, it will resonate on Facebook and as long as you're consistent. And that also takes me back to YouTube, because if you're creating video content for YouTube that can stream down and populate your other platforms. So now you're knocking out two birds with one stone on YouTube and Facebook. And speaking of that 65 up audience, those are the two most popular platforms for that audience.
[00:10:30] Speaker A: We saw Instagram sitting at number two today. So we saw Facebook was number one, Instagram came right behind it at number two. Makes sense because it's all the meta platforms. So if you're in a post on one, you might as well post on the other. But we know for the 65 community and all the surveys and all the figures that we've seen out there. Facebook is number one, YouTube is number two. And so if you're gonna be on Facebook, like you said, get comfortable with being on YouTube. It's how everybody likes to learn it, really. And we've been saying it for years, that's where it's gonna be at. But I think the sooner people can get more comfortable with content creation and not afraid to put yourself out there on video, the easier it's gonna be.
[00:11:07] Speaker B: I couldn't agree another word that keeps coming to mind when I think about the conversations we've had. When I dig into the data, it's opportunity. There is so much opportunity on the table, especially for the folks that took our survey who have been in it for four, five, six years, because they're no longer trying to grow a business from the ground up. And it is hard to do that and simultaneously try to create a marketing system so they're positioned in a way that they could start dedicating some time as long as they have the business side up and running. And that's where I see opportunity for these seasoned individuals. They've got the knowledge, the experience, and they've got their business side up and running. And so that brings me to marketing systems. We talked about it at the top. Could you provide a brief definition of what a marketing system is and why do you think it is important for our audience? Because it was something that is, I think, not as understood when it comes to the data from our survey.
[00:12:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I think a lot of people, when they think about marketing, they're, you know, they think about just the one aspect of it. So it's just posting on Facebook. But really what you need to look at is you need to look at that entire journey of that customer. And so when you build out your marketing efforts, it's okay. Where are they first being introduced to me at? And those are the how to videos or those explainer videos. They're getting to know you before they ever even commit to giving you information.
And then you get them to a point where maybe there's a value add that you want to provide them and say it's a piece about the five things you didn't know about Medicare. And now they're signing up for it. So now you have their information. So now you're going to start a journey with them. So now I'm giving you. Now that we're connected, I have your information, and now I know that you're interested in Medicare. Well, now I'M going to send you emails and this is going to be those nurture emails of hey, AEP is coming up and you start giving them pure value. You're not selling at this point. You're just giving them a heads up of hey, what's coming up ahead of us from there. Now, hopefully you get them to the point where they become a customer, but it doesn't end there. And I think that's another thing that we've been hearing a lot out here is it's the opportunities that open up when you realize that there's more to it than just Medicare and now there's annuity and there's all these other channels to where you can help that one client with different products. It doesn't just have to be singular. And so I think the more you realize that that client now trusts you and, and so if you have other products or other services that could be a benefit to them, that's the opportunity. And we did hear a lot about that today. Heard a lot of Medicare agents asking about annuities. Yeah, how is it that we get into that annuity business? You can tell they're a little unsure. They're, you know, they're not quite ready for it, but they want to learn more. That is a huge opportunity coming up.
[00:13:46] Speaker B: There it is, that word again. Opportunity. And yeah, cross selling has been a major focus here and it's all about again, providing value. If you're selling Medicare, why not be the go to source for that client and be able to provide them additional value, whether that be an annuity retirement plan or what have you.
I want to introduce AI. We haven't talked about AI yet. I think that you just really wonderfully illustrated what a marketing system looks like. You mentioned a CRM. I want to start putting some of these puzzle pieces together and how can AI assist in some of what we've been talking about, especially because time management is a struggle for these agents and
[00:14:29] Speaker A: AI can make you more efficient. That was probably one of the most surprising facts we learned from our survey is it's only about 1 in 3 agents or agency owners that's actually utilizing AI. I was shocked by that. I was expecting it to be more at that 50%.
[00:14:45] Speaker B: It's not under. Yeah, well, under.
[00:14:46] Speaker A: So it was interesting. So you only have about 30% who are actually utilizing AI at all.
[00:14:51] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:14:52] Speaker A: And you're at about 60% or who are saying, but I want to know about it. So they're not quite ready and they're probably unsure how to do it. So I think it's a great question and I think you're going to see a lot more content come out about it, but really it is about making you more efficient. So if you're somebody that's on Facebook and maybe you're confused on the type of post to put out there, that's where you can utilize AI for those ideas to help give you inspiration not to write the post. We say that all the time. Do not copy and post out of AI because you're going to lose your voice immediately if you don't have a setup. Right? Yep. But that was definitely one of the most eye opening pieces of data that I think we collected this week was just how many people are not utilizing it at all yet.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Right.
[00:15:32] Speaker A: Because I think in our world we're, we're consumed by it and we talk about it so much that we just figure everybody's utilizing it and it's relevant to everybody. Until you actually start talking to people and you're like, wow, yeah, okay, there's people who have never Even opened up ChatGPT, which we did find, find out of the 30% utilizing it, ChatGPT is dominant. The number one majority and right behind them was Gemini and then Claude came up behind there. So it's all good data to know, but definitely tells us we have a ways to go in the training and education when it comes to this industry and getting our agents and advisors set up for success utilizing it.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: I was just going to say the same exact thing, you know, as we move forward as a team, providing those step by step guides, those how to guides so that you can build that marketing system and ensure a customer journey, but doing it in the most efficient way possible, saving yourself as much time as possible. AI can help with all of that, but I do think that's where we can come in and provide more specific education for all. Right. If you're using AI for email marketing, if you're using AI to set up your social media pages, I think that that's where a lot of value will come into play for our audience.
[00:16:41] Speaker A: If I could give out one piece of advice, if you're going to utilize AI, and this is something that I think we've been talking about a lot lately is it's kind of like if you were going to hire someone to be your personal assistant and you know on day one, you wouldn't hand them your phone and your social media and your email and be like, hey, go be me. And so many people are doing that with AI right now. So many people. You Know when they utilize AI, you know, they're getting a post and they're copying it and they're pasting and they're like, oh, yeah, that's me. Yeah, people know it's not you. You would never do it with a new hire. You would never hand a new hire your phone and say, hey, go meet, go be me on social media. Why would you ever do it with AI? And I think, you know, the more that people can realize. Use it for inspiration, use it as a framework, but don't copy and paste it until you are confident that it's your voice and it sounds like you and you've trained it long enough to know. Okay. And it's still probably never going to be perfect. You take it out, read it, make sure it sounds like you, and then post it on social media.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: Yeah.
When it comes to building a personal brand, so much of what you just said matters.
[00:17:40] Speaker A: And absolutely trust.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Exactly. Trust. And we also heard a lot when it comes to AI that we're seeing kind of a counter to AI emerge and people are recognizing some of what you just said, that that value and that customer relationship and building that relationship on trust matters a lot. And so we always say use AI as a tool, but not as a replacement for that reason, because trust is everything. And. And if your audience knows that you're using AI to educate them and communicate to them, then that can erode that trust and confidence. So mentioning personal branding, that was a topic that didn't seem to resonate much with the audience. But I think that it's really about how we frame it. Everybody has a personal brand. It's not something that you have to, you know, spend years developing. You are your personal brand.
What advice would you have for agents who may not be thinking of themselves as a brand?
[00:18:38] Speaker A: Well, I mean, I think we're what sets us apart from everybody else. You know, there's other marketing companies that are out here today, and what sets us apart from all of them is us.
[00:18:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:46] Speaker A: You know, it's the way that we break things down, it's the way that we explain things, and it's the way that we approach it. It's our experiences, it's everything that we bring to the table that sets us apart from everybody else. And I think as agents and advisors, you have to keep that in mind, is the. There's a lot of agents and advisors out there, all selling the same type of products and all going after the same type of audience. But really what sets you apart is the way that you approach it. The way that you educate and the way that you connect with clients, that's what sets it apart. And that's why the personal brand is going to become more important than ever in this AI driven world. Trust is going to become an issue. We know that the human touch and the human interaction is going to become vital. It's going to be the most viable currency out there. And I think that's where building up the personal brand, creating those short form videos, putting yourself out there and not being afraid to answer questions, that's where it's going to pay off in the future. And from the survey results we saw today, there are not a lot of people that are going to be taking advantage of that, you know, as far as the short form and creating it themselves.
So there's a lot of opportunity out there for those that are willing to actually start putting themselves in front of a camera.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: Yeah, the window is wide open and I think so many people just feel like they're not going to be good at it or they're afraid to fail. And that's just part of the process. It's those who are, who take the leap of faith, who are willing to fail and learn from their mistakes that will come out on top. And you also mentioned it, AI is making it harder and harder to believe your own eyes. And so starting right now puts you ahead of the curve because I don't know if you've seen it lately, but AI video is maturing and it's getting harder to separate real from what's fake. So that's what we're talking about here is stand out, put yourself out there, take that leap of faith and that's how you start to build trust, but also separate yourself from the AI generated content that's out there.
Jo, so many incredible insights.
[00:20:37] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:20:38] Speaker B: And the day's not even over yet. But I have to ask what's been your most, what's been your favorite part about this medicareans this week?
[00:20:45] Speaker A: Honestly, there's a lot of agents and agency owners out here and being able to have conversations with them and the survey's been incredible. It has been really eye opening to understand seeing that you have four plus year agents, the majority, some of them, I think the biggest age group was four to 15 years. So these aren't new agents and they're just looking for strategy in their marketing. And I love it. And I think it's pretty eye opening from my perspective of, okay, here's where we need to really push forward and provide value and that's what we're Learning from this experience is, you know, we need to teach a lot more about AI. We need to teach a lot more about building your personal brands and those marketing strategies. And like you said, that full funnel experience of following through.
[00:21:30] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's why we exist. We want to provide that value. Jo and I are still learning every single day and this week is proof of that. It's been so incredibly insightful and we're not stopping here. We've got a full year ahead of, of delivering those insights, those how tos and that education. And we want to hear from you. We want you to join our community.
So reach out to us. You can find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, of course. And we want to know how we can help. And your feedback means the world to us. It helps us get better. And our number one goal is to help you get better. So Jo with having said that, final thoughts.
[00:22:10] Speaker A: Nope. It's almost five o'. Clock. It's been a jam packed week out here. It really has been incredible and got a few more people to talk to today and we're all set.
[00:22:17] Speaker B: That sounds good. Well, thank you for everyone that stopped by the AMM booth. We appreciate your time. We hope to speak to you again. Until next time, that's Jo Barker. I'm David Belleville and we'll catch you later.
