Traditionally in the Medicare marketing arena, agents would start prospecting to the T65 (or turning 65 market) 3 months prior to their birth month, since that is when they receive their Medicare card in the mail and can enroll into coverage.
However, over the past few years, the timeline has been shifting to start reaching out to people earlier. The video below explains:
Key Takeaways
With almost limitless information on the internet, it is easier for people to learn about Medicare and their options. Numerous studies have shown people are starting to look at Medicare when they turn 64 in preparation for their retirement, as you can see in the chart below:
What This Means for Agents
Marketing 3 months only is no longer the marketing standard. Both mailers and internet usage are at their peak at months 4-6 prior to their 65th birthday. Having an active online presence followed with a T65 marketing campaign that starts 4-6 months out is the new norm, as 39% of people turning 64 are starting to look online for Medicare options.
Getting In Front of the T65 Market
While mailers are still a great tool for agents to use, having an online presence is no longer optional. Facebook is still the most popular social media platform, especially for people 50+ years of age as the Pew Research chart below shows. The 65 year old demo graphic has grown 14% from 2015 to 2016, and that growth does not show any signs of slowing down. That means very shortly 3 of every 4 people over age 65 will be on Facebook.
Facebook allows you to have an active, online presence with great search engine optimization (SEO) which helps you rank higher on search engines such as Google. Plus you can connect with current clients to maintain your residual income and increase your referrals.
Make sure when your clients are looking online, they are finding you!
