How Insurers Can Use Twitter to Reduce Health Insurance Costs
Insurance companies have begun using the new social media tool Twitter to communicate with customers. This is an effective way of promoting deals, offering advice, answering customer’s questions or complaints and getting feedback. There are several ways Twitter can be used by insurers to help reduce health insurance costs.
- Answer customer questions – engaging with customers provides them with the sense that the company cares. Insurers are able to provide a level of customer service with less hassle as well.
- Increase customer knowledge about health insurance – Twitter can used to post facts and figures regarding health insurance.
- Announce rate reductions and increases – showing customers that you want them to be informed gives the relationship among the customer and insurer a level of respect. Customers feel they can trust their insurance company when they are honest and warned about rate increases.
- Begin public debate about products – this allows insurance companies to receive feedback from their customers on what is working and what is not. Support for the insurance company will increase when customers feel they play a larger role in it.
- Follow potential customers – searching for keywords such as "health" or "insurance" can target potential customers that are having a negative experience with their current health insurance provider, or they might not have health insurance at all. Following these potential clients lets them know you are interested.
- Describe the benefits – this confirms to customers why they have health insurance and what they are getting from it.
- Announce new insurance plans – insurance plans are constantly changing and being added. Giving customers a heads up will increase the chances of getting word out about the new plans.