Due to the limitations COVID-19 has placed on traditional ways of reaching customers, many health insurance brokers have been ramping up their digital marketing strategy to reach new clients.

Chatbots are a digital marketing tool health insurance brokers have often overlooked. Historically, they have not been marketed towards healthcare services. So, health insurers and brokers have been slow to adopt them. However, in the last few years that has drastically changed. Research shows health insurers will spend an average of $90 million on AI by the end of 2020. Chatbots are the primary way companies are using AI. And they will continue to grow throughout healthcare and insurance. So here are three reasons you should consider using one for your business.

• Increased Online Lead Generation: Having a chat feature opens your brokerage to online audiences looking to receive services quickly and conveniently. According to Outgrow, 53% of people are more likely to shop with businesses they can conveniently message through chat. That percentage may look different for health insurance brokers. However, it does help in converting potential leads. People who find your website or social media can then easily contact you through chat and be more likely to become a customer.
• Instant Customer Support: Chatbots can also greatly improve customer service efforts. They are estimated to save up to 30% in customer support costs. These savings are achieved by giving customers access to immediate support via chat. Simple and frequently asked questions can easily be resolved through chat without customers having to call in. This reduces call volume for simple inquiries and allows brokers to focus on client issues that need a human touch.
• Growth in Consumer Engagement: In addition to reducing incoming calls, chatbots can increase how much your clients engage with your company. Linchpin SEO reports 69% of consumers prefer to use chatbots because of their ability to provide quick answers to frequently asked questions. This means that a portion of your clientele is more likely to ask you a question through chat than send you an email or give you a call. This will result in a positive interaction with your company that will keep them coming back. This makes chat a great tool for increasing customer engagement – by quantity and quality.

To learn more about getting started with a chatbot, Sprout’s guide to chatbots is a great resource that will help you get set up. If you are looking to learn more about how to reach new clients as a health insurance broker, check out our FREE LinkedIn guide for brokers!