The digital age is here. Smart phones allow us to be connected anytime, anywhere and private exchanges, benefit admin, and online open enrollment technology has gone from a buzz word to many broker’s day-to-day reality. In this rapid time of development and technological advancement, do you find yourself behind the times?

As a broker, you may have built – and grown - your business on reputation, word of mouth, a handshake and hard work. All of these things remain true but your clients and their employees want more. With the millennials flooding the workforce (they are now the largest generation in the workplace) technology tools in the workplace and in their benefits has become critical. This generation (which will represent close to ¾ of the workforce in the next fifteen years) cut their teeth on tech. Apps and the cloud are their way of life. Not only will your groups need to tailor benefits to engage this booming employee base, but they may soon be your customers as well in the HR arena.

Here are three digital must-haves every broker should embrace:

• Be Social. Likes, follows and tweets are a millennial vetting process. If you’re doing business with a millennial buyer or are offering benefits to them, having a social media presence is a recipe for success. Linkedin is a great first step in blending social media with your business. From there, try setting up a Facebook business page or a twitter account. Kick it up a notch and post regularly. Here’s a place where you can flex your muscles, share your expertise and build credibility as the expert in your field.
• Texting. Millennials generally prefer to text over talking on the phone. If you have a millennial client, they may be more apt to text with you than meet face-to-face or answer your call. Why? They find texting less distracting, more efficient and a time-saver. If you have an open enrollment meeting, encourage HR to utilize text and new technology tools to engage their millennial employees to participate and enroll.
• Be Engaging. You are your brand and you do an excellent job at relationship building. That’s why you’re so successful. But, how do you create the same engagement online? Certain tech tools can get you there and help you connect with millennial clients and employees. According to a recent Insurance Business America article, millennials often find the insurance industry boring. In order to connect with them better, online enrollment systems and private exchange technology can help you create digital engagement. Plus, these systems often times have really sleek enrollment support tools, videos, avatars and other digital goodies that connect with this younger, tech-savvy market. Make sure whatever system you partner with is mobile friendly.

Embracing technology tools doesn’t have to mean you abandon your tried-and-true business model. After all, your clients work with you because you offer something unique: your service and dedication to them.