Tag Archives: BEB Blog

Open Enrollment Marketing Starts NOW!

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In healthcare, preparation for Open Enrollment (OE) shouldn’t be a sprint; it’s a marathon that starts months before the first application is ever filed.

The planning phase for the 2027 enrollment season (which primarily begins in November 2026), should be in full swing by no later than June 2026.

Here is the strategic timeline to ensure your marketing is ready:
1. Planning Phase (May – June)
Audit Last Year: Analyze what worked in 2025-2026. Which channels (direct mail, social, email) had the lowest cost-per-acquisition?

Budgeting: Secure your spend. Remember that ad costs (CPC) typically spike in November and December as competition for “health insurance” keywords hits its peak.

Resource Alignment: Coordinate with brokers and internal teams to finalize plan details so your marketing materials are technically accurate.

2. Creative & Asset Development (July – August)
Content Production: Start filming those “authenticity” videos, User Generated Content-style. In healthcare, patient testimonials and “how-to-choose” guides perform exceptionally well.

Landing Page Optimization: Build and test your conversion funnels. Ensure they are mobile-first, as over 60% of healthcare research now happens on smartphones.

Compliance Review: Submit your creative for legal/regulatory approval early to avoid last-minute bottlenecks.

3. “Warm-Up” & Awareness (September – October)
Lead Magnets: Launch educational content like “The 2027 Guide to HSA vs. PPO” to capture emails and addresses (Zero-Party Data) before the enrollment window opens.

Remarketing Pixels: Start driving traffic to educational blogs so you can “tag” interested users and retarget them with direct enrollment ads in November.

Medicare Kickoff: Remember that Medicare Open Enrollment usually begins October 15, so if you serve that demographic, your “Go” button is two weeks earlier than ACA plans.

4. The Live Window (November 1 – January 15)
The Sprint: On November 1, shift from “education” to “action.” Use high-urgency messaging.

Deadlines Matter: Focus heavily on the December 15 deadline for January 1 coverage, as this is the biggest conversion spike of the year.

MILESTONES

  • Medicare Open Enrollment Oct 15, 2026 – Dec 7, 2026
  • ACA Open Enrollment Starts Nov 1, 2026
  • Deadline for Jan 1 Coverage Dec 15, 2026
  • ACA Open Enrollment Ends Jan 15, 2027 (standard)

Note: Some states (like California or New York) often extend their deadlines into late January. Always check your specific state exchange for variations.

The Tangible Advantage in a Digital Age

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In an era of overflowing email inboxes and constant digital noise, direct mail is experiencing a significant resurgence. Consumers, including millennials and Gen Z, often perceive physical mail as more trustworthy and personal than digital communication, with one study finding that 60% of millennials consider information in direct mail more useful than email. This tangibility allows brands to literally “cut through the clutter,” capturing undivided attention for over two minutes, compared to mere seconds for a digital ad. A well-designed, physical piece can create a lasting impression and a strong emotional connection that digital channels struggle to replicate.

The primary benefit of this tangibility is enhanced engagement and response rates. Direct mail campaigns consistently boast higher average response rates than digital channels, especially for house lists. Furthermore, it acts as a powerful initial touchpoint, driving recipients to take online actions such as visiting a website (57%), searching for the brand online (53%), or making a purchase (36%). This ability to prompt offline-to-online action makes it a crucial component of an integrated, high-impact marketing strategy that leverages the strengths of both physical and digital mediums.

Digital Ads – Amazon, Facebook & Google What’s Happening?

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Amazon has gone into the digital advertising business and now represents one of their fastest-growing and most profitable sectors.

Initially, the mighty merchant frowned on this type of advertising fearing it may clutter their site and alienate shoppers. However, they own 10.7% of the $191 billion US digital ad market today.

More and more people are bypassing Google and using Amazon as a search engine to find products. Today Google owns 28.8% of the market, down from 73.1% in 2019.

Amazon is taking ad business from Facebook too. In June, Apple introduced privacy changes on iPhones that have rendered Facebook & Instagram ads significantly less effective. The Apple feature known as App Tracking Transparency (ATT) forces developers to ask for consent before their apps can track users. Facebook launched an aggressive campaign against Apple claiming ATT will hurt the open internet and small businesses. Facebook is warning that customers who opt out of tracking will be excluded from specific targetable audiences, which will result in a decrease in audience sizes.

Many companies are reluctant to market on Amazon because they can lose the direct connection with their consumers. However, marketers are reporting significant declines in the performance of their Facebook ads which is sending big brands on the hunt for alternative options. As Amazon has an estimated 153 million Prime subscribers, it’s a platform that may be worth the risk.

Big brands are redirecting their digital ad budgets to other means of marketing that include incorporating social-media influencers and returning to more traditional channels like direct mail.

Direct mail has its own woes right now as postage and shipping rates are increasing at record levels, and paper shortages are causing the cost to implement direct mail campaigns to rise.

The USPS Holiday Heist

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U.S. Postal Service Announces Proposed Temporary Rate Adjustments for 2021 Peak Holiday Season

WASHINGTON – The United States Postal Service filed notice the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) regarding a temporary price adjustment for key package products for the 2021 peak holiday season. This temporary rate adjustment , which was approved by the Board of  Governors Aug. 5, will affect prices on commercial and retail domestic competitive parcels – Priority Mail Express (PME), Priority Mail (PM), First-Class Package Service (FCPS), Parcel Select, USPS Retail Ground, and Parcel Return Service. International products would be unaffected. Pending final approval by the PRC, the temporary rates will go into effect on Oct. 3, 2021, and remain in place until Dec. 26, 2021.

The planned price changes include:

Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Parcel Select Ground and USPS Retail Ground:
• $0.75 increase for PM and PME Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes.
• $0.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs.
• $0.75 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs.
• $1.50 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-20 lbs.
• $3.00 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-20lbs.
• $2.50 increase for Zones 1-4, 21-70 lbs.
• $5.00 increase for Zones 5-9, 21-70 lbs.

A full list of commercial and retail pricing can be found on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm

BEB WINS 2 Graphic Excellence Awards

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2015-GEA WINNERS FOR BEBWe are (so) excited to learn that The Printing Industries of the Gulf Coast has honored Business Extension Bureau with 2 Graphic Excellence Awards.

We are pleased to announce that our interactive Calendars received an Award of Merit, and our postcard for the City Houston, Enroll Gulf Coast won an Award of Excellence!  The Award of Excellence allows us to be entered into the running for a “Best of” Category trophy.  We won’t know the winners of the “Best Of” honors until the night of the big reception,  on April 22nd at the Doubletree Greenway Plaza.
We hope to see you there, as it will be an extra special night for all of us.  Our Angel Wiener is on the committee that will debut the new Printing Industries of the Gulf Coast Young Professional Group, and our Joy Zehrbach is co-hosting the awards ceremony.

Go to the  PIGC website for more details, or click here to register.