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At DMW, we like to revisit prior posts that readers enjoyed. Today, we’re taking a new spin on How to Serve Up Higher Customer Retention Numbers.

In a recent conversation with our Account Director, Janine Taylor, I asked her why exactly is customer retention so critical right now? This is what she said:

“With so many carriers exiting the market or terminating their HMO plans last Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), there was a much higher rate of switching. Lots of health plans now have new members to start wooing. If they’re going to try to provide stability to these forced switchers, they need to engage and reassure them throughout the year … Health plans need to demonstrate that these members are a priority — not just a quick win.”

Customer retention lessons, in my own backyard

What I’d like to talk about, in the realm of customer retention, is a new little hobby of mine. No, it’s not dissecting marketing jargon, studying the intricacies of the boomer generation, or thinking about how to incorporate hit songs, for free, into a health care campaign. That’s my day job. This is just a hobby. I’m not going to call it an obsession. I swear I’m not.

It’s backyard bird watching.

Bird watching isn’t really complicated. At first. You pass by the window, look out, see some colorful plumage and think, hmm, that’s cute. Then you move on with life, right? No (not me, at least).

With each look, I discovered that cardinals, chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Carolina Wrens, robins, and even goldfinches occasionally swoop into my backyard. And here’s the thing about that: You want to see some of those birds again, but they aren’t all going to stick around. Some of them sample whatever you have out there and leave. Others become your regulars. Sound familiar?

It hit me one morning, coffee in one hand, monocular in the other: My backyard hobby had turned into a customer retention story of its own, and because I’d really like a happy ending, I’m gonna need to figure this out.

This House Finch is my most common visitor. But I never take him for granted.

5 amazingly obvious parallels between my bird feeders and health plan retention

1. You can’t keep every bird with the same seed
Sunflower seeds bring in cardinals. Nyjer seed, for goldfinches, is the food of the gods. Suet attracts woodpeckers and White-breasted Nuthatches (and sometimes raccoons … but maybe that’s a topic for another post).

Just like my bird feeders (and, yes, I have several) need to be stocked with the right seed to keep birds coming back, our retention strategies need to be personalized. Not every member engages the same way. One might love a wellness reward program; another values an easy-to-use member portal. Knowing what matters to your audience — and continuing to offer the right “seed” — helps ensure they stick around and keep using what you provide.

2. Consistency = loyalty
If I forget to refill the feeders for a few days, guess what happens? No more birds. They’re off to roam the neighborhood. Will they return? Who knows.

In health plan marketing, consistent communication is everything. Members want to know they matter beyond enrollment. Ongoing touchpoints — birthday cards, newsletters, benefit reminders — help build the degree of trust necessary to circumvent an Open Enrollment Period (OEP) “migration” of sorts. Note: see the sidebar for a tip about actual physical migration when it comes to Medicare enrollees.

3. Don’t scare them off
Windchimes, delivery trucks, sudden storms, and dogs can disrupt the sanctity of the yard. Birds are alert by nature, and even a tiny disturbance can keep them from landing, or send them flying before they’ve had a chance to dig in to that seed.

Your members could feel stressed in similar ways. If engaging with their health plan feels confusing, overwhelming, or like too much effort, they may never take advantage of the benefits you worked so hard to offer. Keep your messaging simple and reassuring.

Make it easy to understand how and why to use what’s available: the $0 copay, the gym membership, the dental checkup, or the ride to the doctor. Encourage your members to land, explore, and stay a while.

4. Keep it easy, positive, and welcoming
My backyard is basically a luxury resort for birds. There’s a big bird bath, always with fresh, clean water. The feeders are always safe, comfortable, and easy to use, with accommodations for different species. There are several feeders for different foods to reduce competition and crowding — all of which keeps them coming back for more.

The same should go for communication with your members. Providing diverse communication options, including print, web, email, text — with translations — ensures accessibility for all members.

Keep your calls to action (CTAs) easy to find and convenient. Whether you direct members to call you, email you, or visit a landing page, make sure you’re meeting members where they are so they’re more likely to engage and stay.

Left: Me installing a perch (the white part) just to accommodate the Red-bellied Woodpecker (right). He’s now a frequent guest.

5. Sometimes you get a squirrel
No matter how carefully I plan, some days the squirrels (the starlings, the Mourning Doves, etc.) win. They overrun the food supply, scare everyone off, and make quite a mess. All my carefully laid plans, my particular dispersals of peanuts … it’s all for naught, thanks to an uninvited guest.

In the health plan marketing world, the “squirrels” are unpredictable factors, of which there are many: new competition, plan changes, external events, etc. We can’t control everything, but we can stay nimble, listen to feedback, and adapt when needed.

The bottom line

Customer retention isn’t just about metrics. It’s about relationships. And just like my backyard birds, health plan members respond to attention and care, along with the delivery of an excellent product they can really use. If you want more loyalty, try thinking like a birdwatcher: be observant, patient, and intentional. Your flock is with you for a reason. Never, ever, take that for granted.

Looking to attract the right audience, and keep them coming back for more?

Turn to DMW. We’re a full-service direct response agency with all the right components: strategy and research, creative, digital, marketing analytics, production, and fulfillment. Even better, it’s all in one nest. Let’s build something that keeps your audience flocking back — contact us today.