As an Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance agent, you’re not just selling a policy; you’re providing a lifeline, a promise of security. However, in today’s highly competitive market, selling insurance isn’t as straightforward as it once was.

Your success as an ACA insurance agent relies heavily on utilizing the right blend of marketing tactics. With an array of strategies like social media, content marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and website development at your disposal, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.

This guide is designed to solve that, walking you through each of these strategies in order to help you learn how to sell ACA insurance properly and grow your business, one policy at a time.

How to Sell ACA Insurance Successfully

Successfully selling ACA insurance isn’t an overnight achievement. It requires a strategic blend of traditional skills and more modern, digital marketing tactics.

Let’s unpack these crucial components and understand their individual importance.

Social Media

Social media, a staple in the modern world, isn’t just for leisurely scrolling or sharing cute cat videos. In the right hands, it can become a potent marketing tool for connecting with potential ACA insurance customers.

Here are some actionable steps to using this tool as effectively as possible:

Establishing a Professional Social Media Presence

Your first step into social media marketing begins with creating professional profiles on popular platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

An attractive, informative profile is your digital business card — make sure it provides essential details about your services and presents you as a trustworthy professional.

Consistent, Relevant Posting

Consistency is the key to staying relevant and visible on your followers’ feeds. Plan a regular posting schedule with a mix of content like valuable information about ACA insurance benefits for health insurance carriers, general health tips, or customer testimonials.

This variety will not only keep your followers engaged but will also position your agency as a trustworthy source of information.

Interactive Engagement

Social media is a two-way street. Posting content isn’t enough — you need to interact with your followers. Respond to their comments, answer their queries, acknowledge their concerns, and celebrate their success stories.

It requires time and lots of experience to keep your business’s social media profiles lively and interactive with content your users want to read.

As a result, many ACA insurance companies turn to social media management services to run their accounts on their behalf.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a subtle yet powerful way to attract potential clients, establish authority, and build lasting relationships. It revolves around creating and distributing valuable, relevant content that helps answer your audience’s questions and concerns.

Here are some steps to implement a successful content marketing strategy:

• Starting a blog: A blog serves as a platform for you to share your expertise, offer insights, and address common questions about ACA insurance. Topics can range from the basics of ACA and tips for selecting the most suitable plan to explaining complicated healthcare jargon. This attracts potential customers and gives them a reason to stay
• Distributing your content: Writing the content is half the battle; the other half is ensuring it reaches your target audience. Make sure to share your blog posts across your social media profiles, in email newsletters, and on other platforms where your audience spends their time
• Engaging with your readers: When readers take the time to comment or ask questions on your blog posts, seize the opportunity to engage with them. Respond to their comments, answer their questions, and thank them for their time — it makes your readers feel valued, encourages them to return, and fosters a sense of community

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a marketing strategy where you pay a fee each time someone clicks on your ad.

Here’s how to most effectively leverage PPC advertising for ACA health insurance sales:

• Choosing the right platform: Several platforms offer PPC advertising, including Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Facebook Ads. The one you should choose depends on your target demographic and where they are most likely to engage
• Crafting persuasive ads: The effectiveness of your PPC campaign hinges significantly on the quality of your ads. Craft persuasive, compelling ads that make the viewer feel they have something to gain by clicking on your ad
• Budgeting for success: PPC advertising involves strategic budgeting. Decide how much you’re willing to spend per click and the total amount you’re prepared to invest in your campaign

Building a Website

A professional, user-friendly website acts as your online storefront, helping potential clients learn about ACA insurance, understand your services, and contact you easily.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to building an effective website:

• Choosing a platform: Several website builders like WordPress and Wix offer easy-to-use interfaces and a variety of templates. Choose a platform that aligns with your technical abilities and design preferences
• Designing for user experience: First and foremost, your website should be intuitive, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. Display crucial information about ACA insurance and your services clearly and ensure that your contact details are easy to find
• Including a contact form: Simplify the process of communication for your visitors by including a contact form. It provides potential clients with an effortless way to inquire about your services, ask questions, or request quotes

Tips for Selling ACA Insurance

Achieving success in ACA insurance sales requires a blend of product knowledge, customer understanding, and consistent follow-up. Here are some time-tested tips:

1. Become an ACA insurance expert: Comprehensive understanding of ACA insurance is non-negotiable. It enables you to answer any client queries confidently and articulate the benefits of ACA insurance effectively.
2. Listen more, speak less: Every client has unique needs and concerns. Listen attentively to your clients to understand their requirements, then recommend the insurance plan that best meets their needs.
3. Maintain regular contact: Not every potential client will buy immediately, and that’s perfectly okay. Maintain communication with potential clients who’ve shown interest but haven’t yet committed. Circumstances can change, and when they do, you want to be their first port of call.

How to Become an ACA Insurance Agent

If you aren’t licensed in your state, you will need to do this before you start selling ACA insurance products.

Even though the specific process for this can vary from state to state, you will generally need to complete the following steps in order to get a title insurance license:

• Complete a pre-licensing education course in your state: This is a legal requirement in most states; even where it is not required, we recommend purchasing a course in order to ensure that you pass your exam on your first attempt. This can end up saving you both money and time
• Take your state’s health insurance licensing exam: State insurance exams are generally administered by Pearson VUE, PSI, or Prometric. Line-specific outlines are offered to help with your preparation
• Get a fingerprinting and/or background check: The exact fee for this will be dependent on your state, but is generally less than $100
• File an official license application:  You can usually do this with your state’s Department of Insurance. (This can also be known as the Division of Insurance, depending on your location)