In today’s digital age, consumers are constantly interacting with brands whether through social media, advertisements, customer service, or in-person experiences. These interactions, known as moments of influence, are powerful touchpoints that shape decisions, behaviors, and perceptions. While leveraging these moments is common in the consumer industry, health plans are beginning to catch up by using similar tactics to engage members. By understanding and optimizing these interactions, health plans can foster trust, loyalty, and ultimately drive better health outcomes.
For health plans, these moments can include anything from a member’s interaction with a digital health survey, to receiving a reminder for a wellness checkup, to engaging with a health-focused email campaign. While these moments are not new to consumer brands, health plans are only now beginning to harness their potential.
As health plans aim to build long-term relationships with their members, creating seamless, personalized experiences that feel relevant and timely will be key to reducing abrasion and ultimately fostering trust and loyalty.
Understanding the Power of Personalization
Just as no two consumers are alike in the retail world, health plan members have unique needs, preferences, and health histories. Understanding who they are and what motivates them, and using this information to craft personalized experiences, is crucial in making the most of each moment of influence. When health plans demonstrate they understand members through referencing past behavior, preferences and health needs it truly builds a sense of trust and partnership.
For example, a health plan might interact with a member through a targeted email campaign or a health risk assessment survey. If the member feels the interaction is tailored to their individual needs, they’re more likely to engage with the content and take the desired actions. This could be as simple as scheduling a preventive screening or using their benefits for an annual wellness visit.
Building a System to Optimize Moments of Influence
Health plans need a strategic, data-driven way to make the most of each moment of influence. These systems need to be able to:
- Look Across Engagement Campaigns and Team Needs: Health plans need to view all engagement campaigns in one cohesive system. This allows them to assess overall engagement strategies and align these efforts across different teams.
- Prioritize Initial Focus: Not all interactions will have the same impact on a member. Health plans must identify which actions should take priority based on member needs, plan goals, and health trends.
- Predict How to Drive Engagement: By leveraging data and analytics, health plans can predict how to best encourage members to engage at each touchpoint. Whether it’s through a personalized email, reminder text, or website recommendation, knowing what will prompt a member to act is essential.
- Convert Members to Action: The goal is to convert digital interactions into tangible actions. Whether it’s scheduling an appointment, taking a health risk assessment, or using a benefit, health plans must optimize these moments to ensure they lead to meaningful behavior change.
- Set Up Future Engagements: Successful moments of influence should not be isolated. Health plans need to tee up additional relevant activities for members to continue their journey toward better health. For example, after a health risk assessment is completed, members could be encouraged to schedule a visit with their physician or participate in educational content based on their responses to that survey.
The Importance of Strategic, Personalized Moments of Influence
As health plans embrace the power of moments of influence, they have the opportunity to create highly personalized, engaging experiences that not only drive member satisfaction but also improve health outcomes. By understanding member needs, crafting personalized interactions, and strategically leveraging these touchpoints, health plans can create long-lasting relationships and reduce churn.
Ultimately, health plans must view each moment as an opportunity not just to inform, but to engage, inspire, and empower members to take control of their health. With the right system in place, they can turn every interaction into a meaningful step toward better health outcomes for their members.
