Did you know there are five important questions to consider when selecting a third-party marketer? You might be thinking, where do I start?
The first important aspect to consider is trust and engagement with your customers. This can happen through providing certain solutions and products such as insurance, which in return helps to create a meaningful aspect to your customers’ financial well-being. However, finding that perfect marketer you can trust can be a challenging process.
Here are five key questions to consider when you are looking to work with a third-party marketer.
Question One: Do you know what their creative process entails?
To demonstrate a third party’s commitment to its practices, it is important to understand the process it is implementing when creating pieces. Requesting an overview of its creative review and approval process can help you to get a better idea of its workflow.
It is important to note that the third party should be able to demonstrate that they comply with all insurance and marketing regulations, including individual state insurance laws, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) model regulations, and federal laws relevant to insurance. They should also work daily with their insurance carriers and partners to ensure marketing messages are compliant.
Question Two: Do you know how often your customers are being messaged?
Protecting your customers from message fatigue is critical. This can be done by working with a vendor who is willing to craft a unique calendar that is appropriate for your customers’ needs.
Question Three: Do insurance marketing events build up your financial institution’s brand – or do they build up the third-party marketer’s own brand?
The foundation of customer trust is established by financial institutions who invest time and effort into the customer experience. This positive experience is what establishes the core of customer trust. Sending out direct mail that highlights a third part marketer brand rather than your own brand can diminish that trust and discredit your financial institution’s brand affinity. Your customers are more likely to appreciate and engage with opportunities by ensuring creatives reflect your values and brand promises.
Question Four: Are you confident in the quality of your third-party marketer’s customer service?
There are four key areas of evaluation to ensure the customer experience will not only meet but exceed expectations on all levels of touchpoints. For example, when a customer reaches out to a contact center to ask a question or file a claim, there are four key factors that should be in place to ensure a smooth experience.
The first key area is proper training. The vendor should be able to demonstrate that the contact center is trained in all areas and standards. The second is quality assurance. The vendor should be conducting in-depth evaluations to assess areas of improvement and training opportunities. The third key is security. The vendor should be able to validate numerous security features and policies. The final key is benchmarking. Vendors must consistently evaluate all call centers to ensure they are running by the objective standards. It is important to know your customers are being treated well in all aspects.
Question Five: What will the partnership look like?
Your financial institution should always know when your members are slated to receive an insurance offer. Here are a few examples of questions to ask yourself:
- Does the vendor seek to discuss or gain approval on every marketing campaign each year?
- Will I receive feedback after each maildrop to truly understand the campaign’s performance?
- Does the vendor offer to make suggestions and re-evaluate future campaigns, based on the feedback and analysis of the previous one?
In conclusion, there are many factors when evaluating a third-party vendor, and it isn’t always easy. Considering these factors will help you ensure that the third-party marketer you choose is meeting your marketing needs in a way that reflects your values and brand promises.