Buy online
Choosing the right digital tools for your business will help you and your brokerage transform and grow. When you are deciding which digital tools to use, be guided by your business and client needs. Focus on the products and strategies that can help you deliver better service, advice and products, build client relationships, as well as build your brand.
An essential digital tool to ensure you deliver a better product
The digital tool you should consider when it comes to products is RPA (robotic process automation), which automates and streamlines standard processes. This allows you to offer faster and more efficient service, resulting in a better client experience.
RPA
With RPA, clients can have applications accepted and claims assessed in minutes, at any time. Work with partners, such as your product providers, who use RPA to make your job easier.
How RPA works
RPA is a programme(s) that follows the same processes, rules and guidelines a human underwriter or assessor would follow. Accuracy and appropriateness of decisions is tested, and standardised decision-making is the result. RPA has not completely replaced human underwriters and claims assessors, it has placed them in a supervisory role and given them the time to deal with non-standard applications and claims that require complex decision-making skills.
Benefits of RPA
Digital tools such as RPA, make client interactions shorter and more meaningful, which means advisers have more time to spend with clients and grow their business, according to McKinsey’s Insurance 2030 - The impact of AI on the future of insurance report.
RPA reduces policy costs, especially administration costs. Lower costs enable insurers to offer underserved markets more affordable policies. Individually, they take away the time you spend completing forms, copying forms, getting forms to insurers and the like, and in return give you time to focus on the complex tasks that cannot be automated, such as personalised advice.
Costs
Advisers need a tablet, laptop or cell phone, and access to the programme which is usually obtained via an agreement with your accredited product providers, who will also offer training and support.
Find out more about 1Life’s RPA and Vantage, our comprehensive digital solution for financial advisers by emailing us directly.
Digital tools to build client connections and your brand
Two of the main digital elements that will help you connect with clients, more frequently and more meaningfully, establish your expertise and grow your client base are social media marketing and newsletters.
Social media marketing
Half of all South Africans are active on social media. It is popular to connect with friends and family, but South Africans also use social media for information purposes and to network. 45% discover new products through social media, according to the Ornico Media Monitoring and World Wide Worx 2022 Social Media Landscape Report. (All figures below are taken from this report unless otherwise indicated).
Social media marketing tools
Facebook: South Africa’s favourite social media platform, with 22 million daily users. 35% are in the 25 to 34 age group. Users range across the LSM categories, with fewer users in LSM 9 – 10 than LSM 7 - 8 and 3 – 6. The gender balance is fairly even.
Instagram: South Africa has one and a half million active daily Instagram users, mostly under age 35. 58.2% are male. 43.3% are in the LSM 9 – 10 category.
LinkedIn: 9.9 million South Africans use LinkedIn, mostly for professional reasons, including networking and job hunting. Two thirds are aged 25 to 34. Nearly 75% have completed tertiary education. 59% are in LSM 9 – 10.
Twitter: 2 million South Africans use Twitter, with more male users (58%) than female. The top 3 interests are business, technology and sports. 47.4% of users are in LSM 9 – 10, a further 34.7% in LSM 7 – 8.
TikTok: The fastest growing platform in South Africa. Over two thirds of users are between ages 15 and 34. 55.8% of users are female. 43% are in LSM 9 – 10. According to ByteDance, South Africa has over 11 million TikTok users, although other reports show lower numbers of around 6 million daily users.
YouTube: 50.4% of users are aged 15 to 34, with a fairly even gender split and LSM split. Some reports put YouTube users at 25 million, others at a lower 8 million.
Newsletters tools
Newsletters can be created on word and pdf, or even an email, with a template of your own design, or you can use templates available on services such as Mailchimp.
Benefits
Social media and newsletters are a great way to connect and interact with clients, and build your brand. The key is to be consistent and professional. You can also use social media to connect with colleagues and share ideas and opinions, or find out about training and other growth opportunities, and even find potential new business partners.
Costs
Time, and it depends on what tools you use and when and how. For example, you can use standard post and newsletter templates available online or on the tool you use (free), or you can have a professional design. Professional templates, photos, images and posts will cost more, but aren’t a must have. Being consistent and professional is more important.
Practice management digital tools
You can also use digital tools to help you run your business including:
- CRM software and packages
- HR and accounting packages
- Online Schedulers
- Cloud based file sharing software
- Website builders
Making it successful
The key to getting your digital transformation journey right is to commit. Take a holistic view across your whole business, and partner with a product provider and/or supplier who can deliver the technologies you need. Your business will benefit and your clients will love your improved efficiencies.
