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How to Drive the Retirement Planning Message

Megan Rybak / October 16, 2016 October 16, 2016

Your employees are bombarded with communications from various sources every day. Research shows that the average worker receives more than 100 emails per day, not to mention text messages, social media alerts, news and an entire internet worth of content at his or her fingertips… 24/7 at that! So how do you ensure that they listen to the all-important message about Retirement Planning?

According to a recent Deloitte study, your ability as an organization to rise above the pandemonium may lie in a centuries-old concept with a new name: FOMO, or “fear of missing out”. Using this acronym in retirement plan communications enables you to deliver information to workers in the way they want to receive it. As such, your messages will garner closer attention and spur workers to take action.

Check out these 4 FOMO techniques below to help you deliver retirement plan communications to workers in the right way, at the right time:

1. Send fewer messages: Limiting the number of messages increases their perceived value. For example, why not send enrollment emails quarterly instead of monthly? If workers believe they might miss the opportunity rather than being constantly reminded of it, they are more likely to pay attention and take action.
2. Mix things up: Try unconventional techniques such as video or written communications, even meetings, rather than defaulting to email to ignite attention.
3. Select senders strategically: A message from someone with a personal connection to the recipient will likely be more high-impact. Again, targeted messages distributed to peer or social groups also naturally arouse “fear of missing out” because they are more personal, interesting and valuable than a generic, company-wide communication.
4. Create a feeling of exclusivity: Exclusivity creates heightened interest, along with increased engagement and reaction. Words like “elite” and “limited” grab attention and spark interest, so be sure to choose your words carefully. Tailor the communication to be highly specific and relevant, then make it available to a select audience. The message becomes more attractive because the audience feels it is part of a “privileged” group.

Find out more at http://tinyurl.com/DeloitteFOMOstudy.