Is there a correlation between Inbound Marketing and the Affordable Care Act? The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides a classic example of why it is important to have a good marketing plan and a succinct message.
The 2,700-page healthcare law known as Obamacare is incredibly complex and poorly understood by the small business community. For example, very few of our clients are aware that there are tax credits contained in the law. These tax credits could help small businesses obtain healthcare coverage for their workers, if they don’t already offer it, and/or lower the cost of coverage if they do. Yet a recent Wall Street Journal/Vistage International poll shows that 66 percent of small-business CEOs don’t even know these credits exist, and another 24 percent think their business doesn’t qualify.1
An improvement in the flow of information between the administration and the small business owner could remedy this, solve a lot of the confusion, and create broader support for this landmark legislation. A proper approach to marketing might have alleviated much of the misunderstandings surrounding this important new law. Certainly the small business community would be better informed and far less confused then they are today.
Marketing is all about winning over the minds of your audience. There are many examples of great products and services that failed because of misrepresented facts or a lack of clarity about the product or service. And without a strong message the competition becomes the only voice being heard.
Inbound marketing would have solved all of this! Imagine a PPACA website where business owners could download brief but focused white papers explaining the program, written in digestible, small pieces? Imagine articles created solely with the SMB owner point of view in mind? The IRS could have contributed information about the tax side, and the administration could have brought in the US Chamber of Commerce or other business groups to add content.
Blogs, forums, Q&A, surveys about how the SMB owners are integrating the new act into their companies would have been incredibly effective!
But if President Obama is reelected the opportunity to improve on this flow of information can really happen. Most of the provisions contained in the healthcare law don’t go into effect until 2014. The administration would have ample time to liaise with business groups and develop a more effective flow of information.
People are fearful of change, especially change on such a grand scale. The best way to alleviate fear is with facts, not political hype. And regarding The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act there is more than enough hype, just not enough salient, succinct facts being provided to the owners of small businesses.
And the next time the administration (any administration) wants to pass another landmark legislation they should speak with a reputable marketing firm first!
