Pension communications 2.0: this time it’s personal

In a world where people are exposed to hundreds – sometimes thousands – of messages every day, untargeted communications simply add to the ‘noise’ of modern life.

And when it comes to delivering pension communications that land (and land well), it’s imperative that we find a way to cut through the noise to speak directly to the most important part of any scheme – the members.

Understanding an individual’s attitude to money, along with their behaviour and values, is the key to framing meaningful messages that suit different people based on their learning style. It’s easy to fall into the trap of delivering regular, sophisticated messaging pitched at a self provisioner who has a good grasp of financial literacy. But this comes at the cost of those who don’t – which is much of the population.

People power

Digital is your chance to move away from a fall-into-the-background, one-size-fits-all approach to information delivery and offer a personalised experience that will make members stop and take action – whether it’s running a calculation, reviewing their nominations, verifying their contact details or any other objectives you’ve set as part of your strategy.

By acknowledging that people have different financial objectives at different stages of their lives, bringing relevant messaging to the right people at the right time is the best way to make your communications land with intent – after all, what’s the point in offering a hugely valuable benefit if your members don’t engage enough to get anything from it?

If your statements, letters and emails are opened but not read, you have a problem with member engagement; and if you have a problem with member engagement, you’re not really doing your job.

Positive vibes

Members are the most important part of any scheme, which is why the member journey should be at the heart of your communication plan; and because engagement leads to action, it’s hugely important to acknowledge that there’s more to life than pensions and good communication doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

People are used to exceptional digital interactions right now – mainly because of the way today’s e-commerce giants approach their customer experience (CX). Delivering great CX is hugely important – after all, the more positive an experience a person has with you, the more likely they are to come back. The same can be said when you look at your pension communications; because when it comes to engagement, there’s certainly a lot to learn from Amazon and Netflix.

If a member isn’t connected with your messaging straight away, the alternative is just a swipe away. Right now, content is king and it needs to be clear, accessible, shareable, up-to-date and designed to work around life on the go. It has to speak to the individual – and it has to address the ‘what’s in it for me?’ factor.