Allison De Paoli's clients want to know how other employers are managing their health care spend, and well, just about everything else. This is one of the reasons why her podcast, Raising the Bar, has been so successful.
In this first Q&A in our new series on brokers who are creating noteworthy marketing strategies and creative projects, De Paoli shares insights on why such initiatives are powerful tools for benefits consultants and what brokers can do to make them shine.
De Paoli has been in the employee benefits industry for more than 30 years. She is the founder of Altiqe Consulting, a boutique consulting firm based in San Antonio, Texas that helps employers reduce, hedge and leverage their health care spend. She is also a contributing author to the Amazon best-selling book, "Breaking Through the Status Quo: How Innovative Companies are Changing the Benefits Game to Help Their Employees and Boost Their Bottom Line."
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De Paoli speaks nationally to broker groups and employers about ways to change health care spend from an out-of-control cost to a meaningful investment that meets an employer's business objectives.
Katie Kuehner-Hebert: What inspired you to start your podcast?
Allison De Paoli: My clients always want to know what everyone else is doing! And not just in the benefits space — in all areas. It occurred to me that talking directly to CEOs about the specifics of how they've improved their businesses could be really helpful to our other clients and this has proven to be exactly the case. The bonus for me is that I've met all manner of interesting people along the way!
Who is your target audience, and what do you hope they get out of this?
Our audience is our clients: CEOs and executive teams who are highly capable problem-solvers, know how to manage risk and know when to enlist help. These folks also tend to be lifelong learners, and I want to feed this passion for learning, while giving them the spark of an idea or a new connection. We've already connected some of our guests with one another, at their request.
What are some topics you cover?
Our most listened to episode discussed employee retention. The guest in question had retained 35% of his workforce for more than 20 years, which is just incredible! We've also covered hiring, modern leadership, mindset and marketing, among other topics. I'm currently working on securing guests who have just taken their organization public or made an acquisition. Along with the episode about employee retention, the leadership and mindset episodes really seemed to resonate with listeners.
How do you choose your guests?
We've hosted some of our own clients on the show, and we actively seek CEOs who have done something new or noteworthy. Sometimes I hear about them by word of mouth; other times I see them in the news!
What surprising things have you learned from the experience?
Leaders can be shy! Many have never done a podcast before, or have only done one or two.
What tips/advice would you give to others thinking of starting a podcast?
I have found this to be a lot of fun, as well as a really great way to meet people; however, I do view it as a long-term commitment. It also involves a fair bit of production work, and I strongly suggest you don't do it all yourself. Have someone on your team handle it, or even outsource it.
What other types of online marketing initiatives do you undertake and how do you make sure they are successful?
We share content daily on LinkedIn, and our weekly blog post is shared on our website and our business LinkedIn page. We also send out a roundup of this content in a monthly newsletter.
Any other thoughts for brokers to consider regarding podcasts and other online marketing initiatives?
Less, done well, is the way to go.
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Katie Kuehner-Hebert
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.
