How to Market Employee Benefits Like a Pro

Companies are spending more than ever on employee benefits — on average, they invest over 30% of total compensation into health, retirement, and wellness perks.¹ But here’s the disconnect: many employees don’t fully understand what’s available to them, let alone use it.

A recent survey found that 49% of employees don’t fully understand their benefits, and 1 in 3 say they’ve missed out on benefits because they didn’t know they had them.²

If that sounds like a marketing problem, that’s because it is.

We’ve all seen how marketing works magic for products, services, and employer branding campaigns. So why stop there? What if you applied the same storytelling, segmentation, and strategy to how you communicate benefits?

Here’s the truth: benefits are one of your company’s most powerful untapped assets. And with the right approach, they can boost not only employee wellbeing and engagement — but your employer brand, too.

Let’s dive into how to market benefits like a pro.

Know Your Audience (Your Employees)

You wouldn’t run a customer campaign without segmenting your audience. So why do we so often treat benefits communications as one-size-fits-all?

The truth is, different benefits matter to different people — your workforce isn’t a monolith. A recent grad might care more about student loan support than dependent care FSA options. A parent might be focused on pediatric care, while someone mid-career is thinking about long-term savings. That’s why segmentation is step one.

Start by gathering real data. Use anonymous surveys, pulse checks, and platform analytics to understand what employees need and what they’re actually using. Then, build personas that reflect your workforce: think Remote Rachel, Mid-Career Max, or New-to-Benefits Nick. These fictional profiles help teams tailor messaging to what really matters.

HR teams can collaborate with marketing to map benefits to life stages, career paths, and even communication preferences. Younger employees may prefer a Slack update; others might appreciate a personal email or short video.

When you market benefits with the same audience-first mindset used in customer campaigns, you meet employees where they are, and that’s when engagement starts to rise.

Find the Story to Communicate Employee Benefits

Most employee benefits communications sound like a policy document. But employees don’t connect with bullet points — they connect with stories.

Think about what benefits really mean to people. A 401(k) match isn’t just a perk. It’s peace of mind for the future. Mental health coverage isn’t a checkbox. It’s support during life’s hardest moments. Your job is to translate features into value.

Start by swapping HR-speak for plain, relatable language. Instead of “401(k) with 4% match,” try “Free money for your future.” Instead of “EAP available,” go with “Someone to talk to, whenever you need it.”

Even better, let your employees tell the story. Share short testimonials or internal spotlights that show how someone used a benefit to solve a real-life problem. These moments build credibility and bring the offering to life.

Benefits don’t have to be boring. Finding creative ways to communicate employee benefits will be more impactful than the typical status quo. When you lead with meaning instead of mechanics, you help employees see the personal value behind every plan.

Channel Strategy Matters

Even the most compelling benefits message can fall flat if it shows up in the wrong place.

Most HR teams rely on one or two touchpoints, like the company intranet or a single all-hands email. But in marketing, distribution is half the battle. To get through, you need a multi-channel approach.

Start with your strongest tools: email, Slack, team meetings, printed flyers in the breakroom, manager talking points, or even short videos. Use email best practices like clear subject lines, segment-specific content, and clear calls to action like “Book a benefits walkthrough” or “Explore your options.”

Need a little help making those emails pop? Try this ready-to-use email template that simplifies how you explain open enrollment to your employees. It’s designed to boost engagement and make your comms feel like marketing — because they should.

Also, consider internal influencers, you know, those trusted team members everyone turns to for advice. Equip them with messaging and resources to help spread the word.

Timing is critical. Plan communications around key moments like open enrollment, new hire onboarding, or big company milestones. Aligning benefits messages with what’s already top-of-mind increases the chance they’ll actually stick.

You don’t need to overwhelm people with content. You just need to meet them where they are and make the message feel relevant.

Design Like You Mean It

Design isn’t just about looking good — it’s about being understood. And when it comes to benefits, clarity is everything.

Employees are busy. If your materials are hard to read, buried in PDFs, or written like a legal document, most people won’t even skim them. That’s where visual branding comes in.

Apply the same design standards you’d use for a product launch: skimmable formats, short videos, eye-catching infographics, and swipeable content. Think of your benefits like a campaign. They should be clickable, bingeable, and easy to revisit when someone needs them most.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need a full creative team to pull it off. Today’s AI tools can help generate content, design visuals, and personalize messaging at scale. Platforms like Healthee go a step further by providing employers with built-in marketing support—from internal email templates to explainer videos and benefits cards that are clear and easy to access.

If you’re choosing a tech partner, don’t just look for one that “manages benefits.” Look for one that helps you promote them. Engagement starts with access — and grows with experience.

Measure What Matters

If you’re putting energy into marketing your benefits, make sure you’re measuring the results.

Start by defining clear goals. Maybe you want to increase awareness of specific offerings, boost enrollment in a wellness program, or reduce the number of questions HR receives about coverage. Whatever the objective, tie it to a metric.

Track open rates and click-throughs for benefits emails. Look at platform usage data to see what employees are exploring. Use pulse surveys to get feedback on how well your message landed and where people still feel confused.

Then, act like a marketer. Test different subject lines, visuals, or delivery formats. Change the timing or frequency. See what moves the needle and use that insight to make the next campaign stronger.

Also, don’t keep your wins quiet. Share results with leadership to demonstrate that better communication isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It drives real engagement and helps employees get more value from the benefits you already offer.

Smart measurement helps you refine your strategy, prove impact, and keep evolving your approach over time.

In the End: Brand Your Employee Benefits With Intention

You already invest heavily in your benefits. And chances are, you’re investing in your employer brand, too. Why not connect the dots?

When you treat benefits like a brand — something worth marketing, designing, and promoting — you make them more visible, more valuable, and more likely to be used. You also signal to your employees that you care not just about offering support but about helping them access it with ease.

The tools are already out there. Use segmentation to target the right message to the right people. Tell stories that resonate. Share them across the channels your employees actually use. Design your materials to be clear and engaging. And measure everything so you can keep improving.

Benefits are one of your most powerful assets. It’s time they were marketed like it.

Sources:

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Employer Costs for Employee Compensation – December 2023.
2. Voya Financial. (2023). Voya Survey Finds One in Three Workers Are Missing Out on Key Benefits.