61 Best Ways To Get Insurance Leads in 2024

Without insurance leads, insurance agents would have a hard time growing their agencies or even maintaining revenue. Customers switch carriers or pass on, so there must be fresh prospects in the pipeline at all times.

There are many strategies for how to get leads, some free, but most will have a price. The following 61 ways are tried and true, and they include paid and free strategies. The first thing you need to do is figure out what your marketing budget is for the new year. From there, you can decide which of these strategies you can incorporate into your insurance marketing plan based on what you can spend.

Before you begin, know that to succeed in writing new business and avoid wasting precious time, it’s important to thoroughly work leads when it’s not a one-call close. It’s also important to stay organized. Most importantly, always remember that determination, hard work and consistency will pave the way for an abundance of insurance leads in 2024.

1. Insurance Leads From an Insurance Technology Company: As you will see in the following list of myriad ways you can get insurance leads, you will have to spend some time, sometimes quite a lot of it, and money too. There are some inexpensive ways to do it and some very expensive ways to start quoting people right away. Buying insurance leads is pretty much standard for most insurance agencies, where most agents do not have adequate time for marketing. Dedicating a good portion of a marketing budget towards data leads and calls makes sense for most insurance agents. It’s important to work with a lead vendor with quality leads, warm transfers and top-notch customer service, something that is hard to find in the industry. Agents who buy leads from SmartFinancial say that the support and customer service they receive is far superior to other companies and the leads are superior too.
2. Radio Spots: Radio advertising is available in 30 or 60 second spots. Larger agencies can buy spots on the big stations, but don’t underestimate the power of small college radio stations – they are not just for college students.
3. Pandora and Spotify: Advertising on the radio works but Spotify and Pandora are much more popular. Both have competitive rates for their spot ads, with Pandora as the less expensive option, now that Spotify is far more popular.
4. Newspapers Advertising: Advertising in a local or small niche publication may be more affordable than you think. Remember that print ads that run repeatedly are most effective.
5. Magazines Advertising: Rates are still high for magazines, which have a relatively long shelf life. If the magazines in the areas you cover offer rates that are out of your budget, consider their online versions. Ask about pricing, and see which is best by testing to see which is more successful.
6. Digital Advertising: See how you can get noticed online with local publications. Digital ads consist of carousel ads, outstream video ads, click-to-watch video ads, mobile app install ads, native social ads and much more. If there’s somewhere on the internet you want to be seen, click around to see if you can get rates to advertise. You can also work with a native advertising agency that can narrow down your demographic with their clients.
7. Advertorials: Many magazines and newspapers sell advertorials, which are paid editorials, in which you can introduce yourself to your community. It’s often hard to tell an advertorial from a traditional magazine or newspaper feature, and it’s a great way to get people . Some are more obvious than others, of course. You can try it out and see if you get any insurance leads from the effort.
8. Gas Stations: You can place an ad on top of a gas pump or air an audio ad that will get many people’s attention while they pump gas. You will have the right target audience if you’re selling car insurance and probably home or renters insurance too.
9. Gyms, Yoga Studios and Day Spas: Advertising in TV spots at gyms is a great way to get insurance leads. Even simply leaving your business card at gyms, yoga studios and day spas may result in calls.
10. Movie Theaters: Capturing a captive audience before a movie is how you may meet a new insurance shopper. Rates will vary depending on the size of the theater, and small niche cinemas may be more willing to negotiate their rates
11. Local Businesses: The businesses all around you all need commercial insurance, and their customers need several types of insurance too. Always be friendly and ask about how you can help one another in the form of partnerships and sponsorships.
12. The Yellow Pages: Online yellow pages are okay if you have very little content that appears in an Internet search. At the very least, it’s a legitimate page that comes up if shoppers Google your name to make sure you’re not a scammer.
13. Door-to-door Sales: After the pandemic, door-to-door sales came back in a big way. A good way to get a foot into closed communities is to hire a local so it won’t feel like cold-calling when they go knocking. One part-time employee can be as valuable as many ads.
14. Phone Book: Cold-calling works. Having customer service representatives on staff or having each agent spend a few hours a day making outbound calls is vital in getting insurance leads. Some insurance agents still scour the phone book to sell car insurance, but if you’re asking how to get life insurance leads, local phone books are a pile of gold, mainly because senior citizens still rely on them. Local chambers of commerce still offer phone books at no cost, and they are a great tool for life insurance agents and Medicare agents. Just be careful because some callers will be on a no-call list and you may face fines.
15. Television: Still as expensive as ever, this option is really only available to larger agencies.
16. Bus Stops: If you write high-risk drivers who had to forgo a car, (people who need an SR22), bus stops are a great place to find customers.
17. Meetups: You’d be surprised by how many people need and want personal finance tips. You can host your own weekly meetups and get deep into why folks need insurance and how they can use it to build wealth. People will show up if you offer free food, beverages and other treats. Get creative with the location but make sure that your guests will be able to hear you talk. If they can drive to that location, chances are they need car insurance at the very least. You may even get a free life insurance lead at the end of the session. Just keep in mind that getting a turnout takes some time and effort before your weeklies gain momentum.
18. Paid Internet Search: If you’re using Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising and sell a wide range of insurance products, write multiple ads: one per each type of insurance. You’ll get the most for your money this way, and you’ll get insurance leads calling in no time.
19. Influencers: Make a video or write a Q&A focusing on an industry leader. If you’re trying to get health insurance leads, find a pioneer in the healthcare industry and have them discuss a health topic that you can ultimately tie in with the importance of health insurance. If you’re wondering how to get a life insurance lead this way, take a look at some popular insurance influencers who focus on growing wealth.
20. Direct Mail: While everyone’s trying to dominate the internet, maybe a mailer will get insurance leads calling your agency. A postcard introducing yourself or one offering gift cards for referrals from existing clients can bring in new sales.
21. Email Marketing: Keep emails concise and make sure they are designed for mobile so they are easy to scroll through on a smartphone. Do not send multiple emails a week, but do reach out to existing clients for referrals on a monthly basis with incentives, like gift cards and the like. Send emails to leads, if it is their preferred method of communication.
22. Blog Articles: Writing blog articles may be a way to gain traffic to your website, which in turn will get the phones ringing. The only drawback to this method of getting leads is that you have to do it consistently and you have to satisfy Google’s rules and regulations to rank well enough to get read by many prospects. However, even if you’re ranking on page 20, you can still use these blog articles by sharing them on social media. Use this as an opportunity to educate your customers on the types of insurance you sell and why it’s important to have coverage. Ask friends and family to share the articles to expand the network of people who see your writing. Make sure everything you write is edited and proofread before it’s published.
23. Public Speaking: It’s easier to get insurance leads as an expert. With expertise in personal finance and a specialty in insuring personal and business assets, you can find ways to teach a class or be on a panel of speakers. Look into classes at community colleges, community centers and senior centers. Hosting a webinar is more accessible to an even wider audience that can tune in from home. Use graphs and charts to illustrate your points in a powerpoint presentation, so it’s easier for students to take notes.
24. Houses of Worship and Yearbooks: Contact local school yearbook staff members about placing an ad in the yearbook. Get mentioned in the bulletins for local synagogues, churches, temples and mosques.
25. Social Media: Not only can you generate insurance leads on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you can use LinkedIn to your advantage by searching people according to profession. Contact HR people directly if you sell group health insurance. Also, you can post photos of you being active as a community member, if you participate in charity events. Social media is also where you’ll want to share blog articles and videos that you can make and edit on your phone. Don’t forget the power of Tik-Tok videos either. You never know if your creative insurance ad may go viral. Ads on Facebook and Instagram can also be targeted to appear in the areas where you sell insurance.
26. Newsletters: Well designed newsletters are a great way to entice clientele to buy more coverage or another type of insurance they do not currently have. You can even share your newsletter on social media.
27. Quizzes and polls: You can share these on social media. Have your friends and family share them too. They may spark conversation with people you don’t already know.
28. Launch a Referral Program: Get a friend, spouse or coworker to sign on by offering clients a $25 to $50 gift card. You can also network with referral breakfast groups.
29. Reviews of Your Agency: People will look you up and see reviews on Google, Yahoo, Yelp or even Angie’s List. It’s a great idea to get negative reviews taken down by contacting the disgruntled customer and smoothing things over. If they will not budge, address the negative review without arguing but by highlighting your professionalism. You’ll want to promote the positive reviews. About 80% of people make a purchasing decision based on what others say about you. Post the positive reviews on your social media channels.
30. Local Marriage and Engagement Announcements: When two people marry, their insurance rates drop because married people are considered lower risk than single people. In contacting newly engaged or newly married couples in your area, you have a positive conversation opener and a new lead or two.
31. Community Events: Bring branded merchandise to share with new leads when you volunteer or commit to a non-profit. Sponsor a baseball or softball team and look into local bowling leagues. Once you widen your circle of associates, you’ll see you’re selling more policies because you’re quoting more people and from all walks of life.
32. Podcast: All you need to get started on your very own podcast is a desire to do it, some audio editing software and a microphone. Seriously, that’s all it takes to establish yourself as a thought-leader in the insurance industry. Just come up with a topic that may be useful to your clients, like a seminar on how to lower your insurance rate with a list of available discounts. Or, if you are trying to nurture leads that come from people still shopping around for a home, you can create a podcast on Homeowners Insurance and Homeowners Association Insurance and how they differ. In the podcast, you can discuss some things Home Insurance covers that may surprise people (e.g. You’re covered if your dog bites a visitor or if someone trips and chips a tooth in your home.).
33. Other Insurance Agents: If you don’t sell health and life insurance, make friends with a health and life agent or vice versa. You’ll have a free book of business to tap into if you put your heads together to help each other out. Auto and home customers can also benefit from health and life and so on.
34. Fitness Instructors and Personal Trainers: If you have fitness instructors or a personal trainer, review them on Google or Yelp or a similar review site so they’ll be more likely to refer you as a trusted insurance agent in return. Fitness instructors not only have a following but they are also great leads. Not only will they need auto and homeowners insurance, but they need business insurance, especially if they are self-employed. Health and life insurance would also be important, especially disability insurance.
35. Hair Stylists: Just like fitness instructors and trainers, hair stylists have a clientele that can benefit from a trusted insurance agent. Post a positive review of their work and ask for the same in return. If you’re comfortable with that person, make your business cards accessible in their place of business. Hair stylists also need auto, home and business insurance. They also need life and health policies.
36. Car Magnets: Car magnets are affordable and removable. Advertise your agency by day, and by night, you can have your regular old car back.
37. RV Parks: Each campsite is a car insurance lead, possibly even a homeowners lead, if they do not RV full-time. Bring business cards or postcards and leave them on cars. Start conversations if you’re not invading anyone’s privacy.
38. DMV: Advertising in DMV test pamphlets can be helpful if your business is open to writing policies for new drivers.
39. Rotary Clubs: Rotary clubs bring together business professionals and business leaders in small communities. Advertisers are usually locally owned businesses, many of them members as well. It’s a great place to broaden your network of leads.
40. Fraternity or Sorority Connections: If you were a part of a fraternity or sorority, reach out to your leaders to find out how they can help you out. Be open to appearing at events and meeting the new generation of drivers and future homeowners and life insurance policy holders.
41. Building Lobbies: Contact the facilities manager of large office buildings where there is sure to be a good amount of traffic. Ask if it's possible for you to table in the lobby or cafeteria, if there is one. If you get the green light, come equipped with signage, business cards and brochures. Have your laptop ready and you can quote people on the spot.
42. Door Hangers: Branded door hangers don’t cost that much to make. Ask around to see where real estate agents buy theirs. You can hire someone to walk around and hang them on every door in the neighborhoods you think fit your ideal shopper profile.
43. The BBB: A negative review or an unresolved claim against you on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website will hurt your reputation. These days, people research names, especially if they plan to make a payment with that person. Do everything you can to keep your score higher than a C. The BBB is known for rating companies based on reviews and their ability to resolve problems after a complaint is filed by a client.
44. Claimants: After a client has an accident, you can reach out to the other driver after the case ends and a claim is paid out. There is absolutely nothing unethical or strange about doing this, so always be friendly and approachable during the dispute.
45. Real Estate Professionals: Every real estate professional has the potential to help you meet many leads. Sharing your contacts list for theirs would go a long way. Real estate agents and mortgage loan officers will have very valuable contacts.
46. Open Houses: Attend open houses on a weekly basis. Leave business cards alongside listing brochures and handouts. You’ll be the first option for insuring a new home.
47. Apartment Leasing Agents: Apartment community managers can help you sell renters insurance, which may be required. Try and get on a list that is distributed to new tenants. While commissions on a renters insurance policy is low, you may end up selling an auto policy on top of it and homeowners insurance further down the line.
48. Accountants: Your accountant can help you earn new business. If they refer you to their clients, you won’t have to work as hard to get a foot in.
49. Chatbot: It’s not hard to lose business after hours, during lunch breaks and on weekends without a chatbot. A live chatbot has little overhead and can fill in the gaps. You’ll get some insurance leads this way, and the chatbot may even help you determine optimal office hours.
50. Dealerships: RV, motorcycle and car dealerships are where leads are the easiest to find. Leave postcards as takeaways. Ask the dealership if you can place a sign or poster, maybe at the service area or near the vending machines. Anything you can do to bring exposure to your business at the dealership is great because no one is leaving that place uninsured.
51. Car shows: Many people buy new vehicles in and around car shows.
52. Lender Websites: These are great places to advertise or get some sort of visibility if you sell homeowners insurance. Most people are required to buy homeowners insurance if they have a mortgage. People shopping for homes will be shopping lenders too.
53. Branded Merchandise: Pens, hats, t-shirts, mugs and notepads (the list goes on) attract attention. Have your merchandise handy and on display if you are tabling for new prospects or working local networking events.
54. Fishbowl Drawings: Collect business cards from restaurants or coffee shops in exchange for a gift card to the winner of a drawing (feel free to buy the whole bowl a cup of coffee for a quote).
55. Revisit Your Books: Check in with existing clients to see if they are satisfied with their insurance company. If not, see if you can resolve the problem. Here, you can upsell by adding on endorsements if their lifestyle has changed for the better. Cross sell: Do they need renters, condo, home or RV insurance? Do they have a new business and need business insurance? Is there a new child in the family who should have a life insurance policy? If all goes well, ask for a referral.
56. Closed Shops: Look for insurance agencies that are closing or on the way to closing. You may be able to buy their leads or book of business.
57. Public Records: A useful tool in gaining a list of leads is going through public records of homes recently sold. It’s free. All you have to do is convince these homebuyers to insure with you instead of the carrier they probably got through the mortgage lender.
58. Alumni Connections: Ask your sales team to connect with their alumni associations for contact information on your graduating class. A great conversation opener is to talk about the school you both attended and what you do now.
59. Parking Lots: You can get free business insurance leads and home insurance leads in targeted parking lots like the Home Depot and Lowe’s. Nurseries are a great place for finding landscaping businesses. Take the number right off the trucks and leave cards on passenger car windshields.
60. Chamber of Commerce: If you’re looking to get free business insurance leads, become a member of your local Chamber of Commerce. There is an annual fee of a few hundred dollars. Not all businesses are insured when they register their company, so the small investment in a membership will pay for itself.
61. Reconnect: Lost clients can become clients again if you do your best to win them back. Call and offer former clients a free quote. You never know what’s happened with their carrier since you last spoke. They may be open to switching back.

All 61 strategies listed above work well to generate leads work, but it takes patience and consistency to find out which methods work best for you. Buying insurance leads is listed as #1 for a reason: it has become a necessity now that most insurance shoppers do their shopping online. Working with SmartFinancial means that you will have a dedicated account manager for the life of the partnership. This account manager will help you try different strategies and filters on leads until you find what works best for your unique agency.

How To Get Insurance Leads FAQs

How can I get health insurance leads?

Health insurance leads are no different than any other type of insurance lead. Many of the options above will help. Also, partnering with P&C insurance agents or agencies will help you cross-promote health insurance.

How can I generate life insurance leads on facebook?

First, you need to create a facebook business page as an insurance agent. Make sure all your contact information is correct. Optimize the page with the right keywords, like “term life insurance”, “life insurance”, “whole life insurance,” etc. Share good content and boost those posts for exposure in the areas you are licensed to sell.

Where do I buy life insurance leads?

SmartFinancial has the best life insurance leads in the business. Many other insurance-technology companies offer life insurance leads as well.