Auto insurers and insurance agents are facing the prospect of a completely transformed marketplace by the end of the decade as connected technologies and autonomous capabilities radically change the way we drive.

What agents and insurers need is stability—something they won’t find without a steady supply of high-quality auto insurance leads.

Use this guide on how to generate auto leads and bolster your lead pipeline with an array of highly effective lead gen methods.

Top 10 strategies to get more auto insurance leads for your agents

Generate leads through search

1. Improve your visibility with search engine optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most effective ways to get auto insurance leads. It’s also one of the most cost-effective lead gen approaches on a cost-per-lead basis. By optimizing your website and content for higher rankings, you can make it easier for customers to find you.

Of course, achieving significant success takes consistent effort. SEO best practices encompass a wide range of tactics and upgrades to your website, including:

• Using targeted keywords in titles, headings, subheadings, meta descriptions, and other places on your website to help drive more organic traffic from relevant searches

• Incorporating internal links between top-performing pages and deeper pages that you want to be discovered

• Optimizing images and other assets to improve page-load time

In short, SEO is all about making your site user-friendly—something that will help you with both search engines and potential customers.

2. Utilize targeted pay-per-click (PPC) ads

Getting your brand to appear for high-priority searches sometimes requires a bit of an investment.

By bidding to place PPC ads on highly relevant keywords, you can drive qualified traffic directly to your website. PPC ads are an effective method for targeting potential customers who are already interested in auto insurance services, which helps ensure that you get quality leads. Additionally, since PPC ads are only charged when someone clicks on them, you can control how much money you’re spending and optimize campaigns to maximize cost-efficiency.

3. Show up in valuable local searches

Of all of the ways search can be leveraged for auto insurance lead gen, local search might be the most important. One study found that 96% of local businesses are viewed at least 25 times per month in Google search results—and 49% receive more than 1,000 views.

To increase your chances of being found by potential customers looking for auto insurance in their area, claim and thoroughly complete your free Google Business Profile. Be sure the information in your profile is accurate and up-to-date, add photos, and consistently manage and respond to customer reviews.

This last step is particularly important. Not only are reviews an important local search ranking factor, but they’re also used by 88% of consumers to discover local businesses.

Expand your auto insurance business network and reach

4. Partner with the right people

Sometimes lead generation is all about who you know. For auto insurance businesses, local car dealerships, driving schools, and service centers can all be excellent sources of auto insurance leads. Working with these businesses allows you to tap into their existing customer base and provides an additional avenue for prospects to find your services.

By establishing relationships with key players in the industry, you can create valuable referral networks that will help drive more leads your way. Plus, by offering discounts or other incentives for referrals from these partners, you can further incentivize customers to spread the word about your services.

5. Participate in events

Participating in local events can be another great way to generate auto insurance leads. Events like car and trade shows provide an excellent opportunity to connect with potential customers, showcase your services, and build relationships within your community.

In addition, by sponsoring or hosting events that are tailored towards the needs of potential customers looking for auto insurance services, you can also establish yourself as a recognizable and authoritative source and help build trust with prospects.

6. Get listed on third-party sites and exchanges

Outside of local search and events, it’s also important to make connections on the web. Third-party review sites, service directories, and other online platforms that list auto insurance providers are certainly places where you’ll want potential customers to be able to find your name. Luckily, getting listed on these sites typically just requires simple outreach and, in certain cases, payment of a small fee.

7. Incentivize referrals from customers

Encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews and offer referrals can be an effective way to generate more auto insurance leads. Word of mouth is still an essential facet of any marketing and lead gen program.

In fact, referrals continue to drive an estimated 13% of consumer sales. Tap into this power of customer referrals by incentivizing referrals with special offers like discounts and gift cards for existing policyholders.

More ways to get auto insurance leads

8. Reach out with direct mail

Word-of-mouth isn’t the only “traditional” outreach method that’s still highly effective for auto insurance providers. A whopping 70% of consumers consider direct mail to be more personal than online interactions. Direct mail allows you to include visuals, such as eye-catching graphics, to help grab the attention of prospects. And since direct mail pieces are tangible items that need to be opened and read, it’s much harder for recipients to ignore them than emails or other digital forms of communication. (Direct mail open rates can reach up to 90%!)

9. Create helpful content

Content marketing is a great way to generate auto insurance leads. Think of creating helpful content, for example in a blog, that educates potential customers. You could write articles that explain the different types of coverage available or how they can save money on their premiums.

In this way, you begin to establish yourself as an authoritative resource within your industry. Over time, you’ll not only build trust with prospects and convert more leads into customers, but you’ll also improve your website in the eyes of search engines.

10. Connect with customers on social media

Although finding auto insurance might not be the first thing people turn to social media for, maintaining an active presence on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can still provide a healthy influx of quality auto insurance leads.

Beyond building a profile where both potential and existing customers can engage with your brand, paid ad placements on social media can get the attention of thousands of potential leads. Out of all the lead generation strategies you’ve seen here, social media was actually ranked the most effective for improving lead quality in a survey of marketers.

How to convert more of your auto insurance leads

By implementing a healthy mix of the auto insurance lead generation strategies we’ve detailed above, you can equip your sales agents with a steady supply of high-quality leads.

However, that doesn’t exactly mean you’ll suddenly find yourself on Easy Street. To move from more auto insurance leads to more auto insurance customers, you’ll need much more than a diverse marketing portfolio. You’ll need a highly efficient outbound sales operation.

In 2023, that means having a powerful predictive dialer on your side. Learn more about how to choose the best contact center software today, and schedule a free demo to compare Convoso’s leading solution side-by-side against your existing software.

Automate—and speed up—your sales engine with essential solutions for your sales team like:

• Caller ID reputation management: Fight the scourge of “Spam Likely” labels with a full suite of caller ID reputation management tools. Protect your reputation, dial with clean numbers, and boost your contact rates.

• Workflow automation: Automate lead follow-up and take the guesswork—and human error—out of your sales outreach. Get to leads faster and get there first with customizable software.

• Advanced call center reporting and analytics: Get granular with your reporting and understand your sales efforts in real-time and down to the list-by-list level. Customize your reporting dashboard and have every metric and report you need, right at your fingertips, so you can optimize performance.

• Dynamic scripting software: Equip your auto insurance sales agents with everything they need to conduct effective, personalized sales conversations. Dynamic scripts are easy to build and they respond in real-time, as conversations unfold, so agents can stay on message and in compliance.