Insurance agency marketing
More quote requests that actually bind.
Calder & Birch is the growth partner for independent and captive insurance agencies. We bring you quote requests from people looking for a local agent, help you reach them first, and report on the numbers that grow your book: bound policies, premium written and retention.
One agency per line of business, per territory. See if yours is still open, and how you compare to your top 3 competitors.
- Built only for insurance agencies
- Independent and captive
- Reporting in bound policies, not clicks
- Quote requests
- 212
- Bound policies
- 68
- Quote-to-bind
- 32%
- Cost per bound policy
- $118
The problem
You don't need more leads. You need more of them to bind.
Five things agency owners tell us, almost word for word.
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“We buy leads, and five other agents call them first.”
Lead vendors sell the same shopper to several agencies at once. By the time you call, they've heard four pitches and are comparing on price, not service.
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“Direct carriers and comparison sites own our local search.”
Search for car insurance in your town and national carriers and quote-comparison sites appear before a single local agent. They're buying the traffic that used to walk through your door.
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“People start a quote on our site, then disappear.”
Long forms, slow pages and no clear next step lose shoppers mid-quote. Most agencies never find out how many.
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“We have a great reputation, but hardly any reviews.”
People compare stars before they compare premiums. A well-loved agency with a dozen reviews loses the map pack to one with two hundred.
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“I can't tell which channel actually produces bound policies.”
Google, referrals, vendors, the website: reports that stop at clicks leave every budget decision to guesswork. We draw the line from source to bound policy.
What we do
Six ways we grow your book.
Each one is measured by an outcome you can check in your agency management system, not a deliverable you have to take on faith.
Show up first when neighbors search for an agent.
Google Business Profile, local pages and citations that put you in the map pack for the searches that turn into quotes.
How it works Google Ads & Local Services AdsBuy quote requests, not clicks.
Search campaigns and Local Services Ads built by line of business, and reported as cost per bound policy.
How it works Review GenerationTurn happy clients into five-star proof.
A steady, simple way to ask for reviews after a bind, a renewal or a claim handled well, plus replies that sound like you.
How it works Quote Funnel & Speed to LeadAnswer first. Bind more.
Shorter quote forms, instant routing to the right producer, and follow-up that reaches people while they're still shopping.
How it works Retention & Cross-Sell EmailKeep the book you've built, and round it out.
Renewal reminders, check-ins and cross-sell sequences that turn single-line households into multi-line clients.
How it works Agency WebsitesA website that sells like your best producer.
Fast, warm, mobile-first sites with a clear path to a quote and the trust signals local buyers look for.
How it worksLines of business
Lines we serve.
One agency per line, in each territory. Pick yours to see how we grow it, and whether your city or county is still open.
Auto & Home
Households who want a local agent, not another 800 number.
ExploreCommercial
Main Street owners looking for an advisor who knows their business.
ExploreLife
Families making long-term decisions, at their own pace.
ExploreHealth & Medicare
Enrollment-season demand, planned early and marketed carefully.
ExploreEmployee Benefits
Owners and HR leads choosing a benefits partner.
Check availabilityCalculator
What is a new policy worth to you?
Most agencies underestimate it. Put in your own numbers to see the lifetime commission behind each new policy, and what a few more a month add up to.
Lifetime value per policy
$1,008
$1,400 premium × 12% commission × 6 years
Adding 10 policies a month for a year is worth
$120,960
in lifetime commission, or $20,160 a year once those policies are on your books.
Enter all four numbers to see your estimate.
See if your line is still open in your territory, and where your next policies could come from.
A simple planning estimate, not a forecast. It assumes the same premium and commission rate every year. If your new and renewal commission differ, use a blended rate.
How it works
From first check to monthly report.
The first two steps are free, and they're yours to keep whether or not we work together.
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Step 1: Availability Check
Tell us your line or lines and your territory. We confirm whether they're open, or whether another agency already holds them.
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Step 2: Competitor & Quote Funnel Audit
We compare you with your top 3 local competitors and the direct carriers and comparison sites in your search results, then walk your quote funnel from form to follow-up.
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Step 3: Strategy
A written plan: which channels, which lines, what budget, and the targets we'll report against.
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Step 4: Launch & Monthly Reporting
We build, launch and manage. Every month you get one clear report that ends in quotes, bound policies and cost per bound policy.
Exclusivity
One agency per line of business, per territory.
We can't help two agencies compete for the same household or business. So in each territory (a city or county, or a whole metro area for commercial lines) we work with one agency per line. If you're our auto & home agency in Maricopa County, no other auto & home agency there will be our client.
- Availability comes first. We confirm your line and territory are open before we talk about fees.
- Writing several lines? Each line you engage us for is held for you in each territory we market.
- Your playbook stays yours. Campaigns, data and results are never shared with a competing agency.
- Held while we work together. Your territory stays closed to other agencies in your line for as long as we're partners.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
What does it cost?
Most engagements combine a monthly management fee, set by your lines, territory size and channels, with advertising spend you pay directly to Google.
You'll see a proposal only after you've seen your audit, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
How long is the contract?
Engagements start with a 6-month agreement. That's long enough for local search, reviews and paid campaigns to show what they can do in your market.
We'll walk you through the full terms, including what happens after the first six months, before you sign anything.
How soon will we see results?
Speed-to-lead and quote form fixes often show up within weeks. Google Ads and Local Services Ads can bring quote requests soon after launch. Map pack and review gains build over months.
We'll set realistic targets for your market in your strategy, and we never guarantee results.
How do you handle compliance?
Insurance marketing has more rules than most, and we build with them in mind:
- Carrier rules. Approved-marketing, brand and co-op guidelines from the carriers you represent.
- State advertising rules. Your state Department of Insurance's rules on insurance advertising.
- Calls and texts. TCPA consent requirements, including how consent is captured on quote forms and in follow-up.
- Medicare. CMS marketing and communications rules, including required disclaimers and when next year's plans can be marketed.
Nothing goes live without your approval. Compliance remains your agency's responsibility; we're a marketing agency and don't give compliance or regulatory advice.
How does exclusivity work if we write several lines, or in several states?
Exclusivity is held per line, per territory. If you write auto & home and commercial in two counties, each line you engage us for is held for you in each of those counties. Territories in different states are checked separately, so one of your lines might be open in one state and already taken in the next.
For auto & home, life, and health & Medicare, a territory is a city or county. For commercial lines, it's the whole metro area.
Do you work with captive agents?
Yes. Many carriers limit what captive agents can do on their own. Some require pre-approval for ads, websites, social posts and email. Some restrict search ads that use the carrier's brand name. Some provide an agent website and don't allow a separate one.
Before we recommend anything, we review your carrier's marketing guidelines with you, use approved channels and templates where they're required, and tell you plainly if a channel is off-limits.
When should Medicare agents start planning for the Annual Enrollment Period?
Earlier than most do. AEP runs October 15 to December 7, and CMS doesn't allow marketing of next year's plans before October 1. We plan in late summer, so your reviews, local search and follow-up are ready before October, with campaigns built around CMS rules and your carriers' requirements.
What's in the free audit?
A side-by-side look at your agency against your top 3 local competitors, and the direct carriers and comparison sites taking your local search traffic. It covers Google rankings, the map pack, reviews, ads, your website and your quote funnel: the quote form, speed to lead and follow-up. It's yours to keep, and it arrives within 2 business days.
Do I have to share my marketing budget?
No. The budget field is optional. It just helps us keep the audit and recommendations realistic.
Market availability check
See if your territory is still open.
One agency per line of business, per territory. See if yours is still open, and how you compare to your top 3 competitors.
- Market availability check. We tell you plainly whether your line is still open in your city or county.
- Free competitor and quote funnel audit. Your agency against your top 3 local competitors and the direct carriers and comparison sites taking your search traffic.
- Delivered within 2 business days, with no obligation to work with us.
Rather talk it through? Call 917-352-8241, weekdays 7am to 7pm Eastern.