How to market a new insurance agency in its first year

Market a new agency in a fixed order, and finish each step before you pay for the next. Get the name, domain and Google Business Profile right first. Then build a website, ask every new customer for a review, and add Google Ads once someone can answer the phone. Referral partners and social posts come last, because they build slowly and lean on the steps before them.

Key facts

• There are about 37,000 independent agencies in the US, down from 39,000 in 2024 (Insurance Journal).
• Independent agencies spent $20,600 a year on marketing on average in 2026, up from $14,300 in 2024 (Big I Agency Universe Study).
• Google lists insurance agents as individual practitioners who can have their own Business Profile (Google).
• 48% of new auto policies are now bought online, according to J.D. Power's 2026 shopping study (InsuranceNewsNet).

Before you start: are your licenses in place?

Get licensed before you market anything. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) says anyone who sells, solicits or negotiates insurance in the US must be licensed as a producer, and state regulators issue those licenses. Agencies are licensed too: the NAIC counts more than 236,000 licensed business entities.

Rules differ by state and by line of insurance. Ask your state insurance department what your agency needs before you put its name on a sign or an ad.

Step 1: Pick a name, a domain and a Google Business Profile

Choose a name you can use the same way everywhere, then buy the matching domain. Google's rules say your profile name should reflect your business's real-world name. Adding words such as "cheap car insurance" to it is not allowed.

Google lists "insurance or real estate agents" as individual practitioners. A practitioner who is the only public face of a branded office shares one profile with it, named "[brand]: [practitioner name]". If you are a captive agent, ask your carrier who creates and manages your profile before you make one.

A home office or mailbox may not qualify: Google says a rented mailing address isn't eligible, and a virtual office counts only if your staff work there during business hours (Google Business Profile guidelines).

If you work from home and meet clients elsewhere, Google treats you as a service-area business with one profile and a set service area. Our Google Business Profile guide covers eligibility, access and the details to fill in.

Step 2: Build a website that turns visits into quote requests

Build the website next, because every other step sends people to it. Your profile, your ads and your referral partners all point there, and many shoppers buy online now. J.D. Power found that 48% of new auto policies are bought digitally, and that shoppers collect 3.5 quotes on average.

A new agency's site needs a few pages done well, not many pages done thinly:

• a home page that says what you sell and where, with your phone number at the top
• one page for each product you want to sell, such as auto, home or business
• a short quote form, and a page about you and your office
• your license number and the states you serve

There are three ways to build it: a website builder, an insurance website platform or a custom site. Our comparison of website options sets out what each costs and what you own.

We build insurance agency websites on two plans. Any agency can choose the Website plan: $2,000 to start, then $99/month for hosting and care.

Independent agencies can choose the Agency System instead, at $500 for month 1, then $299 a month from month 2. It adds lead follow-up, missed-call text back and review requests. Captive offices get the Website plan, because carriers control the phones and records the system needs.

Step 3: Ask every new customer for a Google review

Ask every customer for a review the day they buy. A new agency starts with none, and reviews are what a shopper reads on your profile before calling. Google suggests sending customers a review link or a quick response (QR) code, and replying to the reviews you get.

Two rules matter here. Google prohibits offering anything in exchange for a review, such as a discount or a gift card. It also bars asking only happy customers.

So ask everyone, the same way, and reply to good and bad reviews alike. The Google reviews guide has wording you can send.

Step 4: Add Google Ads once someone can answer every inquiry

Start Google Ads when someone can call back new inquiries within minutes. Ads bring people who are shopping today, which a profile and website alone may not do in the first months. A shopper collecting several quotes may have bought by the time you call back tomorrow.

Set the budget from your own numbers. Google can spend up to 30.4 times your average daily budget in a month (Google Ads Help). If you spent the whole $20,600 average budget on ads, that would be $1,717 a month, or a daily budget of about $56. Most new agencies will start lower, and that average comes from agencies of every age.

Our management fee is 10% of total monthly ad spend, and the ad spend is paid to Google. The break-even worksheet shows how many sales a month your ads need to pay for themselves.

Step 5: Build referral sources

Build referral sources from the people your customers already deal with. Mortgage lenders, real estate agents, car dealers and accountants all meet people who need a policy soon. Ask each one what they need from an agent, such as fast proof of insurance on a closing day.

Keep a list of who sent each customer, so you know which partners are worth your time. Before you pay anyone for a referral, ask your state insurance department what is allowed.

Step 6: Post on social media

Post on social media last, and post about your office, your town and the questions customers ask you. It is the most common marketing activity among independent agencies: 47% ranked social media and digital marketing first in the 2026 Big I study. Facebook led the channels they use at 70%, ahead of Instagram at 46% and LinkedIn at 35% (Insurance Journal).

Social posts rarely bring a new agency its first customers on their own. They help people who already heard your name decide to call.

How much should a new agency spend in year one?

There is no published figure for new agencies, so build the budget from what one customer is worth to you. The Big I average of $20,600 describes independent agencies of every age and size. Our marketing budget guide shows how to set yours from your commission, retention and close rate.

If you are opening an agency this year, book a website strategy call. We will go through this list with you and tell you which step to start with.