Are aged insurance leads worth it? Only with a follow-up system.
Aged insurance leads are worth it when you can follow up many times without doing it by hand, and when you have consent to contact each person. They cost less than fresh leads because other agents already had the first try. This is how I would decide, and how I would work them.
- Cheaper than fresh leads
- One call will not do it
- Consent comes first
The short answer.
Yes, aged insurance leads can be worth it, on two conditions. You need a system that follows up by text, email and voicemail over a couple of weeks, because one call will not do it. And you need the right consent for each kind of message. Without both, aged leads are a cheap way to lose a month.
What an aged lead is.
A lead that did not close the first time
An aged lead is someone who asked about coverage weeks or months ago. Lead vendors sell them for less once the fresh window has passed.
Your own old leads count too
The leads in your CRM that got one call and a voicemail are aged leads you already paid for. I would work those before buying more.
Old does not mean bad
Some bought somewhere else. Some never picked a plan. Some were busy that week. You find out by asking.
When they pay off.
You follow up more than once
Most people do not answer the first call. A short sequence of texts, emails and voicemails reaches people a single dial never will. See how many times to follow up with an insurance lead.
You start with a small batch
Buy or pull a small batch, run the full sequence and count the appointments. Then decide whether to buy more.
You answer replies fast
A reply that waits a day is cold again. Send every reply to one person and call back within minutes.
You keep score by source
Track cost per lead, contact rate and appointments for each vendor. A cheap lead that never answers is not cheap. InsuranceOps, my command center for insurance agencies, measures lead vendors by cost per lead and contact rate.
Where I would be careful.
Consent does not come with the spreadsheet. Texts, autodialed calls and prerecorded voicemails each need the right permission, and you should be able to show when and how a person opted in. Ask the vendor for that record before you buy. Medicare and some states add stricter rules. This is general information, not legal advice, so check with your compliance contact before you send anything.
I also would not trust anyone who promises a response rate. The calculator on my cold lead page starts at 2 to 5 percent reactivation for a dead list. That is an estimate. Replace it with your own number after a small test.
How I do it.
I run Cold Lead Reactivation for insurance agents at $297 a month. My team cleans and organizes the list, writes the emails, texts and voicemails for your product and market, handles the carrier registration and launches it, usually within about a week. Texts and carrier fees are billed at cost. See how cold lead reactivation works, or read the step-by-step playbook if you want to run it yourself.
You can call or text me at (561) 287-3456. That reaches me, Corey Gray, the owner.
Questions you may be asking.
Are aged insurance leads worth buying?
They can be, if you have automated follow-up and proof of consent. Test a small batch and count appointments before you buy more.
How old is too old for an aged lead?
There is no fixed cutoff. Fresher leads usually respond better, so start with the newest and work backward. Older leads are still worth a try if you have permission to contact them.
Can I text aged leads?
Only with the right consent for that kind of message, and a record of it. Include an opt-out in every message and honor it right away. Rules vary by state and product.
What response rate should I expect from aged leads?
It depends on the list, its age and the message. My cold lead calculator starts at 2 to 5 percent for a dead list as an estimate. Measure your own on a small batch.
Should I work my own old leads before buying aged leads?
Yes. You already paid for them and you know where they came from. Run them through a full sequence first.
What does it cost to have aged leads worked for me?
Cold Lead Reactivation is $297 a month. Texts are about 2 cents each, a phone number is $1.25 a month and the one-time carrier registration is about $23.50, all billed at cost. See cold lead reactivation.
Sitting on a list of old leads?
Tell me how many you have and where they came from, and I will tell you honestly what to expect.