Guide: Marketing & Sales

Section I: Marketing & Sales in 2025
Section II: The Players
Section III: Get Started
Section IV: State of Tech Report
Section V: Additional Resources
Section VI: Questions?

Section I: Marketing & Sales in 2025

“Growing an insurance agency isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. The right marketing and sales technology helps you attract the right prospects, nurture relationships, and close deals efficiently. From automated campaigns and lead tracking to CRM integration and analytics, these tools ensure you’re not just staying busy, but actually growing your business”

Casey Nelson

Director of Consulting

AgencyZoom
by Vertafore

You sell the policy. We automate the rest!

Lead Generation CRM Marketing Automation & Email Reputation Management Marketing & Sales

Applied Marketing Automation
by Applied Systems

Insurance marketing automation application to build and track marketing email campaigns

Marketing Automation & Email

BrightFire
by BrightFire

Custom designed insurance agency websites & done-for-you digital marketing

Lead Generation Social Media Management Marketing Automation & Email Website Development Reputation Management

Converge Retention
by ReFocus AI

AI-powered service analytics that lead to higher customer retention and critically, better customer experiences.

Sales Management 101 Weston Labs

Experience.com
by Experience.com

Experience management platform to help collect actionable insights, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive growth.

Reputation Management

EZLynx Agency Websites
by Applied Systems

Enhance your online presence with a professional website

Website Development

Is the platform company-centric or contact-centric?
How much information about a prospect can you track?
Is campaign management included?
What reporting capabilities are available?
How easy is the platform for producers to use?

Marketing Automation

Does your agency management system have automated marketing capabilities?
What customer and prospect touch points do you want to add?
Does the third-party solution provider integrate with your existing system?
Who will be responsible for implementing these marketing campaigns?
Make sure to track your results to determine your return on investment.

Reputation Management

What is the scope of services offered?
Will they help you generate online reviews?
Do they monitor your online reputation and alert you when negative information appears?
Do they understand insurance agencies?
Do they offer online reputation repair services?

Sales Management

Does your existing agency management system have capabilities for tracking sales opportunities as well as a producer sales pipeline?
How involved will your producers be in capturing required information?
Does your agency have a culture of sales accountability?
Ease-of-use is essential, especially if producers capture and update information.
How flexible is the platform to fit your particular needs? For example, are you able to add additional custom fields?

Social Media Management

Which social platforms do they support?
How many different social profiles are available to you?
Can you create content that posts to multiple platforms simultaneously?
What other tools are included?
Does the tool allow you to repurpose existing content?

Website Development

Does the vendor have insurance agency experience?
Will the agency be able to update and maintain the website in the future?
Will your website be custom-designed, or created from a predefined template?
What content management system (CMS) does the vendor use?
Are images and other digital assets fully licensed?

Catalyit Goes Deeper

Zywave and TrustedChoice.com are the top choices for lead generation. Surprisingly, only 10% of agencies still use cold calling services. New players like SALT help automate online leads for personal lines. By leveraging marketing automation platforms with features like lead generation, independent agents can save time, reduce costs, and ultimately grow their business by reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time.

Most Used

% Use

Avg. Rating

Zywave

26%

3.6

TrustedChoice.com

10%

2.8

Cold Calling Service

10%

4.0

ClientCircle

3.3

ZoomInfo

4.3

LeO

3.0

Startwave

3.0

SALT

EZLynx (Applied)

Bold Penguin

3.0

Other

26%

3.9

Catalyit Goes Deeper

Marketing automation platforms streamline marketing efforts by offering features such as email marketing, social media management, lead tracking, and analytics. These platforms automate repetitive tasks, nurture leads, and measure performance. They enable personalized messaging, audience segmentation, and targeted campaigns. The top platforms in this category include Applied Marketing Automation, Levitate, Agency Revolution, and AgencyZoom (Vertafore). Setting up these platforms will ultimately save time and money, streamlining your marketing efforts and boosting efficiency.

Most Used

% Use

Avg. Rating

Applied Marketing Automation

18%

4.0

Levitate

15%

4.0

Agency Revolution

13%

4.3

AgencyZoom (Vertafore)

11%

4.3

ClientCircle

3.9

Zywave

3.8

Constant Contact

3.0

Rocket Referrals

4.4

Mailchimp

3.7

QQCatalyst (Vertafore)

3.0

Other

12%

4.3

Catalyit Goes Deeper

Reputation management, often overlooked, is crucial for driving website traffic and maximizing search engine optimization (SEO). These solutions help agents monitor and manage their online reputation and brand image by tracking business mentions across social media channels, review sites (Google Reviews), and search engine results. They ensure a timely response to feedback and offer tools to generate positive reviews from satisfied customers. By leveraging these systems, agents can protect their online reputation, create a strong brand image, and significantly boost business success, providing a reassuring sense of effectiveness.

Most Used

% Use

Avg. Rating

ClientCircle

25%

4.4

Agency Revolution

18%

3.7

AgencyZoom (Vertafore)

13%

4.3

Podium

4.3

Lift Local

5.0

Klout 9

4.0

Experience.com

5.0

BrightFire

3.0

Birdeye

4.0

InsuredMine

5.0

Other

27%

4.5

Catalyit Goes Deeper

Only 14% of respondents use a sales (producer) management platform. Salesforce, AgencyZoom (Vertafore), and Applied Epic are the most popular choices for those that do. These platforms improve sales processes, efficiency, and deal-closing effectiveness by providing features such as lead tracking, contact management, sales pipeline management, and reporting. This enables agency management to monitor and track sales activities and prioritize efforts, ultimately leading to improved sales performance and more closed deals.

Most Used

% Use

Avg. Rating

Salesforce

22%

3.6

AgencyZoom (Vertafore)

21%

4.3

Applied Epic

19%

4.5

EZLynx (Applied)

3.5

InsuredMine

3.5

Monday

5.0

b atomic!

4.0

HubSpot

5.0

Agency Revolution

5.0

Other

22%

4.1

Catalyit Goes Deeper

These platforms streamline social media marketing and efficiently manage online presence across multiple channels. They often offer content scheduling, post automation, analytics, and engagement tracking, helping agents save time and increase visibility. Social media management platforms also help agents monitor and respond to customer inquiries and build relationships with their audience. Levitate, Hootsuite, ClientCircle, and Agency Revolution are the top four social media management platforms for independent agents.

Most Used

% Use

Avg. Rating

Levitate

12%

4.4

Hootsuite

3.7

Local Firm

3.6

ClientCircle

4.2

Agency Revolution

4.2

Little Dog

2.5

Buffer

4.5

BrightFire

4.0

Rocket Referrals

4.0

Social Jazz

5.0

Lift Local

5.0

Other

47%

4.1

Catalyit Goes Deeper

Most agents use local firms for website development. Nationally, Agency Revolution and its new subsidiary, Forge3, hold a significant market share. Website development firms offer customized solutions tailored to agents' needs, such as lead generation, brand awareness, or online sales. They also provide ongoing maintenance and support to keep websites updated and secure. Independent agents can establish a strong online presence using website development firms, enhance credibility and reputation, and attract and retain more clients.

Most Used

% Use

Avg. Rating

Local Firm

25%

4.0

Agency Revolution/Forge3

19%

4.3

Zywave

4.2

Banyan Theory

4.8

Advisor Evolved

4.8

BrightFire

4.6

Developed/Managed In-House

4.0

InsuranceSplash

4.5

Alicor Solutions

2.5

EZLynx Agency Websites (Applied)

Agency Relevance

5.0

Other

32%

3.7

Canva: Your Secret Weapon for Marketing Magic

February 26, 2025 3 min read

Sales

Navigating the Sales Maze: Why Your Insurance Agency Needs a Sales Pipeline

February 12, 2025 2 min read

BrightFire

The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews for Insurance Agencies 2025

January 15, 2025 15 min read

Experience.com

Experience.com Demo

May 23, 2024

Marketing

Email Marketing Tips That WORK! with Jay Schwedelson

March 5, 2024

BrightFire

BrightFire Demo

July 27, 2023

Guides

Resources

Exclusive Tools

Blogs

Video Resources

More Resources

Marketing & Sales

Marketing & Sales in 2025

Casey Nelson

This guide can help...

What solutions are available?

Technology Category

AgencyZoom by Vertafore

Applied Marketing Automation by Applied Systems

BrightFire by BrightFire

Converge Retention by ReFocus AI

Experience.com by Experience.com

EZLynx Agency Websites by Applied Systems

AgenciesOnline by AgenciesOnline

Agency Relevance by Agency Relevance

Agent Autodialer by JasperVOCAL Inc.

Agentero by Agentero

Alicor Solutions by Alicor Solutions

Atlante Sales Tool by Atlante Sales

Automate My Social by Anthem Software

AVYST by AVYST

Banyan Theory by Banyan Theory

Best Websites by Best Websites

Better Agency by Better Agency

Bignition by Wedge Group

Birdeye by Birdeye

Bridge by The Redcliffe Group, LLC

ClientCircle by ClientCircle

Commercial P&C Insurance Prospects by Tivly

Constant Contact by Constant Contact

DART Direct Mail by DART Direct Mail

Digital Marketing Automation Services by LZC Marketing

Fluid+, Trio, Surge by Fluid

Fulcrum by Fulcrum

Fuse + Forge by Agency Revolution

GatherUp by GatherUp

GravityCerts by GravityCerts

Highwing Broker and Carrier Suites by Highwing

HootSuite by HootSuite

HubSpot by HubSpot

Insurance Websites & Marketing Tools by Advisor Evolved

InsuredMine by InsuredMine

InsurGrid by InsurGrid

Keap by Keap

LeadPops by LeadPops

LeO by LeO

Levitate by Levitate

Lift Local by Lift Local

Lola by Lola Systems

Loss Run Pro by Loss Run Pro

Mailchimp by Mailchimp

Marketing and communications by Market Retrievers

Pathway by Pathway

Podium by Podium

QuoteWizard by QuoteWizard

ReferMe IQ by ReferMe IQ

relayto by Relayto

Salesforce by Salesforce

SalesPro Leads by SalesPro Leads

Social Jazz by Social Jazz Inc

Startwave by Startwave Technology Inc.

Symphony by Comp21 by comp21

Thomas H Wetzel & Associates by Thomas H Wetzel & Associates

TrustedChoice.com by TrustedChoice.com

ValChoice by ValChoice

ZoomInfo by ZoomInfo

How do I get started?

Lead Generation

Marketing Automation

Reputation Management

Sales Management

Social Media Management

Website Development

What are independent insurance agents using, and how do they rate?

Lead Generation

AgencyZoom
by Vertafore

Applied Marketing Automation
by Applied Systems

BrightFire
by BrightFire

Converge Retention
by ReFocus AI

Experience.com
by Experience.com

EZLynx Agency Websites
by Applied Systems

AgenciesOnline
by AgenciesOnline

Agency Relevance
by Agency Relevance

Agent Autodialer
by JasperVOCAL Inc.

Agentero
by Agentero

Alicor Solutions
by Alicor Solutions

Atlante Sales Tool
by Atlante Sales

Automate My Social
by Anthem Software

AVYST
by AVYST

Banyan Theory
by Banyan Theory

Best Websites
by Best Websites

Better Agency
by Better Agency

Bignition
by Wedge Group

Birdeye
by Birdeye

Bridge
by The Redcliffe Group, LLC

ClientCircle
by ClientCircle

Commercial P&C Insurance Prospects
by Tivly

Constant Contact
by Constant Contact

DART Direct Mail
by DART Direct Mail

Digital Marketing Automation Services
by LZC Marketing

Fluid+, Trio, Surge
by Fluid

Fulcrum
by Fulcrum

Fuse + Forge
by Agency Revolution

GatherUp
by GatherUp

GravityCerts
by GravityCerts

Highwing Broker and Carrier Suites
by Highwing

HootSuite
by HootSuite

HubSpot
by HubSpot

Insurance Websites & Marketing Tools
by Advisor Evolved

InsuredMine
by InsuredMine

InsurGrid
by InsurGrid

Keap
by Keap

LeadPops
by LeadPops

LeO
by LeO

Levitate
by Levitate

Lift Local
by Lift Local

Lola
by Lola Systems

Loss Run Pro
by Loss Run Pro

Mailchimp
by Mailchimp

Marketing and communications
by Market Retrievers

Pathway
by Pathway

Podium
by Podium

QuoteWizard
by QuoteWizard

ReferMe IQ
by ReferMe IQ

relayto
by Relayto

Salesforce
by Salesforce

SalesPro Leads
by SalesPro Leads

Social Jazz
by Social Jazz Inc

Startwave
by Startwave Technology Inc.

Symphony by Comp21
by comp21

Thomas H Wetzel & Associates
by Thomas H Wetzel & Associates

TrustedChoice.com
by TrustedChoice.com

ValChoice
by ValChoice

ZoomInfo
by ZoomInfo

Agencies using a reputation management
platform/service (e.g., for managing customer reviews)

Agencies using a website development or
management firm