Anyone figured out reducing CPA in Insurance Advertising?

So, I’ve been working on some campaigns lately, specifically in Insurance Advertising, and I couldn’t help but notice how tricky it is to manage the balance between cost per acquisition (CPA) and ROI. At first, I thought it was just me overthinking things, but it seems like a pretty common headache among marketers in this space.

The thing with insurance leads is that it’s not like selling a quick product. People take time to think, compare, hesitate, ask, and then ask again. So, every lead feels like it takes effort. And because of that, I kept watching the numbers and wondering, “Okay, how do I bring down the cost per lead or acquisition without making the quality drop?” Because if the quality drops, the CPI might look good on paper, but conversions go nowhere and ROI tanks.

For a long time, I assumed “spend more, reach more, convert more.” Turns out… not exactly. I tried increasing budgets, but all it did was bring in a larger volume of unqualified users who bounced or clicked and disappeared. So that didn’t help. It felt like I was just paying for noise.

Then I went through the phase of cutting costs aggressively. Like tightening targeting, reducing keywords, shortening placements. And while CPA started dropping a bit, leads also dried up. It was like I fixed one problem by creating a new one.

So I started observing something: in Insurance Advertising, the way people think matters more than just getting them through an ad. People don’t buy insurance immediately. They evaluate risk, pricing, trust, brand feel, and even tone of conversation. It’s less transactional, more emotional and informational.

What eventually helped me was trying to understand intent stages. Not all clicks are equal. I realized I was treating everyone like they were ready to sign up instantly, when realistically, most are either researching or comparing. So I shifted my approach to warm up leads instead of forcing immediate conversions.

A couple of things that made a noticeable difference for me:

1. Simplifying the Ads
Instead of pushing the benefits aggressively, I started acknowledging common doubts. Something like, “Confused about which insurance is actually worth paying for?” That opened conversations instead of pushing decisions. Surprisingly, clicks didn’t drop—but bounce rates did.

2. Retargeting Smarter
I used to retarget everyone who clicked. Big mistake. A lot of people just click out of curiosity. Now, I only retarget those who actually engage (scroll depth, form interaction, time spent, etc.). CPA started improving because I wasn’t spending retargeting dollars on window shoppers.

3. Landing Page Tone
Instead of sounding “corporate helpful,” I made the language more relatable. Less “Insurance protects your family’s financial security” and more “We all want our families safe when life throws surprises.” People respond to what feels real.

4. Lead Qualification Steps
I stopped asking for phone numbers right away. Instead, I let users answer two mini-questions first (like coverage type or age group). That pre-engagement made them feel like they started the conversation, not me.

Once these small changes were in place, the quality of leads improved. And when the lead quality improved, conversions naturally picked up on the backend. Which meant ROI improved — without increasing spend. And because the leads were more likely to convert, CPA effectively went down too. It wasn’t immediate, but it was stable progress.

I’m not saying this is a one-size-fits-all pattern, but I found that treating insurance prospects like humans instead of just “numbers in an ad funnel” makes a world of difference.

I came across a discussion-style breakdown that goes even deeper on this topic. It explained the link between messaging, funnel patience, and retargeting sequencing, and I found it actually aligned with what I was experimenting with. Sharing in case it helps someone here too: How to reduce CPA in insurance advertising

Not saying it’s the magic fix, but it’s a good perspective shift if you’re stuck wondering why one lever helps CPA but ruins ROI, or vice versa.

So yeah — that’s where I’m at right now. Still learning, still testing, still adjusting. If anyone here has cracked this better or has other angles—especially around messaging or audience buckets—I’d love to hear. Always feel like the best strategies come from real-world conversations rather than generic “playbooks.”