Anyone getting good results with life insurance ads?

So, I’ve been running a few life insurance advertisements lately, and I’ve got to say—it’s not as straightforward as I thought. Everyone talks about “trust” and “emotional connection,” but when you’re staring at low CTRs and rising CPCs, that advice feels a bit too vague, right?

At first, I thought maybe it was just me not targeting the right audience. But after chatting with a few people in similar niches, I realized almost everyone struggles with getting good conversions on life insurance ads. There’s this weird gap between what people say they want (security, family protection, future planning) and what they actually click on or respond to.

Where I Initially Went Wrong

I started by copying ad templates from other insurance campaigns I saw online. You know the kind — smiling family, blue background, big “Get Your Quote Now” button. It looked professional enough, but my conversion rate barely touched 1%. It was depressing.

Then I tweaked headlines a dozen times — “Protect Your Family Today,” “Affordable Life Insurance You Can Trust,” “Get Covered in Minutes.” None of it really changed the results. I even tried emotional hooks about “peace of mind” and “financial safety,” but still got low engagement.

That’s when I realized I was just repeating the same stuff everyone else was doing. My ads looked too much like ads.

What Started to Work (and Why)

Out of frustration, I ran a small test using more real-life, conversational copy. Instead of “Apply for a Policy Today,” I used something like “I didn’t think I needed life insurance until…” followed by a short story-style ad. It felt less like a pitch and more like a moment of reflection.

Surprisingly, that ad performed way better. CTR went up by almost 40%, and the leads were actually filling out forms instead of bouncing.

Here’s what I learned: people don’t want insurance jargon; they want human talk. They’re tired of buzzwords. A few tweaks in tone made a big difference — like using “family,” “kids,” and “stress-free” instead of “coverage,” “benefits,” and “policies.”

I also noticed that ads with faces performed better — especially ones showing emotion instead of stock-photo smiles. A dad looking worried while checking bills outperformed any image of a generic happy family. It felt real.

A Few Specific Things That Helped Me

● Storytelling headlines: If you can make the first line sound like a personal experience (“I almost ignored this policy until…”), it hooks readers instantly.

● Simplified landing pages: Fewer form fields. One clear CTA. I dropped the fancy graphics and just went with short text and trust signals (like a secure badge).

● Empathy over urgency: Instead of pushing “Buy now,” I leaned into “Learn what fits your family best.” Sounds small, but it made users stay longer and convert better.

● Mobile-first visuals: Since a lot of traffic came from phones, I made sure the ad creatives were clean and readable even on small screens.

What Didn’t Work (For Me, At Least)

I tried running video ads too — short 15-second clips explaining “How life insurance works.” But they didn’t perform as well as I hoped. I think people scroll past anything that feels remotely like a lecture.

Also, retargeting didn’t give great results until I segmented audiences better. Sending the same follow-up ad to everyone who visited the site was a waste of budget. It worked better when I tailored it — e.g., one message for quote checkers, another for people who viewed testimonials.

The Lightbulb Moment

Eventually, I realized life insurance ads aren’t about selling policies — they’re about sparking trust through relatability. The moment I started writing as a human instead of a marketer, everything clicked (literally).

I stumbled upon a post titled Ideas That Deliver High Conversion Rate In Life Insurance Ads, and it actually summed up a lot of what I was experiencing. It mentioned how empathy-driven content, relatable visuals, and authentic tone can outperform even the most data-driven campaigns. Totally worth a read if you’re in the same boat.

Final Thoughts

I’m not claiming to have cracked the code to perfect life insurance ads — far from it. But I do think this niche rewards patience and honesty. If your ad looks too polished, people assume it’s a scam. If it feels too technical, they tune out. Somewhere in between — where you’re conversational but sincere — is where the sweet spot lies.

So if your conversion rate is stuck or your ads just aren’t resonating, try dropping the sales voice and talking like a person. Test short stories, use emotional yet genuine visuals, and think about why someone might hesitate to click.

You might be surprised how much more engagement you get when your message feels like it’s coming from a real person, not a brand.