How to Get More ACA Clients Without Spending a Fortune on Leads

Finding high-quality ACA clients doesn't always require a big budget. In fact, some of the most effective lead-generation methods cost nothing but creativity, planning, and consistency. Here’s how you can attract more ACA clients without paying for expensive leads or ads:

1. Automate Referral Requests and Drip Campaigns

Every closed sale is a golden opportunity for referrals. Set up automated email or SMS campaigns spaced out over several days, weeks, or even months after closing a client, politely requesting referrals. Regular check-ins, such as sending happy birthday messages, holiday greetings, or policy anniversary reminders, are perfect moments to reinforce your relationship and gently ask for referrals again.

Example SMS: "Hi [Client Name], thanks again for choosing me as your ACA agent! If you know anyone else who might need help with their health insurance, I'd greatly appreciate your referral. Feel free to share my contact info!"

2. Offer Referral Incentives

People love incentives! Offering a small referral fee or gift card to clients who successfully refer friends or family members can significantly increase your referrals. We've seen agents have great success offering between $10 - $25 for each referral that results in successful enrollment. You can also partner with automated referral reward platforms, allowing clients to conveniently select their own rewards or gifts, making the referral process even more appealing.

We've also seen great success with agents offering OTHER agents that don't sell ACA referral amounts in the range of $20 - $50 per successful enrollment. We recommend making connections within your agency, or on Facebook groups, Reddit, etc, to find other agents that need referral partners.

3. Leverage Your Personal Network

Reach out to family, friends, and acquaintances to offer assistance with their health insurance needs. Inform your network that you're an ACA agent and ask them to keep you in mind for their own insurance needs or if they hear of anyone else who might need help.

4. Maintain an Active Social Media Presence

Regular, consistent posting on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even TikTok can significantly expand your reach. Share valuable tips, customer success stories, informative videos, and friendly reminders about important ACA enrollment dates.

Consistency is crucial—most content creators fail because they don’t maintain a regular upload schedule or provide genuinely helpful content. Keep your content focused on solving real problems for your audience.

5. Write Blog Posts

Blogging positions you as an expert and boosts your visibility in online searches. Write informative articles answering common questions, explaining ACA terms, or providing valuable enrollment tips. Again, consistency and helpfulness are key—frequent, problem-solving content drives long-term engagement and trust.

6. Creative Outreach Methods

• Host webinars or Facebook Live Q&A sessions.

• Collaborate with local businesses or organizations for cross-promotions.

• Join and actively participate in local community groups or forums online.

• Offer free consultations or ACA "health check-ups" to generate genuine conversations.

Final Thoughts

Generating ACA leads doesn’t have to drain your advertising budget. By combining automated referrals, incentive programs, personal networking, consistent social media engagement, informative blogging, and creative community outreach, you can effectively and sustainably grow your ACA client base.

Generating ACA leads doesn’t have to drain your advertising budget. By combining automated referrals, incentive programs, personal networking, consistent social media engagement, informative blogging, and creative community outreach, you can effectively and sustainably grow your ACA client base.

To further simplify your ACA business operations and automate client management, consider checking out PolicySync, a powerful tool designed specifically for ACA insurance agents using HealthSherpa. Learn more at www.policy-sync.com.