How Insurance Companies in Kenya Can Generate Leads That Actually Convert

Kenya has one of the most developed insurance markets in East Africa. It is also one of the most competitive.

Customers are aware. They compare options. They delay decisions.

This means insurance is not won by product alone. It is won by distribution, trust, and speed.

When you strip everything down, there are only three ways insurance companies in Kenya generate sales leads:

• Inbound

• Outbound

• Referrals

Every tactic you use fits into one of these three. There is nothing outside of them.

Way 1: Outbound Lead Generation

You go to the market and create demand.

Outbound remains the fastest way for insurers in Kenya to build pipeline, especially for SME, corporate, and group insurance products.

a) Manual field sales

This is still the backbone of insurance sales in Kenya.

Agents and relationship officers visit:

• Offices and industrial areas

• SMEs and retail businesses

• SACCOs, churches, and community groups

• Homes and estates

This works because:

• Insurance products are not simple

• Face to face builds trust fast

• Objections are handled on the spot

The problem is scale. Growth is limited by how many agents you can hire and manage.

b) LinkedIn outreach

LinkedIn works extremely well in Kenya for B2B and corporate insurance.

Medical cover for staff

Group life

Fleet, asset, and liability insurance

Strong teams:

• Target HR managers, finance heads, founders, and procurement teams

• Send short, personalised messages

• Follow up more than once

Most teams stop too early. Outbound fails more from lack of follow up than lack of leads.

c) Bids and tenders

A major opportunity many insurers underuse.

Insurance opportunities are regularly published by:

• Corporates

• NGOs and INGOs

• Schools and universities

• County governments and parastatals

Platforms like Trembi Bids help insurers:

• Discover relevant insurance bids in one place

• Track submission deadlines

• Monitor which bids convert

This turns tenders into a repeatable outbound channel.

d) Automated outbound using AI

This is where efficiency changes completely.

Instead of agents manually searching for contacts, tools like Trembi Sales AI:

• Source verified emails and phone numbers

• Identify real decision makers

• Reach out via email, SMS, and WhatsApp

• Follow up automatically

Agents spend less time prospecting. More time advising and closing.

e) Events and activations

Kenya has a strong networking culture.

• Business forums

• Trade expos

• Industry conferences

Events work well, but only if:

• Contacts are captured properly

• Follow up happens quickly

• Conversations are tracked

Most value is lost after the event, not during it.

Why outbound breaks down for many Kenyan insurers

• Leads sit in notebooks and spreadsheets

• No visibility into agent activity

• Follow ups depend on memory

• No data on what actually converts

Outbound needs structure, not effort alone.

Way 2: Inbound Lead Generation

Prospects come to you already curious or informed.

Inbound takes time, but it compounds and lowers acquisition costs in the long run.

a) SEO and educational content

Kenyan customers research before buying.

They search when:

• Comparing policies

• Experiencing claim challenges

• Facing business or regulatory risk

Educational blogs, guides, and explainers build authority and trust.

SEO is slow. But once it works, leads arrive consistently.

b) Social media content

Social media is powerful for insurance education.

What works:

• Breaking down policies in simple language

• Sharing real claim stories

• Short videos explaining risks

What does not work:

• Constant promotions

• Technical jargon

Education builds confidence. Confidence drives sales.

c) Online advertising

Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads

These deliver leads fast. They are also expensive.

If your follow up is slow, you waste money.

d) Traditional media

RadioTV, Billboards

These build awareness and legitimacy.

They work best when:

• Linked to digital lead capture

• Supported by outbound follow up

On their own, they rarely close deals.

How Trembi supports inbound

Trembi helps insurance companies:

• Run ads across Google, Meta, and LinkedIn

• Capture inbound leads in one place

• Track which channels drive real conversions

• Respond instantly via SMS, email, or WhatsApp

In Kenya, speed of response often matters more than ad spend.

Way 3: Referrals

The highest converting leads in insurance.

Insurance is built on trust. Referrals shortcut that trust.

a) Manual referrals

Happy customers refer:

• Family

• Friends

• Colleagues

These leads convert well but are inconsistent if unmanaged.

Many insurers rely on luck instead of process.

b) Referral platforms

Platforms like Trembi Referrals turn referrals into a system.

They:

• Incentivise customers and partners

• Activate communities of influencers and referrers

• Push insurance offers to warm, trusted audiences

This allows insurers to scale referrals beyond their existing customer base.

The Real Challenge for Insurance Companies in Kenya

It is not lack of channels. It is lack of coordination.

Outbound is fragmented. Inbound is slow to follow up. Referrals are informal.

The insurers that win:

• Combine outbound, inbound, and referrals

• Track everything in one system

• Measure what converts

• Improve what does not

Outbound brings speed. Inbound builds long term demand. Referrals bring trust.

The leaders do all three. Consistently. With systems, not guesswork.