From policies to platforms: China's insurance agents go live

by Lv Wenqi

At 9 pm, under the dim glow of his ring light, Chen Yu, an insurance agent, starts another livestream session. Tonight’s topic: avoiding pitfalls during the “Red Opening”, the largest sales event of the Chinese insurance business every year.

Over three hours, his livestream attracts more than 2,000 views and earns him 100 new followers on his video channel. Though immediate sales remain elusive.

This year marks Chen’s transition into the insurance sector from scratch, achieving sales exceeding one million yuan—all through online channels. “The secret to livestreaming? Consistency,” he says. “Many people don’t start, or they give up too soon. That’s why few succeed.”

Personal touch in the digital world

Chen is part of a growing cohort of insurance agents leveraging social media to engage with customers. Meanwhile, insurance companies are ramping up their presence on popular platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, blending online and offline outreach into integrated marketing strategies.

However, as the industry embraces digital engagement, regulatory challenges cast a long shadow over its rapid transformation.

For Chen, livestreaming was both a leap into a trending field and a practical solution to obstacles in offline sales.

“I started in insurance this March and didn’t close a single deal for months. By July, I was under immense financial pressure—my wife told me we were running out of money,” Chen recalls.

Everything changed in August. Sensing an opportunity with a regulatory downturn shift in life insurance interest rates, he began daily livestreams. His perseverance paid off: by month’s end, his livestreams averaged 2,000 viewers, and he closed over 500,000 yuan in first-year premiums.

While some agents, like Chen, thrive in the social media ecosystem, others struggle. Wang Qian, a fellow insurance agent, describes the pitfalls of outsourcing video content production to marketing firms.

“I spent more than 10,000 yuan hiring a team to make my videos look professional, but they didn’t understand the nuances of insurance,” she says. After two months of effort, her investment yielded zero sales. “Looking back, I should’ve just spent that money meeting clients in person.”

Even seasoned agents find the process challenging. Chen advises against livestreaming without an established online presence. “It’s a business of trust,” he explains. “I only started live streaming after gaining 1,000 followers, which allowed me to build credibility.”

Through 60 livestreams, Chen has added over 200 contacts on WeChat, converting a fraction into policyholders – a respectable outcome, he notes.

Corporate marketing strategy meets livestreaming

As agents experiment with social media, insurance companies are also exploring its potential, though with varying approaches.

A report by Fudan University’s Insurance Marketing Research Center highlights two primary uses of livestreaming: internal training for agents and direct marketing to consumers. While property insurers often employ livestreaming for sales, life insurers tend to focus on brand-building and educational content.

On Douyin, property insurers promote straightforward, affordable policies like critical illness and accident insurance. The platform’s fast-paced environment suits simple products, while the complexity and high cost of life insurance make such sales impractical.

“Life insurance products often exceed five figures in annual premiums. Customers need more than a few soundbites from a livestream to trust and commit to these purchases,” a life insurance executive explains.

Instead, many life insurers use livestreaming for public outreach, educating viewers about insurance while directing them to offline sales channels.

Companies like Waterdrop Insurance take a more strategic approach, tailoring content for platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin. These efforts include crafting influencer-driven campaigns that address specific demographics, such as young mothers or elderly users, and integrating data analytics to optimize engagement.

The results can be striking: a small, specialized team can generate millions in annualized premiums.

Regulatory oversight needed to ensure fair play

But as the industry pushes boundaries, it faces growing scrutiny from regulators. A 2020 warning from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) highlighted risks such as misleading marketing practices and inadequate consumer protections.

In recent years, authorities have tightened controls, requiring agents to disclose affiliations and banning unauthorized personnel from selling insurance online. Violations, such as misleading claims or unauthorized product endorsements, have led to penalties for both individuals and institutions.

While livestreaming opens new avenues for customer outreach, it also amplifies risks. The absence of physical service centers in some regions complicates dispute resolution, and the high accessibility of livestreaming has attracted unqualified individuals into the market.

To counter these challenges, regulators emphasize that only licensed insurance institutions and agents may conduct online sales. Transparency and compliance are key to maintaining consumer trust.

For Chen Yu and others navigating this digital frontier, the journey is as much about adaptation as it is about perseverance. “Livestreaming is just a tool,” he reflects. “At its heart, insurance is still about building genuine connections.”