The Latest News From Melon Local

Stay in the know with the latest news in digital marketing, best practices and updates from Melon Local.

How AI Determines Which Business Is the Best

You know your business is the best. But when someone asks AI (Artificial Intelligence) for the best business nearby, does your name come up? And if another business gets recommended, what made AI choose it over yours? Let’s look at how ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity find business information and

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Julie Hahn, insurance agent, featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series discussing business growth and marketing success

Interview with an Agent: Julie Hahn

North Carolina Insurance Agent Julie Hahn always understood the necessity of smart marketing when she opened her first agency in 2009 — whether it be through internet leads, organic search optimization or social media. Fast-forward to 2022, and Julie has opened another successful agency with a new company in the competitive Charlotte-metro area — but something was missing. She had the drive, but what she really needed was the right

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Natalie Nunez, Social Media Content Creator at Melon Local, featured in a “Melon of the Month” spotlight graphic.

Melon Spotlight: Natalie Nunez

From the moment she joined our team as a Social Media Content Creator, Natalie Nunez has been a valuable force for helping not only our agents establish and elevate their social media game, but Melon Local’s as well. Always in the know with the latest social media trends, her creative eye and knack for helping our clients stand out in their local markets have made her a truly One in

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Man using a laptop on a couch beside the headline “Harness the Power of AI” on a Melon Local blog graphic about AI in the insurance industry.

How AI Is Changing Insurance Consumer Behavior

With predictive algorithms and personalization tools, artificial intelligence (AI) is more than a buzzword. This emerging tech is redefining the behaviors and expectations of today’s digital shoppers. For business owners, staying ahead in the digital marketing space means adapting to these shifts while understanding where the industry is heading. What AI Platforms Are Leading the Way? From OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, these advanced AI platforms are

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Melon Local team member sharing year-over-year marketing strategies to help insurance agents grow their business in 2025 and beyond

Year-Over-Year Strategies for 2025 and Beyond

The start of a new year is the perfect time for fresh ideas, new goals and taking note of what’s worked and what hasn’t. The truth is, reviewing  your year-over-year performance can feel like comparing apples to melons. So how can you measure success and set yourself up for a thriving 2025? Understand the Shifting Market Dynamics Competition is heating up in the insurance industry, it’s no longer enough to

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Melon Local team member explaining the FTC's new fake review rule and its impact on online reputation management and customer trust

FTC’s New Rule for Fake Reviews Officially in Effect

How New Federal Rule Affects Business Reviews In case you missed it, a federal rule banning fake reviews recently went into effect. The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) new rule — originally issued in August 2024 — officially went into effect in October. According to the FTC, this new rule now holds businesses accountable for posting or purchasing fake reviews, including those from people who don’t exist or have never engaged

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David Arce, founder of Soaring Eagle, featured in a Melon Local interview discussing the 2025 Soaring Eagle Agent Study Group event

Soaring Eagle Founder Shares Excitement About 2025 Event

As the COVID-19 pandemic redefined the professional landscape in 2020, Michigan insurance agent David Arce realized a significant void in networking and educational opportunities for agents. His recognition of the need for in-person connection and shared growth among insurance agents inspired Arce to found the Soaring Eagle Agent Study Group to continue fostering agency growth. “The core of it was just about agents sharing with each other,” says Arce. “Being

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Trevor McBride, insurance agent, sharing five things he loves about working with Melon Local and its digital marketing services

5 Things I Love About Melon Local – Feat. Trevor McBride

Portland, OR-area insurance agent Trevor McBride had already been running his agency for nearly seven years before coming across Melon Local. Previously, he’d tried working with other marketing companies but didn’t quite find the fruitful partnership he needed for his digital presence. Despite only joining us in February, Trevor has grown to love Melon Local for a number of reasons, including our personalized approach to digital marketing and transformative workshops.

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Cian Murphy, Paid Search Manager at Melon Local, featured in a “Melon of the Month” spotlight graphic.

Melon Spotlight: Cian Murphy

As one of our Paid Search Managers, Cian Murphy’s impact on Melon Local’s digital ad campaigns is tremendous. He’s a go-to expert for fine-tuning budgets, optimizing ads and implementing strategic adjustments to keep thousands of campaigns delivering fresh, quality leads for our agents. We took some time to speak to Cian to learn more about his meticulous approach to paid search, the rewarding challenges of his role and what he

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Melon Local team member highlighting common digital marketing scare tactics and how businesses can avoid misleading marketing claims

Beware of These 13 Digital Marketing Scare Tactics

The digital marketing world is filled with hidden traps and misleading claims designed to exploit your fears. But the reality is that most of these claims aren’t just exaggerated — they can be misleading. Let’s unmask some of these spooky scare tactics used by other marketing companies and talk about how Melon Local uses facts over fear in our approach to digital marketing. 1.  Guaranteed Placement On Google Ranking If

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Latest Blog Posts

Melon Local team member highlighting key insurance marketing trends and strategies for 2024

Insurance Marketing Trends for 2024

From Mother Nature doing her thing to the rise of insurtech companies, 2023 proved to be a unique and challenging year for the insurance industry. So, what can we expect for 2024? As we step into the new year, let’s look into the trends that Melon Local predicts will influence not just insurance agents but also their customers. Consumers Will Be More Price Conscious With a steady climb in insurance

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Woman seated behind a laptop beside the headline “Are you ready to get social?” on a Melon Local social media services graphic.

5 Benefits of Choosing Melon Local for Social Media

It’s one thing to be on social media, but are you getting the most out of all your platforms? Investing in your social media is just as essential to any other component of your digital marketing strategy. To put things in perspective, ad spending on social media is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.31 percent, resulting in a projected market volume of over $255 billion by 2028.

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Portrait of insurance agent Mansour Hasan featured in Melon Local's 5 Things I Love About Melon Local interview series

5 Things I Love About Melon Local: Feat. Mansour Hasan

Knoxville, TN insurance agent Mansour Hasan has served his community for over 18 years and currently provides coverage for over 5,000 households. As digital marketing and internet leads became more integral to building his business, Mansour realized he needed some pros in his corner who could not only understand his advertising needs but also deliver results. Enter Melon Local! Here are five reasons Mansour loves our fruitful partnership! 1. A

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Melon Local team member sharing 10 tips to help insurance agencies start the new year with clear goals and a marketing checklist

Your 2024 Insurance Agency Checklist

The end of the year is always a great time to assess our achievements, identify areas of improvement and, of course, set ourselves up for a prosperous new year. As an insurance agent, though, this may be the last thing on your mind as you’re still wrapping up things with the current year. Not sure where to start? Check out these 10 items to add to your 2024 checklist so

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Client holding a Melon Local tumbler beside the headline “What Does It Mean To Be A Melon?” on a testimonial blog graphic.

What Does it Mean to be a Melon?

Melon Local isn’t your typical digital marketing agency — so what makes us so special? No, it’s not just because we’re in the top three percent of our industry as a Google Premier Partner, and it’s more than us being able to deliver an average 30 percent conversion rate in our paid search campaigns. It’s safe to say we wouldn’t be who we are without the 1,800 plus One-in-a-Melon agents

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Portrait of insurance agent Steve Basler featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Steve Basler

Colorado insurance agent Steve Basler originally began his insurance career in Tennessee over 20 years ago. However, he eventually found his way to Colorado in 2007, and the following year, he opened his current insurance office in Wheat Ridge — a small city located in the busy Denver–Aurora–Lakewood metro area. In addition to his insurance office, Steve also runs and owns his own financial consulting company, Basler Academy. We caught

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Melon Local team member discussing customer service strategies and relationship-building techniques for insurance agents

7 Strategies for Improving Customer Retention as an Insurance Agent

Acquiring new customers is one thing, but the other half of the battle is maintaining their relationship with your insurance office. The average customer retention rate for an insurance agent is around 84 percent, while top-performing agents can see an average close to 93-94 percent. While the insurance industry may have a higher retention rate compared to others, it never hurts to strive for better. Let’s take a look at

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Black-and-white graphic featuring a man holding a microphone beside the headline “Exclusivity?” in an office setting.

What Does Exclusivity Mean in Insurance Marketing?

If you’re an insurance agent, perhaps you’ve heard the word exclusivity thrown around by different marketing agencies. Companies often tout this word as a way to make their services seem more appealing, but what exactly does exclusivity mean in the world of insurance marketing? Perhaps we should ask if it even means anything at all. Separating Hype From Reality You’ll often hear marketing agencies promise you exclusivity with major search

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Portrait of insurance agent Roy Hooker IV featured in Melon Local's Interview with an Agent series

Interview with an Agent: Roy Hooker IV

Following in his dad’s footsteps, Roy Hooker IV opened his insurance office near North Tampa in 1990 at age 23. At the time, he was one of his company’s youngest agents, but with some ambition and wisdom from his father, he’s been able to continue his family’s legacy of success in the insurance world. While the earlier half of his career was focused on traditional marketing efforts such as mailers

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