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

5 Paid Search Red Flags to Watch Out For
If you’re an insurance agent, chances are you either have a third-party company handling your leads or you’ve at least received sales emails promising astronomical numbers. However, keep in mind not all marketing agencies are equal — and in fact, some can over-promise or artificially inflate their data. In the ever-changing world of insurance marketing, finding the right partners to generate leads for your agency can be a daunting task,

5 Things I Love About Melon Local – Feat. Sean Morton
Since starting his insurance career in 2005, Sean Morton’s agency now manages over 4,500 households in Littleton, CO — located in the busy and competitive Denver Metropolitan area. If he wasn’t busy enough, he also runs his own business, SPEED Trainer Workshop, and helps oversee Team Member Trainer with several other agents across the country. However, Sean eventually realized he needed extra help with his digital marketing efforts and made

10 Video-Making Strategies for Insurance Agents
In this day and age, it’s essential for insurance agents to incorporate video content into their marketing strategy. Today, 86 percent of businesses regularly use video as a marketing tool, so filming engaging and unique content should be a priority for your agency. Videos are a great way to connect with your audience and community, and they can be especially effective when used as part of a larger marketing campaign.

Melon Minute: Rank Higher for Auto Insurance on Google
If you’re an insurance agent, you may be wondering, “Why am I not ranking higher on Google for auto insurance?” The search engine considers a wide range of factors when it comes to ranking, but according to Google, it considers these three its highest priority: Relevance Distance Prominence For this blog, let’s focus on Google’s relevance factor — which is how well a Google Business Profile aligns with what someone

5 Things I Love About Melon Local: Feat. Connie Fenner
After spending nearly 20 years working in media advertising, Connie Fenner wanted a career path that would allow more opportunities to help her community more directly. She eventually found her calling working in insurance — first as a sales rep in January 2021, and she opened her own agency in August of the same year. She currently operates her insurance agency in Chapel Hill, NC, a close-knit community best known

Threads by Instagram for Insurance Agents
As if there weren’t enough platforms to keep up with, Threads by Instagram recently took the social media world by storm on July 5, 2023. On its first day alone, thirty million users signed up for Threads — making the Twitter (now known as X) rival surpass ChatGPT as the fastest-growing app in history. As the app is still in its infancy, we have yet to see if it will

Facebook Advertising Strategies for Insurance Agents
It’s one thing to have an active Facebook business profile, but did you also know that it can be an effective advertising tool for your insurance agency? Whether it comes to boosting a post or you’re using Facebook Ads, you have the power to connect with your customers at the click of a button. Let’s take a look at why you should be using Facebook for advertising and how you

5 Ways to Use Reviews to Increase Your Insurance Agency’s Visibility
Congrats, someone gave your insurance agency a five-star review on Google — now what? In this digital age, harnessing the power of your customers’ testimonials can be a game-changer in spreading awareness about your brand. So, don’t let your customers’ feedback sit idle! Let’s take a look at how you can use positive feedback to boost your insurance agency’s online visibility! 1. Responding to Online Reviews First and foremost, staying

5 Things I Love About Melon Local: Feat. Ava Stewart
As a teen, while working under her father, Ava Stewart saw firsthand the difference a good insurance agent can make in people’s lives. After working in the corporate world for several years, she returned to her father’s agency so she could have a more direct impact on her community. She eventually followed in his footsteps and opened her own insurance agency in Miramar, FL. Being of Jamaican descent, Ava especially
Latest Blog Posts

The Power of Positivity at Melon Local
From earning our Google Premier Partner status in early 2022 to increasing the number of our clients from 200 to 1,500 over a two-year period, we owe the majority of our success to creating a positive environment inside and outside our office! “Our culture is what has set Melon Local apart during and after the Covid remote work era,” says our CEO Whitney Green. “I have always been passionate about

Utilizing Your Google Business Profile as an Insurance Agent
Having a fully optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most important things you can do as part of your insurance marketing strategy. There’s no reason not to have a GBP, considering Google is the most visited website and search engine in the world, and it’s free to create. Think of your profile as a Yellow Pages listing that features everything people need to know about your business,

Interview with an Agent: Dennis Holland
Before becoming an insurance agent, Dennis Holland had a rewarding 10-year career in credit lending. However, when the owners decided to shut things down, Dennis found a new career working for a friend and insurance agent in Alpharetta, GA. Three years later, he was given the opportunity to take over a retiring agent’s office in nearby Cumming, GA. Since opening his agency on June 1, 2021, Dennis has been able

Search Ads Versus Display Ads in Insurance Advertising
When it comes to incorporating online ads in your insurance advertising campaigns, having the right display and search ads can make a difference in growing your agency. While both of these ad formats should be utilized by your agency, they each have specific advantages for different types of campaigns. You can also waste a decent chunk of your advertising budget if you’re not using the right ad types for your

20 Ways to Use Instagram in Your Insurance Marketing Strategy
With over 1 billion users across the globe, Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks in the world and one of the best social media platforms to implement your insurance marketing strategy. Besides being a popular outlet for sharing video and photo content, it’s one of the biggest platforms for digital marketing, with over an outstanding 25 million active business accounts. If that’s not convincing enough for

Interview with an Agent: Dave Christy
Washington insurance agent Dave Christy is a “numbers guy” at heart. Originally from Columbus, OH, Dave moved to Washington during high school and graduated from Washington State University with a focus in Math and Communications. After graduation, he put his skills to the test as a stockbroker for several years before becoming a licensed insurance agent in 1994. Following the success of his first agency in Spokane Valley, WA, he

4 Do’s and Don’ts of Using Insurance Keywords
Using the right insurance marketing keywords can make a difference in how well your agency’s website ranks in search engines and can impact your leads. If you’re not familiar with what keywords are, think of them as GPS coordinates for your Search Engine Optimization or Organic Search Optimization campaigns that help people reach your content online. Having the right keywords can determine how popular your website is in search algorithms. Search

6 Ways You Can Generate Reviews for Your Insurance Agency
As part of your insurance marketing strategy and online reputation management, generating and encouraging online reviews is essential. Online review statistics have shown over 54 percent of online shoppers read at least four product reviews before purchasing a product. Having a substantial number of positive reviews is crucial for adding credibility to your agency’s reputation. On the other hand, negative reviews can also help you determine any unmet needs of

What to Know About Google’s Responsive Search Ads
Google will no longer serve new expanded text ads starting June 30, 2022 The world of paid advertising is constantly evolving, especially with Google, which is continuously updating how it runs its ad programs. If your business revolves around insurance marketing – let alone any kind of marketing – you should be aware of Google’s plans to scrap expanded text ads to instead focus on responsive search ads on June
