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

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
Latest Blog Posts

Interview with an Agent: Tim Maudsley
Las Vegas agent Tim Maudsley has always had a heart for helping businesses with their commercial insurance needs. He originally started his career 25 years ago in Southern California and was one of the first agents to offer liability coverage for tattoo parlors. He eventually left sunny California for Alaska and worked with oil and gas clients before relocating and opening his agency in Las Vegas in 2020. Despite his

Meet Melon Local’s Director of Quality Assurance
Say hello to our Director of Quality Assurance and one of our original Melons, Brenda Hernandez! Based on her experience working as a Client Success Manager and Director of Client Success, Brenda felt inspired to develop her role to further streamline processes for our agents and offer the best customer service possible. As the director of our quality assurance department, Brenda is dedicated to ensuring our digital insurance marketing services

How ChatGPT Will Impact the Insurance World
With the insurance and tech world often going hand in hand, it’s important to stay on top of the latest industry-disrupting tools and methods. Perhaps one of the biggest technological disruptions as of recently has been the introduction of ChatGPT. Originally launched in November 2022, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI that can answer questions, summarize and simplify documents and even write blogs that are easy to

Your Guide for Writing Agent Bios
Considering how competitive the insurance world is, having a well-written agent bio can make a difference in how your current and future customers may view your agency. Let’s take a look at some of the best practices you should keep in mind when it comes to writing your insurance agent bio! Prioritize What’s Most Important Imagine you’re a potential customer who happens to find your website. Do you think they’re

Interview with an Agent: Greg Bratcher
Originally born and raised in New Mexico, Greg Bratcher eventually made his way out to Texas and began his insurance career working in claims in 1987. Honing his passion for customer service and helping people realize their dreams and goals, Greg opened his own insurance agency in San Angelo, TX in 2006. Since opening his agency, he’s qualified for the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table and has enjoyed being able

How to Create the Perfect Insurance Marketing Plan
As an insurance agent, it’s essential for you to create a detailed marketing plan every year to help you keep your business on track and realize your goals. A detailed insurance marketing plan can make a difference in your annual ROI and may lead to new opportunities you never considered. Although no two agencies are the same, we’ve come up with five useful strategies for developing a new marketing plan!

Make People Fall in Love With Your Insurance Agency
As an insurance agent, part of your job is to win the hearts of your customers. Sure, offering low insurance premiums may impact customer retention, but there’s more to winning people over than helping them save on their policies. Satisfied customers are 80 percent more likely to renew their policies, so it’s essential to consistently keep the individuals, families and businesses you serve top-of-mind. Let’s go over some insurance marketing

Interview with an Agent: Chad Stalvey
After earning his finance degree from the University of South Carolina, Chad Stalvey imagined himself working on Wall Street. However, when the 2008 financial crisis swept the nation several months later, Chad was forced to reevaluate his career path. Fortunately, he was offered the life-changing opportunity to take over an agency in North Augusta, SC, where he could apply his financial background toward helping local families and businesses with their

Insurance Marketing Trends for 2023
The insurance industry and digital marketing world are anything but static. From more extreme weather patterns to disruptions to the traditional business model, you can expect this year to be filled with innovation and disruption for the insurance industry. Let’s go ahead and talk about several marketing trends and predictions we’ve come up with so you create an effective marketing plan for 2023! Prepare for an Ever-Changing World While the
