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

How to Respond to Reviews at Your Agency
We probably don’t have to tell you that reviews are important to your business, but just in case you missed it, we’ll say it again. Reviews are important to your business! In fact, an incredible 93% of people say that online reviews have impacted their purchasing decisions. To capture the attention of an increasingly online crowd, you’ll need to wow on review sites. Getting reviews isn’t the only factor necessary

What is the Google Algorithm, Anyway?
Our Las Vegas roots tell us it’d be a smart bet to put money on where your insurance agency’s clients come from. Primarily, you’re getting word-of-mouth referrals from previous happy clients. And the second-largest group is from Google searches for “insurance agency” or “insurance agent near me”, right? If so, you’re doing something right. If not, it’s probably time for some adjustments to your insurance agency marketing plan. Either way,

Interview with an Agent: Mike Paffhausen
Prior to becoming an insurance agent, Mike Paffhausen lived another life as a civil engineer working in water resources and environmental services. However, with a family full of agents, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the insurance industry was his calling. Flashforward, Mike is a captive agent with six years under his belt at his Butte, Montana agency. Throughout his years in the industry, Mike has counted himself lucky to

Spring Cleaning for Your Marketing Campaigns
It’s official! We’re now in Q2 of 2021. Where has the time gone?! Now that quarter one is behind us, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the performance of insurance marketing campaigns past. Here at Melon Local, we provide our clients with monthly updates on their insurance marketing campaigns. However, it’s important to remember that some campaigns take a little more time than others to yield results (such as

5 Business Tips for New Insurance Agents
Our expertise may be in digital marketing for insurance agents, but we know there’s more to building your business than gaining new leads. So, we caught up with multi-office insurance agent Chris Jones from Bothell, WA to pick his brain about growing a new insurance agency. With years of experience, a large team, and multiple offices, Chris knows a thing or two about what it takes to thrive in the

How to Optimize Local Directory Listings
Online local directory listings are essentially an advanced, tech-age version of the Yellow Pages. These websites help people find business information, compare companies, and browse reviews so they can get the goods or services they need. If you’ve searched for a local business using a query like “Thai food near me” or “plumbing services in Bend, OR”, then you’ve likely come across local business directory listings. As a local business,

What Makes a Good Advertisement?
We’re surrounded with advertising every day. Between logos on t-shirts, social media ads, and mailers from our favorite fast-food chains, they’re almost impossible to avoid! As someone who comes across various types of ads on a daily basis, you probably have opinions about what is and isn’t effective. But have you thought about the why behind this interest or aversion? While there isn’t a fool-proof formula for creating great ads,

How to Get Customers to Fall for Your Agency
Marketing is a little like dating. The goal is to attract new leads in hopes that the connection turns into a long-time customer relationship. While digital marketing is an ever-evolving landscape of strategies, there are a few time-tested industry truths that can help you bolster your business online. Let’s go over some essential insurance marketing ideas that can help you win the hearts of new customers. Attract customers with your

What are Keywords and Why do They Matter?
If you’ve looked up how to improve your Google ranking, how to market locally, or how to attract more leads to your business, you’ve probably seen one concept come up time and time again… keywords. But what exactly is a keyword anyway? Today we’re going back to basics to dissect the meaning of keywords in marketing and how they impact your insurance marketing efforts. What are Keywords? Keywords are words
Latest Blog Posts

California’s Insurance Market – What’s Really Going On?
California’s top insurance provider sent shockwaves through the insurance world when they announced they would no longer accept new lines of business for home and commercial policies in California, effective May 27, 2023. State Farm cited “historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure, and a challenging reinsurance market” as motivating factors for its decision to pull out of the state, according to a company press release.

5 Things I Love About Melon Local: Feat. Meredith Baldridge
North Carolina insurance agent Meredith Baldridge has served her community of Brevard, NC for the past 20 years. Initially starting her career as an insurance claims representative, her agency now oversees the coverage needs of over 5,500 households. After being misled by other digital marketing companies promising more than they could deliver, she eventually found Melon Local in 2021 and has only seen her agency grow since establishing her fruitful

Smart Business Partnerships for Insurance Agents
As an insurance agent, it can take a village — or rather, community — to boost your visibility. Wherever you’re located, you should always partner with other types of businesses and industries to increase your leads and customer base. By forming strategic alliances with related businesses, you’re more likely to gain access to prospective clients you may never before have reached. Let’s take a look at some potential partnerships that

Melon Local Supports Mental Health Awareness Month
Melon Local is proud to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month this May. According to a recent study, about 1 in 5 adults experience at least one type of mental health illness each year. As a Nevada Top Workplace honoree, we understand the importance of creating a workspace that empowers our team members and facilitates growth and emotional wellness. In case you need some ideas on ways to make your workspace

Melon Local Named a Nevada Top Workplaces 2023 Winner
We are proud to announce Melon Local was recognized by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Business Press as a Nevada Top Workplaces 2023 honoree. “When we built this company and culture during the beginning of COVID, we knew it would be a challenge to find people, much less the people we wanted to embody this company,” said Melon Local CEO and Co-founder Whitney Green. “We wanted to make

5 Remarketing Strategies for Insurance Agents
Increasing traffic to your website may be top-of-mind for your insurance marketing strategy, but what about those potential customers who don’t engage with you past the first click? Instead of letting those fresh leads spoil, try incorporating ad remarketing into your strategy. Also known as ad retargeting, remarketing targets people who have already interacted online with your agency but never converted from lead to customer. Whether it’s visiting your website,

AHA & Melon Local Host Successful Conference
In case you missed it, Melon Local helped rock the house as the official Title Sponsor of this year’s Agents Hosting Agent Conference V! We were happy to join around 900 insurance agents from all over the country in sunny Anaheim, CA from April 19-21 for three incredible days of workshops from some of the nation’s highest-performing agents. Being a leading voice in the insurance marketing world, we brought 16

5 Things I Love about Melon Local: Feat. Kirk Baker
Santa Clarita insurance agent Kirk Baker has been an industry pro since 1989. Having obtained Lifetime Million Dollar Round Table and President’s Club statuses, as well as helping 10 of his former team members open their own agencies, Kirk knows what it takes to run a successful agency. In 2019, he even co-founded Team by the Minute — a phone-answering service that provides customer support for other businesses with a

6 Ways To Set Your Agency Apart from Insurtechs
Insurtech companies are startups or established insurance companies that use technology to provide innovative and efficient insurance solutions. Typically, these companies target younger, tech-savvy customers. These companies often use data analytics, AI and other new technologies to streamline their insurance processes and provide customers with personalized and cost-effective insurance products. Similar to traditional property & casualty providers, insurtech companies offer a wide range of services, including digital insurance underwriting, policy
