When insurance agent Josh Ellis opened his Knoxville office in 2009, internet leads were still fairly new in the marketing world. Recognizing the potential in lead generation, Josh integrated them into his business strategy.
Despite going through a multitude of different marketing companies, he found little to no success in getting the results he needed — let alone anything that was trackable.
Between being an agent and overseeing his own team management app, he knew he needed someone who could get him fresh, quality leads.
Fortunately for him, he was introduced to Melon Local and our proven paid search strategies through a fellow agent and it’s been a fruitful partnership ever since.
We caught up with Josh to learn about what sets us apart from the competition and to hear about any advice he has for other insurance agents.
Melon Local: You’ve been in the insurance world way before Melon Local. How did you initially approach digital marketing?
Josh Ellis: I leaned heavily into internet leads and spent all of my budget on them with 10 or 12 different companies. I just bought every lead I could find. Through the internet lead process over three months or so, I’d do an evaluation, and for anybody who fell below a certain threshold, I’d cut them out and bring on a different company.
Nobody could provide any useful tracking data. I had to write a large check every month, hoping for results, and sometimes it took up to six months to realize if the leads were ineffective.
ML: So, it’s probably safe to say this was something that led you to Melon Local?
Josh: Yeah, my digital advertising has been pretty easy since I now pay you guys to do it and track the results. I don’t have to spend much time at all on that side of things — especially with my easily accessible dashboard where I can also see my data. With so many of the other companies, they don’t ever check in — at least until you cancel.
ML: That’s awesome to hear that not only have we been able to track your results, but you can see them for yourself! What else has impressed you about your experience with Melon Local?
Josh: I like that our monthly calls are a quick check-in, but it’s to the point, and it’s a really good use of time.
My success manager is able to adjust and adapt very quickly because she’s already thought about things before our call. She’s always tweaking our ad strategy based on what we need and are looking for, whether it’s for fire, auto or commercial insurance.
I also like that once a year, she’ll also bring another agent on a call so they can talk about things that they are doing or things they’ve seen other people doing that have been really effective and that I should consider.
ML: Being that your office is in Knoxville, it surely has to get competitive at times. Can you tell us how we’ve helped you stand out in your local market?
Josh: I’m about 20 miles from Downtown Knoxville, so I’m basically in a suburb. She’s really helped us try to get into not just the Knoxville market but some surrounding counties as well. Besides the paid search stuff, she’s always great at helping us with the organic side of things, like assisting us with Google posts.
In particular, we probably had our best year yet in 2023 with business insurance. We had around a 400 percent production increase in small business lines for us, so we’re getting a bang for our buck!
We’ve even had some success in other state markets without trying, so that’s always a good thing.
ML: Well, it’s amazing to hear how much we’ve been able to help you grow within your local market. Since you’ve been in the insurance world for quite some time now, can you leave us with any helpful advice for future agents?
Josh: I’ve had a lot of really good years and some not-so-good ones. From an advice standpoint, I would say try to find consistent team members and then consistent processes for them.
Bad things are going to happen – you’re going to lose team members, you’re going to send them to an agency — stuff’s going to happen. But don’t let it keep you down.
Bounce back, take advantage of the opportunity you can get from the agency and make the most of it!
We appreciate the Melon love and advice, Josh! At Melon Local, we are all about cultivating fresh, quality leads and more. Don’t just hear about our successes — witness them firsthand by scheduling a demo today!