The Insurance Marketing Playbook

Shelby McFarland
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  • Marketing

The Insurance Marketing Playbook is your go-to podcast for insurance agents who want to attract more clients, close more policies, and scale their business with modern marketing strategies. Each week, we break down proven tips on digital marketing for insurance agents, including SEO, social media, email campaigns, Google Business Profile optimization, paid ads, and referral systems. Hosted by Shelby McFarland, The Marketing Broker, who specializes in helping insurance agents grow, this show gives you actionable marketing strategies designed specifically for the insurance industry—no fluff, just play-by-play tactics you can implement right away. Whether you’re a new agent building your book of business or an experienced producer looking to modernize your marketing, this podcast is your competitive edge. Subscribe to The Insurance Marketing Playbook and learn how to generate quality leads, build your brand, and grow your insurance agency with confidence.

  1. 4d ago

    Women Leaders And The Invisible Weight They Carry

    Leadership can look powerful on the outside while feeling painfully quiet on the inside. We’re Kayla and Shelby, and we get real about the loneliness that shows up when you’re a woman leading teams, building a business, and trying to have a life that doesn’t collapse under the mental load. If you’ve ever skipped the networking night because it’s your only time with your kid, or felt like nobody in the room understands what you’re carrying, this conversation is for you.  We talk about what it’s like navigating male-dominated industries, the pressure to “earn respect,” and the mask we put on to avoid being labeled too emotional or too vulnerable. We also name the stuff people avoid: hormones, chronic health challenges like PCOS and endometriosis, and how women keep moving things forward anyway. Then we share a simple daily tool that helps when overwhelm hits hard: reconnecting to your intentions so you can focus on what matters right now instead of spiraling into everything at once.  The conversation goes deeper into how loneliness can show up as self-doubt, overworking, and shutting down, plus how past trauma can program our nervous system to blame ourselves. We close with what we’d say over coffee to anyone feeling isolated: you’re not broken, and you don’t have to do it alone. Subscribe, share this with a woman who needs it, and leave a review with the one line that hit you hardest. Order "Market Like a Boss" at www.shelbysmarketingbook.com

  2. Aug 26

    The Real Cost Of Small Business Services

    “Reasonable” sounds friendly until you’re the one paying the bills behind the scenes. I’m Shelby McFarland, and I’m joined by my hair boss Rachel Harris to get real about the stuff small business owners vent about after hours: price pressure, discount culture, picky customers, and the quiet fear of a bad review when you’re doing everything you can to make it right. We talk about why you truly can’t have “the best” and “the cheap” at the same time, and how experience, licensing, tools, and time create real value in service-based businesses like hair, marketing, signage, and beyond. Rachel shares what it takes to stop bending over backwards for the wrong clients, and we unpack the hard part of entrepreneurship: raising prices, communicating changes, and learning that not all money is good money. We also get practical about boundaries that protect your schedule and your sanity, including cancellation policies and charging for consultations to cut down on ghosting. Then we flip the lens to consumers and ask for a mindset shift: support local businesses all year, stop treating small business owners like faceless companies, and show appreciation in ways that actually help, like referrals and Google reviews. If this hits home, subscribe so you don’t miss the next one, share it with a small business owner who needs the reminder, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway. Order "Market Like a Boss" at www.shelbysmarketingbook.com

  3. Aug 19

    You Can Run Profitable Meta Ads Without A Huge Budget

    Meta ads can feel like a maze, especially if you remember when running Facebook and Instagram ads meant guessing at budgets, demographics, and settings you did not fully trust. I walk you through the approach I use now, after years of hands-on work, to make Meta ads simpler, more predictable, and far more useful for small businesses and local service brands that want real results.  We talk budget strategy with clear examples, including what to do when you only have $100 per month and why running a pile of tiny ads can quietly kill your reach. I share a real client story from a roofing company where a single ad drove major website attention with minimal spend, plus the practical rule I follow: the smaller your budget, the fewer ads you should run. We also get into how I build ads inside Meta Business Suite, how I think about using an existing post versus uploading creative, and why every ad still needs strong organic-style writing with keywords, hashtags, and a call to action that sends people to your site, email, or phone.  Then we dig into scroll-stopping creative and targeting. You will hear how to write a hook that earns attention, why captions matter for video, and how to choose locations and audiences without over-narrowing based on data Meta cannot reliably know. I also share how I use AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to brainstorm demographics, copy, and optimization ideas while still keeping the final ad true to your voice. If you want a clean, realistic Meta ads framework you can apply this week, hit play, then subscribe, share with a business owner friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

  4. Aug 12

    Decision Fatigue Builds Up From A Thousand Tiny Choices

    You can run a business, manage clients, and make high-stakes calls all day then suddenly feel stuck choosing dinner, deciding whether your kid needs the doctor, or figuring out what to wear. That’s not a character flaw. That’s decision fatigue, and it’s often fueled by the mental load we carry as women, moms, and default planners. We dig into the real-life moments that drain us: last-minute school updates, sick kids, travel choices, and the constant stream of questions that land on the same person over and over. We talk about how “tiny” decisions pile up, why beauty standards add a whole extra layer of invisible labor, and what it feels like when your nervous system finally taps out. Shelby shares how stress shows up physically, why rest is not optional, and what it looks like to protect your energy before a demanding week. Then we get practical. We unpack how to reduce mental exhaustion by deleting low-value tasks, delegating decisions, and setting clear boundaries with kids and partners. We also name something that doesn’t get said enough: validation matters. Hearing “I see you, I appreciate you, and this isn’t fair” can be a turning point, but real change comes when the people around us step up without needing to be managed. If you’ve ever wanted to stop being the keeper of every detail, this one is for you. Subscribe for more honest conversations, share this with a friend who’s carrying too much, and leave a review if it hits home. What decision are you refusing to carry this week? Order "Market Like a Boss" at www.shelbysmarketingbook.com

  5. Aug 5

    Are You Building Visibility Or Just Posting

    Your marketing budget feels tight because it is tight and that’s exactly why your first moves matter. We sit down and answer the same questions we got on a local marketing panel, with straight talk on what to do first when you can’t afford to waste time or money. If you’ve ever asked “How much should I spend?” or “Where should I start?” we walk through how to think about your industry, your price point, and where your customers actually come from before you throw dollars at ads. We also get real about the marketing mistake that quietly costs businesses customers: inconsistency. When you stop showing up during busy seasons, your slow seasons hit harder, and no single post can fix that overnight. We share practical ways to build a steady social media rhythm that fits real life, plus how to choose the right platform for your audience. TikTok can be great for the right brand, but Facebook and Instagram are still core channels for many small businesses, and LinkedIn can be a strong add-on for B2B. Then we zoom out to the foundation that makes everything work: a professional website built for SEO, an optimized Google Business Profile, and a steady stream of online reviews that build trust and local visibility. Finally, we talk marketing trends and AI, not as something to fear, but as tools to automate repetitive tasks and improve the customer journey if you stay flexible. If this helped, subscribe, share this with a business owner who needs it, and leave a quick review so more entrepreneurs can find the show.

  6. Jul 29

    How To Stay In Control Of Sales During Slow Seasons

    If you’ve ever stared at a quiet inbox and wondered whether you should quit and go back to a 9 to 5, this conversation is for you. I’m Shelby McFarland, the marketing broker, and I’m laying out the mindset shift that keeps entrepreneurs, salespeople, and marketers moving when doubt gets loud: you are in control of your business success, but only if you act like it. I walk through a real story from my own business where I set an aggressive goal to make $8,000 in sales in seven days and ended up doubling it before leaving for a big trip. The point isn’t hustle for hustle’s sake, it’s focus. I leaned on past proposals, reactivated networking connections, and asked for referrals directly. That simple follow-up strategy is one of the most underrated tools in small business marketing because people’s budgets, priorities, and needs change over time. We also get honest about slow seasons and the mental spiral they can trigger. I connect the dots between consistent marketing, networking, and sales outreach and how those positive actions compound over six months to a year. When you stop because you’re “busy,” you often pay for it later with a dry pipeline. Whether your goal is building a million-dollar company or keeping a part-time business that feels sane, you get to decide what success looks like and what you’ll do to create it. If this helped you reset your focus, subscribe, share it with a business owner who needs the push, and leave a quick review. What’s one follow-up or referral ask you’re going to make today?

  7. Jul 22

    Recruiting is Marketing: How A Recruiter Sells A Career Without Feeling Salesy

    Recruiting can feel like a totally different world from marketing, until you hear how Demi Mathis actually does it. Demi is a business development officer at Northwestern Mutual in Arkansas, and her day-to-day sounds a lot like what marketers preach: know your audience, show up consistently, start real conversations, and build trust long before you ask for a yes. We get into the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to attract interns, career changers, and entrepreneurial people who want more ownership in their work. We talk through the on-the-ground strategy first. Demi shares how she markets on college campuses through class talks, professors, and career fairs, then shifts gears for full-time recruiting by getting plugged into the chamber, ribbon cuttings, local business expos, and referral networks. If you’re building a team, growing a sales org, or trying to strengthen your employer brand, you’ll hear practical ways to create a steady pipeline without relying only on online applications. Then we go deeper into what really “sells” someone on a career. Demi tells the story of how she landed at Northwestern Mutual during COVID and why the role clicked once she saw what she calls the “four I’s”: independency, income, improvement, and impact. We also break down LinkedIn Sales Navigator, what makes outreach feel genuine, and why automated AI DMs can hurt ROI when the message stops sounding human. If you’re hiring, job hunting, or just curious about modern recruiting and LinkedIn lead generation, hit play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s considering a career pivot, and leave us a review with the biggest takeaway you’re applying next.

  8. Jul 15

    What A Real Marketing Agency Does Behind The Scenes

    Everyone can post a photo. That does not mean they know how to market a business. We take over the mic this week and pull back the curtain on what real marketing work looks like when it is done by an actual marketing agency, not a “pop-up” marketer chasing vanity metrics. We talk through the unglamorous parts that make the glamorous parts work: client discovery meetings, defining goals, building a content strategy, doing keyword research for SEO, and writing captions with intent instead of guessing. We also get honest about the role confusion we see all the time, like assuming a receptionist or admin can double as a social media manager. Social media marketing is its own craft, and the difference shows up in consistency, clarity, and results. Then we hit the big misconception that can wreck your expectations: likes are not the scoreboard. We explain why reach and views often matter more than hearts, how to read performance in the back end, and why monthly marketing analytics reporting is what keeps a campaign accountable and improving. We also answer quick client questions, including why content shoots, photography, and reels can be part of a full-service workflow, so businesses are not left scrambling for assets. If you want a clearer way to evaluate a marketing partner and understand what you are paying for, listen through and keep notes. Subscribe for more, share this with a business owner who is stuck on likes, and leave a review with the next topic you want us to tackle.

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About

The Insurance Marketing Playbook is your go-to podcast for insurance agents who want to attract more clients, close more policies, and scale their business with modern marketing strategies. Each week, we break down proven tips on digital marketing for insurance agents, including SEO, social media, email campaigns, Google Business Profile optimization, paid ads, and referral systems. Hosted by Shelby McFarland, The Marketing Broker, who specializes in helping insurance agents grow, this show gives you actionable marketing strategies designed specifically for the insurance industry—no fluff, just play-by-play tactics you can implement right away. Whether you’re a new agent building your book of business or an experienced producer looking to modernize your marketing, this podcast is your competitive edge. Subscribe to The Insurance Marketing Playbook and learn how to generate quality leads, build your brand, and grow your insurance agency with confidence.

Information

  • Creator
    Shelby McFarland
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Insurance Marketing Playbook
  • Show Website
    The Insurance Marketing Playbook