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.

Episodes

  1. 3D AGO

    Learn How To Turn Local Attention Into Real Sales

    Trapped indoors by a winter storm and buzzing with pent-up energy, we mapped out a practical visibility blueprint that helps local insurance agencies get seen, heard, and chosen by the clients who actually live in their service area. The heart of the strategy is simple: clarity first, community always, and consistency that compounds. You’ll hear how a messy brand story muddies algorithms and minds, and why a single, strong sentence can change the trajectory of your marketing. We start with clarity—vision, mission, and a tagline that says exactly what you do and for whom. I share the rebrand from “Shelby Company Incorporated” to “The Marketing Broker” and the immediate lift it created because people finally understood the offer. From there, we pivot to the power of local influence: sponsoring events beyond the obvious, showing up at parades and school nights, and turning goodwill into real recognition. Stop chasing viral reach that can’t buy from you. Start stacking meaningful impressions inside your zip code. Next, we get tactical with content. Build a scroll-stopping presence using a tight color palette, consistent type, and real photos of your team. Create repeatable series—Client Wins, Team Tips, Claim Stories—so people learn your process before they ever call. Then we move from attention to action: clear CTAs, fast replies in comments and DMs, one simple lead form, and CRM tags that trigger short, useful follow-ups. Map the journey from post to booked call, reduce friction at every step, and watch warm leads rise. We close with the discipline that makes it all stick. Plan 30–60 days at a time, batch assets, schedule two community touchpoints per week, and measure what matters: inquiries, booked calls, and bound policies. Clarity attracts, community validates, content proves, systems convert, and consistency compounds. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a fellow agent who needs a visibility reset, and drop a review to help more local pros find practical marketing that works.

    11 min

  2. JAN 28

    Five Reasons Your “Too Expensive” Excuse Is Costing Your Insurance Agency Growth

    Fear of “spending too much” on marketing is one of the fastest ways to stall growth. We dig into five practical mindset shifts that transform scattered tactics into a focused system: reframe marketing as an investment, stop paying for cheap shortcuts, build visible proof across Google and social, outpace competitors with smart timing, and design processes that save time and money over the long haul. If you’ve ever wondered why some agencies keep winning even without the biggest ad budgets, this conversation lays out the playbook. We start by defining ROI before a dollar moves, then show how to track outcomes across paid social, community sponsorships, and brand campaigns. From there, we unpack why “cheaper” often means no strategy, weak creative, and zero accountability—and how that quietly inflates your cost per acquisition. Visibility takes center stage with simple wins: complete your Google Business Profile, post with intent, and collect recent reviews that validate your promise. We also talk about signaling expertise—like publishing a book or guide—to raise perceived value without changing your core knowledge. Competition isn’t waiting, so we map local calendars and seasons to move first with relevant outreach, community events, and client touches. Finally, we share the systems that compound results: a clear message, defined audiences, a manageable content cadence, CRM tagging for attribution, and a monthly scorecard that keeps budgets honest. The goal is momentum you can measure and improve. Want ideas to get started fast? Grab our free resource with practical, low-cost tactics that build trust and drive quotes. If this helped sharpen your strategy, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so more agency owners can find it. Got a question or a win to share? Message us and tell us what you’ll implement first.

    9 min

  3. JAN 21

    How Insurance Agents Win With Storytelling

    Most insurance posts sound the same, which is why they get ignored. We’re flipping the script by showing how story—your origin, your team, and your community presence—turns passive scrollers into clients who stick around even when rates move. If you’ve ever wondered what to share beyond “Get a free quote,” this conversation lays out a simple, repeatable approach that feels good and works. We start with the foundation: what buyers actually want to know before they trust you with their policies. If you’re rooted in your town, say it plainly—schools, neighborhoods, or local causes you support. If you were placed in a new city, bring people into your journey, explain why you chose to stay, and highlight what you’ve learned from serving local families. Then we get tactical with team spotlights that build recognition, so clients can match names to faces before they walk in. You’ll hear ideas for celebrating milestones, licensing wins, and everyday moments of service, all without oversharing or sounding salesy. From there, we dig into content that looks real and feels human. Quarterly branding shoots give you months of authentic photos: working at the desk, greeting visitors, helping during claims. Pair each image with a micro-story to teach, reassure, and invite replies. We also map out easy community activations—snow cone days, teacher lunches, game sponsorships—that show up in feeds and in hearts. To make it stick, we connect storytelling to a crisp service flow: fast replies, clear timelines, and warm onboarding that reinforces why people chose you. The result is a marketing engine that builds recall, earns referrals, and supports retention when premiums change. Want more play-by-play resources and examples you can swipe for your next post? Subscribe, share this episode with a fellow agent, and leave a quick review telling us the first story you’ll share this week. Your clients aren’t choosing a policy; they’re choosing a person. Let your story make the choice easy.

    8 min

  4. JAN 14

    Referral Engines That Actually Work

    Trust closes policies faster than any ad, and we break down how to build it on purpose. Shelby from The Marketing Broker shares a complete referral system for insurance agents, from turning five-star service into client advocacy to using Google reviews that actually tell a story. You’ll hear how to choose the right networking groups, claim a category-exclusive seat, and teach partners to spot and send perfect-fit prospects without awkward scripts. We walk through the mechanics that make referrals scale: asking every new lead how they found you, tagging sources in your CRM, and sending thoughtful thank-yous that keep momentum alive. Shelby explains how one hour in a leads group generated $6,000 in business, why specific review narratives boost local SEO, and the simple “talk tracks” that help realtors, mortgage pros, title reps, and auto dealers sell your value in under 30 seconds. Along the way, we tackle hard truths about consistency—speed to contact, follow-through, and what to do when service breaks and a referral goes sideways. If you’re building an insurance agency on relationships, this is your playbook for repeatable growth. Learn how to protect referrers’ credibility, reward your top partners, and turn everyday wins—claim support, premium savings, fast answers—into stories that compound trust across your market. Subscribe for more marketing strategies, share this episode with a fellow agent, and leave a review to tell us which referral tactic you’ll test first.

    11 min

  5. JAN 7

    Healthy Marketing For Insurance In 2026

    Want a marketing plan that actually lasts longer than your New Year motivation? We connect ten health habits—hydration, sleep, cardio, strength training, and more—to simple, proven tactics that grow an insurance agency without burning out your team or your budget. From getting visible in your local community to building automations that work while you rest, we show how to create momentum you can sustain all year. We dig into the dangers of overmarketing and how to pace your spend, then lock in “protein” for your strategy: a core message that sets you apart on price, service, or niche expertise. You’ll hear how steady networking turns into real revenue, why branding details become instant trust signals, and how to skip junk food shortcuts like fake followers or boost-only ads that waste dollars. The focus stays practical—where to start, what to measure, and how to know when a tactic is working. You’ll also get a playbook for long-form content that compounds across channels. Record once, repurpose everywhere: podcast to YouTube to blog to LinkedIn newsletter, plus reels and carousels that keep your pipeline warm. We cover mental health boundaries that protect focus—office hours, holiday closures, and clear expectations—and wrap with an annual “checkup” so your website, SEO, social, and CRM stay aligned with your goals. Ready to build a brand with stamina, not spurts? Listen now, share with a colleague who needs a smarter plan, and claim the free marketing audit mentioned on the show. If this helped, subscribe, leave a quick review, and tell us which habit you’re starting first.

    15 min

  6. 12/23/2025

    Turning Digital Leads Into Real Relationships For Insurance Agents

    Most agents want “easy” leads, but real growth comes from trust you can measure and timing you can manage. We dive into the practical differences between networking and digital lead sources and share a simple system to turn cold clicks into warm conversations that close. You’ll hear how to respond to online inquiries fast without sounding robotic, why a warm introduction from your chamber or BNI group can compress your sales cycle, and how to use your CRM to build email, phone, social, and community touchpoints that stack up to the seven touches buyers need. We walk through the moments that make or break conversion: first-call framing, quote speed, and the follow-up cadence that adds value instead of pressure. Then we look at ROI with clear checkpoints—what to expect from a $1,500 membership, when to double down on a group, and when to pivot. Along the way, we talk co-marketing with lenders and realtors, sponsoring local events to earn mindshare, and tagging every contact by source so your reporting finally tells you which channels deserve your budget. By the end, you’ll have a blended playbook: use networking to borrow trust, use digital to learn and scale, and connect both with consistent, human touchpoints. Track every introduction, thank every referrer, and let your CRM keep you present until the timing is right. If this sparked ideas for your agency, subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a quick review telling us which lead source is winning for you right now.

    8 min

  7. 12/16/2025

    Free Leads From Google, Explained

    Most prospects judge your insurance agency before they ever call—by what they see on Google. We open the playbook for turning your Google Business Profile into a free, always‑on lead machine that builds trust, ranks locally, and converts searchers into inbound calls. We start with the essentials: claim and verify your listing, choose the right categories, and add services that match how people actually search. Then we layer on the signals Google and humans love—fresh photos, monthly posts, accurate hours, and a clean description with local keywords like home insurance in Little Rock or life insurance near me. You’ll hear why reusing your best social content as Google posts compounds visibility, and how a simple cadence can push you into the map pack where decisions happen fast. Reviews take center stage. We share a frictionless system for asking after every positive moment, complete with QR code stickers that drive customers straight to your review form. Learn how to respond to praise with specifics, defuse negative or bot reviews without losing your cool, and repurpose five‑star quotes into social proof that travels across Facebook and Instagram. We also talk about crediting team members named in reviews to boost morale and service quality. Finally, we dig into local keyword research, the Q&A feature that pre‑answers buyer fears, and the ripple effect across Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, and more. Ready to turn searchers into callers? Follow the steps, publish one new post and one new photo, and ask for three reviews this week. If this helped, follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share this with a fellow agent who needs more inbound leads.

    8 min

  8. 12/03/2025

    Define Your Ideal Insurance Client

    We lay out a simple, repeatable method to define your ideal client and turn that clarity into content that converts. Two sample personas show how message, channel, and follow-up change based on age, habits, and needs. • why clarity on your ideal client matters • how to build personas from your book and community • two core personas: new homeowner and retiree • content that fits each persona’s habits • office tactics: scripts, flyers, and reviews • targeting tools: ads, life events, and geofencing • educating younger buyers on life insurance value • aligning marketing, sales, and service around personas

    7 min

  9. 10/28/2025

    Insurance Marketing Made Practical

    Tired of posting bland, branded content that gets a few likes and zero quotes? We’re pulling back the curtain on a practical marketing system built for insurance agents who want real community trust and real policies. Shelby McFarland, CEO of The Marketing Broker, shares how we help independent and captive agents across the country design local-first content that actually converts. We start with the foundation: clarity on who you serve and what your community cares about. From teen driver checklists to storm prep guides, you’ll hear how to turn everyday local moments into short posts and Reels that teach, help, and invite action. We break down platform fit—Facebook for neighborhood reach, Instagram Reels for quick teaching, TikTok for curiosity hooks, LinkedIn for business cases—and show how to keep your message consistent without sounding corporate. You’ll get examples of cross‑promotions with local partners, simple scripts that make compliance easier, and a weekly cadence your team can keep without burnout. Then we get tactical about conversion. Learn how to swap vanity metrics for a clean funnel—impressions, saves, replies, quotes, binds—and tag lead sources so you can see what drives actual revenue. We talk about turning comments into conversations, conversations into quotes, and quotes into policies, using one clear call to action per post. You’ll also hear why marketing matters more than ever for insurance, how to avoid sounding like everyone else, and how values-led storytelling sets you apart in crowded markets. If you’re ready to turn followers into policyholders and stand out in your town, hit follow and join us every Wednesday for new plays you can use the same day. Share this with a teammate who handles your social, and leave a quick review telling us the one topic you want us to cover next.

    2 min
  • 9 Episodes

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
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Insurance Marketing Playbook
  • Show Website
    The Insurance Marketing Playbook