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

    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

  2. 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.

  3. 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?

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Jul 8

    Hiring Help When Your Business Hits A Bottleneck

    You can feel it before you can name it: the calendar is packed, your brain is fried, clients keep coming, and the business still won’t move to the next level. We sit down with Leia, an adult ADHD and executive function coach, to talk about the real pivot point for entrepreneurs, the moment you either cap your growth or you start delegating the work that’s quietly draining your energy. We get specific about what delegation looks like when you’re neurodivergent. Shelby shares how her first hire worked because it matched strengths (sales on one side, content creation on the other), and why hiring a stack of people just to “look bigger” backfires fast. We also dig into the money side of growth: why a great bookkeeper and CPA can change everything, how to spot which services are actually profitable, and how to raise your prices with math instead of guilt. If you’ve been stuck undercharging, avoiding your numbers, or telling yourself you should be able to do it all, you’ll hear a better way forward. We also talk leadership skills that don’t get enough airtime: setting expectations, being transparent with your team, and what to do when a hire turns out to be the wrong fit. Sometimes it’s not failure, it’s misalignment, and handling it well is part of building a healthy business. If you’re an ADHD entrepreneur trying to scale, this conversation is a practical roadmap for delegation, hiring, pricing strategy, and energy management. Subscribe for more real talk on building a business that works with your brain, share this with a friend who’s overloaded, and leave a review with the one task you’re ready to delegate next. Order "Market Like a Boss" at www.shelbysmarketingbook.com

  7. Jul 1

    The Four Biggest Marketing Myths Holding Back Your Business

    Everybody has a “rule” about marketing, and most of them sound right until you try to build a real business with them. We sit down and call out four popular marketing myths that quietly waste your time: the idea that you must be on every social media platform, that good marketing should produce immediate results, that more followers automatically means more sales, and that a good product will sell itself.  We talk through what actually works for small business marketing in a crowded, competitive world: picking one or two platforms where your target audience truly spends time, showing up consistently enough to build momentum, and remembering that marketing is a long-term visibility play, not a two-week sales switch. We also dig into the “going viral” fantasy and why it can bring followers who do not care, do not convert, and do not stick around, while a smaller, more personal audience often drives better client results.  Finally, we get practical about sales proof and trust. If people do not understand what your product or service does, they cannot buy it, no matter how great it is. From before-and-after photos to clear outcomes and credibility, we share why showing results matters more than just posting. If you want a sharper marketing strategy, smarter content priorities, and a reality check on growth, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a business owner friend, and leave a review with the next myth you want us to debunk.

  8. Jun 24

    How One Business Owner Turned A Book Into Clients, Credibility, And Revenue

    $48,000 in two weeks sounds like a book sales story, until you hear the truth: only $710 came from selling copies. What changed everything was treating the book as a marketing tool that drives real business revenue, not as the revenue itself. We share the behind the scenes strategy of how becoming “an author” can instantly upgrade your positioning, shorten the trust gap with prospects, and give you a clear reason to follow up without sounding salesy. We talk through the mindset shift that makes a business book a lead magnet: credibility and visibility first, conversions second. You will hear how a single book can open doors to speaking engagements, workshops, podcast interviews, and media opportunities, plus how each chapter can become its own talk or training. We also get specific about launch execution, including using a network of local influencers, creating ready to post snippets, leveraging PR for TV and radio, and turning every appearance into reusable content for social media marketing and SEO. Then we break down where the money actually came from: raising prices with confidence, signing new retainer contracts, selling website projects, booking branding shoots, and finally getting paid for trainings that used to be “exposure.” The bigger takeaway is long term: if you keep showing up after launch day, your book becomes a durable brand asset that keeps generating inbound leads, authority, and opportunities months later. If you are writing a book to grow your business, build your personal brand, or land more speaking gigs, this is the playbook. Subscribe for more creator and entrepreneur strategies, share this with a friend who is stuck in perfection mode, and leave a review with your biggest book launch question. Order "Market Like a Boss" at www.shelbysmarketingbook.com

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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
    35
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Insurance Marketing Playbook
  • Show Website
    The Insurance Marketing Playbook