Flypaper News + Updates

AI Search Is the New Gatekeeper for Local Businesses

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:00:18 GMT

Search isn’t just “Googling” anymore. More people are turning to AI tools to ask questions, compare options, and get recommendations for local businesses. These tools don’t choose who to show the same way traditional search engines do.

37% of consumers now start searches with AI instead of Google , and 60% say AI delivers clearer answers . Nearly half say AI influences which brands they trust. If your business isn’t set up for AI-powered search, you risk being left out before customers ever reach your website.

The good news? AI tends to reward businesses that already look trustworthy, clear, and consistent online — if the right foundations are in place.

Structured & Accurate Local Data

AI relies on clean, consistent information to understand who you are and where you operate. When business details don’t match across platforms, confidence drops.

Keeping your Name, Address, and Phone number consistent, updating listings, and adding structured data markup helps AI clearly understand your business - Clean data leads to stronger visibility.

Helpful, Localized Content

AI doesn’t just look for keywords — it looks for real explanations and local context. It evaluates how clearly you explain your services and whether your content reflects real-world knowledge. AI Search looks at location-specific pages, mentions of service areas, FAQ-style content, and step-by-step explanations of your services to help AI see your business as an expert, not just another option.

Reviews & Online Reputation

AI tools use third-party signals — especially reviews — to confirm that a business delivers on its promises. Review activity continues to rise, giving AI more real customer insight to analyze. Reviews also help AI understand your business in customers’ own words, not just your marketing. AI Search consistently gathers reviews, responds to feedback, and maintains listings in trusted directories to strengthen your authority.

Website Experience & Technical Setup

AI still pulls information from your website. Slow, confusing, or outdated websites hurt both visibility and trust. Fast load times, mobile-friendly design, clear structure, clean URLs, internal links, and crawlable pages make it easier for AI systems to access and understand your content.

Consistency Across Platforms

AI favors businesses that look active and up to date. Regular updates, refreshed website content, and a presence across platforms like Google, Apple, and Facebook reinforce that your business is engaged and relevant.

How We’re Helping Our Clients Adapt

We’re not just talking about AI search — we’re actively preparing our clients for it.

We manage business listings to keep data consistent, implement structured markup so AI can understand websites, and build out location-based pages and service content that answer real customer questions. We’re placing a stronger focus on educational, process-driven content that positions businesses as experts.

We’re also helping clients generate and manage reviews, since customer feedback plays a major role in how AI evaluates trust. On the technical side, we continue improving site speed, mobile usability, and crawlability so nothing blocks AI systems from accessing important information.

In short, we’re strengthening the exact areas AI looks at when deciding which businesses to recommend.

The Bottom Line

AI-powered search is already influencing how customers discover and choose businesses. The companies that stay visible will be the ones with clean data, helpful content, strong reviews, fast websites, and consistent activity online.

That’s how your business doesn’t just show up — it gets chosen.

Understanding ADA Compliance for Business Websites

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:18:31 GMT

If you’ve heard the term ADA website compliance and thought, “I’m not sure what that is — or if it applies to me,” you’re not alone. Many business owners, especially in service-based and blue-collar industries, don’t realize website accessibility is even a thing until it comes up unexpectedly.

Here’s the straightforward explanation.

Let’s start with the basics before exploring how ADA compliance may apply to your business.

ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act , which was created to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to services and information.

When it comes to websites, ADA compliance means your site should be usable for people who:

Use screen readers
Navigate using a keyboard instead of a mouse
Have vision, hearing, or mobility challenges
Need clearer text, contrast, or navigation

In simple terms: your website should work for everyone who visits it .

Now that you know what ADA website compliance is, let’s look at whether it applies to your business.

If your website is used to:

Promote your business
Share services or information
Collect leads or contact requests

…then accessibility matters, regardless of business size.

Recently, many ADA complaints have involved small and mid-sized businesses. The goal is to ensure all websites are usable by everyone.

Why ADA Website Compliance Matters in 2026

Website accessibility matters more now than ever for a few key reasons:

It Helps Real People

Millions of Americans rely on assistive technology to browse the web today. If your site isn’t accessible right now, people can’t reach you or understand your offering—potentially costing you valuable customers.

It Reduces Risk

Take proactive steps now—accessibility issues are far easier and less stressful to solve before a complaint puts your business at risk.

It Improves User Experience and SEO

Many accessibility improvements — like clear headings, readable text, and simple navigation — also make your website easier to use on mobile and easier for Google to understand and rank.

What Makes a Website Accessible? (The Basics)

An accessible website typically includes:

Text and buttons that screen readers can read correctly
Images with descriptions (alt text)
Easy-to-read fonts and good color contrast
Clear navigation and forms that don’t require a mouse

Accessibility isn’t a one-time update. As websites change, Flypaper and AudioEye provide continued monitoring and support to help maintain accessibility over time.

How Flypaper Helps With ADA Website Compliance

Flypaper helps businesses address accessibility by partnering with AudioEye , a trusted website accessibility platform.

With AudioEye, businesses receive:

Automated fixes for common accessibility issues
Ongoing monitoring as pages and content change
Expert support for more complex accessibility needs

This approach offers more than just quick fixes: Flypaper and AudioEye provide lasting support, with ongoing updates and guidance as your website evolves.

You may be asking: Is ADA website compliance complicated?

It can be—especially if you try to handle it alone and delay. Waiting increases the risk and complexity.

With the right tools and guidance, accessibility becomes part of maintaining a professional website.

Curious how your current website measures up?

If you’re unsure whether your website is accessible or want help understanding what’s needed, Flypaper can walk you through it.

�� Schedule a website accessibility review. We'll explain your options .

What Is Reddit — and Why Advertising There Can Work for Your Business in 2026

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:00:19 GMT

When people hear “Reddit,” many business owners aren’t quite sure what it is — or why it matters. That’s especially true for service-based businesses where word-of-mouth and Google searches have traditionally driven most leads.

But the way people research services has changed.

In 2026, Reddit has become one of the places people go before they call a company, click an ad, or fill out a form. That’s why Flypaper now offers Reddit Advertising as a way to help businesses reach customers earlier in the decision-making process.

What Is Reddit, Exactly?

Reddit is an online platform made up of thousands of discussion groups called subreddits . Each subreddit focuses on a specific topic, industry, problem, or location.

Think of Reddit as:

A massive collection of online message boards
Where real people ask real questions
And get honest answers from others with experience

Examples of questions people ask on Reddit every day:

“Who’s the best HVAC company near me?”
“What should I expect to pay for a roof replacement?”
“Is this contractor worth it?”
“What should I ask before hiring a plumber?”

These aren’t casual scrolls — they’re research-driven conversations .

Why Reddit Matters for Local Businesses

More and more people are using Reddit the same way they used to use:

Referrals from friends
Local Facebook groups
Review sites

The difference is scale.

Reddit discussions often appear directly in Google search results , especially for searches that include:

“best”
“recommendations”
“reviews”
“worth it”

That means potential customers may see Reddit conversations about services like yours before they ever reach your website or Google ad .

Advertising on Reddit allows your business to be part of those conversations — in a visible, professional, and controlled way.

How Reddit Advertising Works

Reddit advertising lets businesses place ads within specific communities or in front of users interested in specific topics.

Instead of targeting people by age or income, Reddit ads focus on:

What people are interested in
What problems they’re trying to solve
What questions are they actively asking

For example:

A roofing company can appear in home improvement discussions
An HVAC company can reach people asking about system replacements
A contractor can target homeowners researching renovations

This makes Reddit a strong awareness and consideration platform — especially when paired with Google Ads.

Why Reddit Ads Feel Different (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

Reddit users are very aware of traditional advertising. Flashy or overly sales-focused ads don’t perform well.

Instead, the most successful Reddit ads:

Explain what a business does
Provide helpful information
Set clear expectations
Focus on education over promotion

This approach builds trust, which is critical for service-based industries and localized companies where customers want confidence before making a call.

What Reddit Advertising Is Not

Reddit advertising is not:

A replacement for Google Ads
A quick fix for low lead volume
A platform for hard-sell messaging

It works best as part of an omnichannel marketing strategy , helping businesses stay visible earlier in the research process while Google Ads captures high-intent searches later.

How Flypaper Helps Businesses Advertise on Reddit

Advertising on Reddit requires a different approach than other platforms. Community norms, messaging, and targeting all matter.

Flypaper manages Reddit advertising by:

Identifying the right communities and interests
Writing ads that sound natural and helpful
Pairing ads with strong landing pages
Integrating campaigns with SEO, Google Ads, and Precision Targeting
Monitoring performance and adjusting strategy over time

The goal is simple: get your business in front of the right people, at the right time, with the right message .

Is Reddit Advertising Right for Your Business?

Reddit advertising isn’t right for every business — but for companies looking to:

Increase brand awareness
Build trust before the first call
Support Google Ads and SEO efforts
Reach customers who are actively researching

…it can be a powerful addition to their marketing strategy in 2026.

Let’s See If It Makes Sense for You

If you’re curious whether Reddit advertising could work for your business, Flypaper can help you evaluate how it fits alongside your current marketing efforts.

�� Schedule a strategy call with Flypaper to explore Reddit advertising and smarter ways to grow your online presence.

Google Is Changing the Rules (Again) — Here’s What It Means for 2026

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:33:11 GMT

If your website traffic has felt a little unpredictable lately, you’re not imagining it.

Google recently rolled out another core algorithm update, and while updates like these are nothing new, this one reinforces a clear message heading into 2026: Google is raising the bar on what “good content” really means.

This isn’t about shortcuts, keyword stuffing, or chasing trends anymore. It’s about earning visibility by proving expertise, relevance, and trust — and that’s where strategy matters more than ever.

A Shift Toward Real Expertise (Not Just Content)

Google’s own documentation makes one thing clear: core updates aren’t penalties. They’re adjustments to how Google evaluates content overall. Instead of rewarding volume or generic coverage, Google is refining how it identifies helpful, trustworthy, and authoritative information .

Recent analysis from Search Engine Journal shows that brands with clear expertise and niche focus are gaining ground , especially for competitive “best of” and decision-based searches. In contrast, broad, surface-level content is struggling to keep up.

In other words, Google is asking:

Does this site actually know what it’s talking about?
Is this content written for real people — not algorithms?
Would a user trust this brand to make a decision?

For businesses, this is good news — but only if your online presence is built with intention.

What Google Is Rewarding Going Into 2026

As we move into the new year, a few patterns are becoming impossible to ignore:

Google is favoring depth over breadth . Pages that fully answer a question — with clarity, context, and experience — are outperforming thin or generic content.

Brand authority matters more than ever. For searches where users are ready to choose or buy, Google increasingly surfaces

recognized brands and specialists , not just aggregators.

Human insight is winning. According to content experts featured by Search Engine Journal , successful content blends data with storytelling, original perspectives, and real-world experience — something AI alone can’t replicate.

This doesn’t mean small or local businesses are at a disadvantage. It means the opposite: focused expertise beats trying to be everything to everyone.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Google’s updates are setting the tone for SEO in 2026 — and the takeaway is simple:

�� Your website is no longer just a digital brochure. It’s a credibility check.

Businesses that invest in:

Strategic content
Clear messaging
Strong local and industry authority
will be the ones that continue to show up — even as Google evolves.

That’s also why reacting to updates after rankings drop isn’t the best approach anymore. Google itself recommends focusing on long-term improvements rather than quick fixes after a rollout.

Ready for What Google Has Planned for 2026?

Google’s updates aren’t slowing down — and neither is the competition. As search continues to favor expertise, trust, and strategy over shortcuts, now is the time to ensure your online presence aligns with these changes, not against them.

At Flypaper, we don’t chase algorithms — we build digital strategies that align with where Google is going next. From SEO and website optimization to content that actually proves your expertise, our team helps businesses stay visible, competitive, and confident through every update.

If you’re unsure how these changes affect your rankings — or want to get ahead before the next update hits — we’re here to help.

�� Let’s talk about your website, your SEO, and your goals for 2026.

Reach out to Flypaper today to start building an online presence that Google (and your customers) trust.

What’s New at Flypaper in 2026: Smarter Tech, Stronger Results, and More Ways to Grow

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:24:02 GMT

We’re starting 2026 with major upgrades—from new advertising channels and smarter data tools to improved website protection—all focused on helping local businesses grow with Flypaper’s expert support.

Some details are still under wraps, but here’s what’s coming and how it can make a difference for your business.

Advertising on Reddit — Reaching People When They’re Asking for Advice

Reddit has become one of the most powerful recommendation engines online. Every second, people ask Reddit communities for advice, opinions, and real-life experience — and those posts receive dozens of personal responses.

Now, Flypaper can help you advertise directly on Reddit, putting your business in front of users actively seeking recommendations .

Why Reddit matters for local businesses:

High-intent environment: People go there to research before making decisions.
Authenticity: Users expect honesty and firsthand feedback, not salesy noise.
Niche audiences: Ads can appear in communities relevant to your business (think r/HomeImprovement, r/Parenting, r/SmallBusiness, and more).
Credibility boost: Being present where conversations are happening highlights your brand in a natural, community-driven setting.

It’s a fresh, incredibly effective way for businesses to reach real people asking real questions.

Smarter, More Transparent Digital-Out-of-Home Advertising

We’re enhancing how we run digital billboards and screen-based ads across places like gyms, grocery stores, medical offices, and more. Our new DOOH platform gives us clearer insight into exactly where your ads run and how they perform.

What’s new:

Transparent, location-specific reporting
The ability to pair DOOH with online campaigns for a consistent message

This means better clarity for you — and better results.

Better Targeting with Real-World Consumer Behavior Data

We’re introducing advanced tools that use anonymized mobile location data to study foot traffic patterns, customer behavior, and real-time market trends.

This helps us:

Build stronger, more accurate target audiences.

Understand where your customers spend their time
Use demographic and lifestyle data to fine-tune your marketing

It’s all about making smarter, more data-driven decisions for your campaigns.

Review Management — Now Available Through Flypaper

Online reviews play a major role in SEO, customer trust, and even AI-driven search results. In 2026, Flypaper is introducing review management in two ways: as a self-serve tool built into our Online Presence (OP) package, and as an optional fully managed service for businesses that want hands-off support.

Self-Serve (Included in OP)

New OP accounts will have access to a simple, centralized platform where businesses can:

View and monitor incoming reviews
Manage responses from one place
Keep track of reputation trends over time

This gives clients a straightforward, do-it-yourself way to stay on top of what customers are saying.

Managed Service (Optional Add-On)

For businesses that want Flypaper to handle the heavy lifting, we also offer a managed option. In this version, our team uses advanced tools on the client’s behalf to:

Monitor and respond to reviews quickly
Identify reputation risks
Provide guidance to improve customer sentiment

Why Review Management Matters

Positive reviews increase trust and boost revenue
Timely responses strengthen credibility
Consolidated monitoring saves time
A strong online reputation sets local businesses apart

Website Accessibility for All — Launching in 2026

Digital accessibility is becoming a must, not a “nice to have.” With thousands of website accessibility lawsuits filed every year, ADA compliance is more important than ever.

Starting in 2026, all new accounts on our Online Presence (OP) package will include built-in accessibility support powered by AudioEye , an industry leader trusted by more than 120,000 brands.

AudioEye helps:

Fix many accessibility issues automatically
Keep sites aligned with changing ADA expectations
Test against WCAG compliance standards
Protect businesses from legal and reputational risk
Ensure the sites we build are accessible for all users

This addition significantly strengthens our website product and adds a valuable layer of protection for our clients.

2026: A Year Full of Opportunity — And We’re Just Getting Started

Our mission remains the same: help local businesses grow with smart, modern, and powerful digital marketing.

These new offerings give our clients more clarity, better tools, and stronger strategies than ever before — and we couldn’t be more excited to roll them out.

Curious how these updates could support your business in 2026?

Let’s talk about your goals and build a plan together.

Flypaper Summit 2025 Recap: Learning, Connecting & Looking Ahead

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:07:46 GMT

The 2025 Flypaper Summit gathered team members from every market in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a few days of collaboration, recognition, and fresh ideas.

Day 1: Kicking Things Off in Chattanooga

The excitement was in the air as team members from across our markets arrived in Chattanooga to kick off our annual Flypaper Summit. We spent the evening reconnecting, distributing swag bags, and celebrating the incredible work our teams have accomplished this year with our Flypaper Awards.

It was the perfect start — a night full of well-deserved recognition, good food, and even better company as we geared up for a few days of learning and fun.

Celebrating This Year’s Winners!

Of course, no Summit would be complete without recognizing our team’s incredible achievements! This year’s award winners really stood out for their hard work and dedication:

Most Multimedia Contributions – Little Rock
Most Multimedia Contributions by Rep – Tracey Schlech
Highest Revenue Growth (Large Market) – Chattanooga
Highest Revenue Growth (Small Market) – Raleigh
Highest Revenue Growth Individual – Kara McNabb
Highest Revenue Growth - CS - Kai Belcher
Highest AVO CS - Kate Waggoner
Highest AVO Sales - Kara McNabb
Most New Customer Growth - Alli Masley
Most New Accounts by Market - Chattanooga
Most Website Assists for Other Markets - Nadia Jackson
Creative Spark Design Award - Taylor Sublett
Flying Star - Myiah Whitley
Foundation - Keith Zarin

Day 2: Learning from Local Leaders & Plenty of Laughter

Our second day was all about collaboration and perspective. Teams dove into training sessions focused on better serving our communities and clients, and we had the honor of hearing from a panel of Chattanooga business owners — Carlos Bail Bond , Arrow Supply , and author McCracken Poston — who shared valuable insight on what it truly means to think like a business owner.

Their stories reminded us that our work doesn’t just impact businesses online — it helps strengthen the communities we live and work in every day.

We wrapped up the day at The Comedy Catch , where the team spent the evening laughing, bonding, and finding out who really knows their work bestie best!

Final Day: Wrapping Up with Insights & a Little Mystery

On our final day, we dove into more hands-on sessions and collaborative discussions that left our teams feeling energized and inspired. From breakout sessions to product deep dives, every conversation centered on one thing — finding new ways to help our clients grow and succeed.

To end the Summit, we hosted a Halloween-themed Murder Mystery dinner — complete with costumes, clues, and plenty of laughs. It was the perfect way to close out a week that balanced professional growth with genuine connection.

Looking Ahead

As teams returned to their markets, they carried new tools, strategies, and inspiration for the year ahead.

The Summit reminded us of our purpose: helping local businesses connect with customers and strengthen their digital presence.

We can’t wait to put what we’ve learned into action — empowering our clients, strengthening our partnerships, and continuing to make Flypaper a place where customers stick.

Why Q4 Is the Perfect Time to Audit Your Online Presence

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 14:25:03 GMT

As the year winds down, small business owners finally get a moment to breathe—and reflect. Before flipping the calendar to 2026, there’s one powerful move that can set your business up for success: auditing your online presence.

Your website, SEO, and advertising all play a huge role in how customers find (and choose) you. And Q4 is the perfect time to make sure everything’s working as it should. Think of it like a tune-up before the busy season starts again.

1. Your Website Is Your Digital Storefront

Your website is often the first impression a potential customer gets—so it needs to shine. If it’s been a while since you’ve updated it, start here.

Check for:

Speed & Mobile-Friendliness: Over half of local searches happen on mobile devices. If your site loads slowly or doesn’t look right on a phone, that’s costing you leads.
Clear Calls to Action: Visitors should instantly know how to contact you, book a service, or request a quote.
Fresh Content: Update photos, copy, and business info to reflect your most current offerings.

✳️ Flypaper Tip: Our Website and SEO teams can make sure your site is fast, fresh, and focused on conversions—so you can focus on running your business.

2. Your SEO Could Be Coasting

SEO isn’t a one-and-done task. Search algorithms change, competitors adjust, and user behavior evolves. Q4 is a smart time to review your search visibility and ensure you’re still ranking where it matters most.

Look at:

Keyword Performance: Are You Showing Up for the Right Services and Locations?
Local Relevance: Is your Google Business Profile up to date with the right category, description, and service area?
Consistency: Are your listings accurate across Google, Yelp, and local directories?

Even small tweaks now can lead to more visibility—and more leads—once the new year kicks in.

3. Your Advertising Data Tells a Story

If you’ve been running Google Ads, social ads, or display campaigns, don’t let your data go to waste. Q4 is the perfect time to analyze what worked and what didn’t.

Ask yourself:

Which campaigns drove the most calls, clicks, or form fills?
What audiences or keywords underperformed?
How can this shape your 2026 ad strategy?

✳️ Flypaper Tip: With call tracking and detailed reporting, Flypaper helps you understand where your marketing dollars work hardest—so you can invest smarter next year.

4. Your Online Reputation Needs a Check-Up

Your reviews and ratings play a significant role in your online presence. Before the year ends, take time to read and respond to your latest reviews—especially on Google and Facebook.

Encourage satisfied customers to share their experience, and address any negative feedback with care. A strong reputation not only builds trust but can also boost your local SEO ranking.

5. Get a Fresh Perspective

Sometimes you’re too close to your business to see what’s missing. That’s where a partner like Flypaper comes in.

Our local marketing experts can review your website, SEO, ads, listings, and call tracking to pinpoint opportunities for improvement—and help you start the new year with a stronger online foundation.

Ready to Start 2026 Strong?

Now’s the time to make sure your business is showing up where it matters most.

Schedule your free Online Presence Audit with Flypaper and step into 2026 with confidence.

From Clicks to Clients: How We Help Local Businesses Grow

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:21:11 GMT

A click doesn’t pay the bills — a client does.

For many local businesses, that’s the real challenge of digital marketing. You can invest in a shiny new website, run ads on Google, or post regularly on social media, but at the end of the day, you don’t just need traffic… You need customers calling, booking, and walking through your door.

That’s where Flypaper comes in. Our job is to bridge the gap between clicks and clients, helping local businesses turn online interest into real-world growth.

The Problem with Just Getting Clicks

It’s exciting to see website traffic numbers go up. But here’s the hard truth: not all clicks are created equal.

Some people click an ad by accident.
Others are just browsing and never take action.
And sometimes, even the right people can’t find what they need on a business’s website — so they leave without calling or booking.

The result? Money spent, but not much to show for it.

Local businesses don’t have time or budget to waste on empty clicks. That’s why we focus on building complete marketing strategies designed for one goal: helping you win new clients.

How Flypaper Turns Clicks into Clients

Here’s how our process works:

1. A Strong Online Presence (Website + SEO + Listings)

First impressions matter. If a potential customer clicks on your site but finds it slow, outdated, or confusing, they’ll bounce in seconds.

We build professional, fast, and mobile-friendly websites designed to convert visitors into leads. Pair that with ongoing SEO work and accurate local listings, and your business becomes easier to find and trust online.

2. Precision Targeting (Ads That Reach the Right People)

Clicks only matter if they come from the right people.

Our Precision Targeting tools place your ads in front of customers who are actively searching for what you offer. That means HVAC companies show up when homeowners search for “AC repair near me,” landscapers appear when someone searches for “yard clean-up,” and so on.

We run campaigns across Google, Facebook, Instagram, streaming TV, and more — but always with a focus on reaching the local audience that matters most to your business.

3. Lead Management Tools (CRM + Call Tracking)

Once you start getting leads, you need a way to manage them. That’s where our tools come in.

We set businesses up with CRM systems and call tracking so they can see where leads are coming from and make sure no opportunity slips through the cracks. It’s not just about getting calls; it’s about turning those calls into scheduled appointments and sales.

4. Local Team Support

Unlike big-box digital marketing companies, Flypaper gives you a local team you can actually meet with face-to-face every month.

We sit down with you to review results, adjust strategies, and make sure your marketing is driving real growth. Because your business isn’t just another account — it’s part of our community, too.

The Flypaper Difference

Big national agencies are great at generating clicks. But they don’t always understand the needs of a roofing company in Little Rock, a lawn care business in Louisville, or a dentist in Chattanooga.

Flypaper is different. We’re local, we’re hands-on, and we’re focused on results that matter:

More phone calls.
More form fills.
More booked services.
More clients for your business.

For example, one of our HVAC clients saw a 200% increase in service calls after optimizing their website and ad campaigns with us. That’s not just clicks — that’s real revenue growth.

Ready to Turn Clicks into Clients?

At the end of the day, clicks don’t keep your business running. Clients do. And Flypaper’s mission is to help you get more of them through smart, local, and proven digital marketing strategies.

�� Let’s talk about how we can help your business grow.

What's the Difference Between Boosted Posts and Paid Social Ads?

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:33:44 GMT

What's the Difference Between Boosted Posts and Paid Social Ads?

Suppose you're a small business owner trying to grow on social media. In that case, you've probably clicked that tempting "Boost Post" button on Facebook or Instagram. It seems easy—and it is—but boosted posts and true paid social ads are not the same thing .

If you're serious about getting leads or website traffic, it's important to understand the difference.

Boosted Posts vs. Paid Social Ads: A Quick Breakdown

Why Boosted Posts Might Not Be Enough

Boosted posts are fine if your only goal is to get more people to see or engage with a post. But if you're trying to:

Get more website visits
Capture leads
Promote a special offer
Increase appointments or calls

...then you're missing out on the power of true paid social advertising.

What Do Paid Social Ads Actually Do Better?

✅ Smarter Targeting

With paid social ads, you can target people based on past behavior, website visits, interests, or upload your own customer list. You're reaching the right people—not just any people.

✅ More Objective-Based Campaigns

Want more calls? Leads? Purchases? Paid social lets you optimize your campaign based on what really matters to your business.

✅ Clear ROI Tracking

You can track exactly how many people clicked, converted, or filled out a form. Boosted posts can't do that.

So, When Should You Boost a Post?

Use a boosted post when:

You're promoting a community event or announcement
You want more visibility on feel-good or branding content
You're trying to grow your social page with a minimal budget

But when you want real results and strategy behind your spend, paid social advertising is the way to go.

Let Us Handle Your Paid Social the Right Way

At Flypaper, we help local businesses get results with professionally managed paid social campaigns—on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more.

�� Want to talk strategy? Contact our team today or ask us how we can turn your next post into a lead-generating machine.

FAQs

Q: Can I turn a boosted post into a paid ad?
A: You can promote the same content, but true paid ads are built separately in Ads Manager for better performance and tracking.

Q: Do I need a big budget to run paid social ads?
A: Not at all. We work with businesses of all sizes to create cost-effective campaigns tailored to your goals.

Q: What platforms do you run paid social ads on?
A: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even YouTube. We can help you pick the best ones for your audience.

How Do Google Ads Work and How Can They Help My Local Business?

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 14:54:19 GMT

If you're a local business owner looking to expand your online reach, you've likely heard of Google Ads. But how exactly does Google Ads work, and more importantly, how can it help your business grow? In this blog, we'll explain the basics of Google Ads and why it's a must for local businesses looking to drive targeted traffic. While we'll give you a solid understanding of how it works, to truly master Google Ads and maximize your ROI, partnering with experts who know how to fine-tune your campaigns is essential.

What Are Google Ads?

Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is an advertising platform that lets businesses create ads that appear on Google search results and other Google-owned properties like YouTube, Gmail, and the Google Display Network. These ads can appear in multiple formats, such as text, images, and video, helping businesses reach their audience wherever they are online.

Google Search Ads : These are the text ads that appear when users search for keywords related to your business.
Google Display Ads : Banner and image ads that show up across various websites in Google's network.
YouTube Ads : Video ads that play before or during YouTube videos.
Google Shopping Ads : These ads display product images, prices, and links to your store when someone searches for specific products.

The key to Google Ads is that it allows you to target potential customers exactly when they're searching for something related to your business.

How Do Google Ads Work?

Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Here's how it works in a nutshell:

Keyword Targeting:

You start by choosing keywords—terms and phrases that potential customers are likely to search for when looking for a business like yours. For example, if you're a local plumber in [your location], you might choose keywords like "emergency plumber " or "plumbing repair near me."

Bid for Ad Placement:

Google Ads operates on an auction system where businesses bid on keywords. The higher your bid, the more likely your ad will be shown. However, Google also factors in the quality of your ad (such as relevance and expected click-through rate) to determine where your ad appears.

Ad Auction and Display:

When a user enters a search query, Google runs an auction to decide which ads to display. If your ad is chosen, it appears on the search results page or on other Google properties.

Pay Per Click:

Every time someone clicks on your ad, you pay the amount you bid. However, Google Ads operates on a cost-per-click (CPC) model, meaning you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, not when it's displayed.

Optimize and Measure Performance:

Google Ads provides robust analytics, letting you track key metrics like clicks, impressions, and conversions. This allows you to fine-tune your campaigns and maximize ROI. But knowing how to analyze and optimize these metrics is where the real expertise comes in.

How Can Google Ads Help Your Local Business?

Google Ads offers powerful tools to help local businesses stand out in a crowded digital marketplace. Here's how it can benefit you:

Reach Local Customers Who Are Actively Searching for Your Services:

One of the most significant advantages of Google Ads is geo-targeting . You can set your ads to show only to people in specific geographic areas. This means that if you're a roofer in Nashville, your ad will only appear to people in that area searching for "roof repair Nashville."

Control Your Budget and Maximize ROI:

With Google Ads, you can control how much you spend. You set a daily budget, and you can control how much you're willing to pay per click. Whether you're just starting with a smaller budget or have a larger budget to work with, you can tailor your campaign accordingly.

Instant Visibility:

Unlike SEO, which takes time to show results, Google Ads offers immediate visibility . Once your campaign is live, your ads can start appearing in search results right away, driving immediate traffic to your site.

Target Specific Keywords and Audiences:

Google Ads allows you to be very specific about who sees your ads. You can target by keywords , location , device , and even the time of day . For example, if you're running a limited-time promotion for HVAC services, you can ensure that people searching for "HVAC installation near me" in your city see your ad right when they need it.

Track Success and Optimize Over Time:

Google Ads provides detailed performance metrics, so you can see how your ads are performing in real-time. From clicks to conversions, you'll be able to measure success and make informed decisions on how to improve your campaigns for better results.

Why You Need Expert Help with Google Ads

While Google Ads is powerful, it's not a set-it-and-forget-it tool. To truly maximize the benefits, you need to fine-tune your campaigns constantly. This includes things like:

Choosing the right keywords based on user intent
Optimizing ad copy for high click-through rates
Refining targeting to reach the right audience at the right time
A/B testing ads to improve performance
Analyzing results and adjusting bids for better ROI

This is where Flypaper comes in. We specialize in creating custom Google Ads campaigns tailored to your business's needs. From setting up your first campaign to ongoing optimization, our team of experts is here to help you get the best results and drive real growth for your local business.

Get Started with Google Ads Today

Ready to take your local business to the next level? Whether you're new to Google Ads or need help optimizing your existing campaigns, our team can help. Contact us today to learn how we can craft a targeted strategy that drives more traffic and increases conversions for your business.

What Is SEO Content and How Does It Help My Website Rank Higher?

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:45:33 GMT

In the competitive world of digital marketing, SEO content is one of the most powerful tools you have to ensure your website ranks higher on search engines. But what exactly is SEO content, and how can it help elevate your online presence? Let's dive into the fundamentals of SEO content and understand its role in your business's digital marketing strategy.

What Is SEO Content?

SEO content is specifically created to rank well in search engines, such as Google. It's designed to answer the questions and solve the problems that your potential customers are actively searching for. But it's more than just throwing in a few keywords. It's about providing valuable , engaging , and well-structured content that Google can understand and reward with higher visibility.

The types of SEO content can include:

Blog posts that target specific questions your audience is asking.
Service or product pages optimized for keywords that convert visitors into customers.
Landing pages are designed to guide users to take action, whether it's filling out a form or making a purchase.

Why Does SEO Content Matter?

SEO content is more than just a buzzword—it's what helps your website get noticed by search engines and drives organic traffic. Here's why it matters:

Increased Visibility: Well-optimized SEO content helps your website appear in search results when customers search for terms related to your business. The more visible you are, the more likely you are to capture their attention.
Engaging Content: Effective SEO content addresses the questions your audience is asking, thereby keeping visitors on your site for longer. Google values websites that engage users and offer solutions to their problems.
Better Rankings: By optimizing your content with the right keywords, structure, and valuable information, search engines will be more likely to rank your content higher in search results.
Higher Conversion Rates: The right SEO content not only attracts visitors but also converts them into leads or customers. It's about giving your audience exactly what they need and building trust.

How to Create SEO Content

Creating SEO content may sound simple, but there's a lot more than meets the eye. While we'll share the basics, implementing these strategies successfully requires expertise and deep knowledge of your industry, your audience, and the ever-changing algorithms that power search engines.

Here are some key factors that contribute to successful SEO content:

Understanding Keyword Intent:

What is keyword intent? It's the reason behind a user's search. Are they looking for information? A product? A service? Understanding this intent and creating content that answers their question is key.
Pro Tip: You can't just focus on high-volume keywords. Tailoring content to meet the intent behind those keywords will improve your chances of ranking. But the best way to identify which keywords will work best for you? Well, that's something our team at Flypaper does expertly.

Structure and Readability:

Search engines love content that is well-organized and easy to read. This includes using header tags , bullet points , and short paragraphs . But the most important factor? Make sure your content is relevant and flows logically.
Pro Tip: Google looks for more than just keyword density—it evaluates how users interact with your content. If you're not following best practices for structure, you could be missing out on the opportunity to rank higher.

Creating Valuable Content:

Content isn't just about sprinkling in keywords. It's about providing real, tangible value. This means understanding your audience's pain points and creating content that helps solve those problems.
Pro Tip: It's important to keep the content updated and aligned with the latest search trends. Our team specializes in continuously analyzing what works and refining strategies as search engine algorithms evolve.

Optimizing On-Page Elements:

Things like meta descriptions , alt tags for images , and internal linking play a big role in SEO. But the trick is knowing how to balance these elements for maximum impact without over-optimization.
Pro Tip: Getting your on-page elements right can give you a competitive edge, but it requires an in-depth understanding of how search engines read and interpret your website. That's where our team's experience comes into play.

How SEO Content Helps Your Website Rank Higher

Here's where the rubber meets the road: SEO content directly impacts your website's search engine rankings. By incorporating the right keywords, structuring content for readability, and addressing your audience's needs, search engines are more likely to reward your website with higher rankings. But achieving this requires more than just applying a few tips— it takes ongoing optimization and expertise .

Relevance: Search engines aim to display users with the most relevant results. By crafting content that answers specific questions with in-depth information, your site is more likely to be viewed as a credible source.
User Engagement: Google considers metrics such as time spent on your site and bounce rate. Quality content that keeps users engaged can enhance these metrics, ultimately boosting your rankings.
Authority: When your content is well-optimized and provides genuine value, it not only builds trust with your audience but also with search engines. As a result, your website earns authority, which contributes to higher rankings.

The Flypaper Advantage: Why You Need Experts to Master SEO Content

While creating SEO content may sound straightforward, the truth is that the landscape is constantly changing. Google's algorithms are updated regularly, and staying ahead of these changes requires deep knowledge and strategic foresight —something that most business owners simply don't have the time to manage themselves.

That's where Flypaper comes in. We specialize in creating and optimizing content that's designed to rank. Our team has a comprehensive understanding of SEO best practices, industry trends, and your unique business needs, so you don't have to worry about keeping up with the constantly evolving SEO world.

Ready to take your website to the next level with expertly crafted SEO content? Contact us today to discover how we can help your business achieve higher rankings and drive more qualified traffic.

Marketing Myths Busted: What Local Businesses Really Need Online

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 20:36:32 GMT

If you’re a local business owner, you’ve probably heard it all when it comes to online marketing:

“SEO is a scam,” “You don’t need a website if you’re on Facebook,” or “Google Ads are only for big companies.” Let’s clear the air.

At Flypaper, we work with hundreds of small to mid-sized businesses across the country—so we know what actually works and what’s just noise. Today, we’re debunking some of the biggest digital marketing myths and sharing what local businesses truly need to grow their online presence.

Myth #1: “I don’t need a website—Facebook is enough.”

Reality: Social media is a great tool, but not a substitute for a strong website.

Your website is your online home base. It’s where customers learn about your services, check your hours, contact you, and—most importantly—decide if they trust you. A well-designed website helps you show up in search results, control your brand, and convert visitors into customers. Social media should support your online presence, not replace it.

��️ What You Actually Need: A mobile-friendly, professionally built website with clear contact info, service pages, and local SEO baked in.

Myth #2: “Nobody clicks on Google Ads—they just scroll past them.”

Reality: Google Ads can drive serious leads—especially for service businesses.

Yes, some people scroll, but plenty of searchers click on those top results. In fact, businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 spent on Google Ads. The key is targeting the right keywords, writing strong ad copy, and using conversion tracking (which we do!).

�� What You Actually Need: A focused Google Ads strategy, market-specific tracking numbers, and ongoing optimization—not just a “set it and forget it” campaign.

Myth #3: “SEO takes too long to be worth it.”

Reality: SEO is a long-term investment, but it’s one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies out there. Think of SEO like building a reputation online. It takes time, but once you’ve built trust with search engines, you can earn consistent traffic without constantly paying for ads. And when it’s paired with solid content and local strategies (like Google Business Profile optimization), it can make a huge difference.

�� What You Actually Need: Monthly SEO work that builds momentum—technical updates, content creation, backlink building, and local optimization.

Myth #4: “Online reviews don’t really matter.”

Reality: 87% of consumers read online reviews before choosing a local business.

Reviews are often the first impression someone has of your business. And they don’t just influence people—they influence search engines too. A strong reputation helps you stand out in local search results, builds trust, and increases clicks.

⭐ What You Actually Need: A proactive strategy to request reviews, respond to them, and monitor your reputation online.

Myth #5: “I can do all this myself.”

Reality: Running a business is already a full-time job. Tackling digital marketing on your own means keeping up with Google’s algorithm updates, managing ad budgets, creating content, tracking data, and troubleshooting tech issues— on top of everything else you do. Without the right tools, time, and expertise, it’s easy to waste money on strategies that don’t convert or fall behind competitors who are staying current.

�� What You Actually Need: A partner who understands your market, tracks your results, and helps you make smart decisions. As part of every service we provide, we’re also constantly learning and educating ourselves on platform updates, search algorithm changes, and the latest best practices—so we’re always applying what’s new and what works to help you stay ahead of the competition.

Ready to Cut Through the Noise?

Online marketing doesn’t have to be confusing or overwhelming. When you’ve got a trusted team in your corner, you don’t just do digital marketing—you win at it.

�� Let’s Talk

Want to see what’s working (or not) in your current strategy?

Case Study: Digital Marketing Strategies for Property Management Success

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:56:53 GMT

Two property management companies in Arkansas took unique approaches to digital marketing. One focused on maintaining a simple online presence, while the other utilized a comprehensive, data-driven strategy with a range of digital marketing services.

Client Overview:

Client A: Multiple Services

Industry: Property Management
Founded: 2014
Flypaper Client Since: 2024
Services Used: Search Engine Marketing, PT (Display Ads), Digital Out of Home (DOOH) → CTV
Goals: Increase quality applications, refine targeting strategies
Challenges Before Flypaper: Prior advertising efforts failed to generate high-quality applicants
Current Performance: Increased qualified rental applications, improved targeting and engagement

Client B: Online Presence Only

Industry: Property Management
Founded: 2014
Flypaper Client Since: 2023
Services Used: Online Presence
Goals: Maintain customer base, improve accessibility
Challenges Before Flypaper: No online presence, needed better visibility in the market
Current Performance: Steady but unchanged traffic

Service Comparison:

Performance & Callouts:

Client Insights & Lessons Learned:

Conclusion:

A well-rounded marketing approach makes a difference in the property management industry. Client A’s success highlights the impact of data-driven advertising, while Client B’s minimal approach shows the limitations of relying solely on a website.

Looking to attract more high-quality renters?

Flypaper’s multi-service digital marketing solutions can help you generate more leads and drive revenue. Contact us today to learn how we can support your growth!

Case Study: How Multi-Solutions Marketing Outperforms Standalone Websites

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:38:37 GMT

This case study compares two roofing companies—one leveraging multiple Flypaper services and another relying only on a website. The results highlight the impact of a full-scale marketing strategy.

Client Overview:

Client A: Multiple Services

Industry: Roofing, Restoration, Remodeling
Founded: 2015
Flypaper Client Since: 2021
Services Used: Online Presence, Lead Generation (LG), Precision Targeting (PT), Local Service Ads (LSA)
Goals: Generate more leads and increase revenue
Challenges Before Flypaper: Needed a steady flow of high-quality leads
Current Performance: 70+ LSA leads/month in peak season, strong display ad impressions

Client B: Online Presence Only

Industry: Roofing, Storm Restoration
Founded: 2023
Flypaper Client Since: 2023
Services Used: Online Presence (now hosting only)
Goals: Generate leads on a limited budget
Challenges Before Flypaper: Competitive industry, limited marketing budget
Current Performance: Minimal lead generation, struggles with call responsiveness

Service Comparison:

Performance & Callouts:

Client Insights & Lessons Learned:

Conclusion:

A strong online presence is just the foundation—adding strategic marketing services is key to sustained growth. Client A ’s investment in multiple services helped them dominate their market, while Client B struggled with limited visibility and lead flow. Businesses that leverage a full-service approach are better positioned to succeed.

Ready to Grow Your Business?

Flypaper’s multi-service digital marketing solutions can help you generate more leads and drive revenue. Contact us today to learn how we can support your growth!

Case Study: How a Multi-Service Approach Transformed An Auto Glass Company

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:16:04 GMT

Having an online presence is just the beginning. This case study compares two Arkansas-based auto glass companies—to illustrate the difference between using a full-suite digital marketing strategy and relying solely on website hosting.

Client Overview:

Client A: Multiple Services

Industry: Auto Glass Replacement
Founded: 50+ years ago
Flypaper Client Since: 2024
Services Used: Website, SEO, SEM
Goals: Increase leads and revenue
Challenges Before Flypaper: Has been in the business a long time, relying on traditional advertisements and exhausting those avenues
Current Performance: Achieved two conversions within the first week of running SEM - continues to have steady growth MOM

Client B: Online Presence Only

Industry: Window Tinting
Founded: 2021
Flypaper Client Since: 2022
Services Used: Online Presence Only
Goals: Increase leads and revenue
Challenges Before Flypaper: New company in a competitive market - mainly relying on word of mouth
Current Performance: Steady website traffic, averaging 9 form fill leads per month

Service Comparison:

Performance & Callouts:

Client Insights & Lessons Learned:

Conclusion:

While both businesses benefit from having a website, Client A’s investment in SEO and SEM has resulted in greater lead generation, higher engagement, and more immediate business growth.
For businesses looking to scale, a comprehensive digital marketing strategy is essential. Let’s talk about how Flypaper can help your business grow beyond just having a website.

Looking for better results? Let’s talk about how

 Flypaper can help your business grow.

Case Study: Transforming Digital Marketing Success for Med Spas

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:51:13 GMT

Two med spas took different approaches to their digital marketing. While one relied solely on online presence, the other invested in multiple Flypaper services. This case study explores how their strategies influenced growth, customer engagement, and overall performance.

Client Overview:

Client A: Multiple Services

Industry: Med Spa
Founded: 2017
Flypaper Client Since: 2021
Services Used: Online Presence, SEM, Funnel Booster, CTV/DOOH
Goals: Expand service promotions and drive higher engagement
Challenges Before Flypaper: Needed a strategy to scale their marketing and attract a wider audience
Current Performance: Significant growth, high website traffic

Client B: Online Presence Only

Industry: Med Spa
Founded: 2019
Flypaper Client Since: 2022
Services Used: Online Presence
Goals: Increase visibility and website traffic
Challenges Before Flypaper: Struggled with lead generation and online presence growth
Current Performance: Steady performance each month

Service Comparison:

Performance & Callouts:

Client Insights & Lessons Learned:

Conclusion:

Businesses that integrate multiple digital marketing services see stronger performance than those relying solely on a website. Client A’s growth showcases the power of a comprehensive strategy, while Client B’s stagnant performance highlights the limitations of a single-service approach.

Want to maximize your online presence?

Flypaper’s multi-service digital marketing solutions can help you generate more leads and drive revenue. Contact us today to learn how we can support your growth!

Case Study: How a Multi-Service Strategy Fuels Business Growth

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 12:41:29 GMT

Choosing the right digital marketing strategy is key to business growth. This case study compares a website-only client to one using multiple Flypaper services—showing the real impact of a full-scale approach.

Client Overview:

Client A: Multiple Services

Industry: HVAC & Generator Installation
Founded: 1986
Flypaper Client Since: Approx. 2016–2018
Services Used: Website, SEO, SEM (Funnel Booster with Extra SEM Spend), Precision Targeting (PT)
Goals: Improve online visibility, attract younger audiences, and increase leads.
Challenges Before Flypaper: Lacked an online presence and was not reaching modern digital consumers .
Current Performance: Noticeable business growth, high click-through rates on PT, and increased engagement.

Client B: Online Presence Only

Industry: Forestry Services
Founded: 1973
Flypaper Client Since: Approx. 2016–2018
Services Used: Online Presence Only
Goals: Increase visibility and generate leads through form submissions.
Challenges Before Flypaper: Had no online presence and struggled to reach modern audiences.
Current Performance: Receives many form submissions but has seen no significant growth beyond hosting.

Service Comparison:

Performance & Callouts:

Client Insights & Lessons Learned:

Conclusion:

While both businesses benefit from having an online presence, only Client A has experienced measurable success by using multiple Flypaper services. Their growth and increased customer engagement highlight the power of a comprehensive digital strategy.
For businesses looking to maximize their online presence, a website alone is not enough. Investing in SEO, SEM, and targeted advertising can create lasting impact and long-term success.

Looking for better results? Let’s talk about how Flypaper can help your business grow. 

Mastering SEO in the Age of Google’s AI-Powered Search

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Google’s search landscape is evolving, and with the rise of its Search Generative Experience (SGE), businesses need to rethink their SEO strategies. Unlike traditional search, which ranks results based on keywords, SGE harnesses AI to understand search intent, delivering direct answers, summaries, and interactive guides. The shift is significant, and businesses that adapt will be the ones who maintain visibility in this new search environment.

SGE vs. Traditional Search: What’s the Difference?

Traditional Search:

Relies on keyword matching to rank pages.
Displays a list of links based on relevance and authority.
Requires users to click through various websites to find the information they need.

SGE Search:

Uses AI to understand search intent and generate direct responses.
Provides summarized answers, step-by-step guides, and key takeaways at the top of search results.
Offers transparent source integration, linking directly to the most relevant information.

This transformation means ranking in SGE isn’t just about keywords anymore—it’s about providing valuable, well-structured content that aligns with Google’s AI-driven results.

Why SGE Matters for Your Business

SGE is redefining how businesses gain visibility online. Instead of relying on users to click through multiple search results, Google’s AI presents concise, authoritative responses upfront. Businesses that don’t adapt may struggle to appear in these AI-generated results.

Success in this new search environment requires a shift in SEO strategy. It’s no longer just about ranking for specific keywords—it’s about positioning your business as a credible, informative source that aligns with how Google’s AI curates content. Businesses that embrace this change will gain a competitive edge in digital search.

Why Partnering with the Right Digital Marketing Experts Matters

As Google continues refining SGE, staying ahead requires a deep understanding of how AI-driven search results function. A carefully crafted SEO strategy ensures your business remains visible and relevant in this evolving landscape.

Our team specializes in navigating these changes and developing content that resonates with AI-driven searches and human audiences. While we keep our proprietary methods confidential, our clients benefit from our expertise in creating tailored strategies that enhance their digital presence.

Let’s Get Started. Contact us today to learn how we can position your business for success in Google’s Search Generative Experience.

Spring Into Success: Refresh Your Marketing for More Leads

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:16:33 GMT

Spring isn’t just for deep cleaning—it’s the perfect time to refresh your marketing strategy and prepare for new growth. As the seasons change, so do customer habits, and businesses that adapt will have the edge. Whether in-home services are gearing up for a busy season or another industry looking to attract more customers, now is the time to fine-tune your digital presence.

Why Spring is a Key Time for Marketing

Warmer weather, longer days, and shifting priorities mean people are searching for services and making buying decisions. If your marketing isn’t optimized, you might miss valuable leads. A strong online presence ensures that when potential customers start looking, they find you first.

4 Ways to Refresh Your Marketing This Spring

1. Update Your Website & Online Presence

Your website is your digital storefront, and first impressions matter. Is it easy to navigate? Does it load quickly? Is your contact information up to date? A quick audit can reveal gaps that might be costing you customers.

Pro Tip: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly—most searches happen on smartphones, and Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search rankings.

2. Boost Local Search Visibility

Spring is a great time to optimize your Google Business Profile and update your local listings. If your information isn’t accurate, you could lose potential customers to competitors.

Quick Wins:

✅ Update your business hours, services, and contact details

✅ Upload fresh photos to your Google Business Profile

✅ Encourage satisfied customers to leave new reviews

3. Maximize Your Paid Ads Strategy

The competition for online visibility increases in peak seasons. Whether it’s Google Ads, social media advertising, or programmatic display ads , a targeted strategy ensures you reach the right audience when they’re ready to buy.

Are your ads working as hard as they could be? We can help analyze and optimize your campaigns to get better results.

4. Track & Manage Leads Effectively

Getting leads is great, but converting them into paying customers is what matters. Call tracking, CRM tools, and automated follow-ups ensure no opportunity slips through the cracks.

Ask yourself:

✔️ Do I know where my leads are coming from?

✔️ Am I following up quickly enough?

✔️ Do I have a system to nurture potential customers who aren’t ready to buy today?

Let’s Make This Your Best Spring Yet

A little marketing cleanup now can set your business up for success all year long. Whether you need a quick refresh or a full strategy overhaul, Flypaper is here to help.

Let’s talk about how we can help you grow this season—get in touch today!

Case Study: Strengthening Digital Foundations for a Construction and Restoration Company

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 15:18:15 GMT

Flypaper's expertise in Online Presence (OP), Lead Generation (LG), and Local Services Ads (LSA) enhanced this company's online visibility, reduced costs, and delivered measurable growth in website conversions and leads.

The Story:

This construction and restoration company, operating in Benton and Washington Counties for over 35 years, turned to Flypaper in 2022 for support with their digital marketing. They needed a functioning and regularly updated website to attract leads and better serve their local market.

Since partnering with Flypaper, they’ve seen significant improvements in their digital presence and customer engagement.

The Challenge:

Despite decades of experience in the industry, the company faced challenges in maintaining an up-to-date website and generating quality leads. Previously a client of Flypaper's DG services, they needed a fresh approach to build a strong online presence and streamline lead generation.

Flypaper’s team worked to address these needs with a multi-faceted strategy.

Marketing Solution Used:

Online Presence
Search Engine Marketing
Local Service Ads

The Partnership:

Flypaper implemented a custom strategy to revamp the company’s online presence. This included incorporating Lead Generation tools and Precision Targeting (PT) for improved branding. By adding Local Services Ads, the company further enhanced its visibility and lead flow.

Custom Solutions:

Lead Generation & Branding: Introduced targeted lead generation services and Precision Targeting to reinforce the company’s brand.
Local Services Ads: Launched LSA campaigns that generated 7 leads in a single month.
Website Optimization: Delivered a fully functional and updated website to better attract and convert visitors.

The Results:

Enhanced Click-Through Rate (CTR): Improved CTR by 2%, reaching a strong 6%.
Higher Search Impression Share: Boosted impression share to 67%, a 22% increase.
More Cost-Efficient SEM: Increased SEM conversions by 3 while reducing the cost per conversion.
Local Services Ads Performance: Generated 7 leads from campaigns in a single month.

966% increase in phone calls YOY

Case Study: Standing Out in a Competitive Market for a Synthetic Grass Provider

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:36:15 GMT

Flypaper's expertise in Online Presence (OP), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Precision Targeting (PT), and Social Media Ads helped this company navigate a competitive market while building brand awareness and driving targeted leads.

The Story:

This synthetic grass provider delivers high-quality solutions for residential and commercial clients in Central Arkansas, including Little Rock and Hot Springs. Their offerings include artificial lawns, professional-grade putting greens, safe playground surfaces, and durable athletic fields.

Partnering with Flypaper since 2021, the company sought to distinguish itself in a competitive landscaping market by leveraging its niche expertise in artificial grass installations.

The Challenge:

Competing in the crowded landscaping industry posed significant challenges, particularly in gaining visibility and attracting leads. Although their specialized services in artificial turf installations provided a competitive edge, the company needed strategic marketing efforts to highlight these offerings and reach their target audience.

Flypaper tailored a comprehensive strategy to address these challenges effectively.

Marketing Solution Used:

Online Presence
Search Engine Marketing
Social Media Advertising
Precision Targeting

The Partnership:

Flypaper adopted a strategic approach to boost its SEM campaigns through keyword research, search volume analysis, and continuous optimization. Recognizing the high costs associated with the competitive landscaping vertical, Precision Targeting (PT) was added to build brand awareness and attract a niche audience.

This omni-channel approach ensured their marketing goals were met while helping them stand out in their market.

Custom Solutions:

Optimized SEM Campaigns: Focused on aligning ads with customer intent through continuous keyword optimization and strategy refinement.
Precision Targeting Integration: Complemented SEM efforts by building brand awareness and increasing lead quality.
Social Media Ads: Expanded audience reach and drove engagement with visually impactful campaigns.

The Results:

Increased Visibility: Successfully positioned the company as a leader in artificial grass solutions within their region.
Improved Lead Quality: Delivered targeted leads through a combination of SEM and PT strategies.
Enhanced Brand Awareness: Leveraged PT and Social Media Ads to strengthen their presence in a highly competitive market.

185% increase in web traffic YOY | 115% increase in phone calls YOY

Case Study: Building an Online Presence for a Generational Tree Services Business

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:13:40 GMT

This third-generation family business has been providing exceptional tree removal and stump grinding services since 1977. Despite their long-standing reputation, they recognized the need to modernize their marketing efforts to remain competitive in today’s digital landscape.

In 2020, they partnered with Flypaper to build their first website and establish a solid online presence, paving the way for continued growth.

The Story:

When this HVAC services provider specializing in heating and air units partnered with Flypaper in December 2021, their goal was clear: become more well-known in their market and attract more customers. Their journey with Flypaper has transformed their business, boosting awareness and driving impressive growth through digital marketing excellence.

The Challenge:

Operating for decades without a website, the company lacked an online presence that matched its stellar local reputation. They faced challenges in reaching new customers who primarily search for services online.

Flypaper’s task was to bridge this gap and create a digital strategy to showcase their expertise and drive leads.

Marketing Solution Used:

Online Presence
Search Engine Marketing
Social Media Advertising
Precision Targeting

The Partnership:

Flypaper began by developing a professional, user-friendly website to highlight the company’s services and long-standing experience. Leveraging SEO and Lead Generation tools, Flypaper ensured the company reached the right audience, driving consistent inquiries and bookings.

Custom Solutions:

Website Development: Created a functional and visually appealing website to attract and convert visitors.
SEO Optimization: Improved online visibility through targeted content and keyword strategies.
Funnel Booster: Drove traffic to the website with highly optimized Google Search and Precision Targeting display ads. Frequent testing and enhanced conversion tracking ensured the site funnel remained loaded with individuals ready to purchase services.

The Results:

Year-Over-Year Growth: Since partnering with Flypaper, the company has seen steady growth each year, driven by our tailored strategies and continuous support.
Improved Online Visibility: Flypaper helped the company build a strong digital presence, expanding its reach and connecting with a wider audience.

708% increase in web traffic YOY | 103% increase in phone calls YOY

Case Study: Enhancing Visibility and Revenue: Flypaper's Tailored Marketing Solutions for an HVAC Service Provider

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:21:57 GMT

Flypaper's expertise in SEO, SEM, and custom strategies elevated this HVAC company's online presence, driving visibility, lead generation, and revenue growth.

The Story:

The Challenge:

As a business with a local customer base, they faced significant challenges in standing out online. They struggled with low brand recognition and limited advertising reach, which hindered their ability to attract new customers.

Flypaper’s task was to address these obstacles and craft a strategy tailored to their unique needs.

Marketing Solution Used:

Online Presence
Search Engine Marketing

The Partnership:

From the outset, Flypaper focused on delivering custom solutions that would amplify the HVAC provider’s visibility and drive results. By leveraging targeted Google Ads, informative blog content, and robust SEO strategies, Flypaper helped them connect with more potential customers and improve their online footprint.

This collaboration has been marked by the owner’s consistent gratitude, a testament to the success and value of the partnership.

Custom Solutions:

SEO Enhancement: Provided comprehensive content about the client and their services, coupled with engaging blogs to boost organic search performance.
Google Ads Campaigns: Developed targeted campaigns to generate high-quality leads and increase online visibility.

The Results:

Increased Visibility: Flypaper's strategies ensured the client became more recognizable in their local market.
Revenue Growth: The enhanced digital presence translated into measurable business growth.

89% increase in web traffic YOY | 280% increase in phone calls YOY

Case Study: Driving Growth with Quality Leads: Flypaper's Custom Marketing Solutions for a Multi-Service Contractor

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:46:44 GMT

Flypaper's expertise in Online Presence (OP), Lead Generation (LG), Precision Targeting (PT), and Local Services Ads (LSA) delivered an ongoing stream of quality leads, driving business growth and visibility for this contractor specializing in roofing and more.

The Story:

This contractor, primarily focused on roofing but also offering services in gutters, siding, fencing, decks, restoration, and remodeling, partnered with Flypaper in 2021. Their goal was to generate leads and enhance their online presence consistently. Since then, the partnership has transformed its ability to attract new customers and maintain a steady pipeline of leads.

The Challenge:

Operating in a competitive industry, the contractor faced challenges in standing out online and generating a consistent flow of high-quality leads. They needed a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to overcome these hurdles and grow their customer base effectively.

Flypaper stepped in to develop and execute a tailored plan that met their unique needs.

Marketing Solution Used:

Online Presence
Search Engine Marketing
Local Service Ads
Precision Targeting

The Partnership:

Flypaper focused on leveraging Local Services Ads (LSA) to deliver outstanding results for the contractor. Their LSA account quickly became a standout performer, driving consistent, high-quality leads. This approach was complemented by a robust online presence strategy, ensuring the contractor remained visible and accessible to potential clients.

Custom Solutions:

Maximized LSA Performance: Managed one of the best-performing LSA accounts, generating exceptional results through targeted campaigns.
Integrated Digital Marketing Strategy: Combined LSA with OP, LG, and PT services to ensure a steady flow of leads and enhanced online visibility.

The Results:

Best-Performing LSA: received 10,943 impressions, 1,121 clicks, and 104 charged leads, marking it a the top-performing accounts.
Increased Lead Generation: Delivered a constant flow of high-quality leads, with even slower months yielding a handful of valuable opportunities.
Improved Visibility: Maintained strong online presence through a multi-channel strategy.

102% increase in web traffic YOY | 150% increase in phone calls YOY

How Digital Marketing Agencies Turn Clicks Into Customers

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 19:17:27 GMT

In today’s fast-paced digital world, turning online clicks into loyal customers is more challenging than ever. We are here to help you navigate this complex landscape and drive real growth. Our tailored services are designed to meet your unique needs and ensure every click counts.

The Power of Fully Integrating a Digital Marketing Agency

Fully integrating Flypaper into your business strategy unlocks numerous benefits that can significantly impact your bottom line:

Comprehensive Expertise : Our team of specialists brings deep knowledge across all digital marketing channels—SEO, website design, social media, content creation, and more. We ensure that your marketing is effective and exceptional, driving results that stick.
Efficient Use of Resources : Using Flypaper with your digital marketing, you free up valuable time and resources. This allows your team to focus on what they do best while we handle the complexities of online marketing, ensuring you stay ahead of the competition.
Advanced Tools and Technologies : We utilize cutting-edge tools that deliver detailed insights, optimize campaigns, and track performance. These resources may be out of reach for individual businesses and can add up to high marketing costs, cutting into your revenue.
Scalability and Flexibility : As your business grows, so do your marketing needs. Flypaper offers the flexibility to scale your efforts, whether you’re expanding to new markets or launching new products. We adapt quickly, ensuring your marketing strategy evolves with your business and market trends.
Maximized ROI : Our strategic approach is designed to deliver measurable results. We help you achieve the best possible return on your marketing investment by targeting the right audience and continuously refining your campaigns.

Tailored Relationships with Flypaper

Flypaper understands that every business has different needs. That’s why we offer various levels of engagement to fit your specific situation:

Full Take-On : For businesses ready to fully outsource their digital marketing, Flypaper acts as your comprehensive marketing department. We manage everything from strategy to execution, ensuring a seamless and integrated approach across all digital channels.
Hybrid : If you prefer to keep some marketing functions in-house, our hybrid model allows us to collaborate with your team. We provide expertise in specific areas while your internal team handles other aspects, creating a partnership that leverages the strengths of both sides.
Consulting : For businesses that need expert guidance but want to maintain control over their marketing, our consulting services offer strategic advice, audits, and recommendations. We help you fine-tune your existing strategies and elevate your marketing efforts.

Why Flypaper is the Right Partner

Flypaper is committed to your success. Our approach is centered on understanding your business goals and crafting customized strategies that align with them. Whether you’re a current client considering expanding your partnership with us or a prospective client exploring your options, we’re here to deliver results that drive growth. We offer a full suite of digital marketing services to meet your needs. We’re here to help you increase website traffic, generate more leads, boost conversions, and ultimately turn clicks into loyal customers.

The Power of Online Reviews: How They Impact Your Business, SEO, and Customer Choice

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:39:22 GMT

Online reviews have become a critical factor in how customers choose businesses. With 88% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, your business's online reputation can make or break your success. Beyond influencing customer choice, reviews also play a significant role in your SEO, making them a key element of your digital marketing strategy.

How Online Reviews Impact Your Business

Online reviews are often the first impression potential customers have of your business. Positive reviews attract new customers, while negative ones drive them away. Reviews also build credibility, as consumers are more likely to trust the opinions of others who have already experienced your services. This trust is crucial, particularly for local businesses, where word-of-mouth and community reputation are vital.

The SEO Benefits of Online Reviews

Reviews impact customer perceptions and influence your website's search engine ranking. Google considers reviews when determining a business's credibility and relevance, particularly for local search results. The more positive reviews you have, your business will likely appear higher in search results, driving more traffic to your site.

According to Search Engine Land , businesses actively seeking and responding to reviews can significantly improve their local SEO. Engaging with reviews shows search engines that your business is active and committed to customer satisfaction, which can further boost your rankings.

Good vs. Bad Review Responses: Do's and Don'ts

How you respond to positive and negative reviews can greatly influence customer perception. Here's a guide to handling reviews effectively:

Do's and Don'ts of Responding to Reviews

Do respond promptly to all reviews, showing that you value customer feedback.
Do thank customers for positive reviews and express appreciation for their business.
Do address negative reviews calmly and professionally, offering to resolve the issue offline if possible.
Do keep your responses brief and to the point while still being personal and sincere.
Don't ignore negative reviews or get defensive. Acknowledge the customer's experience and show a willingness to improve.
Don't use generic responses. Tailor your replies to each review to show that you're genuinely engaged.
Don't offer incentives for positive reviews, as this can come across as disingenuous and may violate review platform policies.

Tips and Tricks for Managing Online Reviews

Encourage Reviews : Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or Facebook. Make it easy by providing direct links in follow-up emails or on your website.
Monitor Regularly : Monitor your reviews across all platforms and respond promptly to positive and negative feedback.
Use Reviews for Improvement : Treat negative reviews as an opportunity to improve your services. Address the issues raised and make necessary changes to avoid similar complaints in the future.
Share Positive Reviews : Highlight positive reviews on your website and social media to build credibility and attract new customers.
Stay Professional : Always maintain a professional tone in your responses, even if the review is unfair or overly harsh. Your response is public, and potential customers will judge your business based on how you handle criticism.

Online reviews are a powerful tool for building trust, improving SEO, and influencing customer decisions. You can enhance your business's reputation and drive growth by managing your reviews effectively, responding thoughtfully, and using feedback to improve your services. Remember, how you handle reviews—good and bad—can make a lasting impression on potential customers and play a significant role in your business's success.

Reflecting on 2024 and Looking Ahead to 2025: Flypaper’s Guide to a Successful New Year

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 19:03:45 GMT

As 2024 wraps up, we want to reflect on a year of growth, innovation, and collaboration with our clients. Digital marketing has evolved rapidly, and staying ahead has meant embracing new technologies and strategies to keep businesses competitive.

At Flypaper, our mission has been to help local businesses enhance their online presence, attract more customers, and achieve measurable growth. As we move into 2025, we’re excited about new opportunities and emerging trends shaping digital marketing in the year ahead.

Key Digital Marketing Trends for 2025

1. Personalization Through AI and Data

Consumers expect tailored experiences that meet their unique needs. In 2025, AI-driven personalization will be critical in delivering customized messages, offers, and interactions.

How Flypaper Can Help:

Our Precision Targeting services use advanced data analytics to ensure your advertisements reach the right audience with the right message, driving higher engagement and conversions.

2. Local SEO Remains Critical

With the rise in “near me” searches, local SEO continues to be a top priority for businesses looking to attract nearby customers. Google is placing even more emphasis on local search results, making optimization essential.

How Flypaper Can Help:

Our Online Presence services optimize your Google Business Profile, local listings, and website to ensure you rank higher in local searches. We also track conversions through CallRail, giving you clear insights into your ROI.

3. Omni-channel Marketing Is a Must

Customers interact with businesses across multiple platforms, from search engines and social media to local directories and email. A seamless, unified presence across all channels will be crucial.

How Flypaper Can Help:

We create and manage cohesive digital marketing strategies across Google Ads, social media advertising, and email campaigns to ensure your brand message is consistent and compelling.

4. Leveraging First-Party Data

As privacy regulations tighten and third-party cookies phase out, first-party data—collected directly from your audience—will become even more valuable for personalized marketing and retargeting.

How Flypaper Can Help:

We help you capture and utilize first-party data through optimized lead generation, email marketing, and website interactions, ensuring compliance and maximizing the value of your customer insights.

Starting 2025 on the Right Foot

As we reflect on what worked in 2024, we’re excited to look ahead to new opportunities for growth and success. With busy seasons on the horizon, it’s a great time to think about how your marketing can continue to support your goals and help your business thrive. Whether enhancing your local SEO, expanding your reach with Google Ads, or refining your overall strategy, we’re here to help you make the most of every opportunity.

Thank You for a Successful 2024!

We’re incredibly grateful for the trust and partnership of our clients over the past year. Your success is what drives us, and we’re committed to supporting you as we navigate the ever-changing digital landscape together.

Let’s make 2025 a year of growth, new possibilities, and continued success. If there are new ways we can help you strengthen your online presence or reach more customers, we’re ready to partner with you every step of the way.

Here’s to a successful new year!

— The Flypaper Team

Leverage Holiday Web Traffic with Programmatic Advertising

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:51:43 GMT

Maximize Holiday Traffic: Drive More Leads with Targeted Programmatic Ads

The holiday season is when online shopping reaches its peak, leading to a significant increase in web traffic. This presents an excellent opportunity for local businesses to capitalize on programmatic advertising. By implementing display ads and other programmatic strategies, you can use this surge in online activity to your advantage and drive more leads and conversions for your business.

Why the Holiday Season is Ideal for Programmatic Advertising

1. Increased Online Activity: The holidays bring a notable increase in web traffic, with activity from November 1 to December 21 being 1.5 times higher than the average day in September or October. This heightened online activity means more potential customers are browsing the internet, creating the perfect environment for targeted advertising.

2. Precise Targeting: Programmatic advertising uses data-driven technology to target specific audiences based on their behavior, interests, and location. This precision allows your ads to reach the right people at the right time, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

3. Cost-Effective Advertising: With programmatic advertising, you can allocate your budget more efficiently by targeting only those most likely to convert. The automated bidding process ensures that your ad spend is used effectively, minimizing waste and maximizing return on investment.

4. Real-Time Adjustments: Programmatic platforms offer real-time analytics, allowing you to adjust your campaigns on the fly. This flexibility is crucial during the holidays when consumer behavior and trends change rapidly.

How We Strategies to Maximize Holiday Programmatic Advertising

Segment Your Audience: Use data to identify and segment your audience based on their needs and preferences. Tailor your messaging to speak directly to each segment, whether they are looking for home improvement services or seasonal maintenance.
Create Compelling Ads: Design visually appealing and persuasive ads that resonate with your audience. Highlight special offers, limited-time discounts, or holiday promotions to attract attention.
Optimize Timing: Launch your campaigns to capture early shoppers and adjust them as the season progresses. Tailor your messaging to reflect the different stages of the holiday shopping journey, from early planning to last-minute purchases.
Focus on Local Targeting: As a local business, emphasize your proximity and personalized service. Programmatic advertising allows you to target specific geographic areas, ensuring your ads reach local customers who need your services.

The holiday season is a prime time to implement programmatic advertising and take advantage of the increased web traffic driven by online shopping. By leveraging precise targeting, cost-effective advertising, and real-time adjustments, you can enhance your marketing efforts and drive more leads to your business. Don't miss the opportunity to upsell programmatic advertising to your existing clients and maximize the holiday season's potential.

Contact our Campaign Specialist today to learn more about how we can help you succeed with programmatic advertising!

Camp Summit 2024 Recap: Training, Team Bonding, and Lots of Karaoke!

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:41:16 GMT

This year, we packed our bags and headed to Little Rock, Arkansas, for Flypaper's annual Summit, and it was a blast! The theme? Camp Summit. But it wasn't all just campfires and s'mores; we dove deep into training sessions designed to help our team better serve our current clients and continue growing your businesses. Here's a little peek at what we got up to:

The Art and Science of the CNA Workshop

This was a big one for us! Every team member sharpened their skills in conducting a Comprehensive Needs Analysis (CNA), which is our go-to process for understanding the ins and outs of your business. We learned how to approach your business from your customer's perspective, helping us create tailored marketing strategies. It's all about staying one step ahead and ensuring your marketing fits like a glove.

Holistic Account Management

After perfecting our CNA techniques, we expanded our thinking with holistic account management. Our goal is to go beyond cookie-cutter services and give each of you a unique, personalized approach. We talked about how to serve our clients even before and after the typical "need." So, expect us to be more proactive, identifying opportunities to boost your digital presence before you even ask!

Personality Training

We also took the DISC Personality Assessment, learning how to better collaborate with both our clients and fellow teammates. With a better understanding of personality types, we're more equipped to customize our communication style and workflow to fit each of you, ensuring smoother and more effective working relationships.

Celebrating This Year’s Winners!

Of course, no Summit would be complete without recognizing our team’s incredible achievements! This year’s award winners really stood out for their hard work and dedication:

Most Multimedia Contributions – Little Rock
Most Multimedia Contributions by Rep – Tiffany Armstrong
Highest Revenue Growth (Large Market) – Little Rock
Highest Revenue Growth (Small Market) – El Dorado
Most New Accounts – Chattanooga
Most New Accounts by Rep – Kara McNabb
High Revenue Growth by Rep – Kara McNabb
Top Closer – Alli Masley
Highest Sales AVO (Average Value of Order) – Jessica Downer
Highest Customer Specialist AVO (Average Value of Order)– Kai McCown
Most Upsell Contracts – Jamie Lawrence
Flypaper Flying Star – Kelsey Higginbottom
Flypaper Foundation Award – Kara McNabb

Summit Fun & Team Bonding

But it wasn't all work! Each night, we kicked back with dinner, bowling, and even some epic karaoke (we won't name names, but a few hidden talents were definitely discovered!) The best part? Getting to connect with colleagues from different markets, sharing experiences, and creating memories. Some of us even stayed the weekend to catch the Tennessee vs. Arkansas game – talk about team spirit!

As always, the goal of our Summit was to ensure that we're growing as a team so that we can continue helping you grow your business. We're all about bringing new ideas and fresh perspectives to the table, and we can't wait to implement everything we learned to better serve you.

Building a Strong Brand Identity

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 18:05:13 GMT

Discover how effective brand identity development can elevate your business and foster meaningful connections with your target audience.

What is Brand Identity?

Brand identity is the collection of elements that create your business's image. These include your logo, color palette, typography, messaging, and overall style. Together, these elements help customers recognize and connect with your brand.

Why is Brand Identity Important?

A strong brand identity makes your business recognizable and memorable, distinguishing you from competitors. It also creates an emotional connection with your audience, fostering loyalty and long-term relationships. A polished brand identity conveys professionalism, showing you are committed to delivering quality.

The Power of a Consistent Presence Across Multiple Outlets

Maintaining a consistent brand presence across all marketing channels is essential. Here's why:

Unified Message : Consistency ensures your message is clear and unified across all platforms. Whether a potential customer finds you on social media, your website, or through local ads, they should experience the same brand message and feel.
Increased Visibility : Being present on multiple outlets increases your visibility. The more often potential customers encounter your brand, the more likely they will remember and consider your services.
Broader Reach : Different customers use different platforms. Being active on multiple channels can help you reach a wider audience, which is crucial for attracting local customers.
Enhanced Trust : Consistent branding across various platforms enhances trust. Customers who see a cohesive and professional brand feel more confident in your business's reliability and quality.
Faster Business Growth : A strong, consistent brand presence can accelerate business growth. Customers who trust your brand are more likely to choose your services and recommend you to others.

Maintaining and Evolving Your Brand Identity Over Time

Your brand identity must evolve to stay relevant, but retaining core elements is crucial while adjusting. Regularly assess market trends, consumer preferences, and competitors and gather customer feedback to identify areas for improvement. When making changes, communicate them transparently to help customers understand and stay connected to your brand, building ongoing trust and loyalty.

Practical Steps to Build and Maintain a Strong Brand Identity

Define Your Brand : Outline your brand's core values, mission, and vision. Understand what makes your business unique and how you want to be perceived by your audience.
Create Brand Guidelines : Develop comprehensive guidelines that cover all aspects of your brand identity, including logo usage, color schemes, typography, and tone of voice. These guidelines ensure consistency across all platforms.
Implement Consistently : Apply your brand guidelines consistently across all marketing materials and channels. Ensure that every piece of content aligns with your brand identity.
Monitor and Adapt : Review your branding efforts regularly to ensure they remain practical and relevant. Be open to adapting your brand strategy as your business grows and market trends evolve.

What to Avoid

Even if you follow all the steps to create a strong brand identity, avoid these pitfalls:

Mixed Messages : Know what you want to say, and use the appropriate language and visuals to convey it.
Copying Competitors : While your competitors might have excellent branding, don't copy them. Instead, put your own twist on things to make your business stand out.
Inconsistency Between Online and Offline : Ensure your colors, type, theme, and message are consistent across print and online materials.
Chasing Trends : As your brand expands to new channels, resist the urge to follow trends that don't align with your brand's core values. Stick to what makes your brand unique.

A strong brand identity is an investment in your business's future success. Define, develop, and consistently implement your brand, and you'll build a loyal customer base and a thriving business!

Call Pooling: Is It Right for Your Company?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 19:17:50 GMT

Discover how integrating advanced call tracking can significantly transform your business operations and elevate your marketing strategies. Understanding where your calls originate and how they convert empowers you to make informed decisions that drive business growth and enhance efficiency.

What is Call Pooling?

Call pooling is a strategic method that utilizes a set of unique phone numbers to track incoming calls from various visitors. Each visitor is assigned a distinct phone number, which helps businesses accurately trace the source of each call. Businesses can gather detailed data on call origins, durations, and outcomes using unique numbers, enabling them to make informed decisions to enhance customer service and operational efficiency.

Is Call Pooling Right for You?

In today's fast-paced business environment, effective communication is crucial. Call pooling can improve your customer service and operational efficiency. If your business deals with high call volumes, fluctuating demand, or has a diverse team, call pooling ensures customers reach the right person quickly, enhancing satisfaction. For smaller teams or simpler call flows, a one-on-one approach might be more effective.

The Benefits of CallRail Call Tracking Numbers and Call Pooling

Real-Time Tracking: CallRail's call-tracking numbers provide immediate access to call data, allowing us to quickly identify issues and adjust campaigns.
Source Attribution: Call tracking reveals which marketing channels are driving calls, whether from a website, Google Ads, or local listings. You can analyze data to see which specific ads or keywords generate calls, helping to fine-tune campaigns for better results.
Detailed Reporting: Gain detailed insights into call metrics and customer behavior, which is invaluable for understanding campaign performance.

When to Use Call Pooling

High Call Volume: Prevents the same number from being assigned to multiple visitors, ensuring data accuracy.
Unique Numbers for Each Caller: Ensures accurate tracking and data collection by giving each visitor a unique number.
In-Depth Data: Provides comprehensive insights into visitor behavior and PPC keyword performance.
Better Insights: Detailed data helps optimize campaigns and improve ROI.
Accurate Attribution: Perfect for tracking which channels and ads generate calls in multi-channel marketing campaigns.

Reasons Call Pooling Might Be a Good Option for You

Boosted Campaign Performance: Real-time data and detailed tracking allow immediate campaign adjustments, optimizing effectiveness and responding quickly to market changes.
ROI: Accurate source tracking and in-depth analytics help identify the most effective channels, optimizing ad spend by focusing budgets on areas with the best results.
Deeper Customer Insights: Detailed reports and comprehensive analytics provide a clearer picture of team performance, helping to identify areas for improvement and enhance overall customer service.
Call Management: Efficiently organizes high call volumes, reducing data mistakes and ensuring smoother operations.
Scalability: Scales as your business grows and call volumes increase, providing a flexible solution that adapts to your needs without compromising tracking quality.
Strategic Insights: Data collected through call tracking and pooling can be used for long-term strategic planning, helping to identify trends, understand customer preferences, and develop strategies aligned with market demands.

Assess your needs and call patterns to decide if call pooling suits you. If you think call pooling might be a good choice for your business, contact our team. We're here to help you enhance your communication strategies and ensure you get the most out of your marketing efforts!

The Hidden Cost of a Poorly Optimized Website

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 18:39:50 GMT

Is your website making you money or costing you money?

In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for businesses of all sizes. A well-optimized website can drive traffic, increase conversions, and ultimately boost revenue. But what many businesses fail to realize is that the inverse is also true, having a poorly optimized website can cost you customers, revenue, and trust.

So, what exactly are the hidden costs of a poorly optimized website? Let's break it down.

Lost Revenue: One of the most significant impacts of a poorly optimized website is the potential loss of revenue. If your website is slow to load, difficult to navigate, or not mobile-friendly, you could be driving customers away before they even have a chance to make a purchase. Studies show that a one-second delay in page load time can result in a 7% reduction in conversions. That's money down the drain!

Decreased Search Engine Ranking: Search engines like Google prioritize websites that are optimized for speed, user experience, and mobile-friendliness. If your website falls short in these areas, you may see a significant drop in your search engine ranking. This can result in fewer organic visitors to your site, leading to a decrease in potential customers and sales.

High Bounce Rate: A poorly optimized website can lead to a high bounce rate, meaning visitors are quickly leaving your site without exploring further. This can signal to search engines that your website is not providing valuable content or a good user experience, further contributing to a decrease in search engine ranking.

Negative Brand Image: Your website is the digital front door of your company. If you fail to have a high functioning website, you could be turning your customers away before you even have a chance to win their business. Some of the things to look out for are slow loading times, unclickable buttons, broken links, and images that fail to load.

Increased Maintenance Costs: Fixing a poorly optimized website can be a time-consuming and costly process. From updating plugins and fixing broken links to optimizing images and improving site speed, the maintenance costs of a poorly optimized website can quickly add up.

In conclusion, the costs of a poorly optimized website go beyond just the dollars and cents. It can impact your revenue, search engine ranking, brand image, and maintenance costs. By investing in website optimization with a company like Flypaper, you can avoid these hidden costs and create a better online experience for your customers.

Remember, your website is the digital front door of your business. Make sure it's optimized for success!

Simple Strategies for Summer Success: Digital Marketing for Small Businesses

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:38:35 GMT

We're all excited for summer—warm weather, sunshine, and vacations. But for many small businesses, it can also mean a dip in sales as customers head out for their own adventures. If you find your business experiencing a slowdown during certain months of the year, don't worry!

There are simple and effective ways to use digital marketing to get your businesses name out there.

More interested in someone else taking care of your marketing so you can focus on running your business?

LET'S BREAK IT DOWN

Let’s dive into five easy strategies that anyone can implement, even if you’re not well versed in marketing.

Spruce up your social media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are your best friends when it comes to reaching potential customers. Take advantage of these free tools by posting engaging content regularly.

Share photos of your products or services in action, behind-the-scenes peeks at your business, and maybe even some fun summer-themed posts, discounts, or giveaways!

Avoid stock images whenever possible. And don’t forget to interact with your followers by responding to comments and messages promptly.

Get noticed on Google Search and Maps

If you haven’t already claimed your Google Business Profile, now’s the time to do it. It’s a simple process that allows you to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps.

Make sure your listing is up to date with accurate information like your hours of operation, address, and phone number. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews—it can boost your visibility and credibility!

Want your listings to be accurate across the internet? Good news! We have a product for that. Contact us now

Start a blog

You might think blogging is just for big companies, but it can be a powerful tool for small businesses too. Share your expertise by writing about topics related to your industry that provide value to your ideal customer!

For example, if you own a roofing company, you could write about how homeowners can proactively take care of their roofs or what steps to take if they have a leak.

Not only does blogging help establish you as a trusted authority in your field, but it also improves your website’s search engine ranking.

Run a summer promotion

Everyone loves a good deal, especially during the summer months. Consider running a special promotion or offering a discount to entice customers to choose your business over the competition.

You could host a summer sale, create a discount on certain services, or even hold a contest or giveaway on social media. Just make sure your promotion is clearly communicated across all your marketing channels.

Collaborate with your vendors or partners

Do you partner with other businesses in your industry? This is a great time to work alongside them and bring more business to you both!

For example, if you own a restoration company, you could partner with your favorite plumbing and construction companies to come up with some ways to give back to the community. When you post about it, each business has the opportunity to get more views than they would if they just posted on their own channels.

Implementing these simple digital marketing strategies can help your small business beat the summer slump and bring in more customers during the warmer months. So, don’t let the heat get you down—get creative, get online, and get ready to get more calls!

Take the stress off your plate and have a local company take care of your marketing for you:

Boost Your Brand Awareness: A Guide to Funnel Boosters

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 16:58:25 GMT

Do you want to be a household name in your area? Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, going all in with your marketing can be a game-changer for your success.

In this blog post, we'll break down a few staples in digital marketing and how they can help you reach your goals.

Don't have the time to do your own marketing? Leave it to us!

WHAT MARKETING SHOULD I INVEST IN FIRST?

We recommend creating a "Funnel Booster." This is a term we use to describe using multiple strategies to bring in more leads.

Imagine your online business as a funnel. At the top of the funnel, you have potential customers who are just discovering your company.

As they move through the funnel, they become more engaged and interested until finally, they make a purchase or take another desired action. This is all done with digital marketing.

The funnel represents the life cycle of your customer

Let's break down each section:

Attracting (Online Presence)

This includes your website, social media profiles, and any other online platforms where your business is visible.

A fully built, quality website will help bring people to your website. The same goes for your social media profiles. Posting helpful and informative content will bring people to your page.

Engaging (Ads)

Specifically, social media ads (like those on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter) or Google Display ads (which appear on websites within Google's network).

At this point, the people receiving these ads have probably seen you before, even if they don't remember. These ads are meant to keep your company on the top of their mind!

Converting

After all of this, people will be more likely to choose your company when they're ready to move forward and/or purchase!

By investing in both your online presence and targeted ads, you help attract potential customers, keep them interested, and guide them towards setting up a consultation, making a purchase, etc.

An all in approach can offer a powerful way to drive conversions. By combining your existing online platforms with ads, you can create a seamless customer journey that leads to success for your business.

So why wait? Contact us about our Funnel Booster package today and watch your business thrive!

Organizing Your Business: How a CRM Can Make Your Life Easier

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:16:13 GMT

Have you heard of CRMs but don't really know what they are? Do you know what a CRM is but it's just too much work to look into?

You're not alone.

We'll go through step by step on what CRMs are, how they can help your small business, and why they're worth your time and money.

Don’t feel like reading or prefer a more interactive experience?

Book time with our Director of CRM.

WHAT IS A CRM?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. Imagine a CRM like a super organized digital address book combined with a personal assistant. It's a tool that helps businesses keep track of all their interactions with customers.

So, instead of having bits and pieces of customer information and projects scattered around, everything is neatly organized in one place. It helps you remember who your customers are, what they've bought, and any conversations you've had with them.

Plus, it makes it easier to follow up with them, so you can build better relationships and keep them happy. Essentially, it's like having a virtual sidekick to help you stay on top of your customer relationships.

And the b est part? You can share this tool with your entire team.

LET'S BREAK IT DOWN

CRMs can do just about anything you need it to. How do we know? Because we use one, and it's changed the game for us!

Let's break down some of th e main things you can do with a CRM & why it's worth the investment:

Keep all of your customer information in one place

Ever wonder if one of your teammates has contacted a customer yet? No need to wonder anymore.

A CRM allows you to store all customer information in one centralized database, making it easily accessible to multiple employees. This can help provide a unified view of the customer across different departments and help in providing consistent and personalized service.

Whether you're a brand new business or you're established, there's never a better time to invest in a CRM than right now. Having an organized view of all of your projects and customers will free up time to focus on what really matters.

Improve your customer service

A CRM can help you provide better customer service by allowing you to track interactions with customers, such as phone calls, emails, and chats. It can also help track customer inquiries and support tickets, prioritize them, and ensure that they are resolved quickly and efficiently.

With a CRM, it'll be much h arder for things to fall through the cracks!

Manage your marketing

A CRM helps keep all your marketing tools in one place. This means you can send marketing emails, create website forms, and even manage social media posts without switching between different apps.

When you make forms in the CRM, they automatically connect to your customer list. This means you don't have to take the time to enter customer details. Phone calls can also be linked to your database, so you'll always have access to your conversations.

Manage your sales team

A CRM can help manage sales opportunities, pipelines, and forecasting. It can help your sales team keep track of potential customers and provide insights into customer behavior, preferences, and trends, which can help them close more deals and upsell to existing customers.

Increase your company's efficiency

A CRM can automate many manual tasks, such as sending emails, setting up follow-up reminders, and generating reports, freeing up your employees' time to focus on more critical tasks.

This feature is helpful f or everyone on your team, but especially your sales team. They'll be able to set up automations to make sure their leads are always being nurtured.

Track what's working and what's not

A CRM can provide you with valuable data insights, such as customer behavior patterns and preferences, which can help in making more informed decisions and improving the overall customer experience.

The great thing about CRMs is t hat there are hundreds of ways to track your businesses data. Want to know what ads are effective? Your CRM can track that! What to know how many calls your sales people are making per day? It can do that too!

Setting up a CRM does take time and effort. If you need help, we have a CRM consultant dedicated to helping you set up and take control of your data.

Set up a CRM consulation today:

Advertising vs. Digital Marketing: Bridging the Gap for Your Business

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:18:33 GMT

In today's dynamic digital landscape, it's essential for small businesses to understand the differences and similarities between advertising and digital marketing.

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they serve distinct purposes while sharing common ground that can be harnessed to boost your business's success.

In this blog post, we'll explore both the differences and similarities between advertising and digital marketing and demonstrate how they can work together effectively.

WHAT IS ADVERTISING?

Advertising encompasses strategies for promoting your products or services across various platforms. Traditionally, advertising referred to print media, billboards, radio, and TV commercials to reach a wide audience. In today's digital age, advertising has evolved to include online channels like social media, Google Ads, and display advertising.

Let's illustrate this with an example:

A local plumbing company invests in a digital billboard advertisement along a busy highway. This billboard displays their contact information and a catchy tagline. As drivers pass by, they see the billboard and become aware of the plumbing company's services.

How to identify an advertisement:

Paid promotion

Advertising involves paying for ad space or time on different platforms.

Broad reach

Advertising methods cast a wide net, targeting a large and often diverse audience.

One-way communication

Advertising is often a one-way communication method.

WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING?

Digital marketing is a comprehensive approach that leverages various online channels and tactics to connect with your target audience. It's not just about promotion; it's about building relationships and engaging with potential customers.

Types of digital marketing:

Content marketing

Digital marketing can come in forms of valuable and informative content, such as blog posts, videos, and infographics, which establishes your expertise and provides value to your audience

Social media marketing

When you think of digital marketing, you most likely think of social media. And you're right! Using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to engage with your audience, share content, and build a community around your brand is a form of digital marketing.

Email marketing

Ever received a weekly or monthly newsletter from a company you've purchased from in the past? Sending personalized and targeted emails is a great way to nurture leads and maintain ongoing communication with customers.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is one of the most helpful (and FREE!) forms of digital marketing. Optimizing your website and content can help your site rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

Pay-per-click ads

When you're ready to invest more in digital marketing, running paid ads on search engines and social media platforms can help drive targeted traffic to your website.

Let's illustrate this with an example:

The same local plumbing company creates a series of "How-To" plumbing repair videos on YouTube and shares plumbing tips on their blog. These informative resources help homeowners with minor plumbing issues and establish the plumbing company as a trusted expert in their field.

WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES?

While advertising and digital marketing are distinct, they also share some key similarities:

Targeted audiences

Both advertising and digital marketing allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors.

Example: The plumbing company uses Facebook ads to target homeowners within a 20-mile radius who have shown an interest in home improvement

Brand awareness

Advertising and digital marketing both help get your brand out there.

Example: The plumbing company's billboard ad raises awareness when people drive by it, while their helpful YouTube videos and blog posts create a lasting online presence.

Measurable results

Both approaches offer tools and metrics for measuring their effectiveness.

Example: By using Google Analytics, the plumbing company can track how many website visitors came from their billboard ad, if they use a unique URL, and measure the engagement on their YouTube videos.

Integration

The most significant similarity is that they can work together seamlessly.

Example: The plumbing company combines their billboard campaign with digital marketing efforts like targeted Facebook ads to maximize their reach.

While advertising and digital marketing have their differences and unique strengths, they also share common elements that make them compatible and effective when used in tandem. By understanding both the distinctions and similarities and using examples to illustrate their application, your business in the trades and service industries can harness the full potential of these strategies to thrive in the digital age.

Need help with your advertising and digital marketing?

Social Media Made Easy: Crafting Compelling Posts for Small Businesses

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 16:43:33 GMT

Social media has been and continues to be a crucial marketing tool for businesses, no matter their size. For small businesses especially, using social platforms effectively can greatly impact brand visibility, and it's cost effective too! But in the crowded online space, creating standout content is essential.

Here’s a practical guide on creating engaging content tailored for your small business. Grab a pen and paper and jot down notes as you go! Once you determine these things, posting on social media will be a breeze.

Know your audience

Understanding who your target audience is essential. Take a second to brainstorm:

What are the interests, concerns, and preferences of your ideal client?

How old is your ideal client? Where do they live and what is their estimated salary?

Once you figure out who your ideal clients are, tailor your content to resonate with them and address their needs.

Example:

For this blog post, we'll use a roofing company as our example.

Your target customers are most likely middle to high income homeowners in areas prone to severe weather conditions, like frequent storms or heavy rainfall. These homeowners are likely concerned about roof durability and are interested in preventative measures or how to spot potential issues.

Define your brand voice

Establish a consistent brand voice that reflects your business's personality and values. Determine the tone and style that align with your audience and business goals.

What are your company values? Why are you in business? This should dictate everything you do, including how you market your business on social media.

Think about the community your business is in. Is it close-knit? Is it a big city? If you live in a smaller community, a more personalized and casual tone could work better for your target audience. In a big city, you could keep it more professional, but still add a personal flare.

Example:

Your roofing company might want to sound reliable and professional while also being approachable. Your brand voice could be informative and reassuring, emphasizing expertise in handling various roofing issues.

Create eye-catching visuals

Invest in high-quality images, videos, or graphics that align with your brand identity. Photos and videos capture attention and show up on the algorithm much more than text posts.

Luckily, we're in a time where cell phones have great cameras. So if you can't afford to hire a professional photographer, then ask one of your employees who's good at taking photos and videos to follow you around your office or job sites for a day. Focus on capturing your workers in the moment, doing what they do best. Keep this content on an external hard drive or Google Drive/DropBox so you don't lose it!

If you're wanting to get started right away, you can utilize a few different options for stock photos.

If a subscription is in your budget, we recommend iStock and Shutterstock.

But no matter your budget, Canva is going to be your best friend.

Canva offers easy-to-use graphics, photos, videos, and templates for everything under the sun. What we love most about Canva is that it's truly user friendly. You don't have to worry about a learning curve like Photoshop. Canva takes out all of the stress!

We recommend creating graphics that can be used periodically so you aren't starting from scratch each time. You can create Brand Templates to make it easy!

Learn more about Canva

Example:

Share high-quality images and short videos showcasing before-and-after shots of roof repairs or replacements. For example, a series of images illustrating how your team fixed a leaking roof can visually communicate your expertise.

Share infographics of how to keep up with a roof so it can withstand big storms.

Write engaging captions

Accompany your visuals with captions that are attention-grabbing and concise. Tell stories, ask questions, or provide valuable information to encourage interaction. But make sure to keep your captions simple and easy to understand! Your audience doesn't know your jargon the way you do.

Need help crafting good captions? Use ChatGPT to get started! It's important to NOT just have ChatGPT come up with something and then copy and paste. Due to its nature, it is prone to plagiarism. Ask the AI to reword the caption a few times before settling on one.

Example:

Pair your images and videos with captions that highlight specific challenges faced during the repair process, how your team tackled them, or advice on maintaining a roof's longevity to engage the audience.

Utilize hashtags strategically

Hashtags help categorize your content and make it discoverable. Use relevant hashtags to expand your reach, but avoid overusing them.

We know hashtags can be hard. What are people really looking for? What hashtags are relevant?

Here are two free hashtag tools you can use:

Talkwalker

Hashtagify

Example:

You could utilize content hashtags such as #roofersinfayetteville #roofrepair #freeroofquote

Timing matters

Posting at the right time increases the likelihood of engagement. Experiment with different posting schedules to determine when your audience is most active. Platforms like Facebook Insights or Instagram Analytics provide data to help you identify peak times.

You should also plan in advance for time-sensitive content, like promotions, busy seasons, etc.

Example:

Post tips on roof maintenance or storm-preparedness before the stormy seasons hit. Share these posts during times when homeowners are likely planning for maintenance or repairs.

Foster engagement

Interact with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Building relationships with your audience fosters loyalty.

Example:

Respond promptly to inquiries, comments, and reviews. Encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences or before-and-after photos of their roof repairs.

Analyze and make changes

Regularly analyze your social media metrics to understand what content performs best. Adjust your strategies based on insights gained from analytics to improve future posts.

Need some help understanding your data? Here are some helpful links!

Need us to cover more on social media posting? Let us know! Happy posting!

How to Avoid Marketing Burnout: A Small Business Owner's Guide

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 20:39:26 GMT

Owning a small business can be rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. Your company experiences ups and downs depending on the market, clients, industry changes and other factors out of your control. If you own a small business, you know that digital marketing can be expecially difficult. Do you identify with any of these common stressors?

Limited Budget

Do you find it hard to set aside enough funds for marketing? Trying to make marketing work with limited finances can be really stressful!

You've got bills to pay, inventory to manage, and employees to take care of—all while trying to carve out some cash for marketing. It's like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. You know marketing is vital to grow your business, but it feels like a tightrope walk, balancing between making ends meet and investing in spreading the word about what you offer.

But hey, you're not alone in this struggle. Many small business owners feel the exact same way—navigating the challenge of marketing with limited resources.

What You Can Do:

Follow marketing resources on Instagram like @flypaperhq, @hubspot, @canva, @sproutsocial, and @neilpatel. These accounts can keep you updated on latest strategies, and it won't take much time out of your day to learn about them!
A local marketing agency can help you find creative ways to maximize your marketing efforts within your budget. There are smart strategies, cost-effective tools, and innovative approaches we can explore to make every marketing dollar count!

Quality Leads

Generating quality leads is a constant battle. You might face difficulties in finding and converting leads into customers. The pressure to maintain a steady stream of leads without the resources of larger enterprises can be overwhelming.

Finding quality leads is like searching for hidden treasure in a maze. You want people to notice your business, but grabbing their attention and turning that interest into actual sales? That's a whole different ball game!

What You Can Do:

Use tools that help you keep track of customers, like a CRM
Ask for guidance from your connections in the area
Hiring a local marketing agency can help bring in new customers too!

Competition

Competing against larger corporations or established competitors poses a considerable challenge. You need to stand out in a crowded marketplace, which creates additional stress to find innovative ways to differentiate themselves.

Creating your own identity, your brand story, your unique selling points—all while staying true to your values and what your business stands for—it's like piecing together a complex puzzle.

But here’s the thing: It’s not just about competing on their turf. It’s about finding your own spotlight. You have strengths they don't—like being more agile, having closer connections to your customers, and being able to adapt faster. These are your secret weapons in the battle against the big players.

What You Can Do:

Highlight what makes your business unique.
Get involved in your local community and showcase why your business stands out from the rest.
Need more help? Together, we can uncover those strengths, craft your unique story, and find innovative ways for your business to stand out. We’ll focus on what makes you special and create strategies to make that uniqueness shine brightly in the marketplace!

Time Constraints

Ever feel like you're juggling too many things at once? Small business owners wear many hats. Marketing often takes a backseat because there just isn't enough time. It's a real challenge!

From managing day-to-day operations to handling customer inquiries, dealing with suppliers, and keeping the finances in check—your to-do list seems never-ending. And in the midst of all this chaos, finding time to focus on marketing strategies can feel like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Your passion lies in your business, not in feeling overwhelmed by endless marketing tasks. You didn’t start your venture to spend hours on marketing plans or social media strategies. You want to focus on what you do best—running your business efficiently and delivering exceptional products or services to your customers.

What You Can Do:

Schedule out your social posts in advance so you only need to think about it once a month (or whatever schedule you decide).
By hiring a local marketing agency, you can streamline your marketing efforts, automate repetitive tasks, and outsource campaigns so that they don’t demand all your time. We’ll focus on maximizing your impact with minimal time investment, allowing you to steer your business toward success without feeling pulled in a million directions!

Burnout & Overwhelm

Have you ever felt totally exhausted from managing everything? Running a business can be tiring, especially when marketing adds to the daily workload. It’s easy to get overwhelmed!

You're the engine that keeps your business running—a whirlwind of activity, decisions, and responsibilities. And when you throw marketing into the mix, the load becomes even heavier.

Running a business isn’t a 9-to-5 job—it’s a 24/7 commitment. You’re not just managing the day-to-day tasks; you’re also thinking about the future, strategizing, problem-solving, and trying to keep everything afloat.

Feeling overwhelmed is completely normal when you're doing it all. It's okay to admit that it’s tough—because it is! But here’s the thing: You don’t have to do it alone.

What You Can Do: Contact Flypaper to take over your digital marketing! We'll keep you in the loop each month on how your business is showing up online, so you can have time to focus on what really matters.

See how one of our clients saw a huge benefit of outsourcing!

Proactive Marketing vs. Reactive Marketing: What's the Difference?

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:05:29 GMT

In the world of getting your business out there, small business owners like you face a lot of challenges. But there's a smart way to handle this—proactive marketing. And for folks running smaller businesses, it's like having a secret weapon.

So let's break down what proactive marketing and reactive marketing are:

Proactive Marketing

Making a Plan for the Long Run: Proactive marketing is like making a plan for your businesses future. It's a way for you to make smart decisions and not just do something quickly when things change. By planning ahead, you can save money in the long run and be ready for anything that happens.

Getting Ready for What's Next: Proactive marketing helps you look ahead and figure out what your customers might want in the future. This way, you can use your money smartly by planning for what's coming.

Standing Out from the Big Guys: Big companies always seem to have the best marketing, but with proactive marketing, your small business can be a great competitor. It gives you time to try different strategies, so you can compete and be special in what you offer.

Making People Remember You: Proactive marketing can be great for lead generation, but it's really helpful for brand awareness. It increases the chances of a customer remembering your company's name when they're looking for your services.

How Proactive Marketing Helps You

Grasping New Opportunities: Proactive marketing helps you see what's new and take advantage of it. You can change what you're offering to fit what customers want at any given time.

Using Money Wisely: You don't want to waste money and not see an ROI. Proactive marketing helps you spend your money smartly by thinking about what's best for the long term, not just for right now.

Building Rapport with Customers: Being proactive means you can get closer to your customers. When customers like what you do, they keep coming back.

Reactive Marketing

Contrary to proactive marketing, reactive marketing is about responding to existing market conditions and consumer behaviors . It's about changing your strategies based on what's happening right now, rather than trying to predict what will happen in the future.

Real-time Response: With reactive marketing, you need to respond in real-time to what's going on in the market or sudden changes in how customers are acting. It's all about acting fast to make the most of immediate opportunities.

Customer-Centric Approach: If you're using reactive marketing, what comes first is the customer's opinions and how the market is changing. You change what you're doing based on what your customers are saying and what they want.

Agile and Flexible Strategies: This method means you've got to be flexible and make quick decisions. It's about changing your ongoing plans, adjusting the messages you send out, or even bringing out new products fast because of what customers want right now.

Crisis Management: Reactive marketing is often used during crisis management or unforeseen market changes. It helps in mitigating negative impacts by adapting swiftly to the changing market.

While there are benefits to both options (and we do recommend utilizing both), simply put, proactive marketing is the best choice for any business. It helps you plan smartly for the future, stand out against competitors, draw customers back, and be ready for whatever happens in the business world. By using proactive marketing, your business can not just survive, but also be successful in the busy world of business.

The Two Questions About Google We Hear the Most

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 18:56:53 GMT

Dipping your toe into online advertising, or curious what other small business owners have questions about?

We meet with our clients monthly, so we’ve heard it all (and we have the answers!)

The two questions about Google that we hear the most are:

How do we get to the top of Google search results?

Summed up: A combination of optimized Google Ads and a high quality website will get you the results you're looking for!

Getting your website to the top of Google's search results involves a combination of strategies and ongoing efforts, which can include both Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Google Ads. These are the key components to improving your Google search rankings!

(And good news - we can take care of all of it for you!)

Keyword Research

Identify relevant keywords and phrases that your ideal customer would likely use when searching for your services and products.

Create Quality Content

High-quality, valuable, and unique content that addresses the needs of your target audience is vital. Use these keywords in a natural way, and include them in your titles, headings, and throughout your paragraphs.

Backend SEO

Optimize your meta titles, meta descriptions, URLs, and header tags. Your website needs to be well-structured for search engine crawlers!

Mobile Optimization

Make sure that your website is mobile-friendly because Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing.

Site Speed and Performance

Optimize images for website, keep videos to a minimum, and make sure your URL is secure.

Regular updates

Keep your website's content fresh and up-to-date to encourage search engine crawlers to revisit and re-index your site (this makes sure Google still thinks your website is relevant to searchers!)

Google Ads

We highly recommend pairing a high quality website with paid Google Ads to get the most out of your online presence. SEO is a long-term strategy, and Google Ads can help you get the results you're wanting faster!

It's important to note that this is not a step-by-step process on how to create a successful website. There are more tools that can be used to improve your search engine results, which our expert marketers use daily!

How long does it take until ads generate results?

Summed up: While there are multiple things that determine Google Ad results, we tell our clients an average of 3 months.

The first few hours to days

You can start to see some initial results shortly after launching your Google Ads campaign, such as impressions, clicks, and website traffic.

The first few weeks

A well optimized campaign can start seeing some conversions, such as form submissions and sales.

The first three months (Optimization Period)

It often takes up to three months to fully optimize a Google Ads campaign. During this time, you'll want to refine your keywords, ad copy, targeting options, and bid strategies to improve the ad performance, so you can lower your cost per conversion!

Depending on your goals, you could see results sooner than three months. If your goal is for more people to come to your website and to learn about your brand, you'll see results more quickly. But if you're focused on driving conversions and making sales, it will take longer.

Three to six months (Steady Growth)

Your campaign should continue to improve conversion rates as you make more data-driven adjustments.

Six months on (Long Term Results)

To maximize the benefits of your Google Ads, you should run your campaigns for six months or longer.

Google Ads is not a "set and forget" strategy. You have to monitor, analyze, and optimize your campaigns in order for them to produce the results you want!

Want more website traffic and form fills but don't have the time? Contact us for a no-commitment meeting where we'll get to know your business and come up with a marketing strategy tailored just for you!

Why Shouldn't I Be Googling My Business?

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 14:25:46 GMT

Are you Googling your business to see how you're ranking? Resist the urge!

We get it, you're excited about getting more leads and want to see how it's doing on Google. But it won't work the way you want it to. Why? There are multiple reasons.

What happens when I Google keywords to see if my business shows up?

When it comes to Googling keywords that don't have to do with your actual brand (i.e. searching "digital marketing company" vs. "Flypaper Digital Marketing"), it's actually hurting you.

If you see your website in a result but don't click on it, then Google will see it as irrelevant and will show it less to other searchers. And even if you do click on it, you're most likely not going to stay on the page for long, so Google will still think it's not as relevant.

Why don't I see my businesses website when I search keywords?

Don't worry! This doesn't mean you aren't ranking well. Like stated above, if in the past you've seen your website in a result but didn't click on it, then Google will see it as irrelevant and will show it less. And even if you do click on it, you're most likely not going to stay on the page for long, so Google will still think it's not as relevant.

Why are my Google Ads not showing up when I search my business' keywords?

If you Google your business (either branded or non-branded keywords) on a regular basis but aren't clicking on the ad, Google may stop serving your ads to you. Google's system will recognize your computer and stop showing you ads that it thinks you aren't interested in. Additionally, searching for your paid ads repeatedly but not clicking on them will damage your Click Through Rate .

It's truly a good thing if you don't see your ads when you're searching because you aren't the target audience.

Think of it this way: Your Google searches are already influenced by the information that Google knows about you. If that information doesn't match who you're targeting your ads towards, then you won't see them while searching. That means that Google is doing its job and your budget is being spent the way that it should be.

Okay, so how do I see my Google Ads?

The best way to view your Google Ads is through Google's Ad Preview And Diagnosis tool . You can find it by going to Tools & Settings > Planning > Ad Preview and Diagnosis in the top gray bar.

The Ad Preview and Diagnosis page lets you see which of your ads are showing up for any given keyword. If it detects that your ads aren't showing up, it will give you a list of possible reasons, and you can adjust your ads accordingly.

What should I do to find out how my business is ranking online?

The best way to see how your website is doing online is by using analytics tools like Google Analytics and Google Ads. If you can't help but search for your business online, use the Incognito/Private function on your browser. This hides your IP address from Google. The downside is that you will most likely see less ads and it can affect the functionality of websites you visit.

To sum it up, trust the data of your analytics tools, not your Google searches.

If this is too overwhelming, we have a solution for you! Our Campaign Specialists track how your business is doing online and give you reports in person, monthly. Curious how this could help your business? Drop us a line!

Common Misconceptions About Digital Marketing

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 13:45:00 GMT

20 years ago, we relied on billboards, radio ads, and flyers to get our brand out there. Now Google Ads, social media, and websites reign supreme.

While radio and print ads are still relevant and can bring results, digital marketing has proven to be one of the best tools for marketing available, especially in terms of ROI. But since it’s still a relatively new type of marketing, there are many myths and untruths about what digital marketing is and what it does. Here are some of the most popular misconceptions we've heard:

A website is all you need

Creating a website for your business is a great tool, especially because customers have a direct way to get information! But simply having a website isn't enough.

To appease Google and rank higher on searches over time, you must:

Optimize your website (SEO)
Research keywords and place them strategically in your content
Update your content routinely - at least quarterly

You can also increase your online presence by investing in:

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements
Social media presence and ads

Online presence is a mix of many things. People are likely to miss your website entirely without it and instead choose a competitor who has spent the money on digital marketing. Having a website is a great first step to establishing your online presence, but it's not enough to stand out from your competitors.

Social media won't work for my industry

We get it; social media is ever-changing, making it stressful to understand. However, there are millions of people on different platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, presenting ample opportunities to reach new audiences.

Social media is often the first place potential clients go when looking for information about your business. Curating an online presence is essential in 2022. We recommend starting with Facebook before anything else, and Instagram if you have plenty of photos or videos to share from your business. Engagement from customers like reviews, likes, or shares, can get you views from people you might never have reached otherwise.

Once you create these accounts, the best thing you can do is invest in social media ads to reach even more residents and businesses in your area.

Digital marketing is only for big businesses

We've seen one-person businesses blow up on TikTok and change peoples' lives. No matter the size of your business, digital marketing is for everyone. Why not use every tool available to you to make that happen? You don’t have to have an exuberant budget set aside for marketing to reap the benefits of digital marketing; start within your budget and watch your business grow!

There are too many people on the internet for digital marketing to make an impact

The fact that millions of people are online everyday can sound daunting. You may wonder, how do you reach your target audience through the vast numbers of people online?

Digital marketing is designed to precisely target those who are most likely to purchase your product or services, down to their specific location and interests! Whereas billboards, radio ads, and flyers reach a broad audience, even those who aren’t interested.

Digital marketing gets you the best bang for your buck by targeting promising prospects that could lead to business deals.

SEO is irrelevant in 2022

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of optimizing your website's content so you have higher visibility on search engines, such as Google. Since over 95% of searches happen on Google, SEO is vital! When someone is searching for something relevant to your business, you’ll want to appear organically near the top of the search, which is only achieved with great SEO. An optimized website works in tandem with Google Ads, display ads, and more.

Since marketing is ever-changing, it can be stressful to consider the number of options available to you and your business. Fortunately, you don’t have to handle all of this on your own. Hiring a local digital marketing company, like Flypaper, provides you with expert digital marketing knowledge at your fingertips.

We know that for your business, investing money into anything is a big decision, which is why we offer free consultations. We want to make sure that 1. Our companies are a good fit and, 2. You're ready to invest in digital marketing. Contact us today to learn more about how we can bring your more quality leads!

Should I hire a marketing company or an in-house marketing team?

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 17:12:00 GMT

Which is more beneficial for your business - a local marketing company or an in-house marketing specialist?

As a business owner, we know that what’s most important to you is ROI. Investing in digital marketing can grow your business, reach more leads, and increase your revenue. But before you establish a marketing team at your company, you should decide whether you should hire within or outsource to a local digital marketing company in your area. Here are a few things to consider:

Compare Costs

Outsourcing may seem more expensive but when you sit down and look at the expenses, outsourcing might actually save you money.

Outsourcing can cost you $600-10,000 per month, depending on if you are just in need of basic marketing services or the whole nine yards. On average, that $5,300 per month would cost you $63,600 per year. These packages generally include 2-3 marketing professionals dedicated to your account. This team is directly connected with other marketing strategists, creative professionals, and technical muscle within the agency, and with their volume have access to services and advertising programs you might not otherwise have access to.

Now let’s look into hiring just one digital marketing specialist in-house. According to Glassdoor, as of July 2022, a Digital Marketing Specialist has an average base salary of $51,060, and after including bonuses and commissions, an average of $79,797. You also have to consider the added benefits, equipment, training, and other onboarding costs. So already with one staff member in-house, it could cost more to invest in one person vs. outsourcing to a local company.

Talent recruitment

On average, it takes about 50 days to hire a marketing position. If you’re the business owner of one of the industries we most commonly help, like home services or law, then you don’t have 50 days to prioritize on hiring a marketing specialist. You need someone now!

That’s the best part of a local digital marketing company - you don’t have to find the right employee, just the right agency that will align with your goals.

Employee turnover

You won’t have to worry about finding a replacement for your marketing specialist when you collaborate with a marketing company because if a team member leaves, the company be able to keep your campaigns running smoothly by partnering with others in the company in the meantime.

Expertise

The in-house marketing specialist that you hire will have great skill and should keep up with industry trends. But the benefit of outsourcing to a local marketing company is that there are generally marketing specialists from multiple generations who are all keeping up with industry trends, so you get valuable ideas and input from every angle, no matter your target audience.

Capabilities

Digital marketing companies simply have more capabilities. If you are wanting to try out a new technique, like geofencing, marketing companies have the capabilities to get that going for your business immediately. When trying new marketing tactics in-house, it might take some time to get a strategy up and running with the best results.

On that note, many digital marketing specialists specialize in certain areas of marketing. This is why digital marketing companies are so helpful. Instead of just one or two staff members taking on all of the marketing tasks, they have multiple roles for each specialty so that your marketing campaigns are always done with quality and efficiency.

So what’s the benefit of collaborating with Flypaper?

The 2-3 staff members dedicated to your account have access to the knowledge of around 100 other marketing professionals.
We are owned by Wehco Media, so we have been well established and trusted in the print and marketing industry for years.
We focus on educating and training our employees every single week so we are always on top of industry standards and trends.
We don't pressure you into signing on. We truly want to help you get more leads and want our businesses to be a good fit for each other!

Get started on attracting more leads today!

Stay Relevant on Google by Spring-Cleaning Your Website.

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 17:36:57 GMT

Spring-cleaning is for more than just your house!

Even if you already have a high-quality website, you can’t let it sit stagnant with the same information, or Google will think it’s no longer relevant. That’s why we recommend spring-cleaning your website! With just a few steps, you can stay relevant and keep both Google and your prospective clients happy.

Update your content (new season, new content)
Updating content on your website is a quick way to see increased traffic. Make sure that you are highlighting all current products or services that you offer and remove any that your company no longer offers. By cleaning out old content, you will increase your site load speed and eliminate potential clutter for users. Google prioritizes fresh, relevant content, so you’ll gain credibility as well.
Remove old links and establish new ones
Nothing is more frustrating than clicking a link on a website and realizing it is not clickable or it leads you to a 404 or incorrect page. One way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to do periodic checks of the links on each page of your website. All links on your website should be relevant to what they’re supposed to lead to. If you are talking about a service you offer, but then post a link or button that goes to the homepage instead of the service page, users could be frustrated with that experience and leave instead of searching for the correct page.
Change out your photos
We’ve all seen a photo on a website and thought, “Wow, that picture looks dated.” Don’t be caught with an outdated website! Use the new season to update your photos. Make sure you remove pictures that may highlight former employees, old products, or outdated spaces in your office. While it is good practice to take photos throughout the year, this cleanup is a good time to snap any photos you didn’t get the chance to capture during the previous year.
Confirm all forms, emails, and phone numbers work
Businesses love leads, that is a simple fact. However, if your site is generating leads, but your leads are going to an outdated email or phone number, you may miss out on opportunities for growth. Check the emails and phone numbers listed on your site, along with the emails that your form fills go to.

While these tips for cleaning up your website are helpful, we know that a business owner's time is limited and valuable. That is why we work with our clients to ensure that their website is periodically updated throughout the year and stays relevant to their potential customers. If you are curious about how Flypaper can help you build a website, you love and keep that website updated for you, head over to our Website and Optimization page to learn more.

5 Benefits of Updating Your Website

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:29:01 GMT

Don't have time to update your website? We get it! We'll do it for you, just click here or submit the form at the end of the article to get started.

1. Keeps you in line with the trends.

Keeping tabs on what website trends and stats are driving results will give you an advantage over competitors. This will ensure you have the best shot at providing an experience that customers love. It will also ensure you are updating structural elements of your site like HTML, meta data, and schema.

2. It keeps your photos fresh.

Website visitors are often visual, which means that your photos play a big part in the impression your site makes. Updating the photos on your site can help ensure your site doesn't look outdated. It will also allow you to include photos of new customers or new employees.

If you are using stock photos, it is vital to update those regularly. Stock photos tend to appear outdated quicker than your own photos.

3. Allows you to change with your goals.

Let's face it when it comes to business goals, the only thing that is certain is change. Updating your website will allow you to stay aligned with your business goals. For instance, maybe you initially wanted to focus on getting people to call you, but after analyzing your business goals, you decided customers should submit a form on your site. Updating your site will allow you to stay agile as your goals change.

4. Improves SEO

The hands-down most important benefit of updating your website is the SEO benefits. Google is the top search engine, so we will use them as a reference. Google is looking for sites that are fresh and feature updated content. For instance, if all things were equal between you and a competitor, but your competitor has updated their website in the last 30-60 days, but you haven't, the competitor would likely rank higher than you on Google. So it goes without saying that updating your website can have massive SEO benefits.

5. Can remove redundant pages and improve site speed.

Site speed has been consistently getting more important over the last 5 years. As more consumers are browsing the internet on mobile phones, the need for a fast site has risen. Removing unneeded or redundant pages/content/images can help increase your site loading speed.

Advice To Help Your Business Grow In 2022!

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 20:08:37 GMT

Here at Flypaper, we know a thing or two about Digital Marketing. Here is our advice for your business in 2022!

Kyle | Lead Product Specialist - Hot Springs, AR

“The one thing every business needs nowadays is a well-built website. If you just started a business, you should really have your website built or in-work even before you secure your new business cards. A simple website with relevant content and keywords are the driving factors for a website’s success, and mastering those will nearly guarantee more valuable organic traffic to your business.”

Claudia | Product Specialist - Fayetteville, AR

"More than anything, businesses need to be open to change. The marketing world is evolving and even things that worked two years ago are out of date now. Find a company who keeps up with new trends and new recommendations by Google so that you can focus on your business and let the marketing experts handle bringing you new quality leads."

Nicole | Product Specialist - Little Rock, AR

"In 2022, it’s a good practice to try and ask at least 20 customers a week for a google review. Remember that they won’t all respond. For this, first make sure you have a Google My Business listing. Then ask your clients in person or via text if they would rate your services, then send them the link to your google my business review page and tell them you’d love it if they’d let others know about their experience."

Kelsey | Agency Manager - Nashville, TN

“In 2022, we think business should keep it local whenever possible. Whether it is the supplies you use, the products you sell, or the companies you partner with. Staying local makes the community stronger, and a strong community leads to a better chance to grow for local businesses.”

Trevor | Campaign Specialist - Little Rock, AR

"Business owners in 2022 need to understand the importance of establishing an online presence with proper optimization to increase their local reach. Google Ads are a great option for businesses as they can test their services first and then scale their growth with successful campaigns. The combination of a functioning website paired with Google Ads can result in quick return on investment and high profit margins for business owners."

Mercedes | Campaign Specialist - Fayetteville, AR

"The top two ways to grow your business in 2022: 1. Excellent Customer Service, and 2. Online Marketing. Online marketing will get you in front of the customers you want, and excellent customer service will keep them as long-time customers. Online marketing and excellent customer service are a pair that will grow brand awareness in your community, increase your business, and make you money!"

Scott | Digital Media Consultant - Little Rock, AR

"A good digital presence is no longer a “nice to have” It’s now a “have to have”. My background is is yellow pages. Yellow pages was the first search engine which was replaced by Google years ago. When someone needs your services they go to Google. Google has become a verb; "Google it". Make sure you’re dealing with a digital company that has a good track record in optimizing your site for Google so that it eventually shows up on the first page when people are looking for your services. Be patient; It takes some time to convince Google that you’re one of the best options for the search query. Anybody that tells you they can make it happen fast and for a cheap price is either lying to you or doesn’t understand the business. Secondly, you need a good website just to look legit. Potential customers WILL go online to check you out. If they look for you and you don’t have website at all they wonder if you’re even legit. If you still don’t have a digital presence, start the new year off by building one, optimizing your business for success. Google’s not going anywhere. It’s time to get in the game!"

Zak | Marketing Manager - Fayetteville, AR

"You get what you pay for. When it comes to marketing you can do it right or you can do it over and over again. Choose wisely!"

How do you plan a good digital marketing campaign?

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 20:10:27 GMT

2022 is the time for your business to finally make a marketing plan!

Planning is an important part of any digital marketing campaign. A while back we put out a podcast episode filled with insights to help you plan your digital marketing campaign. Check it out below!

**Audio Transcript**

Welcome to the fly chat podcast, where we help local businesses understand how to grow their business from the comfort of a keyboard. Let's go Welcome to episode two of the fly chat podcast. Over the next few episodes, we're answering the question, what is digital marketing. But before we can do that, we want to give you a definition that was thought up by the wonderful people over at MailChimp. Digital marketing is defined as any marketing that uses electronic devices to convey promotional messaging and measure its impact. In practice, digital marketing typically refers to marketing campaigns that appear on a computer, a phone, a tablet, or another device. It can take many forms, including online videos, display ads, and social media posts. Digital marketing is often compared to traditional marketing, such as magazine ads, billboards, and direct mail. So now that we know that definition, I want to tell you how I really like to think of digital marketing. I like to think of it as four distinct stages. And those stages are planning, execution, optimization, and reporting. Today, we're going to focus on that first stage I talked about which is planning. There's a quote by Thomas Jefferson that I absolutely love. And it goes a little something like this, by failing to prepare, you're preparing to fail. I fully believe that and I've seen that within any marketing campaign, I've run that if we don't have a clear plan going into it, either the strategy or the plan falls through. Or we never know what we're actually measuring. We don't know if we were successful or not. So we're going to talk about planning today. But we're going to break that down into a couple of distinct categories. And the three that we're going to talk about are planning who to target, planning your goals, and planning your retention strategy. So first off, we're going to talk about planning on who you're going to target. So when we talk about planning your target audience, that means that you need to understand who is the ideal customer for your business. A way that we commonly talk to businesses about this is saying, Who is the person that if they walked in your door today, you would be confident that you could sell them, you'd be confident that they could find the use of your product, they would find what you're offering useful. Once you know that audience, it makes it so much easier to go to the execution stage of your campaign. It's going to allow you to place your ads in the right location, whether that's social media ads, whether that's on a website, whether that's on a search engine, whether that's display ads, whether that's video, you're going to be able to place your ads in the right location, it's also going to allow you to utilize the right keywords and phrases. If you know your audience, you're going to know how they talk. And you're going to know how to best relate to them and how to solve the problems they have. But most importantly, it's going to allow you to craft a call to action that will be perfectly tailored to your audience. And as a result, your conversion rate is going to be much higher than if you didn't have that plan. And so what we like to encourage our people to do is understand who that customer is, so that you can write a call to action and figure out how to make that call to action solve the problems that they might be having. So let's say for instance, just as an example, you have a roofing company, and your ideal customer, are higher-end customers who want the most luxury roof and the best roof in their neighborhood. If that's the case, what you're going to want to do is make sure that you use terminology and phrases that really speak to luxury, having things like the envy of your neighbors, high quality, unique luxury, things like that, terms that match that luxury customer. Now, however, if you're looking for more of a bargain shopper, those words are going to change, it's going to be more best price or discount. You might use free estimates, things like that, understanding the words that will help drive those customers to take any action that you want them to take.

Next up, we're going to talk about planning the goals for your campaign. So goals are super important because it allows your campaign to have direction and allow you to understand where you're trying to go with your marketing. So when we talk to customers about goals what we commonly see is the knee-jerk reaction from the people we work with are to set goals that are super high goals. are almost unrealistic. So we see customers set those really unrealistic goals and then they feel like digital marketing just doesn't work for my business. We want to quickly provide some tips here that are going to help you create goals that make you feel like you're succeeding, that make you understand that you are moving in the right direction. So the first tip we have is to know where you are starting. What we mean by that is you have to understand where your business is starting. Let's say for a hypothetical situation, you're trying to grow your Instagram account by 1000 people. If you started with no Instagram following and you're doing it all from scratch, it might take you longer to get to 1000 people. However, if you started with 700 really committed people to your brand, it's going to be much easier and much more attainable to get to 1000 users on your Instagram page. So it's about understanding where you're starting. The same goes for a business that’s never had a website and that’s never marketed online. If they are trying to go out and they're trying to all of a sudden be the number one ranking thing on Google search engines, that just won't happen. If it's your first time ever marketing your business online, it's going to take time, it's not going to be a one-week thing, it's going to be a couple of months, it could be six months, it could be nine months. So understanding that your goals need to be realistic, which that leads us right into Tip number two, which is to make sure you set realistic goals when setting your goals makes them challenging, but not impossible. So one of the things that we hear commonly are goals tied to revenue, where a business says I want to double my revenue through my digital marketing efforts this month. That is a goal that is attainable for some but not for everyone. So let's say, for instance, you're a startup business and it's your first year in an operation, well, then maybe doubling your revenue is possible. However, maybe you're a long-standing business in the community, maybe you've been around 20 years, then doubling your revenue is a much harder goal to reach. So make sure you're realistic when setting those goals. The next thing is, if you don't reach your goal, it's okay to set a new one. It's okay to adjust that goal. So we see it very often businesses miss their goal. And instead of looking at it as okay, we missed our goal, how can we adjust to make sure we're better next time, they look at it as a failure and they want to stop. They say, Well, Google Ads didn't work. Having a website didn't work, Facebook ads didn't work. In those scenarios, what we see is that business never reaches their full potential by marketing themselves online, because they gave up before they even had a chance. I don't know if you've ever seen the graphic and the meme where the person's digging. And you can see the two people digging for gold, they're digging for diamonds. And one person is right close to that diamond, but they give up. And it shows them giving up but they're so close to the diamond, where the other person is still working in the diamonds are far away. That is something that we see with businesses all the time is they might be so close to a breakthrough, and so close to having their business just absolutely take off online. And they give up because they miss a goal. So make sure you are reasonable. And when your goals are set, if you miss them, adjust, adapt and keep pushing forward. So if you take advantage of these tips we gave you for goal setting, it's going to put you in a great position to have goals that help drive your business forward. Not goals that intimidate you, or goals that discourage your business. It's gonna allow you goals that push you forward, while also keeping you realistic and keeping you locked in on what the goal your business is.

The third thing we're going to talk about is how do you plan for the retention of customers. So this is something that we see businesses really just get confused by. They put money into Facebook, they put money into Google, and they get a lot of impressions, they get a lot of people who see their ad, however, what they don't do is capture customer information. They're not having customers fill out a form. They're not doing an email marketing campaign. They're not generating any type of information from the customer. They're just happy with impressions. That's good. And impressions are great. They help your business be seen they raise visibility. But what they don't do is give you a way to reach back out to those customers. So we do some things here at flypaper. And over the next couple of podcast episodes, we'll talk more about them. But the first thing we do at flypaper is we talk about what is your goal, what does that action that you want somebody to take? And maybe that is a phone call, maybe that's a form fill on your website, maybe that's following you on social media, or maybe that's purchasing a product, but what's the action that you desire and How can we help you get there? One of the tools that we talked about a lot here flypaper is what we call retargeting. That's where you have a display ad. And it's probably happened to you where you go to a website, you leave and all of a sudden, all over the places you're going on the internet, you see an ad for that place you that website you just visited or that product you just looked at, those retargeting ads are a great retention tool because what it does is it follows the people around who have been on your website, who've taken the time to look at what you have to offer. So we really encourage you to take a deep dive into what that retention strategy is for your business. And what actions do you value as a business? So before we get to our wrap-up, and our recap, I just want to stop and ask a question. When was the last time you really planned something? For me, it was planning a wedding, my wife and I got engaged in January of 2020. We started doing wedding planning in February of 2020. And it was normal, everything felt good, exactly like you would expect it to be. And then a couple of weeks passed, and we ended up finding ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic, suddenly, the plans that we made had become obsolete, we went from looking for music acts to looking at bulk orders for masks, it was a crazy time to have to plan something. But it really made me realize that the same way my wedding planning was taking such a turn and it was so up in the air and fluid. That's how it is marketing your business. Sometimes the plan changes, sometimes things that you thought were gonna be there aren't there. And so for example, let's say that you are trying to promote yourself on social media. And right before you're ready to launch this campaign, you've worked really hard on, the social platform launches new rules, and all of a sudden, your ads are not eligible to run. Or maybe you've worked really hard on writing really good content and creating a good website so that you can show up on a search engine. And as you're starting to climb, as you're getting close to the spot you desire, the search engine algorithm changes, and all of a sudden, you fall back in the rankings. that's just part of digital marketing, we see it all the time where plans change. And what we really encourage businesses to do is a partner with somebody who can help them navigate those changes. We know as business owners, most of the time, you're not just reading articles about the latest marketing news. That's just not how it goes. So what we encourage you to do is to partner with trusted people in your community, partner with trusted marketing executives, partner with trusted marketing agencies, and utilize their knowledge to help keep you on the right path. When things go wrong, you know that they can help you change your plan. So just to recap, today, we talked about stage one of the digital marketing process, we talked about planning, some of the things we talked about today, are understanding how to plan, who you're going to target, how to plan your goals, and how to plan to retain customers. We hope that you found this useful. And we hope that if you have any questions going forward, that you'll reach out to us we'd love to talk about this stuff. We honestly nerd out talking about it. So please reach out to us and then tune in in two weeks. When we talk about the second stage, which is execution. We're going to have some great tips, some great strategies of how to make sure you execute your campaigns. We thank you so much for tuning in to this week of the flychat podcast.

Core Web Vitals: What You Need To Know.

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 18:27:01 GMT

What is the Page Experience Update and what are Core Web Vitals?

The first major Google algorithm update of 2021 has arrived. The Core Web Vitals measurements are a part of the Page Experience Update released by Google in their May 2020 blog .

Google stated that page experience ranking signals based upon a set of Core Web Vitals metrics will be applied on all browsers and all devices. This update will most likely have a large impact on ranking factors. Historically, Google has prioritized a site’s mobile friendliness, browsing safety, HTTPS, load speed and other ranking factors. This new set of Core Web Vitals metrics will also be included in the list of items Google checks for page experience.

When will the new metrics take effect?

Through both internal studies and industry research, Google announced in May of 2020 that users prefer sites with great page experience and site speed. In previous years, Google Search has added user experience criteria as factors for organic ranking results. These include items such as mobile friendliness and how quickly pages load. But, this discussion in May of 2020 was a little different. Google announced Core Web Vitals, a new set of metrics that are specifically designed to measure responsiveness, speed and visual stability.

In November of 2020, Google wrote another blog about the topic with a release date of June 2021 for the Page Experience update and the Core Web Vitals metric system.

What are the new metrics?

Loading | Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) : The time it takes for a page’s main content to load.

What does this mean? How quickly do I see the content on the page.

Interactivity | First Input Delay (FID) : The time it takes for a page to become interactive.

What does this mean? How long after I tap a target does it take for the screen to respond.

Visual Stability | Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) : The amount of unexpected layout shift of visual page content.

What does this mean? When the page is loading - are things shifting around?

What are we doing at Flypaper to work with the new metrics?

The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of your website is of utmost importance to our Product Specialist Team. Any major changes to the Google ranking algorithm are analyzed by our Team and acted upon.

Here are our top takeaways from the Page Experience update and Core Web Vitals measurements:

Taking extra precautions on adding large images, image sliders or videos “above the fold”
Using no more than 2 or 3 fonts throughout a site.
Avoiding multiple custom or heavy widgets on the same page and moving them below the fold.

》Are you a current client at Flypaper and have questions about Google Algorithm updates? Contact your Campaign Specialist!

》Are you a business owner with questions about improving your online presence in the ever changing world of digital marketing and Google updates? Send us a message here !

3 Reasons Precision Targeting Is The Most Underrated Strategy In Digital Marketing

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:15:49 GMT

It's time to take advantage of digital marketing’s best-kept secret: display ads.

What are display ads?

Precision Targeting or display advertising are visual ads that are seen every day via ad networks like Google or Trade Desk. Display ads can be served on computers, tablets, or mobile devices.

At Flypaper, we utilize Precision Targeting (PT for short) in a couple of ways-

Driving awareness of your brand
Seeking out customers wherever they are on the path to purchase & influencing your potential customer while they conduct additional research
Retargeting customers who have previously been on your site

Below are a few examples of well-known display campaigns-

Purple is a national brand, but display ads aren’t exclusively for large companies. Small, local brands utilize display ads to accomplish the same goals as the big guys - getting in front of the right customer.

Next, is an ad Flypaper ran to raise awareness with HVAC companies. We targeted HVAC office managers and business owners in the markets where we work to highlight how we can help them gain visibility with their potential customers.

It was important that the ads have verbiage and imagery that would pique the interest of someone working in the HVAC industry. This is another great aspect of display ads, they can be tailored to a specific audience based on that audience’s interest, geography, or behaviors.

Now we’ll explain the 3 reasons we think Precision Targeting is great for businesses.

Precision Targeting allows you to be where your customers are.

One of the things that makes Precision Targeting unique is that it allows your ads to be where your customers are. This means that you can follow your ideal customer wherever they go online (to check the weather, to read the news, and to see how your favorite sports team is doing). With the dynamic targeting display ads offer, you’ll be able to follow the user (and not the sites the user is on), to increase your frequency with your target audience so that when they’re ready to buy, you’re the first person they think of.

Imagine serving ads for plumbing as your potential customer does research on how to choose a good plumber. There is no better way to influence someone than to plant the seed that you are an expert in the subject matter while they do that research. As time goes on, each time they see your ad, that seed grows a bit bigger. Eventually, they’ll be ready to buy and your business will seem familiar to them. They may not be able to place why, but this is the power of display advertising.

Precision Targeting allows you to passively stay relevant to the ideal audience.

Instead of aggressively pursuing your potential customers by calling / emailing them multiple times, Precision Targeting places your messages in front of your ideal customer while they go about their day. By utilizing this low-pressure approach, you can stay top of mind to the consumers who matter most to you. Then when they are ready to purchase they will remember your brand and your messaging.

If you pair your Precision Targeting with Google Ads it boosts your brand awareness significantly. When a consumer does a Google search to find a service or product and your Google Ad appears, your brand will be familiar to them since they have seen it on your various Precision Targeting ads. Pretty cool, right?

Precision Targeting lets you retarget anyone who has visited your website.

The last thing that makes Precision Targeting a great choice for businesses is the ability to retarget your website visitors. There is no other form of targeting that allows you to only target people who are interested in you. Retargeting allows you to track the consumers who visit your site and then serve them ads to remind them they were interested. Where retargeting becomes particularly effective is with long sales cycles or with products or services where consumers commonly do additional research before purchasing. This allows you to stay in front of consumers while they do their research. If your potential customer visits your site early in their path to purchase, they may forget your name when the time comes for them to make a decision. Precision Target can help eliminate this possibility.

Precision Targeting has a handful of advantages for businesses of all shapes and sizes. If you'd like to learn more about how Precision Targeting can help boost the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, fill out the simple form below and someone will be in contact with you.

How to utilize social media to grow a loyal fan base (Even during a pandemic).

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 21:21:00 GMT

Social distancing doesn't apply to social media.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have seen businesses take many different approaches to how they handle

marketing. Some have hit the pause button and decided to weather the storm. However, a large group of businesses have kept things going and continued to stay top of mind for their customers. One way businesses have done this is by utilizing social media. In our blog post today we are going to talk about social media marketing for businesses. We will share examples of businesses that are using it well and, in turn, are keeping their customers informed and loyal to their business. We are going to outline three strategies: keeping clients informed, adapting to the situation, and telling your story.

Keeping Clients Informed

This strategy focuses on keeping customers informed about the current situation and also strives to spread factual information to the people who follow the business. Careful structuring of the message can lead to a more engaged and loyal customer base as well as increased reach for your brand. We are going to look at two examples of businesses that utilized this strategy: Kittell Clinic and Fairview Kennels, both in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Let’s check out an Instagram post from Kittell Clinic.

As you can see in the post, Kittell Clinic took an informational approach and discussed the curve and what it means. And, by weaving in humor and a small promotional push, they checked all the boxes in their social post. They also used video which commonly outperforms posts with images only. One piece of cautionary advice: if you are not a customer who works in a medical-related field, going too in-depth on medical stats and charts could lack credibility and come off as forced.

The next post we are going to look at is one from Fairview Kennels.

Fairview Kennel's post is more straight-forward. It simply lets customers know that they will be closed for a while to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is a great way to keep people informed and let them know that you are making a responsible choice to protect both customers and staff. While closing is never an easy decision for a business, being transparent and keeping your customers in the loop builds loyalty and trust.

Adapting To The Current Situation

Our next strategy is adapting to the current situation. This strategy is one that can only be employed if the business model allows it and if there are no government-issued mandates that prevent you from operating. These adaptations are things like curbside pickup, delivery, online ordering, gift cards, virtual service, additional online resources, etc. We are going to look at a few businesses that are thinking outside the box and adapting to new challenges.

First up is Choo - Choo BBQ in Chattanooga, TN.

Choo Choo BBQ, like many businesses, has switched to a model that includes delivery and online ordering. They let clients know about this, and in turn, they also give the link to order online. This makes it easy for customers to find the link to order. They have also waived delivery fees on orders over $20. This makes ordering from them very enticing. Now is the perfect time for businesses to show flexibility and to truly show customers that they are the most important part of their business.

Next up, we have Rebel Kettle Brewing Co. in Little Rock, AR. Check out their Instagram post below:

This is a prime example of a challenging situation leading to an opportunity. In the state of Arkansas recent changes to regulations have allowed beer and wine to be sold curbside or by delivery if in a sealed container. This means that businesses who never imagined they would be able to do curbside and delivery suddenly can. Rebel Kettel is a great example of adapting while also being very transparent on the challenges that come with sudden change. In their Instagram post, they talk about how they are working to process orders and are honest about orders often taking a little longer than expected. This transparency with customers helps to set proper expectations and their writing style makes the post feel like a letter to an individual rather than mass communication.

Telling Your Story.

The next strategy is telling your story. This requires a bit of radical transparency. It is where a business brings the customers behind the scenes to show them things about the business, the staff, or the strategy. You commonly see things like this with large organizations; you see much less of it when it comes to SMBs. However, with most people stuck at home, now is a perfect time to tell people the story of your business, and even more so, the story of the people who make your business great!

First up we have the Cincinnati Zoo, they are hosting “Home Safaris” live on their social feeds. Check out one below:

Live videos give people who have never had the opportunity to visit the Cincinnati Zoo a chance to learn about the zoo and the animals. It also allows them to raise money for the Zoo. This is imperative for a non-profit, especially when people are unable to visit in person.

The next example is Chapman Service, Inc. They hosted a Facebook Live to discuss how to maintain safe, clean air in your home to protect your family. See the Facebook post below:

The above example can fit in both keeping customers informed and telling your story strategies. It allowed the company to share information while also letting people see one of the faces of the business. It also shared their insider tips for keeping good air quality in the house. Your business can utilize this strategy by going live on Facebook or Instagram. One of the best things we’ve seen this week is an Instagram live video that was going well until one of the host’s kids walked on screen wearing a full Spiderman costume. It was hilarious, it was unplanned, but most importantly it was real!

As you can see in the examples we’ve shared, many businesses are dealing with uncertain times by staying connected with their customers and continuing to stay relevant on social media. We understand that this isn’t always the easiest thing to manage when you are responsible for so many other things in your business. Luckily, keeping you relevant on social media is something that Flypaper loves to do. Hit the button below to contact us so we can discuss your company's social media strategy and how it can help you stay relevant in uncertain times.

Songs to Help You Power Through Working From Home.

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:44:00 GMT

When it comes to working from home, the right song makes all the difference!

Like many people across the country, the Flypaper team has been working from home since mid-March. One thing we’ve found that helps us power through our workday at home is music. Whether it’s old school ballads or new hits, music has been a big part of working from home for us. So we asked our team to share some songs that help them power through their to-do list while working from home during COVID-19. Then we had our Marketing Manager listen to all of the songs and write his initial reactions to each one. Enjoy!

Hypnotized - Fleetwood Mac

The title of this song was correct. The subtle beats and smooth voices made it feel like being hypnotized, but then again it could just be that we are on week five of working from home.

Life’s Been Good - Joe Walsh

We all wish we were sitting on the beach with a drink in our hands right now, but this song is as close as we can get given the current situation.

Starman - David Bowie

Every list deserves a bit of David Bowie and this hit is a great fit for a song to power you through WFH!

Hard To Forget - Sam Hunt

Disclaimer - this was my addition to the list, this song is the right mix of country, pop, and weirdness.

Good Life - Kanye West

When you are trying to finish a task list a bit of old school Kanye delivers just the right amount of motivation to power you through.

Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles

While working from home many articles suggest getting outside to take a walk. This song is the perfect soundtrack to that afternoon stroll.

Kick Jump Twist - Sylvan Esso

This song is a mix of video game beats and coffee shop vibes. I LOVE IT!

Dance Monkey - Tones And I

This song seems to be on the radio every time I get in the car. However, that doesn’t stop me from turning it up and getting my groove on.

Savage - Megan The Stallion

Working from home has caused me to venture into the world of Tik Tok and because of that, all I can think of when I hear this song is my lack of dancing skills. (See Below)

Starboy - The Weekend

This song is a couple of years old but I will still queue it up every time I see it on Spotify.

Time - Pink Floyd

This song takes a lot of “time” for the intro, but after it gets started it is the Pink Floyd we know and love.

Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue

This song used to get me hyped up before a game, now it gets me hyped up before finishing an expense report.

Tadow - Masego

I had never heard this song before, but it is safe to say I will be listening to it 50 more times today!

Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine

This song is a classic. It's upbeat and makes me want to get up and dance, which I just might do.

Mr. Rager - Kid Cudi

I have spent my fair share of days jamming to Kid Cudi while knocking out tasks; the perfect dose of chilled out motivation.

As an added bonus we’ve included a Spotify playlist featuring all of the songs on the list (we even added a podcast that was recommended by our Vice President of Sales, Pat Eastburn!). If you have any songs that are helping you power through your time at home drop them in the comments.

The CARES Act and You!

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 18:42:00 GMT

What it means for your small business.

Businesses are doing everything they can to maintain a sense of normalcy during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, some new programs have been put in place that are designed to help small businesses survive in uncertain times. The program we are going to focus on is the "Paycheck Protection Program" in the CARES Act. The first thing we are going to talk about is a few fast facts about the Paycheck Protection Program.

In the program, a small business is defined as under 500 employees.
It is advised that before applying for the loan you speak with your legal counsel or your accountant.
The PPP process is delivered through the bank, which means that you must go to your local bank to apply.
You must know your payroll as the program offers up to $10 million or 2.5x your payroll, whichever is less.
These loans have a possibility of being forgiven if you meet a few criteria, including if the loans are used for payroll and you maintain 75% of your staffing and payroll.
Loans that are not forgiven must be paid back within 2 years and will start at a 0.5% interest rate.
These funds will be highly sought after, so apply soon!

One important thing to keep in mind is that while there are chances for the loan to become a grant and be forgiven, that is contingent on meeting the criteria as outlined in the documentation that accompanies the loan. We encourage you to look through some of the links at the bottom of this article to gain more knowledge on the Paycheck Protection Program. If our team at Flypaper can be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

CARES Act Fast Facts

List Of Small Business Loans

Paycheck Protection Program FAQs

How to Submit Your SBA PPP Loan Application and Calculate the Loan Amount

Getting Started On Your PPP Loan

If you are looking for a wider reaching article on the CARES Act and other programs that have been put in place, we recommend this informative article from our friends over at HubSpot.

How Small Businesses Can Take Advantage of the U.S. Stimulus Package

5 Reasons Your Online Presence Matters During COVID-19

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 16:33:00 GMT

COVID-19 has brought many challenges, but it has also brought opportunities.

6/30/2021 UPDATE: While we continue to see companies return to the office and restrictions be eased, it is important to have a good online presence. This is because many of the changes that were made at the pandemic's peak are going to stick around. One of the main things that will stick around is consumer reliance on technology due to its convenience and speed. So while some of the headings in this article mention things that have come and went the purpose of the article is still as relevant as it was when we initially published it.

1. Searches are still happening.

We are continuing to see searches happen online during the COVID-19 outbreak. Stats are continuing to show that internet usage is spiking, with some reports showing up to a 70% spike in internet usage. While everyday during COVID-19 has brought a new challenge, one thing remains the same: people are still searching. The question that we often ask businesses is, "When someone searches for you online can they find you?" that question is more relevant now than ever.

2. Stimulus is coming to all individuals

The stimulus check that will put money in the pockets of individuals is great news. Now the way people spend that stimulus check will differ depending on the situation some are in. Some families will use the check to replace the income of a lost job, while others will invest their stimulus money into an opportunistic stock market. However, some people will use that money to fund improvements at home and make purchases they have been needing to make. If your business can be found online there's a good chance you can capture a piece of the spending that happens after stimulus checks go out.

3. People are sitting at home looking at things they need to get done.

While sitting at home in quarantine many people are looking around and noticing a laundry list of things that need to be done. Whether they realize they need to hire a lawn care company to take care of the growing grass or they decide to fence in their backyard to create a place for their kids to play, people at home with time on their hands may finally decide to take action on projects they had been delaying. A quick drive through the neighborhood shows that people are still spending money and having work done. The thing that stands out the most is that the businesses getting the work are the businesses who can be easily found online.

4. People don’t have to take time off to let someone in to do the work.

In normal circumstances a customer would have to find a way to be home when the person doing the job showed up. That could mean they have to use vacation time or that they have to hope that they can get an appointment early in the morning or late in the afternoon. However, during COVID-19 most people are at home during the day, making it very easy to be present when a contractor shows up to do the job. What better time for them to look for someone to do that job they've been putting off?

5. Letting people know that you can do “contactless” jobs could get you work.

In a time where social distancing is one of the most popular terms, it is important to promote your services that can be done with little or no contact. By promoting those services, you give potential customers peace of mind that they can still get stuff done while observing social distancing and keeping their family and your employees safe. Some businesses have even put their ability to do contactless jobs front and center on their marketing campaigns. This helps them stand out and show that they can adapt to the circumstances.

So while COVID-19 has changed the way of life for many businesses and individuals, there are still jobs to be had and customers to service. Our team at Flypaper is right here to help you adapt to the changing times and to create an online presence that gets you in front of people who are searching for the services that your company offers.

Contact your local agency or email us at hello@customerswhostick.com and let us help you create a strategy to help your business adapt to these changing times.

Crush your 2020 Goals with Flypaper!

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 20:51:00 GMT

You've got goals to set and we've got some tips to help you set them.

As we start 2020 it is important to reflect and establish goals for the year, the only problem is that creating attainable goals can be tough and sticking with them can seem impossible. That being said we wanted to work to help you start off on the right foot by offering some goal setting tips from our team members and having them tell you a goal they have for 2020.

As we set the stage it is important to understand that we didn’t specify what type of goal we expected to hear and left the question vague so that our team didn’t feel obligated tailor their goals to a professional focus and mention things like working to increase the organic ranking of their customers using Search Engine Optimization and quality content creation or goals revolving around improving their knowledge of our various products like SEO, SEM, Social Media, Precision Targeting, Etc. Instead, we received a mix of goals, some with a professional focus and some with a personal focus. Enjoy!

Dillon Key – Digital Campaign Specialist

My goal setting tip: Don’t judge yourself when you fail

In years past, I would start something, fall short & then decide not to continue with my goal(s). I think, mentally, you have to speak life to yourself & understand that you’re not striving for perfection, just progress. This has taught me to be patient & forgive myself + others.

My 2020 goal: I want to grow my LinkedIn to reach 1,000 connections by October 1, 2020.

My Intention: I value learning about our world & how it relates to growing brands.

My gameplan: Consistency. I want to add at least one new connection & publish one piece of content every single day on LinkedIn. In doing this, I’ll retrospectively prune accounts I don’t find value in or learn from. Some days I may connect with 10 different people, some days it may just be one.

The vision here isn’t to simply grow & reach a number for the purpose of bragging rights — it’s to establish a lifestyle practice of consuming valuable content every single day that helps my career, relationships, hobbies, health, etc.

Jake Martin – Lead Campaign Specialist

My Goal Setting Tip: Keep your list short and achievable.

It's good to want improvement in our personal lives, but sometimes we can get overzealous. Instead of immediately overwhelming yourself with massive amounts of change, start with small, realistic goals that you'd like to achieve. You might complete one of your goals faster than you expected, and that's great! Now use that feeling of accomplishment and tackle the next thing!

My 2020 goal: Routinize one thing I care about.

Boom.

Elijah Moreno – Product Specialist

My goal setting tip: Keep your goal attainable.

A lot of people think about the big picture when setting goals. It's like taking a lego set and turning to the last page and saying "I want to build this". To get to the end result, multiple steps are required. Break your big goal down into smaller, short term goals. Instead of saying you want to lose 30 pounds, set your goal at 3 pounds for the month. The second biggest challenge for people is not planning out how they will achieve this goal. It's all fine and dandy to make a goal, but don't go in blind. You would never want to go into a meeting without a game plan, would you? Nope! To be able to lose those 3 pounds, I'm going to cut down my soft drink intake to one a day, cut down my portion size, and go to the gym once a week. The final step is commitment. If you aren't committed to a goal, then it won't happen. These things don't happen overnight. It takes on average 66 days for a behavior to become automatic. Set yourself a daily reminder to be working toward your goal. Put a sticky note on your mirror for reassurance. Putting the goal in front of your daily will keep your mind on track. Once you reach the goal, give yourself a reward! Take yourself out to a nice dinner. Celebrate with friends. Buy that new shiny toy you've been wanting for a while. Treat yourself because you deserve it.

My 2020 goals: Continue going to the gym 2-3x a week. Learn one new thing about SEO every two weeks. Be more organized with spreadsheets, lists, etc.

Tulsi Patel - Team Lead & Campaign Specialist

My goal setting tip : Set a reasonable goal for yourself.

Make it something that you can work up to. For example, your goals may be to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year. Set quarterly goals to lose about 12 pounds or a pound a week. When you set a big goal, it can seem overwhelming or almost impossible. Setting mini-goals for yourself will help you from feeling discouraged, but instead, feel more accomplished (maybe utilize a check-off list) so you can complete your resolution!

My 2020 goal: Expand my knowledge and experience in both in a professional and personal realm while embracing an optimistic outlook.

Zak Himes – Digital Product & Training Manager

My goal setting tip: Don’t let the thoughts of the finish line stop you from starting the race.

Often times if I let myself get caught up in what the end result of goal will be I find myself getting discouraged when progress towards those goals seems slower than I want. Instead of thinking about how the goal will impact you in a year think about how it will impact you in a month, a week, a day, or an hour.

My 2020 goal: Creating a discipline of constant learning both professionally and personally.

While our individual goals may be different our overall goal as a company is simple we want to help local businesses grow, we want them to help them succeed in an ever-changing digital world. We would love to team up with you and help your business grow in 2020!

Choosing a Marketing Partner

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:13:00 GMT

A roadmap for deciding which type of marketing company is right for you.

Choosing a marketing strategy can seem overwhelming to small business owners. You know that marketing needs to be a part of your business, but you’re not sure where to start. Thankfully, there are a variety of solutions available to business owners, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The challenge is determining the right fit for your business’ needs.

In order to save you a bit of time in your search, we’ve categorized the six most common options that exist today. With a list of pros and cons, we hope to help you make a more informed decision.

1. BRANDING AGENCIES

Pros : Creating new designs, video, imagery, etc., High-Quality Work

Cons: Usually one-trick, No traffic generation

Branding agencies have been around since the late 1800s with the same focused goal: to make your business stand out from the others. Branding agencies are especially great for owners who are just starting a business. They can help you create a logo, a mission statement, and they help you to begin to differentiate yourself immediately.

Additionally, they can help you develop dynamic presentations through video footage and imagery. This is especially valuable as your new business seeks to find its footing.

These agencies are also helpful if you are reevaluating your goals or trying to reestablish yourself. For older companies looking to fit into a different type of environment, branding agencies can offer invaluable assistance as you recreate your company’s image.

Furthermore, branding agencies can help you with things like swag bags, giveaway items, and the like. These are another way to get your name into the public consciousness and to encourage people to think about you more frequently. And, because they are professionals with experience, you can rest assured that branding agencies (at least the dependable, reputable ones) will perform high-quality work which will help you increase brand recognition.

On the other hand, branding agencies tend to have a more limited reach. Branding’s goal is to be far-reaching, but it does not offer the depth associated with messaging. The purpose of branding is to get the word out and to get your brand into the public consciousness.

It is not concerned with traffic generation or conversions. Designed to pique the interest of consumers and inform them about your company, branding does not directly help you sell any of your goods or service.

If you are searching for a company that can help you launch or reinvent yourself, branding could be the best choice. However, if you are most interested in increasing conversions, this strategy may not be the best choice for your business.

2. COUSIN / FAMILY FRIEND

Pros: Cost-effective, Rapport, Easy Communication

Cons: Not as much accountability, get what you pay for sometimes, not cheaper if things are done incorrectly (agencies are held accountable for mistakes, won’t charge if service wasn’t provided. You can’t really come after your cousin.)

Small business owners have to be cost-conscious -- especially in the early stages of their business. Because of this, they are often looking for the most effective, efficient, and cheapest way to do things. Sometimes that means using the resources to which you have the easiest access. Finding friends or family who have knowledge or skills that may benefit your business is a great way to get a leg up on things while potentially saving money.

Working with friends or family can also make things a little simpler. There’s no need to spend time building a rapport or learning how to communicate. Instead, you can usually launch right in without worrying about getting to know one another. This lends itself well to beginning to generate more immediate results.

While there are some advantages to working with someone you already know, especially if they’re willing to help you out financially, there are also some significant drawbacks. Perhaps the biggest drawback is the fact that there isn’t as much accountability. Differences of opinion or a desire to change strategies can be difficult conversations to have -- even more so if they are working at little to no pay. Asking them to spend more time doing work for you can also be problematic.

Furthermore, many times you may wind up with what you pay for. The quality of the work can often leave something to be desired and again necessitate a difficult conversation. This can lead to some ugly fallout and, in extreme cases, a severing of a relationship. Plus, whatever amount of money you have paid them may be a sunk cost, if they did not provide the quality of service that you expected.

Working with a professional agency gives you the ability to have a more open dialogue regarding campaign strategy and tactics. It also protects you in the event that services are not completed to your liking. You are a bit more protected when working with established, reputable agencies. And, above all else, if there is a falling out between you and the agency it won’t cost you a personal relationship.

3. MAJOR MEDIA COMPANY

Pros: Wide Audience, Creative, Exposure

Cons: No transparency -- no tracking, declining consumption

Marketing has been around almost as long as the written word. If you are selling a product getting the message out is critical to your success. Major media is a time-tested way to accomplish that goal.

Major media -- usually considered to be print (newspaper, magazines, etc), TV, and radio -- has a long history of helping deliver a business’s message to consumers. Thanks to significantly large distribution channels, major media has long been viewed as the go-to way to deliver your message. Major media can help you reach a vast number of people quickly.

This distribution can lead to tremendous exposure for your company. Anyone within the local viewing area, radio antenna range, or newspaper delivery footprint can potentially hear your message. This shotgun-style approach enables you to expand your reach and spread news about your products and services to a geographically and economically diverse set of areas. And, thanks to the repetitive nature of commercials, you can be fairly certain that your ads will have a pretty solid saturation rate for potential customers.

Major media also offers a significant amount of creativity. Television messaging is different from radio messaging and both are different from newspaper messaging. Because of those differences, there is a need to craft unique ads for each medium. This allows you to come up with a variety of types of ads to most effectively speak to each audience. Creativity and originality are some of the greatest benefits associated with major media marketing. Each audience demands and expects something different. Partnering with major media allows you to reach people where they are and in the way that best appeals to them.

However, there are challenges associated with major media. First and foremost, accurate tracking is difficult. This means that while you may be spending a rather significant amount of money to market, there is no way to determine your exact return on investment. The number of newspapers sold does nothing to tell you how many people reading them saw and acted upon your ad. Similarly, just because someone heard your ad on the radio does not mean that they called or visited you as a result. Television commercials have long been an opportunity for people to use the restroom, make some food, or attend to something else while waiting for their show to return. Now, thanks to DVR technology, people can record programs and skip commercials altogether. Just because your commercial is airing does not mean it is being seen. Without accurate ways to measure how people are responding when and if they see or hear your ad, it’s difficult to know whether you are effecting real change.

The other consideration to make relative to major media is the reduction in consumption from traditional means. Newspaper readership and subscriptions are not nearly as high as they used to be. More and more people are subscribing to music streaming services which allow them to hear music without listening to ads. And, as everyone is aware, television has changed as rapidly as anything else in the last five years. More people are walking away from cable, choosing streaming services as their means to watch shows and sports.

The changes in major media and the difficulty associated with measuring advertising through these channels are important considerations for your budget and goals.

Major media tends to be a bit more expensive and does not provide the type of real-time feedback you need in order to understand how well your advertising is working. You may be broadcasting to a large area with a large number of people, but there is no guarantee they are receiving and acting upon that advertising. Be sure that you are prepared for this possibility before you decide to go all-in with major media advertising.

4. TRADITIONAL AD AGENCY

Pros: Full service, resources, large teams

Cons: Spread thin, Expensive, Slower -- more bureaucracy

When people think of traditional marketing or advertising, they generally think of something similar to what exists in the television show Mad Men. These types of agencies include messaging experts, art directors, and executives who work to create a tried and true strategy utilizing research and focus groups. They will also distribute your message through standard means like television, newspaper, and radio. There may be some social media marketing as well.

These types of firms offer a full-service approach. This allows you to turn all of your advertising and marketing needs over to the company and let them craft your messaging, strategy, and delivery. They meet with you and get your approval prior to launching the advertisements to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Traditional firms also have a wealth of resources from contacts and connections to producers, videographers, and more. They offer a vast network of options for you and your business. They also have large teams, each of whom has a specific focus and specialty. There are people who work to create the story for the ad, another team that creates the visual, and other teams that fill various roles within the campaign, too. Traditional firms offer a comprehensive set of services that can meet your business’s needs.

However, traditional firms can be expensive. The amount of money required to create beautiful campaigns necessitates that they charge accordingly. Additionally, the number of team members that they have carries with them a significant cost. When you choose a traditional firm, be ready to pay for their services.

Also, be ready to be patient. There is a lot that goes into crafting a campaign and they can take months to formulate. And, if you don’t agree with the vision they’ve prepared, you will need to be prepared for things to start anew. This will take more time as well.

This is 2 parts of a 3 part series. Visit us again later this week for the final 2 most common marketing partners for small businesses!

BEN HAZLEWOOD

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Wordsmith and trivia guru; husband and dad

JAKE MARTIN

Campaign Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Serial hobbyist and gaming nerd

THE BUZZ: 10.14.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 13:23:00 GMT

Google embraces the spook with their newest release.

Google My Business moves away from SMS messaging with customers.

Starting November 15, Google My Business messaging will move from SMS to the free Google My Business app. This means that you will no longer receive an SMS when a customer reaches out to you. To keep up with messages from your customer, simply download the Google My Business app, log into your account, tap “Customers” select “Messages” and tap “Turn on Messaging”.

Instagram to launch a new messaging all called ‘Threads’.

Last month, The Verge reported that Instagram is rolling out a messaging app for close friends. This app would would even include a new “Auto-Status” feature that would update people on your movements throughout the day. Threads is essentially another messaging app, with all the typical messaging features that you would expect.

Google will use learning to manage ad frequency when cookies are missing.

Google announced it will soon be using machine learning to manage ad frequency when cookies are missing. This change will roll out in the next few weeks to Display and Video 360, though Google plans to bring this to its display offerings in Google Ads too. This change has been rolled out in an effort to improve user privacy while still being able to serve ads in a meaningful way.

Twitter apologizes for using phone numbers and email addresses for ad targeting.

This week Twitter admitted that it had been using people’s personal emails and phone numbers for ad targeting purposes. Twitter found that people’s personal information, which they provided purely for account security purposes, had been used to match them for more relevant ads.

Google outlines the latest Halloween Search Trends with “Frightgeist”.

Google just released its latest 'Frightgeist' search trends index, which showcases the latest Halloween search trends by region, costume, and a variety of other subjects. The newly released Frightgeist has improved from years past with updated graphics and creepy, 80s horror movie style music that plays in the background

ABBY ARMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

THE BUZZ: 10.7.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:48:00 GMT

Hey LinkedIn, shouldn't you have done that a long time ago?

Google continues to tighten security, provide more options amidst privacy concerns.

Privacy is important to everyone – especially in a day and age when technology makes us easier to track than ever. As the desire to protect our information grows, Google has responded to our concerns. They have announced new options within Google Maps, YouTube, and the Google Assistant to help users limit what they share within those products. So, whether you want to prevent yourself from getting search results that don’t really pertain to you or you want to prevent your Google Assistant from storing information, Google has heard you and responded.

Despite surging numbers on mobile, businesses still seeing major returns on desktop.

The push in recent years has been to enhance the mobile experience for your customers. With the increase in mobile searches, the thought has been that people would be more likely to use their phones to search and make purchases. However, while behavior is heading in that direction, there is still a long way to go . There are some critical reasons for this, including apps and sites that focus on traffic instead of conversions, landing pages that don’t make purchasing easy, and ads that can generate inadvertent clicks

Facebook stories for business gets a major upgrade.

Stories are becoming a larger part of the Facebook experience. Because of this, Facebook is expanding people’s ability to engage with businesses. By integrating a messaging option into stories, consumers can now directly interact without leaving the app. This is just another way that Facebook is looking to streamline communication and help businesses and customers connect.

LinkedIn gets smarter, adds targeting logic and demographic forecasts.

LinkedIn is adding audience forecasting information to its Campaign Manager. Available globally Tuesday, the refreshed dashboard will include forecasting insights to assure advertisers are not only serving ads to specific prospects, but delivering content that is relevant to them. Advertisers will also have the ability to target audiences using “and/or” logic to build larger, more effective campaigns.

BEN HAZLEWOOD

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Wordsmith and trivia guru; husband and dad

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

THE BUZZ: 9.30.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 14:25:00 GMT

No more like counter? We can dig it.

Snapchat extends video ads to 3 minutes.

Snapchat has announced several updates for video advertisers this week, including an increase in video duration for Snap Ads, interactive features for non-skip Commercial and Goal-Based Bidding. Previously, the maximum amount of time allowed for a Snap Ad was ten seconds, Snapchat has increased this maximum duration significantly to 180 seconds, but hopes the user experience will not change. Users will still be able to skip or interact with ads as they have in the past.

Google My Business allows restaurant listings to opt-out of online ordering links.

Google My Business is allowing restaurant listings to remove online ordering links . Businesses have to fill out a form which can be found here. Restaurants don’t even have to provide a reason for opt-ing out. Although that raises the question, why would a restaurant listing want to remove an online ordering link? Restaurants may want to remove that option if they offer online ordering on their own site. Many third-party ordering systems such as Postmates, DoorDash, and others charge fees to restaurants for utilizing their service.

Google Ads changes the design of call-only ads.

Google is rolling out a new look for call-only ads with the goal of driving higher quality leads. This updated layout for call-only ads will display the business’s phone number at the top, with the business headline and name now placed below the phone number in smaller text. In addition to this change, the phone icon will be more prominent so that there is no mistaking that these ads are call-only ads. According to Google,“On average, advertisers with the new call-only ads design have seen a 14% increase in phone calls, a 16% increase in call conversions and better cost efficiencies with an 8% decrease in overall paid clicks. The new look helps call-only ads stand out from other text ads, reducing accidental clicks from users who didn’t intend to make a call.”

Facebook officially starts hiding like counts on posts.

Facebook has begun to hide like counts on posts in Australia. This test began on September 27 with news breaking earlier in the month that Facebook was considering this move. Facebook’s hidden like counts will work the same as Instagram. Users can see who liked a post but not the total amount of likes a post has received. Only the author of the post will be able to see the total like count.

TikTok tops 500 million users.

TikTok VP Blake Chandlee reports the platform has over 500 million users . His comment reports that the platform is more popular than people realize. In a recent interview with Gary Vaynerchuck of VaynerMedia, Chandlee argued that while TikTok gets lumped in with other social networks such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, it’s much more than that. He claims it’s not just a platform to connect with friends and family, but more of a place to watch and engage with content.

ABBY ARMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

THE BUZZ: 9.23.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 13:41:00 GMT

Looks like Trip Advisor knows you stink.

Amazon has decided they weren’t getting enough attention.

The big box company has been “juicing” your search results to show products that give them the largest return…. But since algorithms are technically protected under the First Amendment, Amazon can show you whatever results they please. 1. This means you can buy Amazon’s loyalty by giving them more profits.. 2. Who said juicing was only for athletes? 3. It’s all speculation anyway right?

It’s Google’s fault you aren’t seeing those review stars in search results.

Our friends at Google tightened their belt on showing rich results like the review stars. Make sure your pages and schema is in compliance with these new rules or you will become part of the 3-5%... That’s when a review rich result didn’t show compared to normal.

If you have never seen a fake client review, you are likely a fake client reviewer yourself.

Or at least that's what I imagine because they are absolutely everywhere. EVERYWHERE. TripAdvisor has decided to take action against the 1.5 MILLION fake reviews posted in 2018 by bringing those bad boys down. I.e. blocking or removing them. Hey Google, Where you at? And can we get TripAdvisor a cape? #TripAdvisorforpresident

Have you seen Hansel and Gretel because Google Search Console just gave us Breadcrumb.

This new report/dashboard is there to help you debug the issues on your site and also shows the page’s position in the site. Of course your HTML has to be structured but it is definitely neato-frito and handy dandy if you have subpages.

And a Happy Michael Jordan Day to you!

Number 23 might have been the best ever on the court, but his greatest moment came on the silver screen.

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

THE BUZZ: 9.16.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:19:00 GMT

There's a great migration happening on Sundays.

Instagram looks to replicate TikToks key features.

If you’re like me, you’ve been getting excessive amounts of ads for TikTok, a social networking platform that allows users to create and record “clips” or segments of videos into a single story. Instagram is looking to add a similar function in order to fend off the TikTok competition, and keep its 2.7 billion active users across its “family of apps” from straying away.

Majority of NFL fans watched opening week games via streaming apps.

58% of adult viewers reported watching at least one game via a paid streaming service or app according to a new Snapshot Study from agency Colling Media. This report offers both good and bad insights for the NFL and football marketers as the shift to digital viewing continues to grow. On one hand, advertisers and the NFL welcome the robust presence on paid streaming apps and services but on the other hand, data shows just how scattered the online viewing landscape has become.

Facebook begins rolling out updated desktop layout.

Facebook has begun rolling out an updated desktop view . The new layout aims to make it easier to navigate between your favorite elements, with tabs along the top of the screen, creating a more compressed view.The new experience aims to create a fresh, simpler Facebook. As per the social platform , the intention is to bring the desktop version more in line with the mobile app, while also making it easier for users to switch between usage areas.

Google updates search rankings to favor original news reporting.

Google has updated search ranking to give more weight to original reporting of news stories. With this change, Google aims to organically allow original coverage more prominently over follow-up coverage from other sources. Google will make sure the original news report is featured in search engine results pages for longer periods of time.

Google Ads introduces new policies for certain types of medical ads.

Google Ads has introduced new policies to prohibit ads for unproven medical techniques. Examples of these techniques are, as stated by Google, stem cell therapy, cellular (non-stem) therapy and gene therapy. This new policy will prohibit ads from selling treatments that have no established scientific basis. Even ads for treatments with insufficient formal testing will also be prohibited, even if they are rooted in basic scientific findings.

ABBY ARMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

THE BUZZ: 9.9.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 13:54:00 GMT

A Small $20 Mil Coming Out Party and a Happy Big Bonza Bottler Day

Google’s latest privacy tech roll out is the open-source version of the differential privacy library.

Why is it so interesting? This library helps power some of Google’s core products and now it is available for us non-google species to use it. Key features of the library include statistical functions, rigorous testing, ready to use, and modular functions.

You might notice some Google My Business listings service area changing.

Businesses that are based off of a distance-based service area will be automatically converted to the closest named areas . If you do have a distance-based service area on your google my business, you will get an update notification prompting you to accept the changes Google has made for you or you can choose your own by inputting your service area based on city, ZIP code, etc. Now, go check your GMBs before your service area goes to something crazy… like Paris, Texas.

You may find it shocking to find out that a $20-$30 billion IPO valuation on a business is not great when preparing for your coming out party.

That’s what WeWork’s latest valuation was reported at while they were prepping for their initial public offering. Shocking because WeWork had a valuation of $47 billion earlier this year. Where will our little techies go when it goes down? Or will she succeed at last?

Tech Giant Investigations:

Facebook got hit with ANOTHER antitrust violation investigation b y eight state attorneys general. Alphabet’s rebellious child, Google, is set to have a separate antitrust investigation launched against them this week. More than half the country’s state attorneys general have joined forces to investigate Google’s hand in digital advertising.

In other news, happy Bona Bottler Day!

Just what is Bonza Bottler Day? Check it out for yourself.

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

THE BUZZ: 9.3.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 02:34:00 GMT

Where were you when the "chicken sandwich war" began?

Facebook announces new business tools for messenger.

Facebook has just announced a range of updates for businesses on Messenger. These tools include lead generation automation options and appointment booking options. The new lead generation flow will integrate with your CRM and can provide responses on Messenger based upon use feedback and then track those leads for a response at a later time. Secondly, Facebook has rolled out an appointment booking in messenger that enables businesses to integrate their Messenger response flow with their existing calendar.

Facebook announces strict new rules for political ads ahead of 2020 election.

Facebook has announced changes to its ad policies that will require new disclosure for political ads that run on Facebook and Instagram. These changes were described in a blog post published on August 28. Beginning mid-September “confirmed organization” disclaimers will be added to ads and advertisers will be asked to provide more information to verify their legitimacy.

Google moves to simplify and standardize content policies for publishers.

In September, Google will be reorganizing how it presents publisher content policies and standardizing its restriction across AdSense, AdMob and Ad Manager. Google’s content policies wil lbe divided into two categories: Google Publisher Restrictions and Google Publisher Policies. Why should we care about these changes? Well, with this update, Google is making it easier for marketers and brands to follow the rules.

Pinterest’s new vaccine search to combat misinformation.

Pinterest realized in 2018 that the search results for “vaccines” or “cancer cure” on their platform were polluted with misinformation and non-scientific results. Pinterest has decided to take a big step and broke the search function for those terms. When searching for over 200 terms related to vaccines, the only results displayed will come from major public health organizations such as the World Health Organizations (WHO), Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and Vaccine Safety Net.

A tweet leads to “chicken sandwich wars”.

The “chicken sandwich wars” have captivated the interwebs and skyrocketed sales. It all started when Chick-fil-A tweeted a vague critique of the new fried chicken sandwich from Popeyes which led to Popeyes tweeting a response. This set off a viral debate that has captivated the internet for the past week and has led to chicken sandwich shortages nationwide. On Tuesday, Popeyes tweeted again announcing that their chicken inventory was exhausted. They would no longer offer the sandwich.

ABBY ARMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

Inside Flypaper: Granola Products

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 04:00:00 GMT

How one Flypaper employee climbed his way into the outdoor apparel industry.

There’s no denying the impact that the internet and digital marketing have had in the last twenty years. The ability to reach people around the world and introduce a local product or brand to people anywhere on Earth has transformed the way we buy and sell almost everything. The internet has truly revolutionized the way that people own and operate their businesses.

Flypaper’s own Conner Scott has firsthand experience with this truth. Seven years ago, while still in high school, he and his brother combined their passion for climbing with the sewing skills they had learned in home economics. The result was the creation of their climbing gear company: Granola. The brothers created a website and used social media to spread the word about their products.

By harnessing the power of the world wide web and continuing to improve their products, the brothers were able to grow their business to the point where they had 40 retailers across the United States. In the past seven years, the brothers have continued to refine their strategies and understanding of digital marketing. With a focus on social media and retargeting, Granola has continued to remain viable in the market. They work with Highpoint, a climbing gym in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Climb Nashville. Both facilities rely heavily on the Granola brand.

Conner has used his job at Flypaper to help Granola improve its digital footprint. He has learned a tremendous amount about SEO while working for Flypaper and has used that knowledge to continue to improve Granola’s website. This has helped to spur the company’s continued success and growth. Because of the lessons learned, Granola’s organic traffic has increased. This, in turn, has led to more sales as the company has transitioned to an e-commerce platform.

Conner’s experience embodies much of what Flypaper is at its core. Fueled by people with a passion to help small businesses succeed and who have a thorough understanding of the significance of digital marketing, the Flypaper team is uniquely positioned to advocate for small companies like Granola. Using their knowledge of digital tools and their love for helping local businesses, our team is trained to assess the needs of clients and make effective recommendations as needed. While some businesses may initially be interested in enhancing their social media presence, for example, Flypaper consultants can take an objective look at the client’s circumstances and help to ensure that they are a good fit for that platform. If their business is one that does not easily lend itself to social media, we can give businesses an honest, experienced list of reasons why precision targeting or Google Ads may be a better fit for them. Our personal experience and understanding of digital marketing continue to help us to be a tremendous resource for the small business owners we meet on a daily basis.

Ultimately, digital marketing helps to give smaller businesses a platform from which they can compete with larger, more established companies. What began simply as a passion project by Conner and his brother has grown to a fully actualized business thanks to the opportunities created by online marketing. And, because of the lessons he has learned as a small business owner in a digital world, he is better able to educate and empower his Flypaper clients by sharing his own experiences with them. Thanks to the internet and the capabilities of digital marketing, Conner has been able to sell high-quality climbing gear and apparel through Granola and help his Flypaper clients do the same.

For more information about Connor's venture visit www.granolaproducts.com .

BEN HAZLEWOOD

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Wordsmith and trivia guru; husband and dad

BEN HAZLEWOOD

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Wordsmith and trivia guru; husband and dad

THE BUZZ: 8.26.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 23:11:00 GMT

Does Facebook deserve a second chance at protecting our privacy?

Facebook has launched a new tool for mobile app developers that allows them to test a Playable Ad and its call-to-action before sending it down the line to be uploaded to Facebook.

The Playable Ads Preview tool tests the ad’s assets and ensures that it meets the specifications. As app marketers lean heavily on this to gain app downloads, I lean heavily on my dog for cuddles.

Google is making system updates to fight ad spend on bots.

With AdSense and AdMob working hand in hand, publishers will see when their ads are restricted due to the new machine learning risk prediction models, the lack of a site verification and a little notification in the Policy Center. Unlike the average position removal, this can cause a decline in ad traffic.

Facebook is working to reign in the trust issues with the Off-Facebook Activity tool.

The said tool will shine a light on the data that is pulled for apps and websites that communicate with Facebook about what you do. Thankfully, you will have the capability to disconnect information from your account but I don’t want to wait until it is released in America. Anyone want to go test it out with me in Spain?

Google Ads are coming in hot with a new Smart Bidding strategy.

With advanced machine learning, wide range of contextual signals, flexible performance controls and transparent performance reporting, you should save time and improve performance . This new strategy uses machine learning to optimize for the best conversion value or conversions. Dealers choice.

Google is giving Snapchat a run for their money with more filters on the Overview page.

Maybe they don’t give you an old face or make it look like you actually put on make-up today but you can filter by device, campaign, campaign type, campaign status, ad group and ad group status . If you aren’t happy with those filters, go back to Snap.

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

THE BUZZ: 8.19.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 14:14:00 GMT

Google is working on their mock draft while Instagram tries to fight fake news.

Facebook ads new slideshow option to stories to boost usage.

Facebook has rolled out a new Stories option in an effort to get more people using Facebook stories. The new option, which will enable users to add a still image slideshow to their story, is a simplified way to add a stream of images, which will play out through your Story frames. You can do this already, by selecting each image individually for each frame, but this option will make this action easier, which could prompt more people to try it out for themselves.

Facebook reminds advertisers that new targeting restrictions will come into effect soon.

In March Facebook announced that it would take a stronger stand against discriminatory ad targeting by removing a large range of options for targeting in certain categories. This was introduced in order to stop businesses from using ad tools to limit audiences in an unfair manner. Now that these changes are coming into effect, Facebook has issued a reminder to advertisers to make changes to avoid penalties.

Average Position in Google Ads to go away on September 30.

Google announced Monday that they will be doing away with the average position metric the week of September 30. Why does this matter to us? This gives digital marketing professionals and business owners about 6 weeks to prepare for the change and implement any updates to reporting that use average position. With the average position metric being removed, Google says advertisers should transition to using the position metrics, search absolute top impression rate and search top impression rate, that were introduced last year.

Instagram launches a new option for reporting misinformation.

In the latest of Facebook’s broader efforts to slow the spread of misleading content across all of its platforms, Instagram is testing a new option which will allow users to report false information on the platform itself. When you tap the three dots at the top right of a post and you select ‘Report’, you have two options - ‘It’s Spam’ or ‘It’s Inappropriate’. If you select ‘It’s Inappropriate’, you will be taken to a separate reporting section where ‘False Information’ will now be an option.

Google opens up to fantasy sports advertising in the U.S.

Fantasy season has arrived and this season, Google announced they will begin accepting ads from fantasy sports services in certain U.S. states this month. Previously, Google had banned fantasy sports advertising but now companies such as DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo Daily Fantasy will be able to buy ad space across Google platforms.

ABBY ARMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

The Power of eCommerce

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 15:10:00 GMT

How eCommerce helped a boutique in rural Georgia spread it's wings.

eCommerce is a great way to help clients increase their customer base. Selling goods online enables even the smallest store to provide their products to people around the country -- and in some cases -- around the world.

Shopify is one of the biggest eCommerce platforms in the world. It’s not only an eCommerce site but also has many tools and apps that help you sell your products online. One of these tools, sales channels, links you to larger platforms like eBay, Amazon, Facebook, etc. Of all of the available sales channels, Amazon has the most advantages. It is easy to sign up for and links to your Shopify site so that you can monitor what items have been sold and which ones are still available. The increased exposure of your items more than offsets that monthly cost associated with being a part of the Amazon platform

One of our clients, J’Marie Fashions, has become a bit of a Cinderella story when it comes to Shopify. J’Marie Fashions is a small, local boutique in Chatsworth, Georgia -- a city with a population of about 4,000. J’Marie Fashions is the only women’s boutique in this small Georgia town. When the owner decided to sign up for an eCommerce website with Flypaper, her overall goal was to eventually become an online-only boutique. We created a Shopify website with accounts on eBay and Amazon. This led to a tremendous increase in the amount of combined sales from both platforms. Her sales continue to grow every month as she sells products online almost every day.

Shopify continues to add numerous channels and apps to their platform to better help local businesses compete with the bigger name brands. J’Marie Fashions is a prime example of a small, local boutique starting from the bottom and growing into a successful Amazon and eBay seller. Thanks to Shopify and its channels, J’Marie Fashions has become a resource for clients looking for womens’ clothes not only in Chatsworth, but around the South as well. This gives customers another option and helps J’Marie increase its revenue stream.

eCommerce is an excellent resource for clients who are looking to boost their revenue. Taking advantage of Shopify and its sales channels is a great way to provide value to your clients and to increase their belief that you have viable and demonstrable solutions for their needs. Visit our eCommerce page for more information about Shopify solutions.

One of our clients, J’Marie Fashions has become a bit of a Cinderella story when it comes to Shopify. J’Marie Fashions is a small, local boutique in Chatsworth, Georgia -- a city with a population of about 4,000. J’Marie Fashions is the only women’s boutique in this small Georgia town. When the owner decided to sign up for an eCommerce website with Flypaper, her overall goal was to eventually become an online-only boutique. We created a Shopify website with accounts on eBay and Amazon This led to a tremendous increase in the amount of combined sales from both platforms. Her sales continue to grow every month as she sells products online almost every day.

REGAN MELTON

Campaign Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Dog mom and

outdoor enthusiast

REGAN MELTON

Campaign Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Dog mom and outdoor enthusiast

THE BUZZ: 8.12.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 04:00:00 GMT

Facebook and chill? Zuckerberg is continuing to get into the streaming game.

A new report on retail digital ad spending has shown a 22.5% increase from 2018.

This report has concluded that U.S. retailers will spend $13.12 billion on digital ads in 2019 and will spend $15.65 billion in 2020. Google search ads have been shown to be more beneficial to advertisers with Amazon sneaking in from behind to make a big play for small and medium-sized retailers. Honestly, this is not good news for me since my closet is already too small (definitely not too full).

Google may be compromising the client-agency relationship in regard to automated bidding.

If you haven’t switched your Google Ads to Automated Bidding, Google or an outsourced third party may reach out to account owners stating that the agency has denied to comply with the update which can lead to poor performance. Of course, account owners might see this as negligence and start burning buildings down. Please note that this is not a mandatory update… Someone needs to remind Google.

Google is trying to win back your trust with Google Ads for those who have manager accounts.

If you have sub-accounts within your manager account, the new simple and easy to use account map is here to save the day. Not only can you see your manager account and sub-accounts all in one place, but you can also see the performance metrics in one spot. Nice save google.

Facebook is continuing to make a play in the digital video market.

Zuckerberg’s team is testing a TV friendly, video device to put themselves in the real race with Netflix and Amazon’s streaming services. Although we have our phones on us 24/7, Netflix reported 70% of their streams were on a connected TV. If they weasel their way into a cheap, competitive bundle and make it TV compatible, the Z Team might actually stand a chance.

Snapchat has released their insightful holiday marketing guide to assist advertisers.

While this ‘gift guide’ may not sound like much, it opens the eyes to potential advertisers that Snapchatters buy 20% more gifts than the average non-Snapchatter with a daily average of 30 minutes spent on the app. Snapchat even stepped up and broke down each holiday with stats and helpful tips to make the most of your campaign. It seems that the 203 million active users are also boosting mobile and impulse purchases. It also seems that the problem is not shopaholicism but rather Snapchat. I’ll take it.

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee.

THE BUZZ: 8.5.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 14:29:00 GMT

Instagram is removing meme accounts? That's not funny.

Instagram seeks to improve loading time issues.

We’ve all encountered it. Instagram is running slow, again, and we find ourselves watching the loading circle spin around and around. Instagram knows that speed kills in the app world so they have outlined a plan to address load time and speed improvements on their image sharing social media app. Glenn Conner of Instagram’s engineering team writes, “In recent years, instagram.com has seen a lot of changes - we’ve launched stories, filters, creation tools, notifications, and direct messaging as well as myriad other features and enhancements. However, as the product grew, one unfortunate side effect was that our web performance began to suffer.”

Instagram purges accounts that post primarily memes, removing pages with millions of followers.

Dozens of accounts with over 30 million followers combined were recently removed by Instagram without warning. The removal was permanent with no possibility of reinstatement. According to a Facebook and Instagram spokesperson, the accounts were disabled following multiple violations of platform policies. This comes only weeks after Instagram updated their Account Removal Policies and based upon the timing, one can assume page shut-downs are due to the policy updates. We might be disappointed in the lack of memes we can now consume, but technically Instagram can do what they want with their own platform.

Google Analytics announces the platform will unify web and app traffic.

Currently businesses have to utilize different products to track user interactions across multiple platforms – Google Analytics for Firebase and regular Google Analytics. To make this tracking process simpler, Google is introducing a new property type in the regular Google Analytics platform. The property type, called “App + Web”, allows businesses to combine web and app traffic into one place for reporting purposes. This type of reporting will allow us to see if users started their buying process on the app and then made their final purchase on a website. This tracking will be available with no additional coding required.

Pinterest posts a 62% revenue jump in ‘blowout’ of Q2.

Pinterest's revenue jumped 62% year-over-year in Q2 results released Thursday . Pinterest attributed the swift growth to the internationalization of the platform’s advertising, the simplification process of its ad systems for small businesses and the improved ability to measure the effectiveness of ad spending and campaign performance. The healthy mix of improved advertising updates and greater shoppable functionalities continues to give the digital marketing world hope that the platform’s growth will keep trending upward.

A fresh look at Reddit and niche marketing advertising.

In the past, Reddit has been considered the “wild west” of the internet. Steve Huffman, the company’s CEO, even went as far as to describe it as a “dystopian Craigslit” – a term he coined to explain why the site underwent a complete rebuild last year. Strange nicknames and reputations aside, the platform offers niche - and we mean NICHE - market advertising opportunities . Heather Cooan, the CEO of HDC Digital, has been running advertising campaigns on the platform for years but has beefed it up even more recently. She says, “I tend to get a lot of clients that are in the industrial and technical verticals and I have found that Reddit is a place where their target audience – engineers and IT professionals – hang out.” These folks typically don’t respond well to advertising so she uses super technical or sarcastic, yet informative messaging.

ABBY ARMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

THE BUZZ: 7.29.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 02:27:00 GMT

Digital Marketing headlines to help you stay informed.

Rules are totally made for breaking but Google isn’t playing any games.

An update about two weeks ago to GMB caused listings to disappear after short-names were added to accounts. The bug was fixed after a week and a half but if you are still not showing up, it likely due to policy violations on your account. In other news, the childhood game Simon Says is now Google Says.

Looks like Facebook is expanding their search ads test to more accounts.

These select companies in the retail, auto and e-commerce industry can opt in to have their *relevant* ads placed in relevant search results . The only differences in this and your run of the mill SEM is that the result depends on the relevance of the ad to the search intent and you cannot select keywords or phrases for the search ads. Maybe they are shrinking their ad space because they are adding them into your search and marketplace feeds...

Speaking of Zuckerberg, if the new Facebook privacy rules are violated, the CEO will be personally liable.

The settlement with FTC also r equires a $5 billion fine , the addition of stricter privacy requirements, and implementing an independent board privacy committee. There will also be an independent assessor reviewing the privacy program every two years… for two decades. Sorry but I am not applying to that job.

Google just made finding sources of those images a little easier to visit featuring ‘Swipe to Visit’ feature.

The image search results still look the same but when you click on a photo, there is a snippet of the website’s header that you can swipe up to see the image’s corresponding web page . Honestly, genius.

If you have a low speed score in this day and age, you have lost… and it definitely applies to mobile traffic.

We are living in the era of Fast and Furious (there will never be enough sequels don’t @ me) and you cannot afford your page - especially mobile page - to be slow. Studies have shown that traffic numbers plummet to their death if the page speed is slow. Make sure you aren’t falling victim please. I hate slow pages.

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee.

THE BUZZ: 7.22.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 14:27:00 GMT

Digital Marketing headlines to help you stay informed.

Instagram is expanding it's tests of removing like counts.

In an effort to improve the well being of it's users, Instagram is expanding tests to remove like counts on images. Instagram states that they "don't want (it) to be such a competition. We want it to be a place where people spend more of their energy connecting with the people that they love and the things that they care about." Individual users will still be able to see their total like count - just not publicly. The feature has already been deployed in 7 countries including Canada and Australia.

Google shares how they continue to keep Search relevant and useful.

Because information takes many forms, the search results page has continued to evolve as well. Google publicly shares how they are able to help you connect with useful information as quickly as possible. Last year alone Google made "more than 3,200 changes to their search systems". A number that makes our head spin just thinking about. As concerns over privacy continue to rise, Google has begun highlighting some of their policies designed to protect your privacy. These policies, sometimes required by law, also protect you from spam.

Amazon Prime Day 2019 was bigger than both Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

The days of massive crowds rushing into a Radio Shack the day after Thanksgiving might be over. Amazon announced that this year's Prime Day resulted in the purchase of over 175 million items online in just 48-hours. Eclipsing both 2018's Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. To sweeten the deal Amazon added more new Prime members on July 15th than any other day in history. From devices to groceries this marks the largest shopping event in history.

Online Advertising to exceed half of global ad spend in 2021.

Google recently claimed that "digital marketing is dead" and it would seem that the claim isn't premature at all. With online advertising set to exceed all other advertising spend by 2021, we just might be living in a true post digital environment. What we are trying to say is digital marketing is just marketing.

Facebook to shrink mobile news feed ad space beginning August 19.

Facebook is set to shrink it's mobile news feed ad size from a 2:3 aspect ratio to 4:5. This means less space for both images and video forcing marketers to synthesize their message. Additionally, only 3 lines of preview of text will be available instead of the normal 7. This change seems to be in line with Facebook's mission to bring their experience back to it's roots - helping friends and family connect and share meaningful interactions with one another. Less text means more skimmable content that will force brands to " focus on their long term branding strategies in order to cut through the noise." Facebook is almost certainly expecting some blowback from advertisers so we thought we'd revisit another famous example of things unexpectedly getting smaller.

SPENCER BRADSHAW

Marketing Manager; Chattanooga, TN

Resident Foodie & Titans Superfan

SPENCER BRADSHAW

Marketing Manager; Chattanooga, TN

Resident Foodie & Titans Superfan

THE BUZZ: 7.15.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 14:07:00 GMT

Digital Marketing headlines to keep you informed.

Influencer Marketing -- the dangers of working with influencers exposed

It had appeared that Influencer Marketing was on the rise and with good reason. According to Social Media Today in 2018, 81% of businesses reported that influencers were an effective marketing strategy for them. BUT in the year of 2019, Social Media Today has changed its Influencer Marketing tune. For one, social media users have become smarter. They are bombarded constantly with sponsored content on their feeds and now they are less likely to engage with influencers. Users feel the brand + influencer partnerships are inauthentic and unethical. Though Influencer Marketing can be an extremely beneficial tool for some brands, it is important to note the dangers of working with sponsored content and the current state of social media users.

Google Shopping enables customer photos to show with their product reviews

Google Shopping is bringing customer photos to the reviews section of advertisers’ listings. These product images will be accessible from the “View More” button on mobile or by clicking on the star ratings. Why will this make a difference? Even thumbnail images of reviewers can add further proof to a critical product review.

Pinterest statistics and the rising pin trends that might surprise you

While the active user count for Pinterest might not blow you away in comparison to Facebook or Instagram, Pinterest is experiencing steady growth and is now up to 291 million active users. Just last September the active user count was 250 million users. The surprising statistic here is not actually the steady growth in users, but the percentage of users that show regular, daily activity. Research shows that 57% of weekly Pinterest users, use the app while doing in-store shopping and it’s also a leader in terms of product discovery.

Twitter Launches “Twitter ArtHouse” -- a creative team that will help brands produce video content

According to an announcement from Twitter , “advertising creative is the top factor in driving sales, so brands need to create content that drives brand love and business impact.” Similar to Facebook’s Automated Ads, Twitter ArtHouse will provide creative assistance to marketers through a slew of advertising options including: digital strategy, video creation and editing, influencer and artist management, and event live-streaming.

Prime Day does amazing things for email engagement

Amazon’s annual Prime Day is almost here. Why do we care? Because last year’s event generated over $4 billion in sales. For many online retail brands, this is an excellent place to jump in on email marketing and maximize on subject lines. Prime Day subject lines are key to higher open rates according to Marketing Land . Last year, open rates soared up to 47% higher than all average holiday-themed email campaigns sent the previous quarter.

ABBY ARMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

ABBY AMOUR

Product Specialist; Chattanooga, TN

Chicken Mom & Crime Show Enthusiast

Social Media in Small Business // The Double-Edged Sword

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 15:21:00 GMT

The most powerful medium in the world doesn't come without it's risks. Here's some advice to avoid falling on your sword.

The biggest difference in building a small business today versus 50 years ago starts with the internet feeding into our constant need to interact, feel heard, and online shop (or maybe that’s just me). Enter the double-edged sword, building and destroying roads to success one post at a time.

The danger of the double-edged sword starts with typos and grammar. I know we didn’t all graduate from Harvard University with a doctorate in English studies but there should be no excuse. You can’t even misspell something on purpose anymore since spell check is in your text messages and grammar check is in your word documents. And my goodness, do not get me started on they’re, their, and there. It is called Google.com. Look it up. Maybe you’ve heard of it? And sure some people call me a grammar-queen because I twitch when I see spelling and grammar errors, but don’t you? My point is it’s critically important and a quick proofread will go a long way.

Another danger is content and overposting. When a business account is run like your personal account or you overpost, it can lead to unlikes and unfollows. Unfollows are much worse because people still “like” your business but you are no longer receiving interactions from them since they no longer see your posts on their feed. The best way to know when to post on platforms is by searching social media post times for that day and how often you should post. The best rule of thumb is to post before and after lunch and only once a day. Three words: quality trumps quantity.

That brings me to Facebook’s latest algorithm update. Our dear friend Mark Zuckerburg must have been tired of everyone asking for a dislike or ‘thumbs down’ button for posts because the latest update focuses on “ bringing people together ” with positive experiences. His brainiacs have created a formula that brings posts that should receive positive feedback and interaction from friends and family to the top of the feed followed by posts from Businesses and Pages.

That being said, yes interactions and likes may go down for businesses but not if your posts are designed with the consumer and Facebook in mind (but mostly Facebook). Get your users to be interactive by publishing a poll, asking a simple question or start a friendly debate. Facebook has started marking the “Comment ‘YES’ if…” posts as spam. Therefore, DON’T DO IT. What your consumers and potential consumers really like to see are posts that are eye-catching and relatable yet informative. And, don’t forget the ~positive vibes~.

The largest danger with content comes from posting about social and/or political issues. This is where people get up in arms and may even boycott your business. According to a study by Sprout Social when a business posts about social or political issues, a consumer will react whether they agree or not.

The study found that 62% of consumers will purchase less from the brand, 38% will boycott the brand, 47% will warn family and friends about the brand, and 24% of consumers will publicly criticize the brand. Here’s the gist: if the topic is not a service you offer or part of the business entity, don’t post about it. No one needs that kind of negativity in their life but if you really need to post an opinion, go to your personal page.

How can social media help build your small business empire? Social media platforms have given you countless ways to market your brand. Since our timeline is the victim of algorithms, it can be difficult to stay in the game but the stories on social media have stayed in chronological order. Utilize this to stay on the forefront of your consumers' minds and show them your goods! Reminder: goods is referring to your creations, specials, sales, new offerings, parties, etc and not your *um* figure. If you are posting videos, they need to be posted in real-time and shouldn’t be but a few seconds long.

You’re a diner: Post pictures of your creations & daily specials to your story
You’re a storefront: Post pictures of your new items and sale items to your story
You are anyone with a sale or party: Post it to your story!
Everyone: Post behind the scenes to your story!

And If you are wanting to get chatty, go Live. Going Live has been proven to boost interactions with your followers which is what we want and need in order to stay in the good graces of the algorithm gods.

Social media platforms have also given you numerous ways to communicate with your consumers -- current and potential. The biggest challenge is grabbing someone's attention. You can do this by posting quizzes, reposting reviews, posting sales and events, and even posting photos of your offerings. They always say pictures are worth 1,000 words. It has been proven that if a post is getting comments, platforms start pushing it more.

Contrary to popular belief, you need to respond to all reviews. Yes, even the bad ones. How you respond sets the tone for how much you care about your consumers and future consumers. Great responses to bad reviews have been known to change the consumer's views and lead to them offering companies a second chance. Fact about me: before I buy from a new store, I read the bad and good reviews - in that order - searching for trends, how recent the reviews were posted, and if the brand responded to the bad reviews. They always say that great news spreads fast but bad news spreads like a California wildfire. On the opposite end, make sure to thank your happy clients! No one wants to promote a brand that doesn’t appreciate their consumers because the consumer is a walking billboard. Since your consumers are walking billboards, reward them for tagging you in their posts. You can do this by reposting their posts, giving them a shoutout, or even offering a discount code for everyone they refer!

Tip: if you need help responding to bad reviews, check out this walkthrough from tinuiti .

While it may sound a bit dramatic, the fact of the matter is that social media can make or break your business. So as a reminder, keep your posts short, post only a handful of times a week, get your fans to interact, and make sure to spell check, grammar check, and content check before a post goes out. Or give us a call and we'll lend a helping hand.

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee

ALEX HUGHES

Campaign Specialist; Little Rock, AR

Filled with sarcasm and fueled by coffee.

THE BUZZ: 7.8.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 11:54:00 GMT

Top digital marketing headlines to help jump start your day.

Twitter has declared that verified accounts of government officials or their representatives and those running for public office with more than 100,000 followers will have notices hiding tweets that violate its community guidelines – for the people

They also announced that tweets that reflect direct threats of violence or looks to commit violence toward others will be deemed “not in the public interest” and blocked. Twitter’s largest challenge is going to be balancing free expression, cultivating accountability, and reducing the potential harm that these tweets can cause.

Facebook’s temper tantrum on Wednesday did a lot more than not load your photos in a timely manner but also revealed what information they gather from your images

You might have noticed that text tags appeared where images should have on Wednesday saying things like “Image may contain: smiling people, people dancing wedding and indoor”. These are all generated from Facebook’s machine-learning system and may be an indicator to how much personal information is actually accumulated by Artificial Intelligence. Yes, this is used for those with visual impairments but is this information being used to target ads and gather data. Probably not a good look for Zuckerberg.

Google Ads API is being reverted back to beta status after complaints on overall status after being released in March

Ads API¹ was created to replace AdWords AP I by allowing users to operate on a larger scale but these issues could reflect on campaign performances and reports². Understandably, Google is asking users to continue or start using the predecessor AdWords API while they try to fix all the issues . For your future-self’s sake, go back to Adwords API for the moment.

In less than two months, Google’s Display & Video 360 users will notice a new and improved environment

Starting August 26, you can start utilizing the updated environment targeting and the new position targeting setting that allows you the opportunity to utilize audience targeting, video targeting, and audio targeting. But that’s not all you get! You also receive new reporting dimensions and the opportunity to restructure your Structured Data Files! And you better get capable with SDF v5 or it will not be a pretty transition.

In Facebook’s quest to redeem itself from the tragedy of fake news, they updated “The Algorithm” to keep vulnerable users from falling for misleading traps… like those of the sensational weight loss varieties

You should start noticing that you aren’t being bombarded [read: scammed] for the miracle bullets of weight loss, new hair growth, or other life altering issues as much. Question is… will this mean they are blocking posts from your old high school pals or just the sponsored ads?

7 WEBSITE TRENDS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 20:22:00 GMT

Fancy Scrolling? Hamburgers? Whatcha' talkin' bout Willis?

1. Parallax Scrolling

Recently a customer told me that he knew a website was current if the site had the “images that move across the screen when you scroll”. I hadn’t thought of it quite that way, yet he did have a point. Though no one seems to know the actual term for it, Parallax scrolling is when the background images of the website move at a slower rate to the foreground, creating a 3D effect as you scroll. When used sparingly - (keyword -- sparingly) the design trend creates an element of depth that makes the foreground stand out.

Though Parallax Scrolling doesn’t directly drive website visitors to fill out forms or make calls or purchases, it is beneficial because it creates a smoother, more visually appealing site experience. As a result, users are more likely to stay on the site and engage with the content. Ultimately this will increase the likelihood that a person will make a purchase, fill out a form or take further action.

2. Large Imagery

We live in an increasingly visual world. Pictures and images capture the visitor’s attention and draw them into your site. The more appealing the images the more willing people will be to invest their time on your page.

Bold imagery and large, attractive headers allow the user to feel the experience of the site in a way that smaller images and chunky text would not. There is nothing as relatable as a photograph, and a powerful one at the top of a page can stir emotion and drive visitors further into your site.

3. Hamburger Navigation

It kind of looks like a hamburger, right? Over the years, the hamburger, or side menu, has taken a lot of slack. The idea is that the three skinny lines in the upper right or left of the desktop screen preserve space that an otherwise thick navigation bar at the top of the site would not. On the negative side, some say the hamburger menu disappears in site design and many users don’t click on it or don’t know what it is. I understand this argument and that the hamburger menu would not be the right choice for certain demographics, but in G.T. Issa’s case, it worked perfectly.

G.T. Issa builds beautiful homes and when they came to us specifically wanting a side menu in their site build, I was all for it. This was an excellent way to display their work without taking away any screen space. This menu style is sleek, discreet, and is a great menu option for the right client, targeting the right demographic.

4. Intentional Font Pairings

Remember back in the day when a website would load and all you'd see are a set of funky letters and symbols? Your web browser sometimes had trouble recognizing new fonts. Well, folks such as Adobe and Google have made it pretty dang easy to incorporate new fonts with flavor to your website design.

However, determining fonts that pair well together can be a daunting task, but when done correctly can actually create a more powerful user experience and boost site traffic and conversions. So ditch the traditional web fonts and find something that says more about who you are.

5. Minimalism

Minimalism is a popular modern design approach that can be achieved in more ways that a Squarespace template. Minimalism is simplifying the site by removing unnecessary elements. Keep an eye out for hidden navigation, empty space, no extra details, font experimentation and no extra buttons. In other words: create more by creating less.

6. Video Backgrounds

Video backgrounds are one of the most popular website designs around. Digital Marketers love large video backgrounds that make sites look engaging and modern in a way that large imagery cannot. Many experts say that visitors stay on sites with video backgrounds longer and are more likely to sign up for their services or opt-in to their products.

7. Overlapping Elements

Overlapping webpage elements is an excellent way to break out of the norm. Designers are constantly running away from the grid and content block design and running to the flexible, fluid, and engaging style of overlapping and offsetting elements. Most commonly used is the text that slightly overlaps an image.

THE BUZZ: 7.1.19

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 23:05:00 GMT

Top digital marketing headlines to help jump start your day.

Facebook took a page from MySpace and has added a Top Fans feature for organic page posts

Facebook took a page from MySpace and has a dded a Top Fans feature for organic page posts. Granted, it isn’t a section on a company’s page that shows you who views, likes, comments, or shares the most posts… rather, it gives the company the option to target these Top Fans and send posts for only them to see. First thought: didn’t ‘The Algorithm’ pretty much already do that? The difference is that companies can use this feature to reward those Top Fans since they would be the only ones to see that post i.e. share a sales code and target those Top Fans to reward them and get a more active page at the same time.

Twitter has announced a positive decrease in spam accounts after its acquisition of Smyte last June

Smyte was f ounded to detect webspam and fraud with a major focus in crypto-spam for the Twitterverse. The biggest difference has been with fraudulent crypto accounts claiming Bitcoin giveaways from 1 million impressions per day to less than 5,000 impressions per day. It sounds like a win but didn’t your mother ever tell you to not take Bitcoin from strangers?

Fake news isn’t new but the publicity of fake businesses on Google Maps is and the hurt they put on local businesses and their potential consumers

These fake businesses are pushing the real businesses off the first page by creating free Google My Business profiles leading the real businesses to turn to paid ads. These 11 million illegitimate companies are growing at a rate of hundreds of thousands a month, according to The Wall Street Journal. Is Google winning or losing with these fake businesses?

eCommerce has become king of the commerce world and Amazon is trying to keep up with their own creation – Amazon Prime Day(s)

Amazon announced that they are extending the fifth annual Prime Day to 48 hours, where it started at 24 hours and leapt to 36 hours in 2018. This is all to keep its Amazon Prime customers happy with the potential to have access to sales for a longer amount of time. The best part of this go-around is the estimated 30% increase in promotions and options – which Prime Day was also criticized for.

Is Your Business Showing Up Online?

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 20 May 2019 13:56:00 GMT

How to ensure that customers know about you.

The internet has become a significant part of our everyday lives. What once was a luxury has now transitioned to an integral tool used by almost everyone around the world. And, with the prevalence of smart phones, the internet is literally at our finger tips at almost all times. Because it is so easy to find things online, people engage in search activity almost without realizing it. Want to know a quick answer to a question? Google it. Want to find a phone number to a shop or restaurant? Google it. Want to know more about a particular subject? Google it.

People value their time more than ever today. They demand quick, accurate results to their searches and they will not spend long looking for the answer. If it cannot be found in the first few pages of Google, people will not continue to look. Even in the last twenty years, people would look to the phone book to find a contact. By searching the yellow pages, they could find a business providing the service that they needed. Thanks to the internet and the increased use of smart phones, people no longer need phone books. Instead, they will simply pull out their phone, perform a search for a business or service near them, and make a call. If you are a business owner and you are not online or you are not showing up in the first few pages of a Google search, odds are that you will not be found. Unless you are driving traffic to your site, you are wasting your time and money.

But, unless you have an innate understanding of Google or how to build a website, driving traffic to your site can be difficult -- if not impossible. You don’t have the capability or the time to take the steps you need to take in order to be sure that your customers can find you. If people cannot find you, they cannot buy from you, and if they cannot buy from you, your business will not succeed. Since 2013, Flypaper has been helping local businesses be found. The team at Flypaper can help your business enhance its online presence, improve its positioning on Google, and use social media to spread the word about your company and its goals, products, and purpose. For more information, or to speak with a member of the Flypaper team, contact an office near you today. *This article was originally published by the Chattanooga Times Free Press and Arkansas Democrat Gazette .

When #1 on Google Isn' Enough - How to Rank Zero

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The landscape of Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) has changed, and the ranking game has a whole new playbook . Have you noticed Google’s appearance is changing, again? Welcome to a world where ranking #1 on page one of Google is no longer the top ranking organic result. Introducing position zero.

The Shock Factor A recent headline declared, “Google organic search CTRs decline on desktop, see big drop on phones.” Sounds like a tabloid, but it is written by one of the leading authorities in the industry . The article references a post by Rand Fishkin , founder of SparkToro and Moz , who analyzed a data sample of more than 10 million U.S. devices between 2016-2018. (courtesy of Jumpshot ) What they discovered was shocking. Organic click through rates (CTRs) on desktop decreased slightly by 2.3%, but on mobile saw a drop of 10.4%. As more people are asking their phone or smart home device to do a quick search for an immediate answer, it makes sense that clicks through to a website are decreasing. “There are trillions of searches on Google every year. In fact, 15 percent of searches we see every day are new.” - Ben Gomes, VP Engineering, Google

Since we are talking percentages, if organic CTRs decreased, what is getting higher CTRs? If you guessed paid Google ads, you would be halfway correct. The other impact is “no-click” results, which are delivered as quick answers on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). These featured snippets are linked to the source, but the need to click to get the answer is removed, reinforcing the know-it-all power of authority exercised by Google.

Ultimately, there may be fewer organic clicks, but the visitors are highly engaged, quality leads.

How to Rank #0

There’s a variety of SERP features that command position zero – the knowledge card, recipes, how-to steps, featured snippets, etc. They all have one thing in common; they are all organic results. You cannot buy position zero. To date, there is no way to markup your webpage to be featured.
“Google programmatically determines that a page contains a likely answer to the user's question, and displays the result as a featured snippet . ” This is a clear example of the complexity in Google’s algorithm to analyze in milliseconds what is asked and display the most accurate answer. Users are enthusiastic about getting quick, accurate answers in an easy-to-read (or hear) format. Website owners and content writers are proud to see their information showcased on page one in the coveted position zero. The drawback is there is no need to click through to a website to get the answer, meaning less website traffic. On the smaller screen of mobile devices these results may be the only result displayed before scrolling. Although this does affect the volume of organic website visits, a click through on the SERP feature testifies to highly relevant traffic. Ultimately, there may be fewer organic clicks, but the visitors are highly engaged, quality leads.

Location, Location, Location

With “no-click” results on the rise, you might wonder if it will be possible to compete against websites that are backed by million-dollar marketing teams? Or will small businesses be pushed off the search results by paid ads, position zero and other featured results? These are reasonable concerns, but the organic search algorithm works in ways that levels the playing field. Thankfully, the secret to ranking on page one of Google is not about decoding out the algorithm. It would be impossible to stay current since there are 1,000s of updates a year. Although most are minor adjustments, in 2018 there were 9 confirmed major updates .

“We are constantly evolving these algorithms to improve results – not least because the web itself keeps changing. For instance, in 2017 alone, we ran over 200,000 experiments with trained external Search Evaluators and live user tests, resulting in more than 2,400 updates to Google Search algorithms.” - Excerpt from “ How Google Fights Disinformation ” (A white paper presented by Google at the Munich Security Conference 2/16/19)

EAT and Rank High

There is hope. There is a path. There is an answer; but for each business and industry the secret to success varies. Google rarely gives away the passcode, but when the information is shared, it is crystal clear.

“High quality pages and websites need enough E xpertise to be A uthoritative and T rustworthy on their topic.” -

Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, p.21

To succeed on Google, a website must demonstrate expertise through content, have links from other high-ranked pages to prove authoritativeness, and adhere to standards of security to prove to be trustworthy.

10 Principles of EAT

1. Give away your knowledge (but not your secrets)
2. Provide answers to your most commonly asked questions
3. Lead the witness: Question, Answer, Proof, Action
4. Understand intent: Know, Go, Buy, Do
5. Use bullet points and long content
6. Use images and infographics

Did you know?
T he average Google first page result contains 1,890 words and at least one image.

7. Share your personality (what’s your story, experience, what makes you get up and go to work)
8. Be the Master of your brand ... Define your business, stand by your name and own your domain
9. Focus on local – what makes you different, how do you connect to your community
10. Check yourself: be accurate, consistent, functional and secure – business hours, NAP ( N ame, A ddress, P hone Number), internal and external links, https (security certificate)

Building and maintaining an online presence is all this, and a bag of chips, a pickle and a drink. It requires a full commitment to monitor performance, interact with posts and comments, stay up-to-date on standards, and process and adapt to all of that information.

Digital marketing resources are often free, very thorough and easily accessible. You could succeed in doing it yourself, if you have the time and resources. If you're short on time or want a consultation to see how to follow these principles, give us a call.

Flypaper is a local digital marketing agency with multiple locations throughout the Southeast.

Services include:

Comprehensive Online Presence
Website Design
Search Engine Optimization
Paid Search Ads
Display Ads
Social Media Ads
Online Directory Listings Management
Email Marketing

Need help now? Contact Us to receive your complimentary online presence report.

Automatic Parallel Tracking - How it Will Affect You

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

What is it and who will feel the impact?

Google recently made an important announcement about a mandatory setting:

Starting October 30, 2018, parallel tracking will be required for all AdWords accounts

Google releases hundreds of changes and updates a year, but this one merited a direct email to every account owner.
So, what does that mean?

First, these changes won’t happen until later this year, on October 30. That’s a welcome surprise to anyone who has scrambled to adjust to any number of Google’s mandatory changes with much less warning.

Second, parallel tracking is a new feature that was released earlier this year. A lot of us haven’t even heard of it, much less made use of it. For Google to make this mandatory, it’s reasonable to say that it is a default setting with relatively low impact.

But, the email does heed the warning:

Please work with your click measurement provider(s) to make sure that your account is ready for parallel tracking by October 30, 2018. Should you or your provider miss this deadline, it could potentially interrupt your click measurement reporting or cause landing page errors.

That sounds more ominous.
Let’s take it step by step and see how the AdWords parallel tracking will be automatically turned on alert will affect your website and Google Ads account.

What is parallel tracking?

Parallel Tracking is a feature in Google AdWords (a.k.a. Google Ads ) that sends the user to the destination landing page, while tracking data runs in the background. The person who clicks on an ad will be brought to the website page directly, and the tracking parameters will run parallel to that journey, not interrupting the URL loading time.

Who is a click measurement provider?

A company (in this case, outside of Google) that provides your tracking data for digital ads, app downloads, e-commerce transactions, etc., a.k.a third-party tracking provider.

Have you clicked on an ad and noticed the URL bar flicker with different codes, like it is passing through more than one website before arriving at the destination. This happens so quickly that most times it is indistinct. If it is noticeable, there is a delay to loading the landing page. Sometimes you may question if the link you clicked on is secure or you are being redirected to a different website.

The cause of this ripple in the click-load continuum is a tracking pixel. The tracking pixel does not record any personal identifying information, but identifies you as a “user.” The elements of your search journey, such as the type of device or what browser you are using, is recorded into Google Analytics as a "session.” These data points can then be analyzed by website developers to optimize the website for a better user experience.

Ultimately, parallel tracking is an improvement within Google Ads that sends people directly to the website, while the data is recorded off to the side. Before, the person would click, pass through the tracking URL sequence, and then arrive at the destination website. Think of it like a TSA pre-approval and bypassing the security checkpoint. The security check happens in another realm and you get to where you want to go faster.

The benefit to parallel tracking may seem subtle, but with page load time, every second counts . Just take a look at these statistics:

Want to find out if your website and Google Ads are fully compliant and ready for the mandatory parallel tracking implementation in November 2018? See the checklist of requirements and suggestions below.

Still confused and want someone to explain it without all the technical jargon? Contact your local Flypaper agency or email marketing@customerswhostick.com.

For more information about how click tracking works or the technical requirements for parallel tracking , visit the AdWords API Developers Resource.

Portions of this page are reproduced from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License .

Digital Intervention: Buying a Car in Your Pajamas

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

When is the last time you bought a car? Was it a year ago? Five? Ten? Unfortunately for me, I’ve purchased three cars in the last six months. Not because I wasn’t satisfied with the car I had. I was actually quite fond of car number one. However, shortly after I bought it, my wife and I got into a bad accident, and the car was a goner. We got another one, same make and model, a couple weeks after the accident. Not even two months later, my wife was hit on the interstate, leaving that car totaled, as well. Finally, we realized that particular make and model wasn’t right for us, and two weeks later we picked up car number three. Personally, I’m a car junkie. I love cars. I love the buying process, the selling process, the research, the test-driving, the whole deal. But in the midst of all my shopping, I was amazed at how simple the process seems to have gotten thanks to technology. In fact, by the end of it all, I ended up purchasing a car without ever changing out of my pajamas. Has it always been this easy for everyone, or had my misfortune turned me into a pro? Well, it turns out that studies have shown you don’t have to go on a car buying frenzy to do it efficiently and quickly.

As a matter of fact, according to a study done by DME Automotive in early 2014, the vast majority of today’s car buyers know exactly what vehicle they want to buy, how much they ought to pay, and what deal they can find nearby before ever getting off their sofas. Thus, eliminating the need to hop from dealer to dealer in search of the right deal. The study surveyed 2,000 people and found that a whopping 68% of recent car buyers reported that they visited two or fewer dealerships before making their purchase decision. Even more shocking, 40% of that group only visited one single dealership (Webber & Hartwell, 2014). Therefore, this study is evidence that people, in today’s connected age, have all the information they need from the web, allowing car buyers to drastically reduce the amount of time they have to spend outside shopping and kicking tires, and get a head start on putting that car to use. In fact, of the car buyers that were surveyed, 16% admitted that they didn’t even feel the need to test drive the car prior to purchase and bought it before even starting the engine. I know what you’re thinking. It’s all because of millennials! These results are all skewed because banks are making it so easy for young folks out of college to buy a car with practically nothing down and a loan that stretches close to a decade. Though that is a valid point, it’s actually totally false. Sure, banks have made it pretty easy to get a car these days. You see, when most of us were young, we learned our purchasing behaviors from our parents, and Mom or Dad always taught us to comparatively shop. That meant that when making a major purchase, get three quotes and weigh the pros and cons of each option. However, it appears that today quite the opposite is happening.

Today it seems like the young guns are the ones teaching the older folks how to make purchases. Just two months ago, I introduced my dad to Amazon Prime, showing him how he can buy everything from electronics to toiletries with the click of a button! The same is being done in the automotive industry. Need some proof? My pleasure! Allow me to introduce my boss, Patrick — or Pat as we call him— who shared a pretty interesting story with me before I purchased car number three. Pat is your typical suburban dad with two kids on varsity sports teams, and other similar extra-curricular activities. In fact, he is such a suburban dad that one day he decided he needed a new car that could haul his teenage kids around with their gear, tow the boat on weekends, and still look good in the process. So what does Pat do? Pat opens his computer, finds a price point that will work with his budget, and begins looking at different vehicles that fit his search criteria.
After a few weeks of reading reviews, recalls, specs, and keeping his eyes peeled on the road, Pat decides that he wants to by a new Chevrolet Suburban. Pat happens to have a friend who bought the same car a couple months ago, and he even borrows itfor a weekend, solidifying his decision on that specific make and model. All of a sudden, we have a car buyer that has done research on different options, checked out available colors, and even done research on recalls all before stepping foot onto a new car lot. To take it a step further, Pat goes back to his computer, enters the exact specifications, and orders the exact Suburban that he wanted, and even had it delivered to his house. Pat truly bought a car without ever leaving the house, the entire process was done over the phone and the computer.

You see, we live in a time where everyone has access to an immense amount of information on just about anything by way of the Internet. This fact rings especially true for car buyers. No longer do they have to have a trusted brand and a trusted salesman from which they never stray. Now they can simply identify their basic needs in a vehicle and do the research themselves, without ever having to feel pressured from a salesman. In fact, the same study mentioned before reports that a mere 21% of all car shoppers who participated in the survey claimed that they actually trusted their salesman (Webber & Hartwell, 2014). That means that 79% of car buyers felt that they could not trust their salesman, and that means that they instead trusted the research that they did prior to walking on the lot. After all, everyone hates pulling up to the car lot and seeing six salesmen get off the golf cart they were sitting and begin swarming your car like you’re nothing more than a commission check for them. In fact, when I was shopping for car number two, the salesman literally broke the ice by saying, “ Look, you folks look like nice people and I’m positive I have the right car for you, but I’m looking at bonus territory right now so I need this sale like a dead man needs a casket! ” Needless to say we turned around, went home, and browsed their inventory online.

lthough platforms like Autotrader and Cars.com can be useful tools for comparing vehicles across different lots, dealerships hate it because of how much they have to pay them to host their inventory online, right next two all of their competitors. From what I’ve observed, dealerships would much prefer an advertising platform that builds their own brand, with their own inventory, and invites shoppers to their own websites. That’s where the beauty of social media comes into play. You see, when users start aggressively shopping for a new car online, they display shopping behaviors, which the all-knowing social media gods pick up on. In fact, through Facebook advertising platforms, advertisers can so much as refine the inventory in the ad based on a user’s expressed preference in vehicle color! This morning, in Chattanooga alone, Facebook has identified over 100,000 of its users that have shown enough shopping behavior to suggest that they plan on purchasing a vehicle in the next 13 weeks! So my question is why in the world would dealers still spend money in mailers, print, radio, and billboards when the vast majority of people that receive those messages have absolutely no intention of buying a car this year. Why not instead invest money into platforms that can narrow your audience down to only the people that intend to buy a car in the next thirteen weeks?

Webber, M., & Hartwell, C. (2014, April 15). 1 in 6 Car Buyers Skip Test-Drive: Nearly Half visit Just One (Or No) Dealership Prior to Purchase. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.prnewswire.com

Analysis Paralysis and the Field of Dreams

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Five "R's to Remember" about Online Marketing for Small Business

Many small business owners and senior decision-makers worry that online marketing takes too much time and money — without a tangible return on investment. Do you think the founders of Amazon, eBay, Etsy and many other internet success stories felt that way during their early formative years?

These days, if businesses aren’t getting and retaining a large percentage of new prospects through online methods (aka digital marketing), they are likely to miss out on potential customers or lose current ones to competitors swooping in at the right moment.

Here are 5 "R's to Remember" about Online Marketing for Small Business.

REALITY. A huge percentage of your potential prospects are not using conventional media sources, and spending much more time in the digital world. Especially within the younger demographic groups and prime spending ages of 21-35 , people are now getting their information from other sources beyond TV, radio and newspaper. Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Amazon and many other online venues are becoming increasingly more utilized as primary sources of information for people who are ready to buy.

Takeaway : If a business doesn’t consistently place its marketing messages where people are regularly and actively searching online for information, it’s a logical conclusion those people will NOT buy from that business.

RELEVANCE. The landscape for marketing messages is much more blurred and intertwined now, which unfortunately also raises the overall level of marketing noise. A 2014 study by Media Dynamics found that adults are exposed to an average of 360 advertising messages every day in five conventional media sources (TV, radio, Internet, newspapers and magazines). Of those messages, adults only note about 150-155 on average, and even less of those ads convey an impact strong enough to be recalled and to make a sale. With all that excess advertising noise, people quickly tune out information they feel doesn’t directly relate to their specific needs.

Takeaway : In a 2016 report, Wordstream found that 72% of consumers who did a local Internet search then visited a store within five miles. That means a local business needs to show up in a buyer’s search results — or social media stream — by connecting with key terms and messaging images that are relevant to those buyers who are searching online. If not, then that local business often never becomes an option to that prospect.

REFERRALS. In a huge Nielsen 2012 study of 28,000 Internet respondents in 56 countries, 92% of consumers said they trust earned media — such as recommendations from friends and family– above all other forms of advertising. It’s highly likely in the five years that have passed since the study was released, that 92 percent statistic has inched even closer to 100 percent. Takeaway : Obviously, word of mouth is and always will be a huge influencer of purchasing behavior — but now it’s conveyed and fueled electronically more than face-to-face. People don’t just chat with neighbors over the fence anymore. Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest are now the online enablers of word of mouth referrals and recommendations at a rapid-fire pace.

REMARKETING. Local consumers rarely buy something on their first exposure to a product or service, so businesses have a short window of opportunity to capture a prospect’s attention. Unlike what Kevin Costner said about his Field of Dreams, a business can’t just build a website and customers will come. Businesses have to engage prospects to stay on their websites and social media sites longer, and motivate them to come back more often.

Takeaway : According to Kissmetrics, 62% of new visitors to a website leave after their first click. That’s called the “bounce rate.” People are electronically “window-shopping”– so remarketing tactics help to remind prospects about your business. Ads and links about your website or your social media presence are displayed to those window-shoppers when they visit other, un-related websites. The goal is to remind those prospects to come back to your website, contact your business, and then make a purchase decision from you.

Responsive. According to a 2015 study by Google and Ipsos, 50% of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when conducting a search on their smartphones. Trends show that people now do more local searches on mobile devices (i.e.smartphones or tablets) rather than desktops or laptops. In internet jargon, a responsive website is a mobile-friendly website. Mobile device users get annoyed when they have to constantly zoom, swipe and pinch the little mobile screen just to read the website. Instead, they will just go to a different website (i.e. a competitor’s) that is mobile-friendly.

Takeaway : It’s critical to have a business website that is responsive and thus mobile-friendly, in order to increase a business’s chances of showing up Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) when prospects do a search. Don’t get stuck doing nothing Admittedly, many business owners and managers suffer from “analysis paralysis” when it comes to digital marketing. It is easy to become overwhelmed by all the additional time, effort and information related to the myriad of digital marketing options that are available. That’s where a digital marketing agency can help. If there was one more R to remember about digital marketing, it is ROI. For local businesses that want to survive and grow in today’s marketplace, digital marketing is a must not a maybe.

Anthony Bourdain, the Internet, & Me: The Buyer's Journey

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Understanding the Buyer's Journey

In January, I got the grand idea that I’d travel to Ireland after spending my evening binge watching Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown . I spent most of my night hurling comments across the room to a friend about how nice life must be for the ex-chef turned travel guide who has created a cult following from being undeniably relatable and brash. I am normally not quite so impulsive, but within 30 minutes I had booked my flights, found an Airbnb in Dublin, and secured a rental car for my impromptu adventure. While this wouldn’t be my first trip overseas, it would be the first time I handled all of the details and logistics of the trip. So once done, I started to think about a little travel agency that has sat at the corner of McCallie and Georgia avenue since I first came to Chattanooga as a student. Even then, the pictures of cruise ships, smiling families in front of the Hoover Dam, and palm trees that wallpapered their store front were peeling, faded, and acted as artifacts from a period of time I knew almost nothing about. I actually spent many years believing it was abandoned before running into the owners via their other business years later. The reality that I was experiencing was that life has quickly changed for us all in relatively short order. We are far more autonomous, educated (just ask Siri), and accessible year after year. How we interact with social media, brands, and each other seems to evolve year after year. It’s possible that some of us speak to Alexa or Google Home before a human in the morning. We can experience new places and cultures through virtual reality. And pretty soon, we will have the option to give up our driver’s licenses to self-driving cars.

At Flypaper, we speak to a lot of business owners, and over and over again we hear the same things. Everyone seems to know they need to meet their customers where they are, but they often don’t have the time, resources, or know where to start. However, I believe any reluctantancy to pay real attention to it is far more foundational than not having sufficient time or money. We all know that people do business with other people. We all know that that the biggest deals are done over a meal or drink before the conference table. Flypaper and every other digital agency knows that your business is run off of word of mouth, and EVERY good, local business is run this way. What you fear is not the technology. It is removing the handshake out of your business deals. Where does this stem from? From a miseducation and misunderstanding of how the technology available plays into customers buying decisions. For example, when someone is planning on landscaping their yard or installing a pool in the backyard, one of the very first places they go is Google. It could be to find pictures for inspiration, it could be to research expected costs, or it could be… STOP. They closed their phone, put it in their pocket, or the red light just turned to green. Their 30-45 seconds online is what we call a moment of consideration. Later that day, they might speak about it to a coworker who gives them some recommendations. A few days pass and they are sitting in front of the TV with their computer on their lap and their phone next to them. They make it to your website, a competitor’s site, or they are flipping through reviews. This buying process may take days, weeks, or months as moments of consideration begin to build. You may even visit their home, quote the project, and feel that the job is yours to lose. After all, you guys are going to the baseball game this week.

Money falls through. Life happens. And the job is never guaranteed. What are you doing to be there when consideration turns into action? Was your website easy to find even though they couldn’t remember your name? Did they see that awesome pool with the waterfall you just completed on Facebook? Are you sticking with them while they read about the NBA playoffs or buy new shoes? Are you still there when they finally get the promotion?
Flypaper sees your website like Las Vegas. We ask ourselves what the most important thing to that city is. It’s not the gambling, the casinos, or the debauchery. It’s the airports and the roads that lead to it. Otherwise, it is a city in the desert. It’s not about building websites. It’s not about making sure you are on every social media platform. We want to develop pathways into you customer’s buying process holistically. The internet is not a hallway with your door at the end. It is an ecosystem with customers constantly moving from place to place. When booking my trip to Ireland, what was most important was that each company met me where I was the moment I needed them. Talk to someone at Flypaper today about your business. Digital marketing can be complicated, we make it easy.

The Need for Speed is Real

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Fri, 19 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

10 big facts you need to know about page speed.

In 2010, Google announced page speed as a rank factor for websites. It may not have had a direct impact on SEO at the time, but consumers and Google alike want the web to be faster and more efficient - especially for mobile users. With smartphones sitting in our pockets that are millions of times more powerful than all of NASA's computing power in the 60s, we expect any and all information whenever we want it. Whether we are ordering a pizza, shopping for shoes, or looking to buy a home the need for speed is real.

So if you are thinking about paying closer attention to your SEO, continue to address your keywords, title tags, etc. However, there might be a silent killer lurking in the shadows. Here are 10 big facts you need to know about page speed:

Users spend 70% more time, and have 60% more page views, on websites that load quickly.
77% of websites take more than 10 seconds to load on mobile.
40% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
As page time goes from 1s-5s probability of bounce increases by 90%. [ Source ]
52% of online shoppers claim that quick page loads are important for their loyalty to a site. [ Source ]
When faced with a negative mobile shopping experience, 43% of consumers will go to a competitor’s site next. [ Source ]
Publishers whose mobile sites load in 5 seconds earn up to 2x more mobile ad revenue than those whose sites load in 19 seconds. 7 [ Source ]
Sites that loaded in less that five seconds on mobile saw 70% longer sessions and 25% higher viewability than those that loaded at the current common average of 19 seconds. [ Source ]
PageSpeed can have a direct impact on your Adwords campaigns and Quality Score. “If it takes too long for your website to load when someone clicks on your ad, they’re more likely to give up and leave your website. This unwelcome behavior can signal to Google that your landing page experience is poor, which could negatively impact your Ad Rank. That’s why you want to make sure your landing page load time is up to speed.” [ Source ]
According to Google, “speed equals revenue.” [ Source ]

Flypaper can help you identify if your website meets Google's requirements for page speed, and give it the tune up it needs. Reach out to your local Flypaper team for more information. READ MORE: https://www.dudamobile.com/blog/10-incredible-stats-facts-need-know-pagespeed/

PRESS RELEASE: Flypaper Passes 500 Active Customers; Experiences Rapid Growth

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Tue, 09 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

FOR RELEASE: May 9th, 2017

10 Mind Blowing Social Media Stats

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Taking advantage of the largest medium in the world.

We work with over 500 businesses across the nation, and many of the questions we receive each day remain the same. There are prevailing concerns about whether or not customers are actually on social media and if there is a need for professionals like Flypaper to handle what sometimes seems like is just for pictures of dogs, trendy food, and selfies.

However, businesses across all industries have found ways to discover new business, build brands, and engage with their current customers on social media faster and more efficiently than ever before. Flypaper is the catalyst for you to accomplish the same, but in the words of Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton, "You don't have to take our word for it." Here are 10 mind blowing social media stats that speak for themselves:

1. 2.8 billion people were using social media by the end of 2016, up 21 percent from 2015.
2. 83 percent of Americans have a social media account.
3. 48 percent of Americans have interacted with companies or institutions on at least one social media network.
4. 59 percent of Americans who have a social media account agree that customer service via social media has made it easier to get questions and concerns resolved.
5. Facebook remains the most-used social media site among all ages , used by 64 percent of Americans 12 and up.
6. Facebook accounts for one in every six minutes spent online and one in every five minutes spent on mobile.
7. A colossal 50 million businesses use Facebook Pages .
8. Every second, 6,000 Tweets are sent .
9. A whopping 68 percent of Instagram users engage with brands regularly .
10. Engaged Instagram followers are worth more than those on Facebook, with an average order value of $65 versus $55.

READ MORE: https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-statistics-for-social-media-managers/

Are Companies Really Paying for Fake Reviews?

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

How reviews (when real) are as good as gold for your business.

There seems to be a growing concern that reviews online are fake, not useful, and caught up in the clutter of all the information available to us online. Turns out, however, that online reviews are affecting a staggering amount of business each day and play a critical role in the buying process.

For instance, I recently purchased a mattress. Having never bought a new mattress before, I first went online to discover my options. Over the course of a couple weeks, I began to narrow my options down to three "bed-in-a-box" companies that had begun retargeting me through social media and elsewhere online (chances are you've seen at least one of these companies yourself named after a popular friendly ghost we all know about).

After speaking to a couple of people in our office I discovered that two of them had actually purchased from one of the companies I was considering. That evening, I immediately went online to compare reviews of each side by side. After pairing their recommendation with many other glowing reviews, one stood out amongst the rest. Two weeks later I was sleeping in my new bed.

So what does this all mean? Understanding the buying process, and how the internet plays it's unique role in your industry is something Flypaper can help with. Although roughly 15 percent of reviews online do seem to be fake, consumer confidence online continues to rise. Here are some numbers for you to chew on:

Sixty-one percent of consumers read reviews before deciding whether or not to buy (Econsultancy).
Consumer reviews are trusted up to 12X more than manufacturer product descriptions (eMarketer).
After seeing how a brand responds to reviews, 71 percent of consumers change their opinions about the brand (Bazaarvoice).
Customers who view user-generated content show a 133 percent higher conversion rate (Bazaarvoice).
79 percent of customer trust online reviews as much as personal reviews (BrightLocal).

Having a smart, genuine review system in place like the one Flypaper offers through our Reputation Management solution provides a considerable opportunity to increase both new and reoccurring business by building trust with your customers. If you're interested in learning more start the conversation with us today.

READ MORE
http://marketingland.com/fake-online-reviews-killing-consumer-confidence-194239

We Know The PC is Over, But is the App Dead Too?

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Smart phone searches have grown 69% since 2014.

It's true. There are 7 billion people in the world, and 5.4 billion of them own a cell phone - a startling number if you compare it to the 4.2 billion that own a toothbrush. This is the very reason that Google has put a premium on mobile websites , and in 2015 news outlets coined it "Mobilgeddon". The move from desktop to mobile has even gone as far to have seen a steady decline in app downloads year to year. Causing businesses to focus on retention of their online visitors rather than just acquisition. So what does that mean for your website or your business?

There are a number of implication including Google's intentions to move from a desktop-first index to a mobile-first index that could dramatically affect how your customers find you online. Get yourself ready and you could pick yourself up in the rankings. Talk with someone at Flypaper today to if your site is ready.

READ MORE
http://marketingland.com/report-pc-app-boom-207857
http://searchengineland.com/know-mobile-crawl-site-looks-like-270220

The New Google? Are Search Results Pages Shrinking?

lou-clientservices@customerswhostick.com (Ben Atzinger) — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Only 3% of searches include the mythical "ten blue links".

The foundation for an effective digital marketing plan is good SEO, and we believe that will never change. Keeping up with Google is still a full-time job and constantly has business owners stretched too thin. However, Google continues to give it's users more and more options. This has resulted in an increased need to know your options beyond SEO.

At Flypaper, we stay up to date with all of the changes and make sure our customers are on the right path to succeed. We specialize in solutions that build multiple paths to your site and have one thing in mind - your GROWTH. Call us to find out how we can help!

READ MORE
https://moz.com/blog/3-not-so-seo-friendly-trends

Flypaper News + Updates

AI Search Is the New Gatekeeper for Local Businesses

Structured & Accurate Local Data

﻿ Helpful, Localized Content

Reviews & Online Reputation

Website Experience & Technical Setup

Consistency Across Platforms

How We’re Helping Our Clients Adapt

The Bottom Line

Understanding ADA Compliance for Business Websites

Here’s the straightforward explanation.

Let’s start with the basics before exploring how ADA compliance may apply to your business.

Now that you know what ADA website compliance is, let’s look at whether it applies to your business.

Why ADA Website Compliance Matters in 2026

It Helps Real People

It Reduces Risk

It Improves User Experience and SEO

What Makes a Website Accessible? (The Basics)

How Flypaper Helps With ADA Website Compliance

You may be asking: Is ADA website compliance complicated?

Curious how your current website measures up?

What Is Reddit — and Why Advertising There Can Work for Your Business in 2026

When people hear “Reddit,” many business owners aren’t quite sure what it is — or why it matters. That’s especially true for service-based businesses where word-of-mouth and Google searches have traditionally driven most leads.

But the way people research services has changed.

In 2026, Reddit has become one of the places people go before they call a company, click an ad, or fill out a form. That’s why Flypaper now offers Reddit Advertising as a way to help businesses reach customers earlier in the decision-making process.

What Is Reddit, Exactly?

Why Reddit Matters for Local Businesses

How Reddit Advertising Works

Why Reddit Ads Feel Different (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

What Reddit Advertising Is Not

How Flypaper Helps Businesses Advertise on Reddit

Is Reddit Advertising Right for Your Business?

Let’s See If It Makes Sense for You

Google Is Changing the Rules (Again) — Here’s What It Means for 2026

If your website traffic has felt a little unpredictable lately, you’re not imagining it.

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Google recently rolled out another core algorithm update, and while updates like these are nothing new, this one reinforces a clear message heading into 2026: Google is raising the bar on what “good content” really means.

This isn’t about shortcuts, keyword stuffing, or chasing trends anymore. It’s about earning visibility by proving expertise, relevance, and trust — and that’s where strategy matters more than ever.

A Shift Toward Real Expertise (Not Just Content)

What Google Is Rewarding Going Into 2026

Why This Matters for Your Business

Ready for What Google Has Planned for 2026?

What’s New at Flypaper in 2026: Smarter Tech, Stronger Results, and More Ways to Grow

We’re starting 2026 with major upgrades—from new advertising channels and smarter data tools to improved website protection—all focused on helping local businesses grow with Flypaper’s expert support.

Some details are still under wraps, but here’s what’s coming and how it can make a difference for your business.

Advertising on Reddit — Reaching People When They’re Asking for Advice

Smarter, More Transparent Digital-Out-of-Home Advertising

Better Targeting with Real-World Consumer Behavior Data

Review Management — Now Available Through Flypaper

Website Accessibility for All — Launching in 2026

2026: A Year Full of Opportunity — And We’re Just Getting Started

Flypaper Summit 2025 Recap: Learning, Connecting & Looking Ahead

The 2025 Flypaper Summit gathered team members from every market in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a few days of collaboration, recognition, and fresh ideas.

Day 1: Kicking Things Off in Chattanooga

Celebrating This Year’s Winners!

Day 2: Learning from Local Leaders & Plenty of Laughter

Final Day: Wrapping Up with Insights & a Little Mystery

Looking Ahead

Why Q4 Is the Perfect Time to Audit Your Online Presence

As the year winds down, small business owners finally get a moment to breathe—and reflect. Before flipping the calendar to 2026, there’s one powerful move that can set your business up for success: auditing your online presence.

Your website, SEO, and advertising all play a huge role in how customers find (and choose) you. And Q4 is the perfect time to make sure everything’s working as it should. Think of it like a tune-up before the busy season starts again.

1. Your Website Is Your Digital Storefront

2. Your SEO Could Be Coasting

3. Your Advertising Data Tells a Story

4. Your Online Reputation Needs a Check-Up

5. Get a Fresh Perspective

Ready to Start 2026 Strong?

From Clicks to Clients: How We Help Local Businesses Grow

A click doesn’t pay the bills — a client does.

For many local businesses, that’s the real challenge of digital marketing. You can invest in a shiny new website, run ads on Google, or post regularly on social media, but at the end of the day, you don’t just need traffic… You need customers calling, booking, and walking through your door.

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That’s where Flypaper comes in. Our job is to bridge the gap between clicks and clients, helping local businesses turn online interest into real-world growth.

The Problem with Just Getting Clicks

How Flypaper Turns Clicks into Clients

1. A Strong Online Presence (Website + SEO + Listings)

2. Precision Targeting (Ads That Reach the Right People)

3. Lead Management Tools (CRM + Call Tracking)

4. Local Team Support

The Flypaper Difference

Ready to Turn Clicks into Clients?

Helpful, Localized Content

What's the Difference Between Boosted Posts and Paid Social Ads?