The blog
Marketing notes from Beck Avenue
49 posts since 2021 on direct mail, digital and running a local business, plus our In The Loop lists for Chattanooga.
Direct Mail
Content is King- How Quality Content Raises your Status
Advertorials, business spotlights, testimonials and local interest pages: how Local Fare Magazine content builds trust with 70,000 households.
Read the post →Direct Mail that Delivers
From Coupon Carrier in 2003 to Local Fare Magazine after the 2008 recession, how the Bustamantes built a mailer for 1,000+ local businesses.
Read the post →Put Print Media to Work for You
Print ads are more memorable, reach buyers you didn't target and are trusted more than digital. Three reasons to keep print in your marketing mix.
Read the post →Where…Your Business Gets Noticed.
The Wrap's holiday theme, Where Locals Shop and Play, puts your business in front of 70,000 Chattanooga homes with no long-term agreement.
Read the post →Digital
Escape The Scroll: Why Direct Mail Delivers
Phones get scrolled 86 to 100+ miles a year, while a magazine stays on the counter for weeks. Why print belongs beside digital for local businesses.
Read the post →Best Practices for Websites That Convert
Clear messaging, obvious calls to action, fast load times, mobile design, social proof and SEO are what turn a small business website into a sales tool.
Read the post →Social Device ID Retargeting: A Smarter Way to Reach the Right Audience
Reach people on Facebook and Instagram based on where they have been in the last 3 to 12 months, then see who visited your location after the ads.
Read the post →New Year, New Leads: Why Direct Mail Still Works in 2026
Local Fare Magazine mixes local content with coupons, tracks calls and QR scans, and backs advertisers with a 90-day guarantee on measurable results.
Read the post →Revive Your SEO: Bring Your Online Presence Back To Life
Five steps to bring a stalled website back in search, from keywords and fresh content to technical fixes, plus a month-by-month plan to keep it there.
Read the post →Programmatic Ads: Right Message, Right Person, Right Time
How programmatic display and video ads target by behavior and location, and why geofencing paired with audience curation is the most used tactic.
Read the post →The Smart Approach: Part 2 on Streaming TV & Programmatic Video Advertising
Part 2 on video ads: premium streaming, curated audiences, Netflix blends and brand safety, plus why streaming TV costs less than broadcast.
Read the post →Make an Impression with Programmatic Display
Programmatic display budgets at three levels, from 50,000 to 300,000 impressions a month, and what click-through rates to expect at each.
Read the post →Copywriting: The 5 W’s of Creating Engaging Content
Copywriter Lexi Engesath on the 5 W's of web and social copy: who you are, the hook, when to post, where content lives and why Google cares.
Read the post →Marketing to Your 3 Client Bases
Past, current and new clients each need their own marketing. How to nurture referrals, keep loyal customers and reach new prospects in 2022.
Read the post →Postcards, Simplified!
Choose Zone A or Zone B, pick a DAL card or insert from 18 to 29 cents each, and let Local Fare design and mail your postcard with the magazine.
Read the post →The Marketing Triangle: Small Business Advertising That WORKS
Why boosted Facebook posts fall short, and how combining social ads, print in Local Fare Magazine and programmatic display reaches the right buyers.
Read the post →Help Your Business Finish Strong In 2021
How programmatic display works, from geofencing and keyword retargeting to conversion zones, and why it beats a boosted Facebook post in Q4.
Read the post →Marketing
How To Make $5,000 Work Harder for Your Business
The smartest way to spend $5,000 on marketing depends on how your customers buy. A restaurant and an HVAC company need very different plans.
Read the post →How Print Plays a Role in The Consumer’s Journey
Most print ad responses come through Google, websites and forms, not the printed phone number. How to measure a magazine ad's real impact.
Read the post →The Powerful Combo of Direct Mail + Digital Marketing
Why businesses that grow in tough times combine direct mail and digital ads, and what a joint print and digital campaign needs to capture leads.
Read the post →How to Choose the Right Direct Mail for your Business
Presence, Competitive or Dominant: how to pick a Local Fare direct mail plan in Chattanooga, from a quarter-page ad to a solo postcard mailing.
Read the post →The Future of Video Advertising: Streaming TV and Programmatic Video
Part 1 on video ads: how streaming TV and programmatic video differ, why using both reaches the whole household, and pitfalls to avoid.
Read the post →Your Customer’s Journey
From brand awareness to loyalty, each stage of the customer journey calls for a different tactic. What to use at each step and why it matters.
Read the post →Get the Newest Tool in Hyper-Local Marketing: The Luxe List
The Luxe List places programmatic ads on niche sites where buyers read about your industry. A sample plan for an outdoor furniture retailer.
Read the post →What’s Your Plan?
Fourth-quarter spending has more than doubled in a decade. How to finish 2022 strong with the Wrap, magazine postcards and programmatic ads.
Read the post →Custom vs. Stock Photography: The Impact of Authenticity
Ads with custom photos draw 35% more response than stock. Why real people and real products build trust and drive purchases for small businesses.
Read the post →Business
Your Website Never Closes. Does It Sell?
Your site takes visitors after you close. Answer their questions, give clear next steps, test on every device and keep the technical SEO in order.
Read the post →The Marketing Junk Drawer: 7 Things That Don’t Actually Work Together
Seven common marketing pieces that fail when they run alone, from one-off ads to Google Ads with no follow-up, and how a strategy connects them.
Read the post →Conversion Tracking; Your Smartest Tool
Traffic tells you who found you. Conversion tracking shows who called, filled out a form, bought or walked in, and which marketing got them there.
Read the post →How Much of Your Marketing Is Outbound vs. Inbound?
Inbound captures people already searching; outbound reaches them before they need you. Why leaning too far either way makes leads feel unpredictable.
Read the post →Why Are Postcards Making A Comeback?
Postcards land without an envelope, draw 4 to 9% response and stay on the fridge up to 17 days. Three ways to mail one with Local Fare in Chattanooga.
Read the post →Marketing That Resonates: Choosing the Right Story for You
Client spotlights, co-op newsletter pages, testimonials and streaming TV give local businesses different ways to tell their story to Local Fare readers.
Read the post →You’ve Got Leads – Here’s How to Make the Most of Them
Most sales take five or more touches. How to follow up, respond fast and train your team so the leads your marketing brings in turn into customers.
Read the post →Unlocking the Power of Direct Mail
What direct mail is, shared publications versus stand-alone postcards, why it outperforms email, and what to plan before your first campaign.
Read the post →Unlocking Google Ads: Your Guide to Budgeting, Landing Pages, and Success Tracking
Answers to three common Google Ads questions: what to budget, what makes a landing page convert and how to tell whether your ads are working.
Read the post →Video Marketing: Overcoming the Common Hurdles
Budget limits, no clear strategy and content fatigue are the common video marketing hurdles. Practical fixes, plus platform and length advice.
Read the post →A Resurgence In Direct Mail
CPCs are up double digits and four mailers can cost what one click does. Why print is coming back and where it fits in the consumer journey.
Read the post →A Look Back, A Leap Forward
What 2023 taught us about OTT, geofencing, direct mail and search ads, and the balance of print and digital we recommend for 2024 campaigns.
Read the post →How to Get, Improve, and Respond to Online Reviews
SEO expert Libby Adams on how to ask for Google reviews, respond to negative ones and use reviews to move your business up in local search.
Read the post →Are you Getting the Most out of Google My Business?
SEO expert Libby Adams on claiming your Google My Business profile, filling every field, posting weekly and earning reviews to rank higher.
Read the post →In the Loop
Celebrating Local Fare Magazine’s 20 Year Journey
Joann and Juan Bustamante marked 20 years of Local Fare Magazine by honoring 16 clients of 15+ years with glass sculptures by Chris Mosey.
Read the post →25 Ways to Practice Gratitude
Twenty-five ways to show thanks in Chattanooga, from the Area Food Bank and McKamey Animal Center to Gift a Bike and helping a neighbor with errands.
Read the post →25 Ways to Grow your Love
Twenty-five Valentine's ideas for couples, from hidden love notes and a yes day to Chattanooga waterfalls, zip lines and a monthly date night.
Read the post →25 Ways to Survive the Holidays
Twenty-five ways to get through the holidays: deep breaths, family drama bingo, reusable gift bags, the EPB lights and asking for help when you need it.
Read the post →25 Ways to Give Back in Chattanooga
Twenty-five ways to give back in Chattanooga without much money, from Gift-A-Bike and Green Steps cleanups to the Free Store and Isaiah 117 House.
Read the post →25 Fascinating Histories of Chattanooga
Twenty-five pieces of Chattanooga history, from Bessie Smith and the first tow truck to MoonPies, mini-golf, Coca-Cola bottling and NASCAR's roots.
Read the post →25 Ways to Find Your Next Hobby
Twenty-five Chattanooga hobbies to try, from welding at Metal Makers and aerial silks to library instruments, star parties and line dancing.
Read the post →25 Chattanooga Dates to Remember
Twenty-five Chattanooga date ideas, from the Ruby Falls zip-line and a hidden speakeasy to drive-in movies, Nightfall concerts and Bluff View.
Read the post →25 Most Instagrammable Spots in Chattanooga
Twenty-five photo spots in Chattanooga with addresses, from Umbrella Alley and Cooper's Alley to Lula Lake Falls, Snooper's Rock and the Choo Choo.
Read the post →