# 30. Avoiding marketing plateaus through diversification and operational excellence

May 12, 2025

## Summary

In this episode, Shane Murphy sits down with Brennan Smith and Robb Fahrion, co-founders of the digital marketing powerhouse Flying V Group. They explore how the restaurant industry is undergoing a digital transformation and share actionable insights on leveraging marketing strategies like SEO, Google Map Pack, and diversified campaigns. The conversation underscores the importance of aligning marketing with operational excellence, staying agile in strategy, and maintaining a long-term view on growth. Whether you're a restaurant owner or marketer, this episode is packed with valuable tips to turn traffic into revenue.

## Transcript

**Shane Murphy:** Welcome back everybody. I am here today with both Brennan Smith and Rob Ferian. They're the co-founders of Flying V Group, which is a top-rated digital marketing agency that has managed over $50 million in paid media spend. They drive an average of 42% for SEO traffic growth and have focused on a variety of revenue-generating digital marketing strategies...

**Robb Fahrion:** Yeah, thanks so much for having us, Shane.

**Brennan Smith:** Thanks for having us.

**Shane Murphy:** So, before we dive too deep into strategies and tactical stuff, can you guys take a little bit of time and share some of your backgrounds and your marketing agency as well?

**Robb Fahrion:** Sure. I think Brennan and I both kind of grew up in digital marketing without formal corporate training, both business majors focusing on marketing...

**Brennan Smith:** I would say we've taught ourselves everything just because it's a constantly changing market. I started in the hospitality industry and realized the importance of social media and digital marketing for restaurant visibility.

**Shane Murphy:** That's fascinating! Can you elaborate on some key strategies you're implementing for restaurants?

**Brennan Smith:** With any client, understanding their goals is first. For restaurants, it's often about filling in slow days or increasing brand awareness. We track this via SEO and paid media...

**Robb Fahrion:** Absolutely. The goal is also to track performance through analytics, so we can tell what's working and what's not. For example, if we run campaigns during a slow Wednesday and see an increase in traffic, we analyze if it resulted in revenue.

**Brennan Smith:** Exactly, and influencing Google placements, especially in the Map Pack, can significantly drive traffic to restaurants. We ensure to create high quality content on both the restaurant's website and their Google My Business profile to improve search rankings.

**Shane Murphy:** How important are reviews in that process?

**Robb Fahrion:** Reviews are critical because they'll influence customer trust and ultimately the restaurant’s ranking in local search results.

**Brennan Smith:** And also, the newness and relevance of the content on their websites, including keyword-focused pages, is vital for maintaining high SEO performance.

**Robb Fahrion:** Exactly! Staying relevant with fresh content and interacting with customers on social media is becoming increasingly important.

**Brennan Smith:** A key suggestion to avoid marketing plateaus is diversification. Restaurants shouldn’t put all their budget into one strategy. They need to explore different channels and adapt to changing market trends.

**Robb Fahrion:** And being agile is equally important. If something isn’t working, we pivot. For example, quickly adapting to new social media platforms or trends can significantly benefit a restaurant's visibility.

**Shane Murphy:** So, maintaining operational processes along with marketing efforts is crucial for conversion?

**Brennan Smith:** Definitely! You can have all the traffic in the world, but if your staff isn’t properly managing customer inquiries or service, then you're missing potential revenue.

**Robb Fahrion:** Exactly! We often wind up as consultants in sales processes because it all interlinks. We need to ensure restaurants are ready to handle the influx of customers as marketing efforts drive higher traffic.

**Shane Murphy:** This has been an enlightening conversation. How can the audience learn more about you and your group?

**Robb Fahrion:** Anyone can visit flyingvgroup.com. We’re also available on social media at @flyingvgroup. We’re always happy to discuss digital marketing strategies, no matter the industry.