As a business owner, you likely have two main questions every time someone starts talking about marketing: why should I care about this, and will this drive revenue? Digital Marketing ROWhy? is the podcast for you. Your host Shannon Allen is here to answer all your burning questions about digital marketing, breaking down every topic to get to the heart of “why is this important to me and why should I care?” She’ll also connect digital marketing tactics to your bottom line. With more than 25 years of marketing experience, Shannon is passionate about educating her clients and other business owners about all things digital marketing so they can make the most money for their business through marketing. She understands that if it doesn’t come back to ROI, then it’s not important. Each month, Shannon and another marketing expert or business owner will have a conversation about the hottest digital marketing topics that everyone is talking about and hear case studies about how business owners and marketers drove ROI with their marketing. We’ll also share weekly quick tips and insights so you’re always up to date on the latest in this crazy digital marketing world. Federated Digital Solutions Follow Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn
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August 13, 202619 min
What Actually Changes When You Move Your Live Sports Ads From Cable to Streaming
Football season is here, and the way local businesses buy ads on football games has changed more than most advertisers realize. In this episode, Shannon and Krystal break down the difference between buying spots on cable and buying impressions on streaming — and why that shift usually means reaching more of the audience you're already paying for. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 30, 202615 min
What Media Consolidation Means for Local Advertisers
Fox is buying Roku for $22 billion, Paramount is buying Warner Bros. Discovery, and the biggest names in streaming are racing to own the content, the platforms, and the audience data. Shannon Allen and Krystal Vivian break down what the consolidation wave means for local advertisers, why audience data is the real prize, and whether open programmatic buying survives as more platforms close their doors. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 9, 202620 min
How Do Local Political Campaigns Reach Voters in the Most Expensive Midterm in History?
The 2026 midterms are projected to top $10.8 billion in political ad spend, the highest in US history, and Michigan alone accounts for more than a billion of it. So where should that money actually go? In this episode, Shannon Allen and Krystal Vivian break down why broadcast TV no longer reaches the voters campaigns think it does, and how streaming and CTV have changed the math. Streaming now owns roughly half of all viewership, and it lets campaigns match a voter file to a household, target undecided voters in a single precinct, and adjust creative in near real time. Broadcast can't do any of that. Shannon and Krystal cover the lowest unit rate trap that leaves candidates paying for spots that may never air, the voter journey as a framework for smarter spending, and the real-time reporting that shows campaigns exactly who they reached and when to pivot. Whether you're running for school board, backing a ballot measure, or managing a PAC, this is a practical look at where digital strategy wins elections. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 25, 202636 min
37% of Consumers Are Starting Searches on AI. Is Your Business Showing Up?
37% of consumers are now starting their searches on AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini instead of Google — and that number has doubled in less than a year. So what does that mean for your business? In this episode, Shannon and Krystal break down exactly how AI decides which local businesses to recommend, and what you need to have in place to be one of them. It comes down to three signals: accurate business listings across the web, a steady stream of recent reviews, and content on your website that AI can actually read and cite. They also get into how AI search is changing the value of your paid search ads in a big way. The businesses that are showing up in AI recommendations right now are being endorsed to consumers who are already primed and ready to buy. Krystal walks through AI Location Concierge, FDS's solution that brings all three signals together — so when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity to recommend a business like yours, you're the one they hear about. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 11, 202622 min
Mid-Year 2026 Marketing Check-In: What's Working and What's Changing for the Rest of the Year
We're halfway through 2026. Gas prices jumped 76%, inflation hit its highest rate since May 2023, and consumer spending is splitting in half — with lower and middle-income households pulling back while the top 40% keeps spending. In this mid-year check-in, Shannon and Krystal walk through what's actually happened in the first six months and what it means for your marketing strategy. They cover the economy, what's shifting in key industries like auto and credit unions, where digital advertising is still growing, and what business owners need to plan for in the second half of the year. They also address a critical point: what to do with your budget when everything feels uncertain, why cutting might be the wrong move, and how retention becomes your leverage when new business gets harder. If you've been waiting to see how the year plays out, this conversation gives you the data to make decisions for the rest of 2026. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 4, 202624 min
Netflix Said It Would Never Run Ads. Now 190 Million People Are Watching Them.
Netflix spent over a decade telling the world it would never run ads. Then it did — and in less than three years, 190 million people a month are watching them. In this episode, Shannon and Krystal break down how Netflix made the shift, who's actually watching on the ad-supported tier, and what that audience means for local businesses looking to add another layer to their CTV strategy. They also walk through what it actually costs to advertise on Netflix in 2026, how FDS is making it accessible for local businesses, and where the platform is headed with targeting and ad technology. If Netflix has been on your radar, this episode gives you the full picture before CPMs go up. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 14, 202631 min
REPLAY: The 2026 Digital Marketing Landscape: AI Search, Connected TV, and Privacy-First Targeting
This is a replay of the podcast from Nov. 20, 2025. The digital marketing landscape is shifting faster than ever, and 2026 will separate businesses that adapt from those left behind. In this episode, Shannon Allen and Krystal Vivian explore the three critical trends reshaping how consumers discover and engage with brands: the AI search revolution that's driving organic traffic down 25% nationally, the streaming video tipping point where connected TV now dominates traditional cable, and the evolution of privacy-first targeting strategies that deliver better results than outdated cookie-based methods. Whether you're a local business owner or marketing professional, this conversation reveals exactly what you need to know to stay competitive and drive real ROI in the year ahead. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 23, 202617 min
AI Didn't Kill Paid Search. It Made It More Valuable.
AI didn't kill paid search. It actually made it more valuable — and most business owners don't know that yet. In this episode, Shannon and Krystal break down what's really happening with search in 2026. Organic traffic is down, zero-click searches now make up 60% of all queries, and AI overviews are changing the page before most users ever scroll. But paid search sits above all of it, and for businesses willing to optimize, the results speak for themselves. Shannon walks through real client campaigns — a hospice organization, a local plumber, a car dealership — and what the numbers actually looked like when strategy was applied to budget. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 9, 202625 min
Cable Is Losing 3,500 Customers a Day. Is Your Marketing Budget Keeping Up?
Cable is losing 3,500 customers a day — and if your ad budget hasn't moved with the audience, you're already behind. In this episode, Shannon and Krystal break down where TV viewership actually stands in 2026. Streaming now accounts for nearly half of all television consumption, and the numbers are still moving. They walk through how the landscape is divided between broadcast, cable, streaming, and the walled gardens that confuse most business owners, and why the platform your audience is "on" might not be the one worth buying. If you've ever wondered whether CTV makes sense for your business, or you're still spending where you've always spent, this conversation will give you a clearer picture of where to start. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 27, 202625 min
How Your Business Listings Could Be Costing You $21,000 a Year
Your business listings could be losing you $21,000 a year — and you might not even know it's wrong. In this episode, Krystal Vivian sits down with FDS Social Media Specialist and Location Concierge expert Melissa Weirick to talk about one of the most overlooked pieces of a business's digital presence: business listings. Your name, address, and phone number show up in over 200 places across the internet — and inaccurate information on even one of them can cost you customers, hurt your search rankings, and erode the trust you've worked hard to build. Krystal and Melissa break down why consistency across all of those publishers matters to Google and AI search engines, how online reviews directly influence whether consumers choose your business, and what it actually takes to manage your listings and reputation without letting it fall to the wayside. Plus, the stats they share will make you rethink what "showing up online" really means. Read Federated Digital Solutions' blog Federated Digital Solutions on Facebook Federated Digital Solutions on LinkedIn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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