Background: Building a Trusted Brand in a Competitive Market
Aaron Services is a second-generation, family-owned plumbing and HVAC company headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia. With over 25 team members and a service area that spans up to 60 miles across North Georgia, the company services roughly 30 homes every day—or nearly 150 a week. In other words, a lot of pipes cleared, leaks fixed, and water heaters saved. Their secret? Prioritizing trust and local presence.
“We’re not trying to market to people passing through Atlanta on the interstate,” explained Sara Adams, Marketing Director. “Our customers live in more rural, suburban areas. That’s where we want to be seen.”
Blip’s platform—which partners with over 300 media companies nationwide—not only outperformed traditional billboard long-term contracts, but also allowed Aaron Services to advertise within minutes of their customers’ homes. This reinforced their claim as the “Best of” in each city they serve. “We’ve used billboards before, but we hated being locked into long-term contracts,” she shared. “We needed something more flexible—something we could control.”
Solution: Hyperlocal, Contract-Free Billboard Campaigns with Blip
The company discovered Blip two years ago while searching for more agile billboard options—and immediately saw the potential. “One of the first things that drew us in was the flexibility. I can log in, upload a design, pause it, change it, or even stop it for a few days—all without going through anyone. That kind of control is just not something we’d had before.”
What really set Blip apart was the access to billboard inventory in exactly the right places. “The signs aren’t just in big cities. Blip has inventory in the smaller, commuter-heavy areas where our customers actually live. That made a huge difference for us.”
They began strategically placing boards in towns like Cumming, Alpharetta, and Roswell—targeting local shopping corridors and high-traffic intersections during peak commuting hours. “We’ll run boards from 7:00 to 9:00 in the morning and again in the evening rush.”
Blip’s self-serve model also allowed Aaron Services to sync out-of-home efforts with digital campaigns. “If we’re doing a push with SEO or Google Ads in one city, we’ll layer Blip boards on top of that to really saturate the area. It helps reinforce the message across channels.”
Results: Stronger Brand Recognition and Measurable Lift in Searches
Though they don’t rely on billboards to drive immediate phone calls, Aaron Services has seen measurable results when it comes to brand awareness and digital performance. “People might not remember a phone number from a billboard, but they’ll remember the name. That’s what we’re going for—brand recall.”
They’ve tested various messages over time, often tying them to accolades and reputation. “We’ve run creative like ‘Alpharetta’s Most Awarded Plumber’ or ‘Over 2,000 5-Star Reviews’ with our logo front and center. It’s clean, bold, and speaks to quality and trust.” For city-specific boards, they’ve featured local awards to show neighborhood credibility: “We’ll run a ‘Best of Cumming’ board in Cumming. People see that and know we’re local.”
Whenever they run a billboard campaign—especially one paired with a digital offer—they notice the impact almost immediately. “If we do an ad with a promotion, we’ll hear about it on calls. But even for the more generic branding campaigns, we see the lift. We check Google Analytics and notice more branded searches and impressions while the boards are live in just 4-weeks time.”
In fact, branded search campaigns often become more efficient thanks to the exposure from billboards.
“It’s a lot easier to convert someone who’s searching our name than someone typing in ‘plumber near me.’ The billboards help us win that search before it even starts.”
In new neighborhoods, the effect takes a few weeks to kick in. “If we’re already established in an area like Suwanee, it’s almost immediate. But in new areas, it might take a few weeks to see the pickup. Either way, we can track it.”
Conclusion: From Traditional to Transformational
“At this point, Blip has kind of ruined us for other billboard options. Once you’ve had the flexibility and control, it’s hard to go back.”
Through Blip’s advanced tracking, real-time ad adjustments, and cross-platform integration, Aaron Services has been able to drive more efficient and effective campaigns, building brand awareness and attracting more customers in a competitive local market.
“People Google everything,” Sara explained. “If I can just get them to Google our name, then they can see the good reviews. That’s a much easier way to stand out from any competition.”
Best Practices for Home Service Businesses Using Billboards
1. Target Neighborhoods, Not Highways
Focus billboard placements in the same zip codes you already serve. Your ideal customers are homeowners, not commuters just passing through. Pro tip: Use Blip’s targeting tools to reach neighborhoods where you’re already active—or want to grow.
2. Layer OOH with Local Digital Ads
Billboards build brand familiarity. When combined with SEO or paid search, they help drive clicks and lower digital acquisition costs. Pro tip: Pair Blip campaigns with Google Ads in the same cities and track the lift in impressions and branded search.
3. Keep It Simple and Make It Stick
Your billboard should be clean, bold, and memorable. A strong logo, one clear claim, and high-contrast colors go a long way. Pro tip: Focus on one message per board like “Award-Winning HVAC” or “2,000+ 5-Star Reviews.”
4. Use Local Credibility to Build Trust
Showcase awards, local accolades, or community ties to reinforce your reputation and build trust with homeowners. Pro tip: Customize creative with city-specific mentions like “Best of [City]” to strengthen local relevance.
5. Measure What Matters: Brand Recall
Billboards may not drive instant calls, but they increase awareness. Look for lifts in branded searches and web traffic during campaigns. Pro tip: Track branded keyword volume in Google Analytics before, during, and after your billboard runs.
