FluteToot Marketing

18/07/2025

Times you should play it cool: 😎

1. You’ve just used an expletive in front of your toddler, and they don’t seem to have clocked the naughty word.
2. You’ve silently farted in a lift, but everyone’s getting off in 2 seconds anyway.
3. You got caught (in what appears to be an affair) on a kiss-cam at a , but literally no one would notice unless you immediately started acting shady AF.

We don't condone any of this awful behaviour, of course.

But if there's an entirely shameless marketing-related lesson we can pull from these totally hypothetical scenarios (none of which were inspired by recent events, honest!), it's that:

NO ONE CARES
.. until you give them a reason to.

Make sure the reason is the right one, aye?



— Lexi

07/07/2025

Slap o' paint or sledgehammer? When does your old site need a proper overhaul?

I love a makeover... A "glow up". An "overhaul-for-the-eyeballs". A lil' "zhoosh it up a bit", even... unless that's the *only* instructions in a creative brief 😔 But sometimes, the thing you’re trying to fix isn’t the visuals... it’s the fact the whole...

07/07/2025

I love a makeover... A "glow up".
An "overhaul-for-the-eyeballs".

A lil' "zhoosh it up a bit", even... unless that's the *only* instructions in a creative brief 😔

But sometimes, the thing you’re trying to fix isn’t the visuals... it’s the fact the whole setup is kinda falling apart behind the scenes.

Here’s when you probably need a rebuild:

✅ Your site runs on an ancient, unsupported theme that's probably full of security risks

✅ Every update feels like Russian Roulette (good lu-uuuuck! *pulls trigger, wincing*)

✅ The content structure is a mess, and people are bouncing out of there because they can't find what they need

✅ You need new features — bookings, portals, shops — and the current setup just can’t cope

Trying to modernise a broken build is like vinyl-wrapping a car with an engine that's ready to conk out.

Accept what is and what cannot be.
Let go of the nostalgia and the sentimentality.
Rebuild it. Properly. With a strategy that serves your new goals.
Clean slate, clear structure, no more faffing about trying to "save" it.

Anyway... I got carried away and wrote a *hefty* guide to help you decide if your website needs a lick of paint or a sledgehammer, so you don't paint something you should be smacking at, and you don't smack away at something that only needs a fresh coat of paint 😉



(Link in the comments to slightly appease the ever-watchful Algorithm Gods, and all that)

— Lexi

09/04/2025

If you want to “BeAt ThE aLgOrItHmS” without getting into a ton of technical jiggery-pokery, then just keep these principles in mind and save yourself some agony:

🤳🏻 Social channels want to keep people’s attention and get users to engage with a mixture of trends, interests, and a bit of variability. It’ll show people stuff that makes them hang around.

🔍 Search engines want to answer questions with whatever is relevant to them and what they’re searching for. That’s what keeps people using that tool to search (including AI chats or search snippets with citations).

📩 Spam filters want to keep dodgy-looking bo****ks out of our inboxes, including iffy attachments and generic “buy my stuff from [email protected] pls).

Unless you’re a software engineer working directly on a platform, you’re probably not going to “crack the code” — it’s not only complex, but also constantly changing.

But focusing on what a particular channel has been designed to do, and what keeps their business model ticking over? Well, that’s the game you’re playing, regardless of what content you’re creating (although some types of content lend themselves more to a channel's objectives than others).

It’s not personal.

It’s not mysterious.

Algorithms are for solving problems.

What you create needs to help it solve its problems, or it won’t like you very much.



— Lexi

17/03/2025

You wouldn't start treating yourself from a self-diagnosis on WebMD (I hope)…

So why do we do this in business?

We read a book, or a blog, or watch a video about how some Business Bro fixed their non-specific financial haemorrhage by doing THIS ONE THING, which apparently worked for them. But sometimes we don't treat these "insights" with the same scrutiny as health advice, even though it could mean life and death for your business.

Call me crazy, but if (like me) your business is your baby? Well, I think you should get a professional opinion before you start adding supplements or medications to the mix. You owe it to your little bundle to do right by it, no?

You'll want to know if your suspicions are correct before potentially doing more harm than good or delaying treatment of the actual condition.

The truth is that when clients come to me and say, “I need an X to fix this Y,” it's a great starting point. But it may not be the whole story.

So, I also dig deeper, making sure that whatever I do for them will actually help. And often, they're right, or at least on the right track. But sometimes, a little scrutiny fends off a whole unnecessary strategy that would waste their time and money. (Unlike some "quacks," I care about the long-term health of my clients' businesses, TYVM.)

The symptoms might be a lack of qualified leads, but the real diagnosis and the proper treatment could be any number of things. So, let's make sure we get it right!

Before you decide your business has a dodgy-looking lump and reach for a scalpel... please get a second opinion 😉



— Lexi

14/03/2025

Let's stop pretending money isn't a barrier to success for most small businesses.

You’ve got enough on your plate without building a website, creating a logo, making your social media look half-decent, and somehow trying to fund it all with passion and happy-rainbow-thoughts.

And it's probably gonna take you ages to DIY and distract you from All The Other Things... even if you're calling it "productive procrastination". 😏

So that's why I've created something designed to be quick and affordable, but still done with skill, experience, and tender-loving-obsession:

*dramatic drum roll pleeeeaaaase*:

FluteToot's SNAPPY STARTUP Package! 🥳

- 3 pages of WordPress micro-website sexiness (built to expand later as you grow)
- a snazzy logo that actually looks professional (and basic visual brand guidelines to keep things tidy)
- very-proper branded email (because [email protected] doesn’t say "I'm a professional, take me seriously, damnit!")
- fancy social media branding to make your online presence look effortlessly put together and give you the confidence to actually post something 😘
.. because even though I think "cheap and cheerful" marketing is the devil's toenails, this is built on YEARS (god, I'm getting old...) of doing all of the above on repeat - so I've picked out just the bits you need to get going, without needing thousands in the bank or months in advance to get it all moving.

Let's goooooo! (check the link in the comments for pricing and deets!)

Side note: The temptation to use a rocket emoji in this post was almost overwhelming. Here are some sparkly things instead ✨ 💫 🌟
Phew. That feels better.

— Lexi

25/02/2025

Is your blog looking a bit... shameful?
Or… did you forget you had one until… just now? 😏

I'll bet it's because you don't have the time. Or maybe you don't like writing articles. Or both!

Buuut… you're leaving a ton of opportunity out of your marketing if you're not getting your juicy words out into the wild.

Maybe you've worked with content writers before and it was utterly pants, so you decided not to bother again. Maybe they missed the point, filled a page with generic BS, and didn't even sound like you — let alone include your experiences and hard-won expertise! 😞

That's what it's all about, right? Sharing YOUR insights — in your own way — so that it gives your readers a glimpse into what you're like to work with? (Otherwise, why wouldn't they just get their info somewhere else?)

So here's the thing:

If you're writing lengthy, detailed briefs for a writer to make this happen for you, then you may as well just write the bloody content yourself. 🤷‍♀️

And if your writers aren't talking with you on the regular, none of your genius is going into that content… so it's gonna suck.

But you're busy and whatnot. So it doesn't get done.

Orrrrrr....?

Here's a better way:

You + me + about one hour a month (for you to pour out your awesomeness — without writing a damn word!)

You'll have content that's enjoyable to read, insightful in ways AI couldn't touch, and optimised for search engines to go: “Oh, that's sizzlin'! Serve that yummy dish UP!” for the next time someone's hungry for what you've got!

Collaborative content creation is where the BRILLIANCE is, darling! 💃



— Lexi

14/02/2025

C'mon, dish the dirt… When did you last get lucky? 😏

Don't blush, it's okay. Maybe it's been a while…

And sometimes it's a numbers game. The more shots you take, the more likely to score, riiiiight?

Well… not if your approach makes people uncomfortable.

Or if your pick-up lines are off-putting.
Or if it's clear you're don’t give a crap about genuine connection from the start.

(Maybe you just smell bad… and no one's told you? 😬)

There's an element of luck in everything, but whether it's dating or business, you can improve your odds:

Say what really matters.
Improve on your weaknesses.
Get in the right rooms.

Stop trying to “get” lucky…

BE lucky 😉



— Lexi

12/02/2025

Your unbearable snoozefest is probably our awesomesauce.

I built FluteToot on the idea that everyone should do what they love.

That means us, our suppliers and partners, and crucially: YOU.

Maybe you’re the same kind of weird as me (heeeey!) — or maybe you actually can’t stand fiddling with your WordPress website while anxiously nibbling at your gel tips.

That’s okay, though — because you don’t need to faff with the rear end of your website if that doesn’t float your dinghy. Aaaaand you can ask for as many tweaks as you need with our Website Care Plan — which includes all you’d expect from a managed hosting subscription, plus unlimited content updates.

Yes.

Unlimited.

… Honestly, I’m hoping you’ll eventually run out of things to tinker with… but lucky for you, it’s also okay if you don’t! 😉



— Lexi

10/02/2025

It feels mysterious, right? Like there’s some magical quote fairy that needs to be consulted before a project proposal is sent, or even worse — like numbers are being unceremoniously plucked from thin air at the whim of said “quote-plucker”.

Soooo… Let me demystify it for you:

I use a dang spreadsheet.

Like a SENSIBLE person.

(Notice I said “like” there...)

Sadly, no, I can’t share that spreadsheet with you (a girl needs some privacy, and your judgment on my pathetic formatting is not welcome, thanks), but I CAN tell you that there’s no “thin-air plucking” going on.

It’s actually being calculated based on specific details you’re giving me during a discovery call, so I’m not under- or over-charging you by making assumptions that might not fit what you want or need.

So… why don’t I just have a nifty pricing calculator on my website?

Fair question, that. I’ve wanted to build one for a while, actually, but every time I plan it, I run into this dilemma:

Even though my snazzy formulas do the heavy lifting, there’s a good bit of human input required, and it would make for the longest quote form ever, which (no offence meant here!) you might not fill out correctly. And then you’d feel cheated if I said “actually, this bit over here needs more time because you’re wanting to do XYZ with it, so it’ll cost more” after you’ve had your fancy formula calculation delivered to your inbox. No one is a fan of that nonsense.

So I’m not trying to be mysterious (and I can usually give ballpark figures if you need them quickly) — I’m making sure your project has an accurate budget so we can do the amazing stuff you want to do.



— Lexi

05/02/2025

Is your website’s user experience a bit… dog’s breath?!

Y’know, like a friend introduces you to a bouncy new puppy, and it comes waggling up looking utterly adoooorable (that’s the analogy for your beautiful branding, by the way)…

But the moment you eagerly lean in, you’re met with a stinky, slobbery, butt-stench-of-a-slurp across your slightly-open MOUTH? 🤢

Wonderful as it may have begun, now you instinctively back it up, wipe it off, politely hide a dry-heave… and resolve to keep the Young Master Booty-breath at a safer distance from now on.

Aaand that’s what happens when someone interacts with your beautiful daaaarling of a website… and their great experience is sideswiped by a poor user experience.

It sours the impression.

It makes people second-guess their desire to interact.

It may even evoke a dry-heave or two… 😅

All very unfortunate after you’ve successfully wooed them with your irresistible and heart-tugging presence, right?

Your branding is important — but so is the journey your visitors will take with you. Make sure there aren’t any unfortunate or irritating surprises waiting for them that might change their mind.

03/02/2025

If you're peeking at FluteToot's brand and thinking “Oh golly, but I could never!”, that doesn't mean you have to want the same kind of thing — if that's not your angle.

Marketing isn't about making everything loud and goofy for the heck of it — it's about being visible, differentiating yourself, and connecting.

You don't have to drop F-bombs or give your services funky names to do that. It's not for everyone, and I hear ya!

Some of my clients are in social care and funeral planning, and I assure you they're NOT out to shock their audiences with unexpected (and tactless) humour or playfulness… so that's not how they're presented!

I treat their subject matter with care and respect, and their brand and strategy reflect that.

… But that doesn't mean working with me has to be a sombre experience, though, right? 😉

I play into my strengths, and I can help you play to yours — whatever they might be!