First Up Marketing Services

What First Up Marketing Services does

First Up Marketing Services is a privately held, founder-owned digital marketing agency headquartered in Cookeville, Tennessee, serving small businesses primarily in the Upper Cumberland region and select Southeastern U.S. markets including the Atlanta metropolitan area. The company was established around 2014–2015 and is led by owner Denise Mistich, operating with a small team (1–10 employees) under a boutique, consultative go-to-market model anchored by a free consultation offer. Its service portfolio spans web design (built on WordPress and Joomla), SEO, social media management, paid advertising (delivered via a partnership with Creekside Marketing Pros), email and SMS marketing, and strategic marketing consulting.

The company's core technology asset is FirstUp CRM, an all-in-one marketing automation and customer relationship management platform built on the HighLevel (GoHighLevel) backbone. FirstUp CRM integrates lead capture forms, a consolidated inbox for SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, email, live chat, and phone/voicemail, automated follow-ups, sales pipelines, contracts, estimates, invoicing, and payment processing — designed to serve as the single SMB marketing console. The company's revenue model is hybrid: one-time fees for web design projects, recurring subscriptions for ongoing marketing services under the "Rapid Growth Plan" bundle, subscription revenue from FirstUp CRM, and professional-services fees for strategic consulting. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed, with the company explicitly positioning around affordability and only recommending services that fit each client's needs.

Name

First Up Marketing Services

Legal name

First Up Marketing Services

Website

https://firstupmarketing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Up Marketing Services is a privately held, founder-owned digital marketing agency in Cookeville, Tennessee, offering web design, SEO, social media, paid advertising, and a proprietary CRM (FirstUp CRM) to small businesses in the Upper Cumberland region and select Southeastern U.S. markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketing Automation, CRM & Lifecycle Messaging (BPAMALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marketing Automation & Campaign Management CRM (HDAEAFAB), Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG), Customer Service/Support CRM & Contact Center Platforms (BPAFAFAK)

Keywords

• Web design services
• SEO services
• Marketing strategy
• Social media marketing
• CRM platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Cookeville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Web Design Services: One-time web design and development services for websites, landing pages, and marketing funnels. Prices vary based on project scope and client needs.
2. Marketing Services Subscriptions: Ongoing marketing services including SEO, social media management, paid advertising, and CRM platform access. Part of the Rapid Growth Plan for continuous marketing support.
3. FirstUp CRM Platform: Subscription-based CRM and marketing automation platform providing lead management, automated follow-ups, email/SMS marketing, contracts, invoicing, and payment processing.
4. Strategic Marketing Consulting: Data-driven marketing strategy development, brand positioning, multi-channel marketing planning, and conversion optimization services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First Up Marketing Services is a boutique digital marketing agency that provides web design, SEO, social media marketing, paid advertising, marketing strategy, and reputation management services to small businesses. The company also offers the FirstUp CRM, an all-in-one marketing automation and customer relationship management platform built on HighLevel that consolidates lead capture, multi-channel communications, automated follow-ups, contracts, invoicing, and payment processing. Services are sold both as one-time projects and as ongoing subscription-based programs such as the Rapid Growth Plan.

Product overview

First Up Marketing Services operates as a unified marketing solutions provider offering the FirstUp CRM as its core platform combined with a suite of marketing services. The FirstUp CRM is an all-in-one marketing automation and customer relationship management system that integrates lead capture, multi-channel communications (SMS, email, chat, social messaging), automated follow-ups, pipeline management, contracts, invoicing, and payment processing. This core platform is complemented by professional services including web design (built on WordPress and Joomla), SEO services, social media marketing, paid advertising, and strategic marketing planning. The company positions itself as a complete marketing solution for small businesses seeking unified branding, web presence, and lead generation under one provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FirstUp CRM: All-in-one CRM and marketing platform that provides lead management, automated follow-ups, email and SMS marketing, contracts, invoicing, and payment processing capabilities.

Products and services

• FirstUp CRM An all-in-one marketing automation and CRM platform that enables businesses to attract, engage, and nurture leads automatically. It provides a consolidated inbox for multi-channel communications (SMS, email, chat, social messaging), pipeline management, automated follow-ups, email and SMS marketing, reputation management, contract signing, invoicing, and payment processing. Available to clients via app.firstupmarketing.com.
• Web Design Services Professional website design and development services building mobile-first, SEO-optimized websites using WordPress and Joomla platforms. Includes landing pages, marketing funnels, and website maintenance with security features for small businesses needing a polished online presence.
• SEO Services Search engine optimization services including keyword research and analysis, site structure planning, on-page SEO optimization, local SEO, and content development to improve organic search visibility and rankings for small business clients.
• Marketing Strategy Services Strategic marketing planning services including data-driven market insights, brand positioning, multi-channel marketing execution (SEO, content, paid advertising, email, SMS, social media), and conversion optimization for established small businesses.
• Rapid Growth Plan A structured, recurring marketing program combining strategic planning, website development, local SEO, social media setup, and ongoing marketing support to accelerate growth for small businesses.
• Social Media Marketing Social media management services including profile creation and branding, content development, and ongoing management across relevant social platforms for small businesses.
• Paid Advertising Services Targeted pay-per-click (PPC) and social media advertising campaigns to drive paid traffic and lead generation, managed in partnership with Creekside Marketing Pros.
• Reputation Management Online reputation monitoring and management services including review request automation and referral tracking to build customer testimonials and positive brand presence.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Creekside Marketing ProsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for paid advertising services. First Up Marketing partners with Creekside Marketing Pros to run highly targeted ad campaigns including PPC and social ads for clients, providing measurable results.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SmartSites: Web design and digital marketing agency providing website design, SEO, PPC, and CRM-adjacent services to small and mid-sized businesses. Direct overlap in core web design + marketing service offering.
• Huemor: Web design and digital marketing agency offering website design, development, and integrated marketing services to SMBs. Closely comparable in combining web design with ongoing marketing services.
• OuterBox: Digital marketing and web design agency offering website design/development, SEO, and integrated marketing strategy. Directly comparable in combining web design with marketing services.
• Ignite Visibility: Full-service digital marketing agency offering SEO, paid media, social media, email marketing, and web design. Comparable service portfolio targeting SMB and mid-market.
• Lyfe Marketing: Digital marketing agency focused on social media management, content marketing, and email/SMS for small businesses. Comparable in SMB focus and social-media-led service mix.
• KlientBoost: Digital marketing agency specializing in PPC, SEO, and conversion optimization with web design support. Comparable in combining paid acquisition with broader marketing services.
• Disruptive Advertising: Digital marketing agency focused on paid media, SEO, and lifecycle marketing with CRM-adjacent services. Closely comparable in multi-channel marketing positioning and SMB to mid-market client base.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Full-service digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, social media, and CRM-style services to SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable in service mix and SMB focus, though significantly larger.

Broad incumbents

• WebFX: Large, established digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, paid media, and marketing automation at scale. Overlaps with First Up's full-service positioning but operates at much greater scale and broader service breadth.

Others

• GoHighLevel: The underlying white-label CRM and marketing automation platform on which FirstUp CRM is built. Comparable as the platform/infrastructure provider, and a key dependency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Up Marketing Services