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Today is our birthday! We started OnlyInArk.com eight years ago with the hope of sharing great things about Arkansas with our customers and communities. Today, we have reached over 10.5 million views with our 2,897 stories. And there’s no shortage of great stories left to tell.
One of the most-asked questions I get about the site is, “Why would a bank post stories about Arkansas?” It’s a great question, and I love telling the story! Back in 2014, First Security was running an ad campaign called “Only In Arkansas.” We explained how banking with an institution that is solely focused on Arkansas is the right choice for Arkansans. Our bankers live and work here. Our kids grow up here. We are involved in every community where we are located. We love it here, and we know our customers love it, too.
Here’s an example of an ad we were running at the time:
And my personal favorite (what is more Arkansas than this?):
Our customers and bankers loved this campaign, so we started weaving it into everything in our culture, including social media. And that’s when the idea for a website was born.
Our team of bloggers has done an excellent job of covering events, places, businesses, history and more throughout the years. Here are a few of our most-read and most-loved stories throughout the years.
Travel
Unique Getaways in Arkansas
Coolest Arkansas Airbnbs
Arkansas Rock Shops
Six Things to Do on a Weekend in Jasper
13 Things to Do in Heber Springs
Top 5 Things to Do at Blanchard Springs
A Weekend in Mountain View
Food
Chocolate Gravy
Top 20 Places to Eat in Arkansas
5 Great Steaks Around Arkansas
10 Favorite Fried Foods of Arkansas
Coursey’s Smoked Meats is Arkansas Royalty
Airship Coffee at Coler
20 Outstanding Small-Town Arkansas Restaurants
History
Ozark Architecture: Giraffe Houses
Dinosaurs in Arkansas
Shiloh: A Flood of Memories Under the Water
The Unknown Baby Girl: In Death, She Belongs to All of Us
Dogtown Life: How North Little Rock Got Its Nickname
River of Redemption: The Helen Spence Story
The CCC in Arkansas
Nature
Arkansas Mushroom Foraging
The Elusive Morel Mushroom
Digging Crystals in Arkansas
Arkansas Signal Trees
Arkansas Alligators
The Story Behind the Real Razorbacks
10 Wild Edible Plants in Arkansas
OnlyInArk.com debuted on April 21, 2014, and the home page read:
There’s a lot to celebrate in Arkansas. It’s unique. Southern. Delightfully eccentric. That’s why we love every nook, cranny, cave and corner. In fact, some of our favorite things can’t be found anywhere else. They’re only in Arkansas. So we love them even more. The attractions we visit, the food we crave, the festivals we attend, the mountains we hike, the rivers we float, the stories we tell and the company we keep – it all adds up to one incredible state. And that familiar, meandering silhouette? Looks like home to us.”
Eight years later, we still feel the same way. Thank you for reading!
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