Category: Blog

You’ve decided to take the plunge and begin your own business, but how will you attract customers? At Southern View Media, we have the answer: generating leads by launching projects you can begin today. Let’s review some of the most popular ways to generate leads; these tips and tricks can be used online, in-person or a combination of both.

Send Email Campaigns

Email campaigns are an easy way to begin generating leads, no matter your business! Emails maintain your company’s tone and brand voice, as well as create and maintain relationships. A well-designed email in an engaging drip campaign is a great way to encourage both new and existing customers to reach out to your business.

Create Landing Pages

The best way to think of landing pages is to think of them as simplified websites. The most successful landing pages are straightforward and attractive; they also promote a call to action that potential customers can use to connect with you and your business. This can be a click-to-call button or a submit form. Landing pages are a necessary tool because they can be modified to fit you, your business and your goals.

Invest in Boosted Ads

Do you want to promote Facebook posts with the click of a button? Boosted ads are the answer! You can customize many different aspects of the ad, including its target audience, its duration, its costs and more. Give it a try for yourself and watch the leads flood in!

Seek Referrals from Current Customers

How often have you asked your friends where they bought an item or received a service? Bring that same energy to your business by requesting that current customers refer you to their friends and family. You can even offer an incentive to those who provide referrals, like a discount or promotional product.

Improve Your SEO

If you’ve just launched your business, you should definitely begin improving your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO affects your Google ranking, which dictates how high you appear in Google searches. SEO can take a while to become effective, so the sooner you begin, the better for you, your business and your bottom line.

Offer a Free Tool

What type of problem does your business solve? What solutions do you offer? When answering these questions, you may discover that you can offer a free tool to any potential customer. People love anything that is free. Examples of free tools could be an ebook, a blog post, a quiz or more. If you ask for an email address before the client downloads the tool, then you can generate a contact list, too!

These 6 methods are great for lead generation because they can be customized and combined to accommodate any business. Which ones will work best for you and your business?

Southern View Media is a rewarded agency dedicated to helping small and local businesses navigate digital marketing. We offer graphic design, website design, digital display ads creation and management, social media management and more. Schedule a consultation with one of our strategists today!

You may have heard about the newest change Google is implementing: getting rid of Google My Business. You may be thinking, “What?! They can just… Get rid of it? How will anyone find my business now?” Don’t worry – we’re here to help explain this change so your business can have a better understanding of how to move on in a post-GMB world! 

While Google My Business may be going away, your business listing will not. Google is simply encouraging business owners to manage their single listings directly. This can be done by using either the web interface or mobile apps. Instead of logging in to a separate console, Google My Business, business owners can now manage directly. Simply put, Google is moving the profile management out of the Google My Business app and putting it directly into Google Search and Google Maps.

What Does This Mean For My Business?

Depending on whether or not you own multiple business locations, this change may or may not have a significant impact. If you are the owner of a single listing, you will simply manage that listing through search or maps. If you own a larger business where you manage multiple locations, however, virtually nothing has changed; you will still use Google My Business to manage listings, with the name being the only major change so far. 

New Features

With the name change comes a few more additions to listing management. Google has added new features that your business can take advantage of from here on out. These new features include the ability to claim your profile directly in Google Search and Google Maps, review call history, message directly from Google Search, and control read receipts. 

Editing Profile

Businesses that will manage their listings directly from Google Search will now notice an edit panel once they are logged in with their Gmail email address. The options listed are ‘edit profile’, ‘promote’ and ‘customers’. The ‘edit profile’ section allows you to change hours, add photos, adjust services or even add products. The ‘promote’ section is dedicated to marketing and promotion. From this menu item, you will be given options that allow you to create ads, get more reviews or update customers on changes. The ‘customers’ section allows you to further engage with customers by replying to reviews, responding to messages and answering questions.

The change in Google My Business may scare you at first, but at the end of the day, Google is just simplifying the platform to make usability more enjoyable overall. If you are struggling with managing your listing or are looking for ways to further promote your business, Southern View Media is here to help! Give us a call today at (251) 517-9425

As a business owner, you know that a marketing strategy is one of the most important aspects of your business. With so many different options, ranging from Google Ads to social media, it’s hard to know how to divide your strategy while still staying within your budget or allotted time. One unique way to market your business in an oversaturated industry is to use blogs. Believe it or not, blogs drive a lot of traffic to your company’s website, helping to further brand awareness and generate leads.

Driving traffic to your website is something every business owner strives for, and blogs are a unique way to do so. For example, if you create a blog answering some common questions customers have, you may find that customers who are searching for answers are finding them through your blog. This is super useful because it means that individuals who have never interacted with your business or visited your site before are finding you through this new avenue you’ve opened up for them. Furthermore, they will already have a positive view of your company since your blog answers the questions they had!

Blogs are also useful in finding a brand voice and further solidifying your brand identity. Whether you outsource a copywriter or your blogs are written in-house, coming up with topics and finding a writing style really helps you to better understand where you want to take your business. If you find your company works well with writing blogs for a specific niche, for example, you may decide that your brand should change course and follow that path further. Brand voice can also be found through writing blogs. The more you write, the more familiar you will be with the wording and distinct personality your brand takes on in its communications.

Blogs increase your SEO. Writing and posting blogs onto your website also, believe it or not, increases your visibility. The more constantly added content onto your website helps with your organic capability to show up in search engines. Blogs are proven to be the perfect platform to strengthen your SEO strategy. 

Use keywords throughout your blog. Utilization of keywords in the blog entry is critical while characterizing SEO technique. Seeing how to use keywords in your blog entry and setting them accurately in your title, meta descriptions and on-page copy gives you a huge launch when compared to your competitors. You can then also repurpose that blog for social content. 

Generating leads is another way blogs benefit your business. Through answering questions and providing useful resources freely to your audience, leads are sure to follow. Any call to actions you place within your blog, offers you provide or forms you have on your site are now visible to individuals who would not have seen them otherwise. Blogging is the perfect opportunity to sell!

If your business is looking for personalized blogs to represent you online, Southern View Media is here to help! We offer high-quality blogging services that put your company online, so you don’t get left behind. Call us today at (251) 517-9425 to learn more!

If you’re a business looking to start advertising online, you might be looking at Google ads and Facebook ads as two of your options. These two types of ads are among the most popular choices for businesses who want to promote their brand online, but what’s the difference?

Facebook Ads

These are the advertisements you see when scrolling through Facebook. They can come in a variety of designs and often mimic the shopping or browsing behavior of the viewer. They are also often geo targeted based on where the viewer lives. Since Facebook and Instagram are connected, you can also run your Facebook ads on that platform with just a few extra clicks, making it easy and convenient to get your ad in front of a larger audience.

Google Ads

Google is by far the biggest search engine in the United States and every business wants to be found on Google. Similarly to Facebook ads, Google ads can take many different forms and are often based on your search behavior. Since Google is the #1 search engine on the internet, ads on Google have the highest potential for reaching the largest audience possible. 

What’s The Difference?

Aside from reach size, the biggest difference between the two is the intent of the viewer. When someone Googles your business or your industry you know they are looking for information. When someone is browsing Facebook, they are not looking for the same type of content. Facebook users are looking for things shared by their friends, family and brands they follow. Google users are looking for something they need information on or a website they want to visit. 

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

There’s a lot of information you can consume about digital ads, and it can be hard to keep up. That’s why it’s best practice to engage the services of a digital marketing team so you know you’ll always be kept up to date. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when considering Google and Facebook ads:

• Reaching a Larger Audience – Reaching more people with your ads sounds ideal, but it might not be the most beneficial for your business. If your customer or client base is niche, you might be missing them if you’re throwing out a wide net. 
• Maximizing Your Budget – Because Google is such a competitive space, you might find your budget doesn’t stretch as far as you want it to when competing with similar businesses.
• Knowing Your Demographic – The demographics of your customers or clients can play a huge part in the decision of which ads to utilize. Facebook users tend to be of a more specific demographic, whereas Google users run the gambit. 
• You Can Do Both – Facebook and Google ads can run simultaneously, so if one doesn’t feel like the perfect fit, why not try both?

Getting Started

When you’re ready to get the advertising ball rolling, contact Southern View Media. Our team of dedicated marketing professionals will help you decide which ads are right for you, help you curate the most effective ads and strategize things like placement, duration of ads and budget.

At Southern View Media, we love working with existing clients and building relationships with new ones. We love our team and the work we do, so we wanted to give you a little glimpse into who we are, what makes us tick and how we can help your business.

What is Southern View Media?

We are a full service digital marketing agency that helps local businesses make their mark in the digital age. We help businesses understand the complex digital world and assist them in making the best decisions for their business when it comes to marketing. We work with businesses both big and small to help provide marketing and advertising services. 

What Services does Southern View Media Provide?

Being a full service digital marketing agency means there’s little we can’t do. Our team is highly skilled in:

• Website Design and Development
• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media Marketing 
• Video Marketing
• Content and Copywriting
• Graphic Design and Logo Design
• OTT Ads, Digital Display Ads, Social Media Ads, Google Ads and YouTube Ads

We also provide a number of resources to our customers that can help them grow their business outside of our services! 

What Makes Southern View Media Different from Other Agencies?

There are plenty of digital marketing agencies out there, all competing for customer and ad placements. At Southern View Media, our only focus is providing the best service possible to our customers and creating a happy, healthy work environment for our employees. That is why we work together daily in teams of all sizes, ensure our standards are maintained and continually focus on improving our business. We work with many businesses local to our community, which means we can provide boots on the ground experience and knowledge that big agencies elsewhere might not be able to provide. 

Why Do We Love Working With Local Businesses?

We love the area we live and work in, and being able to work with local businesses is just one perk of the job! Working with businesses in the local community and surrounding communities is really like getting to work with your friends and neighbors. We are championing small businesses that we get to see grow and thrive right before our eyes. 

How Can We Help Your Business?

The sky’s the limit when it comes to helping your business grow. Maybe you’re a small business just starting out who is ready to dive into the world of digital marketing, or maybe your business is ready to overhaul its online presence. No matter why you’re seeking digital marketing services, we can help you make your business the best that it can be. We can provide a free consultation and one-on-one help to map out a game plan, so your business can get on the road to success. 

Our team is small but mighty, and we’re proud to be made up of digital marketing experts from all sorts of backgrounds. We have team members who bring years of experience to the table and team members who have recently finished their education training and can bring fresh new perspectives. Contact us today for any of your digital advertising needs by visiting our website www.southernviewmedia.com or call us at 251-583-2605.

One of the main components of branding a business is the logo design. Logos help your customers identify your business and they help you build brand awareness. It’s important to have a logo that is professionally designed, fits your business and is memorable. 

Most people know what logos are and why they are important, but they don’t fully grasp the importance of logo design or understand what makes them successful. Knowing the basics will help you make more informed decisions about the logo for your business, so here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about logos. 

Why is Having a Logo Important?

Having a logo is critical for branding purposes, especially branding online. If you look at any well known company, they will have their logo front and center on every piece of material and every relevant platform. Logos are used on social media, flyers, brochures, websites, business cards and just about any other business marketing material you can think of.

Your logo acts as a visual representation of your brand. Studies show that people remember about 80% of what they see, but only retain about 20% long term. This is because the human brain is wired for visuals. When people see your logo they will be more likely to remember your brand and what you do. If you have no logo, you are just making it harder for people to build and maintain brand recognition.

Why is Logo Design Important?

Making a good first impression is the key to lasting business. That is why having a well-designed logo can lead to more long-term success for your business. Your logo is customers’ first glimpse at your business and what you do. A poorly designed or confusing logo could lead to a loss in customers before you even get to show them what your business is about. 

What Makes a Well Designed Logo?

Good logos are simple, legible, unique and fit the business they are representing. Having an overly complicated or detailed logo can lead to issues with sizing and usability. A logo that’s hard to read or hard to see can also be a problem when it comes to sizing and recognition. Your logo should be unique so people can remember it better, and it should fit your business and industry. 

How Many Fonts & Colors Should Be Used?

It’s best to stick to 1-2 fonts on your logo and a limited color palette. It’s also important to make sure your logo can be turned black and white while still retaining the same messaging and design as it would in color. For more specific information on professional logo design, contact our team to discuss your options. 

How Often Should I Change/Rebrand My Logo?

When choosing a logo, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a lifetime commitment. You can rebrand or change your logo over time. You may choose to simplify your logo as your brand becomes more well known, or you might adjust your logo if your business changes. That being said, you should start with a logo design you can use for as long as possible to keep brand recognition. 

Having a professional, aesthetically pleasing logo is critical to your business’ success. It helps represent your brand and adds a face for when someone is looking for your business online. Southern View Media has a team of creative professionals ready to help you create a logo that defines your vision for your business. Contact us today, so we can put you online so you don’t get left behind!

If you’re considering advertising online for your business, you might have seen display ads as one of the options. If you’re unfamiliar with display ads, you might be wondering what exactly they are, how they work, what benefit they could be to your business and if they are a good option for reaching your desired demographic. 

What Are Digital Display Ads?

If you spend time online, chances are you’ve actually seen digital display ads. These are the ads that appear on the side or the bottom of apps and websites. They are usually targeted towards your shopping and browsing habits, and you may even see the same ads across multiple websites. So the same way that you see personalized ads while browsing the web or using a mobile app, is how your potential customers will see your business advertised. 

How Do Digital Display Ads Work?

Most digital display ads are part of campaigns from ad networks. These networks have agreements with websites and apps that allow them to display their ads there. The ads are populated through your online habits, which means that when a potential customer clicks on a page with display ads, a bidding process begins for who will get to advertise to them. The advertisers have their ads loaded and ready to go if their ad wins the bid. 

The ads are based on things like location, user demographics and online habits. This information is gathered over time by online search engines to help customize the user experience and provide the most relevant ads. So by the time the website loads, the winning ad has already been put in place for the potential customer to see.  

Why Are Digital Display Ads a Good Advertising Choice? 

Digital display ads are a popular choice for advertising because they work. They help build brand awareness and they are able to target specific demographics in a way that other ads are not. You can target your digital display ads based on things like gender, location, age range, income, likes, hobbies and other qualifiers. This targeting helps your business advertise only to those who are most likely to convert into a customer.

Are Digital Display Ads Right for My Business?

Digital display ads work for all types of businesses, but how do you know if they are right for your business? Well if you know a little about your customers, and want to get your business name out there you’re all set. Digital display ads are low cost per thousand impressions, which means that you can spread awareness of your brand to a large audience on a modest budget. 
With the help of Southern View Media, your business can begin creating impactful ads that help to drive customers, spread information and grow brand awareness. Our team can provide you with a custom proposal showing estimates for the area of your choosing to give you a better idea of how digital display ads might work for you. We can also provide estimated traffic and help conduct the research needed to help your digital display ads be as successful as possible.

THE CLIENT

A plumbing service located in Harahan, Louisiana, Mudbug Plumbing & Remodeling specializes in everything from drain cleaning to pipe repair and replacement. Plumbing services are one industry that are certainly not few and far between; however, quantity does not equal quality! Mudbug is a true example of high-quality service, and with such a wide variety of competitors, they were in need of a streamlined and well-branded website to match.

THE WEBSITE

After our initial meetings with the client to discuss their desired direction, our designers began creating a mockup using Adobe XD. Once the client had approved of the initial design, the development of the site began while secondary pages were being created. The intentional stacking of development with secondary page designs allows for efficient and informed design choices to be made while the actual site begins to emerge. A heavy emphasis was placed on informing the audience about the services Mudbug is known for, as well as why they should choose Mudbug over their competitors. 

Another area of emphasis was placed on branding. An established brand deserves a site that reflects brand guidelines through typography, color choices and imagery.

THE RESULTS

A final look at the site exemplifies the clean, sleek design that not only looks pleasing, but also reflects the brand it represents. Make sure you check out the finished site at https://mudbugplumbing.com/. 

Whether you begin your commute, embark on a road-trip or take a quick drive to the gas station, there is a high chance that the radio will be playing. According to News Generation, more than 244.5 million Americans listen to the radio each month. However, upon sliding into the driver’s seat, when have you considered the individuals behind the broadcast waves?

92ZEW is a locally-owned and operated radio station in Mobile, Alabama. Household names for the radio station include Gene Murrell, Kelly Finley, Tony in the Morning, Matt McCoy and more. Matt McCoy currently serves as the Promotions and Marketing Director with 92ZEW, but his impact includes a 30-year career, philanthropic efforts and an overall optimistic zeal for life.

Much like anything else in McCoy’s career, he fell into radio by happy accident.

A local radio DJ discovered 17-year-old McCoy on his high school forensics team. That part-time gig was the catalyst for an extensive career in radio. McCoy admitted that he ended up on the Gulf Coast by accident when he accepted a job offer with Legendary Top 40 WABB. Instantly welcomed as a Gulf Coast personality, McCoy hosted the morning show for seven to eight years.

“Things changed. I’ve got a couple of kids. I knew I had to decide on a ‘real job,’” McCoy said in a phone interview with a dash of self-deprecating humor. “Just like the rest of my life, I got a random call from Pensacola.”

McCoy accepted a job offer with iHeartRadio Kiss FM. After another eight years and a meet-cute with Tim and Lee Ann Camp of “TLC in the Morning”, McCoy became Promotions and Marketing Director with 92ZEW.

“You feel like you know these people. They’re your friends. I’ve been doing this for 30 years and I tell people–it’s the painting the room scenario. You have a playlist on, but it’s hollow and empty. Instead, the radio is a voice in your ear. You feel like a friend is talking to you,” McCoy explained.

Outside of radio and his children, McCoy pursues two philanthropic efforts: rescuing animals and helping to defeat cancer. McCoy has two rescued pitbulls, but defeating cancer remains his true passion.

“I’ve lost so many people just over the past 5 years to cancer. I’m just sick of it,” McCoy said. “Every year, I help do Bras Across the Causeway. Last year, it was so big that we ran out of space for attendees–during COVID!”

McCoy also recently signed up as an ambassador for the American Cancer Society.

When asked if he had any advice for individuals struggling to find their way, McCoy laughed and said, “I have a mission statement, and believe it or not, I got it from a country song and I added to it over the years:

‘Life is a dance and you learn as you go. But just like the tango, if you get tangled up, and you will, don’t panic. Tango on.’”

92ZEW is more than just voices in your ear. 92ZEW is a locally owned and operated radio station. Learn more about The Sound of Mobile by visiting https://92zew.net/contact/ today.

Interested in being highlighted in a Toast to the Coast article? Reach out to Southern View Media today!

The world of e-commerce has boomed more than ever given the circumstances that have surrounded us in these last few years. Despite the stock market crash, investors have since taken advantage of shares for trillion dollar e-commerce companies like Amazon. What exactly is an e-commerce site you might ask and what are the advantages that come with it? We talk about it here. 

Electronic Business via World Wide Web

Long gone are the days where brick and mortar stores became popular. Of course, there is still talk about pop-up shops for upcoming trendy boutiques and retailers that work for business to consumers and business to business e-commerce platforms. The idea of exchanging physical goods and services has since evolved into an electronic business via the world wide web, which is what an e-commerce site resembles. Consumers, sellers and businesses can all come together in one place to electronically transfer data and funds. 

Marketing Strategy In The Works

Having an e-commerce site can ultimately grow your business as there is a great deal for a marketing strategy in the works. There is a lot of background work that goes into developing it such as setting up optimization, the use of plug-ins, email newsletter sign up forms, landing pages and much more. E-commerce sites are also a highly competitive field, so having a marketing strategy in place further sets you up for success.

Building The Site and Legal Terms 

There are many built-in software programs that support full customization on online shops. Each e-commerce owner will have a set budget on their behalf which will dictate the overall design and style of the site, the added plug-ins necessary to develop data and making files downloadable. WordPress and Shopify are amongst the most popular platforms that make it easier to navigate through the site with a paid fee. An e-commerce site will also be required to have legal terms that go by code to include a private policy, terms and conditions, as well as disclaimers. The legal terms act as a legal policy to disclose information towards customers and their personal data. Whether or not you choose to add cookies, a third party disclosure is also an option. 

Incorporating Digitally Innovative Tactics

Outside of the e-commerce site, there exists digitally innovative tactics to incorporate traffic through the use of social media. To better promote the site, entrepreneurs and influencers use marketing strategies such as posting ads, setting up product launches through email campaigns and creating mobile apps for user-friendly accessibility. The integration between the development of the e-commerce site and the use of external digital marketing methods all correlate towards a better brand advantage.  

Let us help you make your business successful with website design and development, a part of the e-commerce site process. For a free consultation to formulate a strategic and affordable plan, call us today at 251-583-2605 or visit www.southernviewmedia.com. We are a Google Trusted Agency and will be happy to answer your questions.