In today’s web and social media-dominated world, it’s often a point of nostalgia to reminisce about the early days, when MySpace and a bunch of now-relegated search engines ruled the digital realm. When Southern View Media CEO Michelle Murrill thinks back to the mid-2000s, she sees the roots of a business that has evolved into a significant marketing agency supporting its community with the same passion as its clients, large and small.
Southern View Media is the Mobile Chamber’s Small Business of the Month.
The company was founded in 2015, although Murrill and her husband Brad – Southern View’s CFO – began working for themselves nearly a decade earlier. After dabbling in content creation, marketing and sales in the early days of Google ads, the couple moved to Charleston where Murrill started her first website, MomsofCharleston.com.
“It was a website that featured the places kids could eat free, where they could take piano lessons, or gymnastics,” Murrill said. “We had a community calendar with all the going-ons in the community, and this was circa 2008 before that kind of thing really existed on the internet.”
That prompted her to learn search engine optimization and the emerging juggernaut of Facebook advertising, giving the site enough of a footprint where it was eventually bought out and the Murrills moved back to Mobile. Once home, they quickly realized there was an opportunity to make an impact in digital marketing on both sides of the bay, and Southern View Media was born.
Although innovative, Murrill says her company’s success also lies in its understanding of how marketing strategies in 2022 aren’t much different in intention and reach than they were 20 years ago.
“I sometimes tell clients that it’s basically direct mail, except online,” Murrill said. “And the difference for me is that I’ve owned businesses, and can empathize with them more. “We understand what they’re going through, how they’re trying to make decisions and find an ROI, and what meets their needs.”
Although Southern View Media serves clients throughout the Gulf Coast, from restaurants to industrial manufacturers, Murrill seems to be most excited about the work her company does locally. The firm went from sharing an office in Mobile when the pandemic hit to buying a building in Daphne. Once it was deemed safe for everyone to start gathering again, it pivoted from everyone working at home to coming into the office a couple of days a week. In support of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, for which Murrill is an ambassador, Southern View’s office has become a hub for regular small business meetings and expos. They even offer co-working opportunities for other businesses and business people.
“What sets us apart and makes us who we are is our networking, credibility and work throughout the community, meeting people,” Murrill said.
