This guide explains how to decide what to pay for digital marketing based on your goals, timelines, and audience. It breaks down core channels like search, paid social, SEO, and email, clarifies media spend versus management fees, and outlines what strong reporting looks like. You will learn how to right-size budgets for lead generation, recruiting, and seasonal promotions so every dollar has a clear job.
This guide breaks down common service tiers, what professionals actually do behind the scenes, and how to set a budget that fits your seasonality and market.
We lay out exactly what you should expect in the first 60 days, how consulting fits versus advisors and full-service agencies, and how to judge the value without staring at a rate sheet.
Planning your 2026 marketing now puts you a step ahead when budgets reset and competition heats up. This guide breaks down what is changing, what is working, and how you can turn trends into growth.
You want people to recognize your business, trust it, and choose it. Online, that comes from a clear brand that shows up consistently everywhere your audience spends time. The good news is you do not need a massive budget to do it well.
If you have ever wondered what a marketing consultant actually does, you are not alone. Titles in the marketing world can blur together, and it is easy to confuse consultants with advisors, coaches, or agencies.
As I have conversations with clients regarding “the news” lately, this has been top-of-mind: the fear you’re feeling around tariffs and the news of the world and in the US in particular is very much like the fear we all felt during the COVID‑19 pandemic — and there’s a clear lesson to pull from that…
If you are weighing a new website, you are probably deciding between a custom build, a template, or a website builder. The choice feels big because your site has to be easy to manage, look great on mobile, load fast, meet accessibility needs, and support your growth.
With so many options, costs, and promises out there, it’s natural to wonder if agency expertise is truly worth the investment or if you’re better off handling things in-house.
Ever wondered what it’s like to work in digital advertising? Grab your coffee, put on some music…
In digital marketing, especially for small-to-mid-sized businesses (SMBs), there’s often a struggle between chasing quick, immediate results and investing in strategies that build lasting growth.
Every small-to-mid-sized business (SMB) faces the challenge of making every marketing dollar count. Relying on instinct alone can be risky, but using data to drive marketing decisions can transform your investment into significant returns.
AI is all around us. And, frankly, has been for quite some time. “A.I.” is the buzzword lately, but humans have been imagining what it might be like to create something that can think for itself…
Everyone in social media wants the big viral post, but real, lasting growth on social media comes from consistency, not luck.
The Future of Work: one thing we know for sure is… we don’t know anything for sure In the most recent Workforce Therapy Files episode releases, we pushed out a two-part series on The Future of Work. Each episode is under 30 minutes. I felt this particular topic was important enough though, that even if…
Spoiler Alert… hiring has changed. But if you have been awake the past 5 years, and are in the HR space at all, you know that all too well.
Let me be blunt: websites are not art. They’re tools. And the tool’s job? To meet the user’s needs as fast and friction-free as possible.
Get Yourself a Good Mentor, or 3 – and Cherish Them In 2024, I lost one of my mentors. It was unexpected, and I didn’t get to say goodbye to him. At the time we were only talking about once a year. He had moved to another state and was enjoying retirement with his lovely…
Outsourcing Your CMO Role We have clients who outsource one small project, a campaign, one area of their marketing suite, and even their entire marketing department. But what about the top level positions? Have you ever thought about outsourcing your CMO role, or outsourcing your VP of Marketing role. This can be done at a…
Drowning in Information… We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom” E.O. Wilson, Harvard Biologist At no time in human history has their been such free access to information. Nearly every bit of recorded human history is available to us… every scientific discovery ever made, every horrible thing, and every great thing. AND, AI…
Vision Boards – How to make a 2025 Vision Board that WORKS Today I’m going to show you how to make a vision board for 2025 that works. I cannot express how important it has been for me to have a vision board. For the past 18 years I have created one to help me…
2024’s American Marketing Awards event was a big one for CrowdSouth! We are thrilled to share how our team’s hard work and creativity were recognized across multiple categories.
CrowdSouth recently teamed up with Farmers Bank & Trust in Bowling Green, KY, to support the bank’s local marketing approach and enhance its connection with the local community.
CrowdSouth had the privilege of working with LifeSkills to develop a campaign focused on Youth Addiction Services, a vital resource for teens and young adults struggling with addiction.
Step outside the office! Our CrowdSouth crew share’s some of their favorite vacation recommendations.
In the fast-paced digital world, optimizing your web performance is crucial for retaining users and achieving your business goals.
Get to know Megan Mikel, Director of Strategic Marketing, Tara Crouse, Client Services Rep, and Joey Joy Hion, Project Manager.
In today’s digital age, every interaction and comment can significantly impact a brand’s reputation. Leveraging social listening has become imperative for businesses to thrive.
CrowdSouth made a big splash at the 2023 AMA BG Markie Awards held at The Mint Gaming Hall on November 28, 2023.
Forerunner and CrowdSouth are proud to announce that their collaboration on the project “The Work is Waiting” has been honored with a prestigious Bronze Telly Award.
Much like working remotely from your home, working from another continent has its advantages and its drawbacks.
Step outside the office! Our CrowdSouth crew share’s some of their favorite vacation recommendations.
This is the NEW REALITY, and HR teams that adapt and pivot are the ones who will win.
Like most small businesses our company has spent the last 6 years with our share of ups and downs. We have grown from 2 goofy guys to 10 fabulous individuals, multiple contractor relationships and 2 goofy guys. Read More
In 2022 CrowdSouth started implementing EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) as a way to get more organized and take the next steps on our company growth journey.
May 2022 marks seven years for me at CrowdSouth. It’s crazy how fast the time has gone by and how much I’ve grown as a person and as a social media manager looking back. Now time to share some of the things I’ve learned in those seven years…
Spring is around the corner, which means it’s time for a little Spring cleaning! Maybe you are gearing up to clean out your closet or declutter the house, but don’t forget about your social media pages.
You’re an HR recruiter. You wake up – go to work…. it’s Groundhog Day. Yep, once again you show up, with the same issues facing you, and no strategic plan to guide you to success.
Today’s workforce crisis is shining a new light on how critical their mission is to a companies overall success.
Thinking back on all the time I spent prepping for those, and all the data and information I had the team dig up… it has reminded me why we decided not to chase these anymore.
May 2022 marks seven years for me at CrowdSouth. It’s crazy how fast the time has gone by and how much I’ve grown as a person and as a social media manager looking back. Now time to share some of the things I’ve learned in those seven years…
This year marks 25 years that I’ve been trekking around the marketing industry. A quarter of a century really sounds like a long run…
Ask yourself this question: If someone were to experience your company via online presence or otherwise would an outsider view your organization as inclusive?
One question I get often is, “how did you get started, and what does ‘CrowdSouth’ mean anyway?”
From time to time, I’ll mention (LTV) or Life Time Value in a strategic conversation with a client. Often I’ll get blank stares back, either because they don’t’ know what LTV is, or they don’t care.
May 2022 marks seven years for me at CrowdSouth. It’s crazy how fast the time has gone by and how much I’ve grown as a person and as a social media manager looking back. Now time to share some of the things I’ve learned in those seven years…
CrowdSouth is a dedicated provider of digital marketing solutions with a mission to help brands captivate their audience.
Did you know that search results can vary from person to person and computer to computer even when using the same search words or phrases?
With so many social media platforms out there, it may be difficult to know which one is right for your business. Here are 3 prompts to help you identify which platform to use.
Rather than gifting something that will eventually end up in File 13 or stuffed in a hall closet, why not give something more unique.
Here are 5 quick tips for social media as we enter the holiday season!
Currently, in Afghanistan, the Taliban is hunting and killing Afghans who support the United States’ anti-terrorism efforts within their country.
Building a fanbase can be an uphill battle… especially when it has been tasked to you or your team while you are battling all the other fires that come along with your daily work life.
Much too often, companies hire vendors because they are perceived to be a big name in the industry. However, this is a flawed process as reputation of skill should always supersede name recognition.
Your branding is more important to growing your practice than you might think. What does your brand say about your practice?
Facebook is an active community of your target clients. This is how you can grow on Facebook to find new patients for your growing practice.
Your website is more important to growing your practice than you might think. Is your website turning away new patients?
Google Search Ads can be the difference between a new patient calling your or your competitor. How can you step up your practice marketing?
As social media becomes increasingly crowded, social media managers have found it harder and harder to find ways to up their engagement game.
As social media becomes increasingly crowded, social media managers have found it harder and harder to find ways to up their engagement game.
Say what!? Increase my budget right now, you say? Yes!That’s the trend among larger and more aggressive companies.
Whether you’re selling goods or services, the holidays are high-traffic times and your ads need to be ready!
It’s tempting to try to save time and money by creating your own logo. Sometimes you may find yourself tackling many other aspects of your business, like sales, accounting, and human resources…
You’re a small business owner with zero time to stress about making sure there’s quality content launching across your social media profiles. We get it.
Say what!? Increase my budget right now, you say? Yes!That’s the trend among larger and more aggressive companies.
We at CrowdSouth have been spending our “quarantime” very wisely (if by wisely you mean binging Netflix originals and re-reading leadership and self-help books)…
Your demographic is more understanding than ever that you may not have a huge budget to create award-winning videos. Sharing your brand with current customers and new customers can be as easy as…
Say what!? Increase my budget right now, you say? Yes! That’s the trend among larger and more aggressive companies.
The Uncommonwealth of Kentucky, a CrowdSouth Podcast, with Matt Simpson.
The Uncommonwealth of Kentucky, a CrowdSouth Podcast, with Tyler Brown of FHG Clothiers and Manbox.
Episode 1 of The Uncommonwealth of Kentucky, a CrowdSouth Podcast, with Neil Griggs of FastSigns Bowling Green.
We have learned a lot in the past few weeks about how the public is reacting to the coronavirus. Chad Webb and Jason Heflin recorded a quick podcast with EIGHT TIPS on how to get through these uncertain times with your business intact!
It’s arguable that social media has been a factor in how fear has been propagated around this nasty virus.
Like most small businesses our company has spent the last 6 years with our share of ups and downs. We have grown from 2 goofy guys to 10 fabulous individuals, multiple contractor relationships…
SEO vs SEM: Which one does my business need? Let’s start with what’s going to get you where you want to be, faster and more effectively!
Step into “my kitchen”, and let’s take a look at the basic ingredients for success in search engine marketing!
Like most small businesses our company has spent the last 6 years with our share of ups and downs.
Let’s face it, it’s almost 2020 and it’s getting harder and harder to create new and unique marketing content.
There are over 54,700 plugins on the wordpress.org site alone; not counting the other premium plugins from additional vendors, etc.
We’re all familiar with landing pages. But what about the squeeze pages? The squeeze page is is a landing page but with a singular purpose: to get the user’s email address.
Think about some of your favorite brands. What’s appealing about them? How are you connected to them?
Are your sales skills the talk of your office? Do you kill it in your weekly presentations to clients with Powerpoints that inform as well as keep them engaged?
So you’ve started a new business Facebook page and you’ve started to post a little but it isn’t getting any traction. What are you supposed to do now?
Over the last 10 years, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) has quickly become one of the best marketing channels for small businesses to generate brand awareness, quality website traffic, and even a source of new sales leads.
Taylor Swift is a household name. Love her or hate her (why would you hate her?!), she’s a global superstar.
You have a website and Google Analytics available, but there is a lot of information and figuring out what’s relevant to your business can be intimidating and difficult.
Social media is one of the best marketing platforms and the best part is that it is free. 78% of users find new businesses on Instagram and Facebook. All of that business is right there- you just have to reach out and take it!
There comes a time in the life cycle of most successful businesses when it’s time to evaluate how to handle the marketing and outreach for the company.
![[image of women]](https://www.crowdsouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/pexels-anna-shvets-4672299_md-600x375.jpg)
![[phone] photo by Jeremy Bezanger https://unsplash.com/@unarchive](https://www.crowdsouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/phone-md-600x375.jpg "photo by Jeremy Bezanger")
![[example of ads]](https://www.crowdsouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/image8-2-768x480.png)
