How We Built Magic Mile Media
Magic Mile Media was built on the idea that small businesses need help navigating the ever-changing world of social media. Almost eight years later, we've grown into a full-service company offering everything from live-streaming and video production to local and state news. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but it has been driven by a commitment to helping businesses succeed in the digital age.
Seizing Opportunity in the Face of a Crisis
Magic Mile Media began after a major setback. During Hurricane Matthew, sales from my commission-only sales role dried up. As people focused on survival, no one was thinking about buying legal or identity theft plans. More importantly, I had failed to plan for such a disaster. At that point, I had to ask, “What do I do best?” Social media kept coming up as the best answer, along with business-to-business (B2B) sales.
I saw an opportunity: many small businesses didn’t know how to use social media effectively. These business owners weren’t as familiar with tools like Facebook or Instagram and didn’t know how to connect with a new generation of customers, who get most of their information from their cell phones. This gap presented a way forward, and that’s why Magic Mile Media was born—to bridge that divide and help businesses connect with their audience online.
The Power of Starting Simple
The company didn’t begin with an office or expensive equipment—it started with just a cell phone and a Facebook post. After announcing our services on social media, I received two calls that day. One of those businesses became our first client, and the other we later created a simple website for them.
That moment taught us a valuable lesson: success comes from simply taking action. We put ourselves out there, and that led to our first big break.
Creating Stability with the Retainer Model
One of the early challenges we faced was financial instability. Coming from a commission-only background, I knew firsthand how crucial steady income was. To solve this problem, we adopted a retainer model, where clients paid a monthly fee for ongoing services.
There’s no nickel-and-diming approach to our services because no one likes to be nickeled and dimed, right? This provided much-needed stability and allowed us to focus on building long-term relationships rather than constantly chasing new sales.
I have often said, "We needed to hurricane-proof our income." The retainer model did just that, giving us the security to grow our business, even in unpredictable times. Yet, it also provided our clients a stable approach to building an intentional social media presence, not relying on any one post for that “magic bullet” of social media success.
Standing Out Through a Social-First Approach
From the beginning, we wanted to be different. While many companies treated social media as an add-on to web design or IT services, we knew it needed to be the primary focus. Magic Mile Media became a “social-first” company, building its reputation on expertise in social media strategy.
Over time, we expanded our services to include video production and live streaming, but social media has always been at our core. Our focus remains on helping our clients achieve their growth goals through an intentional social media strategy. Through their success, we’ll find ours.