Q2 2019

4 | Q2 2019 Almost one-third of small businesses (31%) concentrate their digital marketing efforts on increasing sales, but most aren’t prioritizing engaging current customers. This data comes from a new survey by The Manifest, a business news and how-to website, which finds that small businesses are not maximizing their digital marketing investments. Only 6% of small businesses’ say their primary digital marketing goal this year is customer retention. Furthermore, only 6% of small businesses are focused on SEO, which is an effective method of growing long-term, organic traffic to their site. Companies may be losing sales as they focus on more challenging wins instead of targeting already interested customers. Lauren Douglas, chief marketing officer of FountainheadME, a marketing agency in California, said you must create a relationship with current customers to retain them. “Make them feel that you are talking to them personally, and you will improve brand loyalty,” Douglas said. Businesses should grow their customer base with personalized communication to solidify their client relationships. Small Businesses Spend Less Than $50,000 on Marketing Efforts Small businesses do not often invest significant funds into their digital marketing campaigns. More than half of small businesses (55%) spend less than $50,000 on all marketing efforts, including employee salary. More than one-third of companies (36%) only invest $10,000 into their annual marketing budget. Small businesses measure digital marketing effectiveness using different standards based on their goals and size, though. Robert Weiss, president of MultiVision Digital, a video production agency in New York, said that he considers it a win if the money invested in digital marketing is matched, not exceeded, in returns. “We just want a 1 to 1 ratio because for us, once we acquire a client, there’s a strong long-term value proposition because we keep clients,” Weiss said. Small businesses emphasize digital marketing success using individual company goals. The amount of money put into a digital marketing budget can determine results. Small Businesses Prefer In-House Teams to Third-Party Agencies Small businesses often choose in-house teams to complete digital marketing projects because it’s cheaper and more efficient. Almost two-thirds of small businesses (60%) use in-house teams while only 40% hire an outside agency for digital marketing campaigns. Small businesses rely on their own employees to understand their brand’s mission and communicate effectively with their managers. While an outside agency may have more expertise, an in-house team can be more cost-efficient and knowledgeable about the small business itself. Companies should investigate different marketing software and tools to fully optimize this in-house team, though. The Manifest’s 2019 Small Business Digital Marketing Survey included 529 U.S. small business managers or owners. Declare Announces New Executive Leadership Offerings to Women in Senior Roles Executive Pods, coupled with theBoardlist partnership, provides customized leadership development for female executives Declare, a premier leadership platform transforming how women learn, work and succeed announced two new offerings designed to serve women in senior leadership positions: Executive Pods and a partnership with theBoardlist. Executive Pods and theBoardlist provide Declare’s most senior members access to coaches, career elevation and the opportunity to broaden their networks. Pods have been at the heart of Declare’s success, providing mentorship and community to emerging and rising leaders. With the addition of Executive Pods, spearheaded by certified, professional coaches, Declare introduces enhanced programs and networks for the most senior-level members. Declare’s corporate clients include Goldman Sachs, Orrick, TPG, Comcast, NEA, KKR and many others. In addition, Declare’s members hail from another 320 companies including Facebook, Google, The New York Times, Bookings Holdings, Samsung, NBCUniversal, HBO, Rent The Runway, to name a few. “Our member base has always sung the praises of our Pods as one of the most impactful aspects of the Declare program – but we hadn’t yet tailored an offering to the executive set,” said Beth Haggerty, co-founder and CEO, Declare. “With 24% of our membership being vice president level and above, the demand for an executive version of Pods was clear. At each phase of the career journey, there are different needs and hurdles. We are now delivering on the request to curate groups of executives to receive customized support from highly-seasoned, certified coaches, further accelerating and fine-tuning their skillset.” The company also announced today its partnership with theBoardlist, a leading platform for executives and board directors to nominate and discover outstanding board-ready women. Declare will offer theBoardlist platform to senior, highly qualified members. Recognizing the strong skills these women have demonstrated over the course of their careers, Declare will endorse their preparedness to serve key board-level positions in non- and for-profit organizations of all sizes. Since its launch in 2016, theBoardlist has facilitated 600 company board searches and has influenced placement of more than 135 women to public and private company boards. “Partnering with Declare allows us to reach a robust community of women who have already made an impact on the businesses they lead. This will provide organizations on our platform a growing range of highly curated board candidates to fit their specific needs,” said Shannon Gordon, CEO of theBoardlist. “Working with Declare is helping improve the discovery of strong female candidates with the companies that need them most. These women want to further their careers and explore new opportunities, and we here at theBoardlist are excited to give them that opportunity.”