Episode 108 - Why Your Marketing Isn't Working (and How Staffing Firms Can Fix ROI, Branding & Growth) with Leslie Vickrey

If your marketing feels busy but not profitable, you're not alone. In this episode of Talent Titans, staffing leaders get a straight-talking breakdown of why marketing ROI fails, and what actually works when budgets, teams, and time are limited.

Suky welcomes Leslie Vickrey, Founder and CEO of ClearEdge, to talk about why marketing often underperforms in staffing and recruitment businesses. With nearly two decades of experience inside global staffing firms and as an agency founder, Leslie explains the critical difference between branding and marketing, why "checking the box" kills ROI, and how small and mid-sized firms should think about strategy before tactics.

The conversation covers everything from LinkedIn content myths and chasing vanity metrics, to when it makes sense to hire a fractional CMO, how much staffing firms should really invest in marketing, and why founders can't hide from being the face of their brand.

If you've ever said "we tried marketing and it didn't work," this episode explains exactly why and what to do instead.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message
00:52 Meet Leslie Vickrey: Founder of ClearEdge
02:01 Branding vs. Marketing: Understanding the Difference
03:11 Marketing Strategies for Small and Mid-Size Companies
04:39 Aligning Marketing with Business Goals
08:08 The Importance of Target Audience and Engagement
12:05 Challenges and Solutions in Marketing for Smaller Companies
19:08 Breaking Down Marketing Silos
20:34 The Importance of Marketing Investment
21:57 Aligning Marketing with Business Goals
24:21 Who Should Own Marketing?
25:22 The Role of Executives in Marketing
29:14 Steps for Improving Marketing Effectiveness
32:34 When to Seek External Marketing Help
34:52 Conclusion and Contact Information

Favorite Quote:

"If what you're doing in marketing isn't directly tied to your business goals, you're not doing strategym you're just checking boxes."

Leslie

Connect with Leslie:

Leslie Vickrey is an author, podcast host, business leader, investor, board member, and advocate for unleashing the power of women. She is the founder of ClearEdge, a company dedicated to transforming the business of talent through marketing, recruiting, and leadership development services, and the co-founder of ARA, an organization working to attract, retain, and advance women in technology.

Leslie is a co-author of Together We Rise and the forthcoming Rising with Courage: A Women's Guide to Life and Leadership, and hosts two podcasts, TheEdge and Honestly, We're Learning. Through her work, Leslie aims to break down stereotypes, build confidence, and encourage the next generation of leaders to rise.

Leslie also serves on the Board of Advisors for New ERA ADR, VMS Professionals, and Central Michigan University's College of Business Administration, which honored her with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Recognized as one of Chicago's most compelling innovators and entrepreneurs, Leslie was inducted into the UIC Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame and honored as an Enterprising Woman of the Year.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvickrey/

Connect with Suky:

I'm Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous "recession" cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the "people business". For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com

Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.