Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexis Day and Sanarr McLaughlin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alexis & Sanarr, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

digitalXmedia was founded in 2019 based on the owner’s agency and client-side experience and their desire to add value to the marketing support ecosystem by streamlining the resource acquisition process, making it more affordable for business owners and more accessible for marketing professionals. But it did not start out that way!

2019 – the first half of 2020, digitalXmedia started out project based, where we handled the majority of the accounts from strategy to execution. It was no different than a traditional agency, other than it was more affordable, We were basically doing the same amount of agency work we did in our 9-5’s… but for less money.

We realized we had to pivot – either we had to take on less work or jack up the prices to make the amount of work digestible. Either option did not sit well with us, so we changed our subscription model from task based offerings to an hourly support subscription model. . This shift allowed us to scale rapidly because there was a missing link between agency to staffing to freelance help. The market was being underserved, and digitalXmedia provides consolidated and expeditious marketing management, in a pricing structure that is attainable for businesses of various sizes. For example, some businesses just need a strategy, while others need a strategy and someone to execute. This does not require a lengthy contract with a retainer or commission fees. This just requires a passionate marketing expert that wants to share their expertise, without the hassle of feeling or being burnt out at a 9-5.

Once our model changed the second half of 2020, dXm saw continued revenue growth, year over year. This is also due to the smart recruitment of skilled talent and a strong focus on implementing efficient processes that offer unique value for business development and retaining client accounts. Also, developing a definitive approach to recruiting experts by being highly selective with hiring platforms and creating in-depth skill assessments.

Alexis/Sanarr, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Both Sanarr and Alexis have always been in the marketing world for over 25 years, combined. Alexis started out in traditional media (radio & television) and Sanarr in digital (affiliate, programmatic & social). Alexis moved over to the digital side of marketing, with a focus in SEM (search engine marketing).

Over this time, we found that businesses struggle with finding experienced marketers that best suit their digital marketing needs and marketing professionals struggle with burnout and the desire for a fulfilling work life balance, ready to get back and enjoy what they do. digitalXmedia provides flexible, affordable, and simple access to marketing eXperts without long-term commitments. digitalXmedia take the guessing and struggle out of finding the right marketing support for your business.

Partnering with digitalXmedia allows companies to expand their staff with rapid onboarding and without permanent employee costs. We also foster a culture where our eXperts feel supported and work is truly flexible and autonomous. Here at digitalXmedia, we offer support, planning and execution across various verticals and platforms. We currently have 25 active subscriptions and 20 eXperts as a part of the digitalXmedia network.

digitalXmedia has a network of marketing professionals with experience across multiple channels: paid search, programmatic display, paid social, digital audio, connected tv and more.
digitalXmedia offers one time service and monthly subscription plans starting at $349.

What makes us different from our competition?
– Online accounts provide easy access to manage subscriptions.
– No long-term commitment. Upgrade, downgrade or cancel plans at any time.
– 100% of the media budget goes towards campaigns. We do not charge a percent of media spend!
– Save time and money on recruiting. The right eXperts are assigned within 24 hours of plan activation.
– Plans are charged monthly via preferred payment method (ACH or credit card).
– Media spend can be set up for direct billing from the platform or invoiced through digitalXmedia.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

We met in 2006, working at Patchwerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, GA. Sanarr was the evening studio manager/marketing director and Alexis was the marketing assistant. We weren’t necessarily “friends” but we definitely had personalities that complemented each other. We actually didn’t become friends until we both weren’t working at the studio anymore (about a year or so later). At that time, Sanarr started her journey in the digital marketing world, while I got deeper into radio (marketing/promotions). We became best friends after a while and here we are.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Our work ethic and watering relationships!

Marketing is a small world and you may think your name does not come up, but there is always one person who knows someone, that knows someone that knows you. Making sure we always give 100%, no matter how small the request, we know our name is our biggest asset. Our client list to date is due from word of mouth referrals…100%. Our work had to always speak for itself. We’ve also made some lasting friendships over the years, across agencies, brands, vendors, etc.. so we continuously have a network of support.

Contact Info:

• Website: digitalxmedia.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalxmedia-marketing-resources-a7469b202