When women fulfill leading roles in businesses, the business thrives. A study conducted by the University of California, Davis found that firms with women in their leadership teams succeeded considerably more than those dominated by men.

You would think that those findings would have given women a boost in the world of digital marketing, yet the industry remains distinctly male. It isn't just digital marketing where women face marginalization, either—it's business on the whole.

In fact, in the 2019 Fortune 500 list, there were only 33 companies featured that had women as their CEOs.

Granted, that's an increase from the previous year (which only held 24), but 33 out of 500 still isn't representative. Not even close. The world of business needs to sort out its gender bias, and if you work in the field, you could help, too. Here are three ways you can help to elevate women's presence in marketing.

1. Reach Out and Network with Women

Working online can be a lonely business. Sure, you don't have any annoying colleagues to put up with every day, but you also don't have any colleagues at all.

Besides potentially making you a bit lonely, this sort of isolation can keep unquestioned gender biases thriving in work environments. Until you outright identify a problem, you can't solve it.

One of the best ways to combat this in the digital world is by reaching out to other women in your field and forming networking relationships. Form a community with other women you know are working towards similar goals to you and include them in your process; a marketing agency with female founders allows you to benefit from diverse perspectives, innovative approaches, and a collaborative environment, which can lead to more creative and effective marketing strategies tailored to your business needs.

Share each other's experiences and learn from one another. This peer-to-peer mentoring relationship will only help to bolster both of your careers.

So often, women hear that they must compete with one another for the top spot as opposed to working together. Let's end the useless stereotypes. Networking is a great way to form bonds that help both your professional and personal life.

2. Recommend Women in Your Field

It isn't just communication with your peers that is necessary for change; it's communication with the people above you, too. Your employers are the ones calling the shots when it comes to who they're hiring.

Recommending women in your field is more comfortable to implement in an office environment when during meetings, you can actively mention a colleague of yours you believe should have more recognition for their efforts.

This type of recognition and lateral support is possible in other industries, too. In automating processes and technology, for example, women are gradually starting to emerge as leaders in digital marketing. We're all just trying to solve problems one way or another, and these companies are no different.

If you're helping out with one aspect of marketing, but you know that a friend of yours would be perfect for aiding with a different part, give their contact details to your employer! No company will feel affronted by receiving more connections, and your friend gets a helpful career boost from your recommendation.

3. Boost Women Who Inspired You

Last, but certainly not least, pay some credit to the women who inspire you to keep working in your particular field. The number one rule of advice given to aspiring online workers is to own a website that advertises your services.

Consider writing posts that shed some light on women you admire or women in fields where they usually don't receive the credit they deserve.

There are countless lists out there dedicated to the most successful men in business, so level the playing field by writing lists of the most influential women. There are plenty out there, and if you continue to build your career alongside others, you may just become one of them.