Ask These 3 Questions Before Hiring an In-House Marketer
Every business needs marketing support. Whether the help comes from one in-house marketer, a large marketing team, or an outsourced agency -- marketing support is essential for brands that are actively growing their business and seeking new customers.
But, not all companies need the same type of marketing support.
What is right for one company might not be right for the other. So before you jump into hiring an in-house marketer, let’s look at three questions that can help you find the right option for your brand.
1. Are my expectations for an in-house marketer realistic?
If you are considering hiring an in-house marketer, you probably have a list of marketing needs.
List those needs. Write out a list of all of the tasks that you want your in-house marketer to do.
If you are like most businesses, your list of expectations probably looks something like this.
Branding
Website design
Website development and management
Content topic creation
Copywriting
Graphic design
Public relations
Social media management
Event planning
Media buying
Lead generation
Sales alignment
Reporting of analytics and success
You may even have other tasks to add to that list depending on your vision, goals, and needs -- and this is often where the problem begins.
Many companies have an unrealistic expectation to hire a single individual, an in-house marketer that can do every single aspect of marketing with skill and expertise.
But someone who does graphic design is probably not the same person who can do public relations. Or, someone who writes beautiful on-brand copy, isn’t the same person who technically has the skill to properly buy digital media. It takes different experience, expertise, and skills to do many of the tasks on this list, yet the tasks often get grouped together in an in-house marketing position.
So make a list of what you need, and then ask yourself if it is reasonable to find a person who can successfully execute all of those tasks on their own. Prioritize the list, and realize what may be most important to handle in-house and what can be supported with third-party partners. Interview your candidates with this perspective.
Related: What Is Marketing, Anyway?
2. Does my budget match my expectations?
If expectations are high for your in-house marketing position, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a diamond in the rough to handle a lot of the list. But, it does mean that you likely won’t find a strong candidate with an entry-level salary with the needed experience.
Most experienced and well-rounded marketers will be looking for a competitive salary as well as benefits such as flexibility, autonomy, and healthcare options. They will be looking for an even higher salary if the job combines multiple roles or cross-skills knowing they are a special talent in the market.
You will likely need to pay on the higher side of a salary if you are asking someone to do more than one job. For example, if you want someone who can perform copywriting, graphic design, and SEO tasks, look at the salary range for each. PayScale lists some of these tactical hires as:
Copywriter: $36k - $74k
Graphic Designer: $33k - $63K
Search Engine Optimization Specialist: $33k - $64K
Consider what is fair to offer someone who can do all three of these jobs. And then consider another individual in the company to support the marketing strategy and positioning as this leadership type of role will demand a higher salary.
Ask yourself what type of salary you will need to pay to find someone who has experience and expertise in all of the work you need completed. Or perhaps work backward starting with what your budget can fit for a marketing role and match your expectations accordingly.
3. Is there a better option for my marketing needs?
Given this direction, it may be becoming clear if you should or should not hire an in-house marketer and what to expect. If you don’t believe an in-house marketer fits your current need, there are other options for businesses that need marketing assistance.
Consider these three options -- or combination of options -- to see if they are a better fit for your needs.
Hire a marketing director.
Rather than hire a marketer who can execute specific marketing tasks, consider hiring an in-house marketing director instead. A marketing director is someone in-house who can lead, control, and direct all of your brand’s marketing efforts as well as manage the tasks involved with those efforts.
If your brand only wants to hire one in-house marketer, it is best to hire a marketing director and then work with freelancers or agencies to execute on the tasks. And in some cases, based on the stage of your business growth, a fractional marketing director or marketing CMO can handle the leadership needed.
With an in-house marketing director, you can:
Have one person in charge of understanding and controlling your brand, which leads to clarity and consistency in messaging, positioning and more successful marketing campaigns.
Create more streamlined marketing campaigns as one person is responsible for project management, approval, and budget.
Assign marketing tasks to experts who have the skills and knowledge to deliver better final products and results.
Save money as you don’t have to pay a salary for an in-house marketer or multiple executors who have expertise in multiple roles and marketing jobs.
Hire freelancers.
Instead of hiring in-house help for marketing tasks that require experience and expertise, consider hiring freelancers instead.
Your marketing tasks are going to require a varied list of skills. Rather than force one person to fill all of those roles, look for freelance partners who can come in and help only when you need it.
There are advantages to outsourcing marketing tasks rather than keeping them in-house. When you work with experienced freelancers, you get better results and insights into areas you don’t understand very well. And, you only have to pay (higher rates) for expertise when you need it.
Partner with a marketing agency.
Working with freelancers is a great option, but it requires a bit of management. For each expert you need, you will have to research to find a partner for that specific marketing area, and you will need to manage that individual contractor.
Working with an agency takes away that management. You can find one partner who already has a network and can help you find the right expert when you need them.
For example, a brand could work with a marketing agency when they are rebranding and redesigning their website. The agency could connect them with branding experts to establish the right positioning, create the best business story, and redesign brand assets and then bring on a website designer and developer to create their new site. The company works with one partner who connects them with a series of other experts.
You Don’t Need to Hire In-House to Get Marketing Help
Whether you choose to work with freelancers or an agency, the process will work better when one person is in charge of your brand’s marketing initiatives and vision.
So if you are looking for marketing help, the solution might not be hiring an in-house marketer.
The solution might be to hire an in-house marketing director and then find the best freelancers and agency partners to work alongside them.
If you’re looking for an agency partner that has a team of experts who can help you reach your goals, we’d love to chat. Contact SpotOn to discuss your needs and see how we can help you build the team best equipped to deliver the marketing results you’re looking for.