Is It Too Early To Hire Marketing Help?

Today, we’re tackling a big question: when is the right time to hire marketing help. Is it too early, too late, or just the right time?

Understanding when to hire marketing help can make a huge difference in your business's success. In my career, I’ve seen different types of business owners throwing their weight at this problem in different ways. I’ll break it down into three main groups, and I hope you’ll see yourself in one of them!

1. The Experienced Industry Expert (turned new business owner)

Let’s kick things off with those of you who know their industry inside and out and just started their own business. Based on your experience, you probably have a solid grasp of the marketing concepts that work for your industry’s needs.

This type of owner is a one-man show and usually does marketing decently well on their own. At some point, however, they become overwhelmed by various tasks and need to delegate.

To simplify your ordeal, if you have enough time to do marketing on your own, it’s too early to hire external help. But if you feel like you’re dropping the ball consistently, you need to delegate marketing and focus on business tasks.

2. The Startup Founder

Now, let’s chat about startup founders. They face unique challenges when deciding if it’s time to hire marketing help. This requires a broader approach - one that reflects the dynamic and even frantic aspect of their world.

If you haven’t quite nailed down your product-market fit yet, it might be smarter to work with a marketing advisor first, instead of jumping into a full-time hire. They can help clarify what you really need and how to get there.

When you have a rough outline, it’s usually better to hire someone who can juggle multiple roles rather than going for specialists right away. You want someone who’s ready to roll up their sleeves and get things done. Senior folks might not enjoy this hands-on work even if a CMO sounds enticing. A more junior product marketer can bring the required balance between action and strategy.

Alternatively, hiring an agency can be a smart move since they can cover a lot of ground while letting you focus on running your business. An agency's account manager can feel like part of your team if the onboarding is right.

3. The Established Business Owner

Finally, let’s talk about entrepreneurs who have their businesses up and running - and thriving on offline activities only. This breed might feel lost in the endless stream of new digital channels and tactics and have no idea of how to tap into them.

If that’s you, consider hiring independent contractors or agencies first. Your first step is to create a digital marketing strategy that complements your existing offline marketing efforts. This way, you can get a feel for what working with a digital marketing team is like before making a full-time commitment and building a team.

Some businesses even keep going that way, as an agency can cover more digital disciplines than an in-house hire. And let’s face it - sometimes, there’s not enough work to justify a full-time hire, anyway.

How to de-risk the process?

Make sure your hire shows strategic thinking and adaptability. Always ask for examples of how they’ve handled changing needs in the past. While there are people with great advertising or content credentials out there, those with overall strategic thought are rather scarce. And don’t forget that businesses that have a clear marketing plan are nearly seven times more likely to report success than those without one.

This applies to you, no matter which type of business owner you are.

If you’re ready to make a marketing hire or need advisory, I’d love to help you craft a plan that works for your business! Grab a free marketing audit on us!