There comes a time when companies need to run their first marketing campaign and start building a team, but where do you start?
Forthwith, Jenn Mancusi, podcast host and CEO and co-founder of Growgetter, dives into the critical decisions and considerations around hiring your first marketing team member or outsourcing marketing work as an early-stage startup.
Jenn draws on her extensive experience building marketing teams and working with companies at various stages to provide actionable advice on:
- Defining the role and objectives of your first marketing hire
- Weighing the pros and cons of hiring internally vs. outsourcing marketing
- Finding the right marketing partner if you decide to outsource
- How to structure your marketing team and essential functions
- The importance of setting S.M.A.R.T. goals and metrics to measure marketing success
Show notes
For one thing, Jenn emphasizes that there is no one “right” approach, and optimal strategies will vary based on factors like business model, stage, and resources. But by getting clear on your goals and needs upfront, you can make informed decisions and set your marketing efforts up for success.
Key Takeaways
Firstly, clarify the specific goals and objectives you want marketing to achieve before deciding whether to hire internally or outsource. Consider what marketing means for your business model and stage.
After all, hiring the first marketing team member is a big investment and can take time – plan for a 6+ month process to find the right strategic fit.
Outsourcing provides:
- cost savings
- specialized skills
- faster onboarding
- an outside perspective from partners deeply familiar with your marketing channels.
Treat outsourced partners as an extension of your team through immersion and frequent communication. That relationship helps maximize their context and effectiveness.
Read next: Achieve Maximum Impact: The Power of Good Marketing ROI
Altogether, build your team around core marketing functions (brand, demand gen, growth/retention) based on business needs and priorities. Avoid premature focus on advertising without foundational elements. When considering hiring externally or internally, it’s good to know where the market stands, which this HIreMinds study discusses.
Create S.M.A.R.T. goals tied to revenue and growth to measure marketing success. Communicate goals internally and optimize based on performance data. The more narrow and actionable the goals, the better off you will be in terms of being able to identify what’s working.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
With initial agreements, you can say, “Hey, are we still on this path? Is this what we decided success was going to look like?”
Keeping all these tips in mind can help you launch your first marketing campaign successfully and strategically. That in turn will help drive business growth.
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