Hiring the right marketer can significantly influence the trajectory of your startup.
Whether you’re pre-launch crafting your initial marketing strategies or post-launch aiming to scale, the decision to hire a marketer is critical.
This guide will help you navigate the complexities of assembling a marketing team tailored to your startup’s needs. We’ll explore whether it’s the right time to hire, the factors to consider before making a hire, and, crucially, what type of marketer—generalist or specialist—fits your business model.
3 Factors to Consider When Hiring Your First Marketer
Before hiring your first marketer, ensure you’re not jumping the gun. Here are crucial factors to consider:
Strategy
Understanding your target audience and your customer acquisition approach is fundamental. Your strategy—whether it’s community building, search optimization, or lead generation—will determine the type of marketer you need. A clear strategy helps narrow down the specific skill set and focus area of your marketing hire.
Budget
Assess if you have the financial capacity for this hire. Marketing is a long-term investment. Make sure you can sustain the marketer’s payroll for at least six months, in addition to covering the necessary tools and resources they will need to execute their campaigns effectively.
KPIs
Define clear marketing KPIs to measure ROI effectively. This clarity helps align your marketing strategies with business goals and ensures you and your marketer are on the same page regarding expectations and outcomes. For example, if you are going to focus on getting clients through search by publishing blog posts, you should have Google Analytics set up and other SEO tools to measure your success.
Considering these factors will guide you in making a more informed decision about when and how to hire your first marketer.
Which Type of Marketer Do You Need to Hire?
Understanding your specific needs and strategy enables you to determine the type of marketer that will best fit your startup. Here’s an essential consideration:
Generalist vs. Specialist
- Generalists are jack-of-all-trades marketers with a broad skill set. They are ideal for startups that need someone to handle various tasks across different marketing domains.
- Specialists focus on a specific area of marketing, such as SEO, content marketing, or social media. They are suitable for startups that require deep expertise in a particular marketing channel or strategy to achieve their goals.
Building your startup’s marketing team means finding the right mix of thinkers and doers. Think of it this way: if you know marketing inside out as a founder, you’re the strategist.
You need someone to get things done, a generalist. They’re your go-to for making your plans happen, like sending out those perfectly crafted emails.
So, look at what your team can do now and figure out who you need to make your marketing shine. Keep it simple, straightforward, and focused on what will help your startup grow.
Full-time vs Freelancer
Starting with a part-time role is often the best approach to conserve cash while determining the exact needs of your startup. This flexible arrangement allows you to adjust roles as your business grows without committing too much financially upfront.
Full-time Pros:
- Dedicated focus on your business
- Can handle a wider range of tasks
- Builds long-term team cohesion
Full-time Cons:
- Higher financial commitment
- Less flexibility in role adjustment
Part-time/Freelancer Pros:
- Lower initial investment
- Flexibility to scale workload up or down
- Access to specialized skills for specific projects
Part-time/Freelancer Cons:
- Less control over work hours
- Potential for less commitment to company goals
Consider transitioning from part-time to full-time positions as your startup’s needs become clearer and more demanding.
Fractional Marketing: A Tailored Solution for Startups
For early-stage startups, managing marketing needs with a lean budget can be challenging. Hiring freelancers offers flexibility but often requires a considerable time investment in recruitment, management, and strategy adaptation. This is where fractional marketing becomes a game-changer.
Fractional marketing provides a team of experienced marketers, including strategists and execution specialists, under a simple monthly fee structure. Here’s how it works:
- Efficient Team Management: A project manager organizes the team around your specific projects, handling hiring and onboarding, thus freeing you from the logistical overhead.
- Seamless Integration: Unlike traditional agencies, a fractional marketing team operates like an extension of your in-house team, using your project management systems and aligning closely with your processes.
- Scalability and Documentation: As your startup grows, the fractional team ensures all processes are well-documented, making the transition to new team members smooth.
Case Study: Paperbell
For example, with a client like Paperbell—a SaaS platform for coaches—the fractional team includes:
- Marketing Project Manager – I coordinate with Laura, Paperbell’s Founder, to translate the strategy into daily, weekly, and monthly action items.
- SEO Specialist – In charge of doing the keyword research and link building.
- Social Media Manager and Designer – Distributes the blog post to different social media platforms.
- Marketing Assistant – Takes care of all the technical stuff on WordPress.
This structure not only saves time and money but also aligns closely with the dynamic needs of fast-growing startups, ensuring all marketing initiatives are expertly handled.
👉 Learn more about our fractional marketing services.
Wrapping Up
Understanding your startup’s needs and goals is crucial. You can choose full-time employees, freelancers, or a mix through fractional marketing. Fractional marketing is efficient and blends well with your team, supporting growth with less overhead. Consider your strategy, budget, and marketer type to build a strong foundation for marketing success and scalability.
