4 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Marketing Professional
Many small businesses will at some point in time find themselves asking if they should hire an internal marketing expert, or outsource. Outsourcing is more cost-effective and in many cases, a better fit for you and your business, however, if the wrong team is chosen, the personal connection between your business and your marketing team can be lost. Here are four questions to ask yourself before hiring a marketing professional to join your team.
What tasks do I really need support with? - Think through specific tasks that you know you and your team cannot handle internally. Determining what specific pieces of the marketing puzzle you need extra support with can help guide your decision-making process.
What kind of relationship do I want with a marketing professional? - I find this to be one of the most important questions to ask. Do you want to work with someone who will take a more personal approach, who will always be the one on calls with you, or are you interested in having it feel a bit more corporate? Often, marketing agencies will have an incredible sales team member chat with you in the initial stages of negotiating your contract, and once things kick off, they will pass you along to an account manager who may or may not be as excellent as the sales team. It is also important to remember that large agencies tend to have high turnover rates, meaning you could switch from one marketing manager to the next during the course of your campaign, leading to setbacks as new people take time to learn the ins and outs of you and your business. If you are looking for a personalized marketing approach, managed by someone who will be there for the long haul, click here to get in touch with The Confidant Collective.
How much time do I have for my marketing team? - This is an important question to consider, especially if you are thinking about hiring someone internally who will require training and more to get up to speed with what you expect of them. Chances are, you are in need of a self-starter, someone who can learn the ins and outs of your business and get up to speed quickly. When you outsource to the right person or team, you won't have to be the one running your own marketing campaign and delegating tasks. In fact, you shouldn't have to be!
What is my budget? - I am a big believer that you can make strategic marketing decisions that will support your business and work within your budget. If you feel that you are being sold on an overpriced marketing package, you might just be right. You want to work with someone who can help you determine how to best place your budget in a way that is going to propel your business toward success. Be cautious of high-cost monthly retainers with vague tasks and big promises that might feel a bit too good to be true. Many marketing agencies are more than happy to over-promise and under-deliver. Don't let it happen to you.
My biggest piece of advice when looking to outsource your marketing campaign is to ask questions and be cautious. Write down the questions you want to be answered and remember that you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. At The Confidant Collective, we create a relationship with each of our clients based on trust. It is my hope that if you are in a relationship with a marketing agency that feels unhealthy, you can turn to us to answer your questions and help you only pay for what you need.