Consultants’ Corner

What should firms consider when deciding whether to hire a full-time marketer or outsource the role?

There’s no “right” answer. Every firm will need to consider its own unique context, goals, needs and culture when deciding between hiring full-time or outsourcing. But here are a few guidelines: 1. Is the need long-term? If not, hiring a full-time person may result in confusion with their role down the road (if not downsizing). 2. Does your budget align with your needs? If your needs require multiple specialties but your budget isn’t high enough, you may get a better deal outsourcing to an agency with multiple specialists than trying to find a full-time unicorn.

3. What fits your culture? A full-time marketer may be a better fit if your leadership prefers things high-touch (e.g., in-person).

Mike Jones, Resound, mike@resoundcreative.com

Clear expectations from the start are critical. Is the primary goal to increase tactical bandwidth or adopt a more strategic approach? Is the focus more on brand awareness or generating leads? Partner perceptions can vary widely. Without some level-setting, the function will suffer.

Expectations should include a strategic plan to guide the right initiatives to produce desired results. Then, as strategies are developed, the need for implementation support will increase. A hybrid model works for many firms — hire an in-house marketer with strategic skills and initially build the team with outsourced providers in various tactical areas.

Advantages of in-house include having a dedicated focus on firm culture and operations. Advantages of outsourcing include the ability to scale easily and access to a variety of capabilities.

D. Scott Moore, The Rainmaker Companies, scott@therainmakercompanies.com

The top factor to consider is the strategic growth plan. How does the firm plan to execute its marketing, and who is in place to help accomplish its goals? If the firm hires a full-time marketer, it will have an internal resource who can drive the marketing strategy, be in tune with the culture of recruitment marketing and assist with tactical items like events and proposals. If a firm outsources, it will need someone in a leadership position who can manage the relationship with an outsourced agency and act as the firm’s liaison. Outsourcing requires significant up-front time to understand the firm’s marketing strategy, goals and culture. The firm liaison will need to make strategic and tactical decisions frequently and have base marketing knowledge and capacity to manage this outsourced relationship.

Jill Winter, Rootworks, jill@rootworks.com

Interviews by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk