{"id":3517,"date":"2024-12-09T20:54:37","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T12:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/?p=3517"},"modified":"2025-06-12T15:02:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T07:02:58","slug":"hiring-marketer-startups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/hiring-marketer-startups\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring the Right Marketer: A Practical Guide for Startups"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

So, you’ve decided to hire a marketer. Maybe your “strategy” was winging it on Canva and hoping for the best. Or you hired someone whose ROI turned out to be more “reality check” than “return on investment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does this sound familiar? Relax, you\u2019re not alone. Finding the right marketer for your startup is tough but not impossible. A great hire can significantly alter your trajectory if done right (and at the right time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devin Bramhall, a growth advisor to remote startups like Help Scout and tech giants like Cisco, brings over a decade of experience driving growth. As the ex-CEO of Animalz and co-host of the Don\u2019t Say Content<\/em> podcast, she\u2019s an expert in hiring, managing, and evaluating senior marketers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Most founders wait until they\u2019re desperate for results to hire a marketer. That\u2019s a huge mistake. It takes time to build trust and community. You should hire one six months before you need to show results\u2014or bring on a freelancer if you\u2019re working with a tight budget. Plan to hire a marketer early and bring them along for the ride.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The good news? By the end of this, you\u2019ll know exactly how to find your dream marketer without losing your sanity or budget. Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Figure Out What You Actually Need<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the deal: not all marketers are built for the same job. Hiring the wrong one for your stage is like asking a barista to fix your car. They have good intentions but the wrong tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the fix? Hire early, and hire smart. Devin explains, \u201cBuilding traction post-product-market fit is so much harder than starting early while you\u2019re still building the product. It boggles my mind that institutional investors still advise startups to wait until product-market fit to hire marketers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, waiting until you\u2019re scrambling for results is a losing game. Bring a marketer in early so they can shape your strategy while your product takes form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Next, figure out what type of marketer fits your stage. Whether you\u2019re pre-launch, scaling, or somewhere in between, the key is to match their skills to your growth needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Stage: The Swiss Army Knife<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re pre-PMF and need someone who can (pretty much) do it all. This scrappy problem-solver thrives on tackling ads, emails, and analytics all at once, fueled by caffeine and very comfortable in chaos. The Personal Math newsletter recently called these people \u201chigh-output generalists,<\/a>\u201d and honestly, the term is spot on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want someone to handle everything from strategy to execution, a full-time generalist is great. As Emily Kramer, founder of MKT1, puts it: look for \u03c0-shaped marketers<\/a>\u2014experts in one area (like growth or content) and proficient in another. These “high-output generalists” are ideal for startups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freelancers can be your secret weapon if you need expertise in one area or want to test new channels fast. They\u2019re great for experimenting with new strategies\u2014helping you quickly see what works without committing to a full-time hire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After you make the hire, it can be hard to step back and trust your marketer to do their job. Devin says, \u201cFounders often get caught up in things like the revenue from a single blog post or the color of a CTA button\u2014details that won\u2019t impact real outcomes. Instead of micromanaging, step back. Give your marketer the space to experiment, build, and focus on strategies that actually drive growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devin recalls a founder who tracked blog posts down to the penny in a spreadsheet, obsessing over ROI at a micro level. This micromanagement distracts from the bigger picture and prevents marketers from focusing on strategies that drive real growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The takeaway? Hire someone adaptable, give them clear goals, and let them work their magic. Whether you choose a full-timer or a freelancer, give them at least six months to show results.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth Stage: Specialists to Scale<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve got traction, and a few channels are showing promise. Now it\u2019s time to level up with specialists\u2014SEO experts, paid media specialists, or content strategists\u2014who can refine what\u2019s working and amplify results. Consider them the personal trainers of marketing: hyper-focused, data-driven, and dedicated to optimizing every move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To set your marketer up for success, start with a clear, time-based objective\u2014quarterly goals work best. Ask for a strategy that maps out how they\u2019ll achieve those, month by month. Then, you can evaluate progress: Did they hit their target? If not, why not, and how will they course-correct?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Late Stage: Focus on Brand<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your growth is steady and predictable. Now it\u2019s time to focus on storytelling and building emotional connections. At this stage, your marketing hires should be senior, specialized, and focused on growing your brand. Consider them as mixologists of marketing\u2014crafting experiences that captivate and retain customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing agencies also shine here. Need to test new channels or scale across platforms quickly? They provide the resources and expertise to get you there. Blaming an agency for poor results is common, but the real issue can be a lack of guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAgencies are like employees. They need clear direction, collaboration, and feedback to deliver great work. Without someone to guide them, you\u2019re setting everyone up for failure.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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