Should you hire a temp marketer? Consider the following scenario.
Many small business owners start independently and gradually add more employees as the business grows and the work increases.
The first hires are generally a support person and a salesperson, followed by a marketing-focused position.
However, hiring a full-time marketing professional in a small business is only sometimes an option. With each new hire comes a competitive salary, training costs, the risk of turnover, and the associated fees.
Instead of hiring a full-time marketing professional, small business owners should consider hiring temp marketers.
If you’re unsure which option to choose or when to hire a temp marketer, six signs will help you determine the best times to add one to your team.
1. INCREASE SALES FROM MARKETING
Suppose you’re ready to grow your business and think you could reach more people through marketing. In that case, this is an excellent opportunity to bring in a marketing professional to help you focus your efforts.
A marketing strategist or a VP of Marketing can help you strategize the best marketing approach for your company, give suggestions for where you can improve, and even tell you where to make changes to help you reach a more significant share of the market.
The best part about hiring this high-level marketer on a temp basis is that you will receive expert advice and avoid high salary costs.
For example, you can hire a VP of Marketing one day a week for three months instead of hiring someone full-time. Once you know where to improve, you can evaluate whether you can perform the tasks in-house, hire a marketing professional on a temp basis, or hire someone full-time.
2. MARKETING TASKS AREN’T GETTING DONE
A lot of small business owners begin their marketing efforts on their own. For example, you started a blog or created social media profiles for your company.
You started with the intention to blog once a week and post daily on social media, but before long, once a week has turned into once a month, and your social media posts are sporadic at best. This inconsistent marketing does more harm than good and reflects poorly on your brand.
If you’re at the point where you don’t have the time to do any marketing for your company, you should consider hiring a temp marketer to help in your efforts. Also, adding a copywriter to write blog posts and website content three times a week will take a lot off your plate.
3. YOU HAVE A SHORT-TERM PROJECT
Another example of when to hire a temp is when you have a project that can be completed quickly.
For instance, if you’re launching a new product or service, you can hire a PR Specialist to help with the launch and ensure you get enough publicity and buzz around your new offering.
You may need to update outdated graphics on your marketing collateral. You can hire a graphic designer only for the time it takes to complete the project. Hiring a temp for short-term projects allows you to hire people for as little or as long as you need them.
4. YOU LACK THE BUDGET FOR A MARKETING TEAM
Many small businesses, especially in their growth stage, don’t have the budget to hire all of the marketing talents they need to see real success. As a result, it is extremely common for small business owners to turn to temp marketing to fit their budget.
Hiring a marketing manager or marketing coordinator on a temp basis is a great way to ensure your marketing activities are completed consistently. In addition, you can add more marketing specialists as you take on new business or scale back your workers during off-seasons or periods of slow growth.
5. CURRENT MARKETING EMPLOYEE IS ON LEAVE
If you’re fortunate enough to have a full-time marketing team, there’s still a chance you will need to supplement your team with temp marketers.
A perfect example is when one of your marketing employees has to take a leave of absence or maternity leave.
Instead of overwhelming your other employees with extra marketing tasks, add a temp marketer to your team while your employee is on leave. That way, your marketing efforts won’t suffer, nor will your current employees.
6. PROJECT THAT REQUIRES SPECIALIZED SKILLS
In addition to short-term projects, projects that require specialized skills will also benefit from hiring a temp.
For example, redoing your website or building an app requires technical and advanced skills. However, after the project is completed, you might not need someone with such advanced skills to be a full-time team member.
Before you add a marketing professional to your team, first evaluate what activities you need them to complete and if this person can be hired on a full-time or temp basis.
The most significant factors to consider are budget, type of project, and particular circumstances. For example, hiring a marketer on a temp basis allows you to test out an employee without the risk of turnover and high costs associated with them.
