What to Expect When You Hire a Marketer for the First Time

 Many companies who have successfully navigated the ongoing lockdown restrictions have made a striking decision. They have decided to take control of their consumer brand, their employer brand and their online presence. They have decided – for the first time ever – to hire an in-house marketer. They have understood the value in having a strong online presence at a time when – let’s face it – spending time in front of a screen is just about our only option for work or entertainment. Rather than be left behind, and rely on traditional methods of reaching potential customers or clients, these businesses have opted to try and soak up as many opportunities to be seen on the platforms that their target market is using. Whilst this is great news for both marketers looking for work and businesses looking to innovate, it can be tricky to integrate marketing into your business if it’s something you’ve never had before. You may have “set” ways of doing things that will need to adapt, or you may have a workforce who are nervous to embrace new platforms. This is all completely understandable and normal! Here are some of the tips that I give my clients looking to introduce marketing to their business for the first time: Know what you want – and be specific Most marketers that I work with tend to very highly skilled in one or two key areas, for example, copywriting and social media marketing. But often, I get clients who expect one individual to be good at everything – from SEO and PPC to website building; from video editing to bid writing. So, what I advise my clients is to have a think about which specific elements of marketing their business could really benefit from instead of trying to capture everything at once. Have some “brand standards” in mind Whilst a good marketer will have a strategy as to how to address your desired audience and what content will appeal, all marketers love a strong brief. Know who you want to speak to; how you want to speak to them; and what behaviours you want to influence. That gives your new hire a good starting point when it comes to formulating a plan of attack. Be willing to spend Good marketing costs money! It doesn’t have to cost the earth, but small investments in platforms that will allow you to create exciting graphics, for example, are worthwhile. Even the best marketer in the world would be hampered by a lack of access to tools that allow them to enhance their natural talents. Think of it as investing in the future of your brand – and take advice from your new marketer as to what tools and technology they enjoy working with. Good marketers will be able to report on what does/doesn’t work and will know how to work their budget, and show you where leads are coming from. Involve the entire business Marketing shouldn’t be shrouded in mystery. It’s important that the rest of your business understand what is happening and why – otherwise they might be less likely to take part in, say, a bit of video content. Plus, marketers often like to bounce ideas around and can pick up ideas from what they hear in other parts of the business. Don’t expect instant results Just because you hired a marketer on Monday doesn’t mean you “will rank number one on Google” by Friday. Lots of aspects of marketing – particularly when it comes to establishing a recognisable brand or growing a social following – take time. Whilst “click here to buy” links may result in instant conversion, a lot of the “behind the scenes” work is all done with long-term growth in mind. HRC Recruitment are delighted to be recruiting in the marketing space – helping you attract talented professionals who will give your business the marketing support you need. Click here to drop me an email to find out how I can help.