According to Statista, the total value of the marketing industry in the US reached an astonishing $481 billion in 2022. It’s big business, and for good reason. Nonetheless, the prospect of building a marketing team from the ground up may seem a little intimidating to most – but it needn’t be.
Whether you run a micro start-up or a multinational company, there are a few core factors that have a big impact when it comes to hiring marketing expertise. In this article, we explore how best to go about creating the kind of marketing team that will really make a difference to your business.
The importance of building a top-notch marketing team
Implementing effective marketing strategies is the fastest way to attract and retain a loyal customer base. In our modern, highly competitive business environment, it’s not enough to produce excellent products or provide top-tier services. You have to be able to reach potential customers and convert them into real (aka paying) ones.
Every savvy business owner knows the value of strategic marketing campaigns for business growth. The core objective is to meet your customers where they are and speak to them in a way that maximizes their engagement. And for that, you need a marketing department filled with experts.
But how exactly can you build a skilled marketing team? Well, the truth is that marketing teams come in all shapes and sizes. There’s no single ideal marketing team structure that always delivers. The perfect marketing team structure for your company will largely depend on your business goals.
That said, some basic rules apply regardless of the size or nature of your organization. If you want to create a high-performing marketing team, here’s how to go about it.
7 Steps to build and recruit your marketing team
Building an entire team that regularly executes effective campaigns doesn’t happen overnight. Whatever team size you need to optimize your marketing efforts, you’ll be looking for people to cover a wide range of roles. But whether you’re looking for SEO specialists, product marketers, or even a chief marketing officer, being systematic in your approach is key.
Clearly outline the objectives to guide your team's efforts
The road to building an effective marketing team starts by outlining your strategic goals. Who is your target audience? Will they respond to email marketing, or are they more likely to engage with social media channels or traditional advertising campaigns? This will give you some idea of what weight to give to each marketing function in the hiring process.
Of course, you also need to take your marketing budget into consideration. Do you need to hire a dedicated email marketing specialist, or would it be possible to incorporate that role within a team of generalist marketers? Give some thought to cost-effectiveness right from the beginning.
Evaluate your existing team's skills and capabilities
The answers to these questions partly depend on where you’re starting from. That’s why it’s crucial to have a good understanding of your team’s current capabilities. Depending on your focus, the kind of skills you’ll want to check for could include:
- Analytical skills (marketing strategy, keyword research, SEO strategy, Google Analytics)
- Social media content expertise (social media management, post crafting)
- Content creation (writing, editing, design, video production)
- Traditional marketing (marketing professionals with experience in TV, radio, outdoor, and press)
- Event management (project manager experience, event organization).
Don’t overlook soft skills, particularly if you want to create truly cross-functional teams that excel in collaboration. The ability of your marketers to work well with others is vital for team cohesion and will play a significant role in how effective your marketing operations are.
Identify any areas where additional expertise is needed
You may find that some of the gaps in employee skill sets you need to plug are obvious. For instance, if you’re hoping to upgrade your content marketing output but don’t have access to any graphic designers, that’s an issue you should address as a priority.
But some of your weaker areas might not be so evident. It’s a good idea to take a systematic approach to assessing exactly what your existing team can and can’t do, so you can identify the key roles you need to fill.
A good way to do this is by examining performance metrics. You can achieve this by using a data analysis tool such as HR reporting software to study how effectively your team is working, monitor their performance, and see which training programs are already underway and which skills are lacking.
On top of this, combine your HR reports with other data sources to get a holistic view of where additional expertise is needed. For example, by using a customer feedback platform, you’ll be able to identify if there are gaps in how you’re currently marketing your product and where you want your new team to concentrate their efforts–whether it’s creating a new knowledge bank or improving your social media presence.
Detail expectations and qualifications in job descriptions
Crafting informative and inspiring job descriptions is absolutely essential. They have to speak directly to experienced marketing professionals and capture their attention. Outline the requirements of the job in detail, and make sure to communicate your company culture effectively. Don’t be shy to use social proof to explain the full flavor of your brand.
List the essential skills required for the job and outline the day-to-day responsibilities the right candidate will be expected to shoulder. And don’t forget to pique the top marketing talent’s interest by explaining the available opportunities for career progression.
Utilize various recruitment channels to attract top talent
Broaden your horizons and try something new. Yes, it’s good to post job notices on established job sites such as Indeed and LinkedIn, but why stop there?
Advertise where the marketing specialists go. If you’re looking for a top-quality marketer experienced in lead generation techniques, try recruiting at business conferences that focus on that area of marketing. Or, if you want to find a talented social media manager, why not advertise directly on social media sites?
Search for candidates who align with your company's culture
The most important thing is to find people who are a good fit for your company culture. That’s why it’s so crucial to project your brand values accurately in all your recruitment-related communications.
Creating a strong marketing team isn’t just about finding talented individuals. To achieve the best results, those individuals have to gel as a collective and be truly passionate about their work. That only happens when everyone is happy within their roles and within the company as a whole.
Develop a holistic onboarding program and provide ample training
Look at the onboarding process as an opportunity. It’s the beginning of your marketing hires’ relationship with your company, so make sure it gets off to a good start.
The program should immerse newcomers in your brand identity so that they know exactly what they’ll be expected to represent as they work. This makes it much easier for all teams to be aligned with your overall marketing goals.
When it comes to training it should be thorough and not just a one-time deal. This will make sure that your team keeps up with current market trends and can continue to produce innovative ideas.
Preparation and organization are key here, guaranteeing that training sessions are useful, well-scheduled, and engaging. As such, make sure you have a structured and well-thought-out induction plan combined with versatile HR software that allows you to set personalized goals, track training progress, and create feedback surveys for future improvements.
Top tips to upskill your marketing team
So, you’ve built a great house marketing team, and they’re raring to go. What next? Here are a few practical tips for adding a bit of polish and making your team even more effective.
Incorporate marketing-related tasks or simulations
Practice makes perfect. During training, give your marketers a chance to try out simulated marketing scenarios. This could involve all sorts of tasks, from basic campaign planning to full-on brand reputation crisis management. The idea is to prepare your people for anything, so they’ll be ready for whatever the real world throws at them.
Pair new marketing hires with experienced team members
Introducing a mentoring scheme can be a great way of helping new hires hit the ground running. An experienced hand can be a terrific boon to newcomers as they orientate themselves in their new role. If you have the capacity, it’s best to use a one-on-one model so the mentors aren’t overburdened and the mentees get sufficient support.
Provide access to industry conferences and workshops
Keeping up to date is essential in the world of marketing, so seek out relevant conferences and workshops and encourage your staff to participate. Attending these events can help marketers at all levels of experience improve their skills and expand their network, which ultimately benefits your organization as a whole.
Support team members in obtaining industry-recognized certifications
Similarly, helping your team members upgrade their skills via official certification can be a great move. Not only does this enable your team to keep getting better, but it demonstrates how much you value them. The top marketing professionals will always appreciate opportunities to prove their mettle.
Key takeaways
When building a marketing team, it’s vital to take your cue from your overall business goals. Small-scale companies focusing on rapid growth will have vastly different needs from established enterprises. Define your business objectives and derive your needs from there.
But whatever your goals, if you follow the steps we’ve laid out here, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to build an entire marketing team from scratch that will help you achieve new heights in business success.