Hiring a Marketing Director is a big decision that can have a significant impact on your business. There are many factors to consider when making this decision, such as the cost, the candidate’s qualifications, and how the position will fit into your overall business strategy.
Before you make any decisions, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate your needs and goals for the marketing department.
So, what does a Marketing Director do?
A Marketing Director is a high-level executive who oversees an organisation’s marketing activities. As the head of the marketing department, the marketing director is responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies that align with the company’s business objectives. In addition to overseeing the work of marketing professionals, the marketing director also plays a key role in formulating corporate marketing objectives and budgets.
The marketing director is a strategic thinker who understands the ever-changing landscape of marketing and knows how to adapt his or her company’s marketing strategy to stay ahead of the competition. The marketing director is also an excellent communicator, able to clearly articulate the company’s marketing message to both internal and external audiences.
Hiring a Marketing Director is a critical role in any organisation, as the success of the company’s marketing efforts can make or break its bottom line.
What’s the difference between a Marketing Manager and a Marketing Director?
Although they both lead their departments and the company to success, the job of a Marketing Director is vastly different to that of a marketing manager.
A marketing manager helps to ensure that the marketing team develops and delivers high-quality marketing campaigns focused on the company’s target market. Marketing managers work below the executive level so, they act as a link between their team and upper management.
A Marketing Director’s job is to oversee all marketing operations relating to the company. They sit at a much more strategic level than a marketing manager and will generally be in charge of budgets and making strategic decisions to support company-wide success. Rather than focusing on the smaller details that the marketing manager can address, the director looks at the wider scope of the company and its future.
Delivering a clear marketing strategy for your business
One of the key USPs of working with a Marketing Director over a Manager? They develop the marketing strategy. You can find out more about marketing strategies here.
For businesses looking to implement a clear marketing strategy, working with an experienced Marketing Director is key to delivering success.
So, what does a clear marketing strategy entail?
- Set overall goals – a marketing strategy should be aligned with and support the overall business objectives
- Analyse the market – an in-depth market analysis is crucial to gauging competition and should include everything from market volume and value to customer segments, buying patterns
- Focus on the customer – when conducting market analysis, locating consumer pain points that the product or service can alleviate is a great starting point, focus on this and provide a better customer experience than the competition
- Know the product – a good Marketing Director should know everything about the product or service that they’re marketing and all the relevant materials and resources that support it
- Have specific objectives – smaller objectives need to be implemented to support overall business goals, this can include everything from gaining new customers to increasing conversion rates
- Outline techniques – this is all about the tools, mediums and channels that will be used to achieve the goals and execute the strategy
- Develop a budget – once the above is taken care of, a clear budget needs to be developed and allocated to achieve goals effectively
- Create a marketing plan – once the strategy is finalised, a detailed plan is needed to show how it will be executed
- Don’t forget to analyse – measure the effectiveness of your marketing strategy by analysing its performance
Now that you know a bit more about what a clear marketing strategy should include, it’s time to look at why you need a Marketing Director to develop one for your business.
Does your business need a full-time Marketing Director?
Now that you know what a Marketing Director does, you may be wondering if your small-to-medium-sized business needs one. The answer depends on several factors, such as your company’s stage of growth, budget, and staffing needs. If you’re a small business owner who is thinking about hiring a one, here are some things to consider:
- Company size: If your company is small, you may not need a full-time MD. Instead, you may be better off hiring a part-time marketing consultant or Virtual Marketing Director (VMD).
- Company stage of growth: If your company is in the start-up phase, then hiring a Marketing Director may have to wait until you have more clarity on your business model and target market. On the other hand, if your company is growing rapidly, it may be time to bring one on sooner to help scale your marketing efforts.
- Budget: Hiring a Marketing Director to come in to the business full-time can be expensive. If you’re on a tight budget, consider hiring a part-time marketing consultant or VMD. You can also look for MDs who are willing to work on a freelance or contract basis.
- Staffing needs: If you already have a marketing team in place, you may not need to hire one. However, if you don’t have any marketing staff or your marketing team is small, or if the team you have lacks senior experience and leadership, then hiring a Marketing Director with experience can help you build out your marketing capabilities.
Top 6 benefits of Hiring a Marketing Director part-time
Hiring Marketing Director on a part-time basis comes with a variety of benefits, such as:
Senior leadership
Hiring a Marketing Director provides your business with valuable leadership and direction for your business.
Greater experience
They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. This can be extremely beneficial for businesses that are new to the world of marketing, allowing you to tap into the expertise of an experienced marketing professional without having to commit to a full-time employee.
Cost-effective
It’s no surprise they will come at half the cost of a full-time one, which is a no-brainer for businesses looking to develop and implement a clear marketing strategy on a budget.
Increased flexibility
Working with a part-time MD gives you the flexibility to scale up and down as needed, whereas hiring a Marketing Director to come in full-time may restrict this flexibility.
No risk
Hiring a Marketing Director on a full-time basis is a long, expensive and time-consuming process, and if you get it wrong, you have to go through the entire process again. By hiring a Marketing Director part-time, you can benefit from monthly rolling contracts, which means if it’s not the right fit, you can terminate the contract at any time
Frees up time
You’ll have more free time to focus on other aspects of running your business. This can be especially helpful for small business owners who wear many hats.
Does your business need a part-time Marketing Director?
Hiring a Marketing Director part-time is more flexible, less expensive than their full-time counterparts, and can work around your schedule and availability. Additionally, they can provide valuable leadership and direction for your business while freeing up some of your time to focus on other areas of running the company. If you think hiring a Marketing Director part-time could be beneficial for your small business, keep these pros in mind!
If you’re a small business interested in hiring a Marketing Director part-time, but you’re not sure where to start, contact one of our experts at Leadership Services to see if they have the right fit for you.