Key takeaways
Creating a solid marketing team is a must since marketing directly impacts business growth and success. It’s definitely not something you want to leave up to luck and chance.
To ensure your business reaches the right people with the right content, you need to hire the right marketers. Sure, it’s always easier said than done, but with the right tools and strategies, you can hire the best fit for your very first marketing position.
Let’s walk through why your first marketing hire matters, what skills to look for when interviewing, and some key strategies to find the right person for the job.
Your business needs a firm marketing foundation to get the word out about your product(s) and/or service(s). Your first marketing hire will make or break that foundation. It’s crucial to start a team that will align strategies to business goals, understand your target market and competition, and successfully inspire people to act.
Marketing positions are strategic roles in driving brand awareness and building customer acquisition. These components are critical to business success. Marketers should also see the bigger picture, aligning company-wide goals to marketing and content objectives.
Before you start interviews, do a needs assessment. Identify your marketing requirements to find the right first hire. Where are your current gaps? What skills does your business need that it doesn’t yet have? Create a set of goals that you want your new marketing department to have.
Think through the type of hire that will help the company meet those goals. Then, start writing the role’s job description to identify the role and responsibilities this person will be taking on.
So what qualifications are important for marketing? We talk about it next.
Marketing is a unique field. The right hires can successfully transform your brand into content and strategies that will connect with your target audience. They’ll also be able to work successfully with the rest of your team.
When you’re ready to make that first marketing hire (and beyond), look for these key skills and qualities:
Most jobs require great communication skills, but this is a top priority in the marketing world. High-quality content and the power of persuasion are major marketing assets.
Assess how well candidates communicate, both in written and verbal contexts. How do they relate to others on the team? How well can they articulate their opinions and goals? Find a candidate who is sharp and intuitive.
The data side of things is also important. Today’s marketing tools allow you to have almost instant information about how campaigns are performing and what leads and targets are doing online.
The right marketing hire will be able to not only track this information but interpret it to create exceptional strategies that are driven by data. This also means they’ll be very familiar with the right digital marketing channels and tools, so ask them about their experience with marketing data collection.
Great marketers can think on their feet. They’re not always satisfied with the status quo. They know how to spark people’s interest and set themselves apart from their competitors.
A creative track record is a big plus. Ask candidates how they would handle challenging situations to see if they can respond quickly and imaginatively.
If you’re just hiring for your first marketing role, your business is likely still in its learning stages. This means you need people on your team who have an open mind. They should be ready and willing to learn.
Even for decades-old businesses, the whims of consumers and the market can change things in an instant. Marketers need to be able to follow trends and keep learning from target audiences, including what they are currently prioritizing and how they’re behaving. This takes a deep understanding of the people behind the numbers.
Of course, you want your first marketing hire to fit in with your team. They need to be collaborative with a team-player mindset. Ask them about their experience working with a team and what their approach is like.
Bring in other team members during interviews so everyone can assess how a candidate will fit into the workplace culture. You want to hire someone who aligns with the business’s values and daily work ethic.
You’re probably hiring a marketing employee for the first time because you need to see better business results. As such, the new hire needs to be committed to keeping their eyes on the prize and delivering those results.
Ask what steps they’ll take to help the business reach its goals and how they will approach a goal-driven strategy.
Next up, we’ll talk about a few hiring strategies for marketing roles you should consider embracing.
There are a few additional tips to follow that will help you hire your first marketing team member. Here’s a brief look:
Remember that your first marketing hire will set the stage for the department moving forward. Look for the right skills on top of cultural fit and potential to help the business grow.
Marketing strategy is a big driver of your bottom line. The right approach helps you generate more leads, inspire more people, and land more sales. You need a first marketing hire who understands the market and your audience as well as how to align their methods to the business’s goals.
But strategic hiring is just half the battle. You need exceptional content to reach people at the right time in the right ways.
Turn to ContentBacon when your marketing team needs better content. Our experts understand all the content marketing strategies that will help you reach your goals, and it starts with sizzling copy and design.
Get in touch with us to learn more.