October 5, 2024
Hiring Someone Else To Promote Your Marketing Business

New York native and nomad by choice—Emily is a marketing & PR pro, now the founder of the award-winning R Public Relations, New York.

As the owner of a public relations agency, it may seem counterintuitive to hire someone else to handle my business’s marketing and PR. After all, I am an expert in the field with a pulse on the latest trends and tactics. Why would I outsource what I am best at?

Even seasoned PR and marketing professionals should consider hiring external marketing support for several reasons. I’ve found this to be quite effective in my work with agencies, especially over the past eight years running my company. I’ve paid someone else to do my marketing for years now, and I intend to do so for years to come.

Objectivity is paramount when marketing any business, especially your own. An external PR professional or firm can provide a fresh perspective and additional expertise, freeing up your time to focus on client work.

When marketing your company, obsessing over a task you could otherwise finish quickly is an easy cycle to fall into. Indecision and perfectionism can inhibit you from promoting your business because you’re too concerned with getting everything right. Here are the main reasons I outsource my agency’s PR and marketing and why I think you should, too.

Outside eyes bring fresh perspectives.

Although you may have the best understanding of your business’s value propositions and differentiators, accurately showcasing your brand’s unique qualities is incredibly challenging when you’re as deeply ingrained as most business owners are. Your biases and assumptions can easily color your brand’s marketing and PR in the wrong shade. An external set of eyes can better identify the business’s differentiators worthy of promotion—spotting them from within the trenches can be challenging.

In an article for Hinge, branding and marketing experts sum it up perfectly: “Many firms promote ‘differentiators’ that don’t differentiate them at all—in fact, these so-called differentiators often make them sound more like their competitors.” Need I say more?

External team members bring new knowledge to the table.

While you may excel in some factions of PR and marketing, no one is an expert at everything. An outside firm or professional will bring new PR and marketing knowledge, which can level up your strategy. Whether it’s intel from a similar campaign they worked on in the past or a recent certification they just received, it never hurts to get a second opinion on the best way to promote your product or service.

Trusting outsiders with the tasks you do best can be difficult. When selecting your PR and marketing team, I always say it’s about hiring the right expert. Search for firms or individuals that excel in your own weakest areas.

According to a survey from Vericast, 82% of advertisers prioritize specialized expertise. This data emphasizes a growing trend for advertisers to seek more thoughtful partnerships, favoring expertise and focused collaborations for implementing marketing strategies. When hiring external PR support for your business, select an expert with a clearly defined specialty that aligns with what you wish to accomplish is a great strategy.

Free up your valuable time.

An agency’s priority should always be its clients. Needless to say, it’s easy to put marketing and PR for your company second (or third, or fourth…). Similarly, marketing your brand is the first thing to go when something comes up for a client, but hiring outside help can avoid this common problem.

Treat your company to the same level of service you provide your clients; you deserve it. By delegating the marketing of your own business to another expert, you can focus on what you do best for your paying clients.

Welcome extra accountability.

An external PR firm is dedicated to delivering measurable results for your business. Their reputation depends on their ability to enhance your brand visibility, making them inherently motivated to succeed. This level of accountability often translates into more strategic planning and diligent execution of marketing your brand than you can accomplish on your own.

Key Considerations

Hiring is an imperfect science, and your first hire might not be the right fit. To get you as close as possible to your perfect marketing team, here are some key considerations for the next steps.

Consider budget.

If you have big goals and plenty of resources to pursue them, an agency hire may make the most sense. Agencies will provide you with the most support and the largest network to support your marketing journey. If your budget falls mid-range, hiring a full- or part-time marketing employee can be a great choice. This person can dedicate 15-40 hours a week to building brand awareness, developing awards submissions, crafting pitch decks and beyond. If your budget is small, consider working with a marketing student or intern. Although the output may be less or may require more feedback, you’ll be able to get the ball rolling with minimal investment.

Respect differing opinions.

One of the best—and worst—parts of hiring outside marketing help is that you might butt heads. That’s not necessarily a bad thing! Remember that you made this hire to bring new perspectives to the table, and it’s useless to pay for a “yes man.” Ultimately, final decisions will be up to you, the business owner. But I encourage you to welcome unique perspectives and consider out-of-the-box recommendations.

Set clear timelines.

One of the greatest challenges marketers face is that many marketing campaigns don’t have strict timelines. A common complaint I hear from business owner friends is that their marketing team “isn’t getting enough done.” An easy way to avoid that issue is to set clear timelines, deadlines and expectations up front.

Conclusion

While it may seem paradoxical for PR and marketing professionals to hire external support for marketing their business, the benefits can be substantial. Objectivity, expertise, efficiency and accountability are all significant factors when considering this approach. By hiring outside help, you can market your business effectively and free up valuable time and resources to focus on getting results for your clients. After all, even the best chefs occasionally dine out.


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