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MARKETING CONSULTANT VS.

MARKETING MANAGER / EMPLOYEE

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Every business is unique, so there’s no entirely right or wrong answer. However, you can get the most out of your marketing budget by understanding the differences between hiring a marketing consultantt or a marketing manager.

 

Let's explore how hiring a Rockville, MD based marketing consultant might differ from an in-house marketing manager so you can invest your resources wisely!

 

Cost

 

The average marketing manager’s salary is more than $100,000 a year. Even an entry-level marketer earns a salary of around $40,000 a year.

 

If you hire an in-house employee, you’re responsible for paying not only their salary, but also providing benefits, too. If cost is your primary concern, an employee is definitely the more expensive option because of the overhead they come with. And that’s just the beginning. You’ll also need to account for advertising spend, tools and technology, and other expenses to actually market your business.

 

Marketing consulting is the more affordable option. A qualified consultant will charge you anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 per month, depending on your location and level of service.

 

Skills and Experience

 

If you run a growing business, you need a marketing manager who can do it all. But hiring someone with graphic design, social media, public speaking, video, and content writing skills is very difficult. Even if you find a candidate with these skills, you’ll need to pay them a generous salary for their expertise.

 

A marketing consultant is the better option if you want a variety of skill sets.

 

If you need unique skill sets for your marketing campaigns, go with a marketing consultant instead of hiring several in-house employees. They already have the skills, processes, and software tools to get results in less time.

 

Time

 

How much time do you have? Managing an internal team will cost you more time and cause more headaches.

 

It takes hours of training to get a new employee up to speed. As the business owner, you’re also responsible for managing, disciplining, and promoting this employee, and that takes a lot of time and resources too.

 

If you only hire one marketer for the entire organization, even an experienced manager will take hours to complete a task that an consultant can do much more quickly.

 

Marketing consulting firms give you more of your time back. If you want a hands-off approach to marketing where the experts handle the hard work and you reap the benefits, a marketing consultant is the better choice. Plus, even if a team member leaves, the consultant has the resources and personnel to quickly fill their shoes and avoid any potential roadblocks.

 

Contracts

 

When an employee isn’t performing, you could put them on a performance improvement plan (PIP) or, ultimately, let them go. This gives you some control over the future of your business, as well as your budget.

 

It’s important to select a marketing consultant that you can trust will deliver results.

 

You can usually negotiate a trial period before agreeing to a long-term contract so you know you’re making a wise decision.

 

The Bottom Line

 

Marketing consulting and internal marketing teams both have their pros and cons. It’s up to you to choose the best option for your business. If it’s time for your brand to hand off marketing to the experts, I am here to help!