Last Updated on October 21, 2020

There’s no shortage of ideas, just hours. It’s a common complaint among marketing and business leaders trying to develop and implement an effective marketing campaign. In reality, most small- to medium-sized companies are lucky to have a designated internal marketing department, let alone a full team of marketing professionals to oversee strategy, creative, and implementation. And, despite some employee recruitment ads I’ve seen looking for one individual to be an expert in a half dozen marketing disciplines, it’s rare to find one person who can be successful in everything needed to run and manage an integrated campaign – especially when some strategies require specialized skills and deep knowledge.

So, how do you expand your marketing muscle without hiring? The answer is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

#1 – Take Inventory of Your Team’s Talent and Time

There is a strong correlation between feeling valued at work and self-worth. Employees who are positioned to make meaningful contributions are more likely to be passionate, engaged, and successful than those who are not making positive contributions. But, even the most effective employees can be rendered less effective if they have too much on their plate. To better understand your team and how to maximize strengths and productivity, you need to start with an inventory audit.

• Ask each employee involved in marketing to define their key strengths/skills as it relates to their position.
• Have each team member rank each strength based on the level of value they bring to the company when working in each area.
• Ask your team to outline where they spend the majority of their time each week and identify tasks that routinely fall through the cracks or are done with less detail than they deserve to truly be effective.

#2 – Define Your Marketing Goals

Developing a marketing plan without first defining your business goals is a bit like playing darts with a blindfold. You may occasionally get on the board, but you’ll rarely hit the bullseye. With your goals defined, your team can develop the marketing plan with deliberate strategies and tactics aligned with each goal. (If developing the marketing plan is part of your stumbling block, jump to step three.)

Using your employee inventory, identify where your internal strengths and capacity fit within the plan and where gaps exist. In some cases, the gaps will be consistent month-over-month, and in other cases the gaps may fluctuate based on special, or short-term projects.

Identify where your team adds the greatest value and which tactics or projects could be handled by an outside marketing partner.

#3 – Select Your Marketing Partner

Research marketing agencies that offer an integrated model. That means having experts specializing in all of the major marketing disciplines, working as one cohesive team. The benefit is that an integrated agency will be better equipped to plug into your internal marketing team to fill the gaps identified in step one and two. Plus, with an integrated agency you can feel more confident that that strategies being recommended are truly in your best interest and not just what the agency does best.

Look for an agency that offers a flexible and transparent model in working with businesses. If the gaps you identified ebb and flow, you’ll need a marketing partner designed to roll with you. From strategic counsel, content development, and public relations to digital strategies and media buying, finding one partner who can lend the specific support you need when you need it will result in synergy, consistency, and better time management for your team.

To learn more about how to effectively partner with a marketing agency to support your in-house team, contact Hope Graby for a free consultation.