When businesses need marketing expertise, for many, their first instinct is often to seek out top marketing agencies. However, many report that the time it takes to research these agencies puts them behind their project schedule. There’s a more flexible, cost-effective solution that many companies overlook.
Hiring an interim marketing professional is often a better alternative to working with a marketing agency. This alternate approach can provide the strategic guidance and hands-on execution your business needs while offering unique advantages over traditional marketing agency partnerships.
Here are some key differences between working with a marketing agency and an interim professional, when you should consider an interim marketer, and how to find interim talent.
Why an Interim Marketing Professional Can be a Better Option Than a Marketing Agency
Working with a marketing agency is a tried-and-true approach to achieving specific business goals. Similarly, an interim marketing professional can many times provide the same or better support and guidance that an agency does, but with some added benefits.
The benefits of hiring an interim marketing professional instead of a marketing agency can include:
- Direct Integration: Unlike agency teams, interim professionals become part of your organization, providing a deeper understanding of your business from the inside out. This leads to much better work product and outcomes.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Pay for one experienced professional rather than supporting an agency’s overhead costs and extraneous billing for meetings and emails.
- Focused Attention: Get dedicated expertise without competing with other agency clients. 100% focus on your project.
- Flexible Commitment: Scale the role up or down based on your evolving needs. You can increase or decrease hours and eliminate the position when the project is completed without the morale hit of losing an employee and the extra cost of hiring an agency.
- Knowledge Transfer: Build internal capabilities as your interim professional shares expertise with your team.
If your organization has a strong need or desire for one or more of the above benefits, it may be wise to consider an interim marketer before proceeding with an agency. The added advantages you receive can make your investment go further and also help your business achieve its goals.
When Is an Interim Professional the Right Choice?
While it’s typically a wise choice to work with an interim marketer when you need marketing support, you should still consider your specific situation before proceeding. Some scenarios make an interim partnership even more beneficial than others.
An interim marketing professional can be particularly valuable:
- During leadership transitions or sudden departures
- When launching new products or entering new markets
- While building or restructuring your marketing department
- For specific project implementations like a re-brand initiative or set up of a new technology
- When testing new marketing strategies before making permanent hires and/or strategy changes
When facing any of the situations above, an interim marketer’s effectiveness is significantly higher than a marketing agency. While an agency would still provide support in these situations, an interim marketing professional would be more directly involved in addressing the specific needs for your business.
Finding the Right Interim Marketing Professionals
While you can source interim talent through various channels, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of your options.
Through job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed, you reach a large audience of prospects, but you’re responsible for sifting through resumes and identifying top candidates. With an internal listing, on your website for example, you’re likely to receive fewer resumes, but from candidates that may not be qualified. Partnering with an experienced search firm can eliminate quality and time challenges.
Working with a search firm provides:
- Vetted Candidates: Access to pre-screened professionals with verified expertise
- Perfect Match: Detailed understanding of your needs ensures the right fit
- Quick Deployment: Faster placement through existing talent networks mean they are ready to make an impact immediately
- Risk Reduction: Backing of a professional firm with deep industry knowledge reduces the chances of a bad hire
- Company Best Interest: An interim marketer passes key information on to your existing team so you require fewer external resources going forward. It’s also better for morale than having to bring on and then cut loose an internal resource.
If your company doesn’t have time to sort through dozens of resumes or you have concerns about making a bad hire, a search firm can help. At Landrum Talent Solutions, we take this time-consuming task off your plate, so you can focus on your business, while we find the perfect marketer you need.
Not Sure What You Need or Where to Start?
Choosing to utilize an interim marketer can be a daunting task and leave you wondering what level of support you need and where to start. There are plenty of options when it comes to the level of marketing role you add and where to source them from, so you want to ensure you make the right choice. Once again, a search firm can provide the resources and answers to guide you.
A specialized search firm can:
- Assess your current marketing capabilities
- Identify gaps and opportunities
- Recommend the appropriate level of interim professional
- Guide you through the entire process
No matter what situation you’re facing, our team can help you. We take the time to listen and understand your unique needs, so we can find the interim marketing professionals that best align with your organization.
Ready to Find the Interim Marketer That Perfectly Matches Your Business Needs?
Instead of immediately pursuing agency partnerships, consider how an interim marketing professional could provide the expertise and leadership you need. Landrum Talent Solutions specializes in connecting businesses with experienced interim marketing professionals who can deliver immediate impact.
Whether you need a Chief Marketing Officer, a branding expert, a marketing automation guru, or any role in between, we specialize in matching businesses with the right interim marketing professionals.
Our process includes:
- Comprehensive Consultation: We meet with you to understand your specific challenges and goals
- Role Definition: We help determine the optimal level of expertise needed
- Candidate Selection: We leverage our network to find professionals with relevant experience
- Seamless Integration: We manage the entire process from onboarding to offboarding, including regular check-ins to ensure success
Contact us today to discuss your marketing needs and discover how an interim professional could be the solution you’re looking for. Our team will guide you through the process and help you find the perfect match for your business.
