Building a Marketing Department: Who to Hire First?

Growing a business requires a strong marketing function, but one of the biggest challenges companies face is knowing how to build their marketing team. Should they start with a social media manager? A digital ads specialist? Or a junior marketing generalist? While these roles are important, hiring the right marketing leader first sets the foundation for long-term success. However, for start-ups, small businesses, or middle market businesses who aren’t financially ready to hire a full-time marketing leader, considering a fractional marketing leader, such as a fractional CMO, is the perfect solution.

Why Start with a Fractional Marketing Leader or Fractional CMO?

1. Strategic Vision Before Execution

Many companies make the mistake of hiring tactical roles before having a strategic roadmap in place. A fractional CMO provides the expertise to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy aligned with the company’s business goals. Without this direction, businesses risk investing in disjointed marketing efforts that don’t drive real results.

2. Experience in Team Structuring

A seasoned marketing leader understands how to build a marketing team based on the company’s:

• Goals – Whether the focus is brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention, or all of the above.

• Industry – Different industries require different marketing approaches. A healthcare company, for example, needs a vastly different marketing structure than a SaaS business.

• Budget – The right leader will help allocate the marketing budget effectively, ensuring the best return on investment.

• Existing Team Skill Sets – If there are already marketing team members in place, a fractional leader can assess their strengths and identify gaps that need to be filled.

3. Cost-Effective Leadership

Many growing companies hesitate to hire a full-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) due to budget constraints. A fractional marketing leader offers executive-level expertise without the full-time salary commitment. This allows companies to get the strategic oversight they need without overextending their budget.

4. Avoiding Costly Hiring Mistakes

Without a clear marketing strategy, companies often hire the wrong roles at the wrong time. For example, hiring a social media specialist before defining a brand’s messaging and content strategy can lead to inconsistent messaging. A fractional CMO will ensure the right hires are made in the right order, reducing turnover and inefficiencies.

5. Faster Ramp-Up Time

An experienced marketing leader has worked across multiple industries and understands best practices. They can quickly assess what’s needed, implement strategies, and start seeing results faster than a junior hire who is still learning the ropes.

6. Ability to Implement Scalable Systems

A marketing leader brings knowledge of the best tools, automation systems, and processes to ensure marketing efforts scale effectively as the business grows. They set the foundation for sustainable marketing growth rather than short-term, one-off campaigns.

What Comes After Hiring a Fractional CMO?

Once a fractional leader has developed the marketing strategy, they will help identify and hire the right specialists in the right order. Some of the next key hires may include:

• Content Marketer or Copywriter – To develop messaging, social posts, blogs, email campaigns, website content, and press releases.

• Design & Branding Specialist / Graphic Designer – To create visually compelling assets for marketing campaigns.

• Demand Generation Specialists – To oversee paid media, SEO, and lead generation efforts.

• Marketing Analyst – To set up tracking and conduct marketing analysis of current marketing campaigns.

By structuring the team in a strategic way, businesses maximize their marketing investments and build a team that drives real, measurable growth.

Final Thoughts

Building a marketing department isn’t just about hiring people to “do marketing.” It’s about creating a strategic, scalable function that supports business growth. The best way to ensure success from the start is by hiring a fractional marketing leader first. Their expertise in strategy, budgeting, team-building, and execution will set the foundation for a marketing team that delivers long-term success.

If your company is looking to build or optimize its marketing team, consider bringing in a fractional CMO to guide the process. It’s the smartest investment you can make to ensure your marketing efforts drive real business impact.

Contact us today to discuss your business goals. We provide fractional marketing services including marketing advisory, marketing strategy and planning, marketing team and project management, and marketing analysis.