The perfect digital marketing team can’t be built if you’re not looking for the most talented professionals. Besides, you should reassure them that working for you is the best decision they could make. After they have been brought on board, all you need to do is make sure they are happy working for you. This sounds like an ideal situation, and if things were like this, then all startups out there would have a promising future because the best team would be empowering all their marketing efforts.
Until not too long ago, a company wouldn’t have had any problem with only one or two people handling the marketing tasks in bulk. But today, it seems that no matter how talented a person is, a person alone can’t handle all the efforts and hours that should be invested in getting things done when it comes to marketing. Maybe early, in the startup phase, your company can manage for a short time with only one employee taking care of all the marketing tasks. But with time, things change, and you need more people to work in this direction. This means you need to put together a team, something that doesn’t happen just like that. If you know how to come across talent and attract, then you’re good to go.
Hiring a digital marketing team steps
Being aware of what makes the perfect content strategist could be your strongest point. Below are the steps that you need to follow when trying to hire the best marketing team.
Attract talent
You could start by hunting for candidates, but what you need to focus on is improving your company’s culture and making your workplace more attractive to talent. Don’t just try to take the candidates that have applied to hire them linearly. Think of this process as if you were your own customer. Find those candidates that seem to be doing a good job in your industry. After, solicit those on top of your list, preferably the ones that have held the roles and titles you are looking for. LinkedIn could be used for finding the right people.
Rely on referrals
Your current employees are the ones that can offer the best options for the job, so keep them in mind. As a matter of fact, you could offer a bonus to those who will help you find the winning prospects for the marketing positions you’re trying to fill in.
Don’t hesitate to go on social media
Not only customers can connect on social media. People looking for a job are present on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. Through your social media channels, you can easily connect with talent you’re interested in from all over the world. Not only can these channels help you find talent, but they also open your horizons when it comes to determining if you have managed to come across a good fit for you. Using social media for hiring is more than posting a job on Facebook. It’s also about your company interacting with potential candidates.
Don’t hesitate to check online communities and LinkedIn groups
When coming across top talent matters the most for building your marketing team, it’s important that you go where people are spending most of their time, like in discussion groups, on LinkedIn, and on forums. Look for value in the discussion you come across.
You can also have a look at specialized job boards. If you want some specific skills, look for candidates according to skill sets, especially if you’re planning to work remotely.
Don’t be afraid to pay for targeted ads
You may not reach the category of passive candidates with paid ads but know that many people are on social media. Therefore, you could pay for Facebook ads to have the top talent you are looking for applying for your job.
Don’t be a traditionalist!
Don’t stick to tradition and go for the people you already know. Some of your friends may have incredible creative and marketing talents. It’s ok to hire people in your family and circle of friends if they’re fit for the job.
Look for students
Paid internships and unpaid apprenticeships may be just what you need, especially if you’re after someone ambitious and hungry for being creative.
Think globally
You shouldn’t hold on too tightly to the idea that your employees need to be stuck within your business’s physical walls. Many companies are hiring remotely around the world, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do it too.
Remember you can find talent everywhere
What’s important to have in mind is that the right people for filling your vacancy aren’t usually looking for a job actively. As a matter of fact, they may not even currently do what you’re interested in. This means they could activate in any other domain, so keep your eyes on a talent no matter where you may be going.
Don’t trust experience alone
Whatever talent you are meeting along the way, don’t forget that hiring solely based on experience is a huge mistake. There are many people out there with incredible resumes, but when it comes to what they can do and their interpersonal skills, they’re zero, not to mention difficult when having to mesh with a company’s culture. The most important thing is that you understand there’s no such thing as perfection, so you can’t build a team with good stats and a lot of experience to have it doing things for you flawlessly. For example, if you are looking to give your brand a push, focus on building a team that’s talented at designing, PR, and marketing communications. Note it is talent you should aim for, not experience.
Remember that culture matters more than skill…
It may be tempting to hire those people that have had the best results and vast experience when it comes to achieving success. However, the candidate’s culture matters more. You wouldn’t want to work with someone who’s self-centered, full of themselves, and confrontational, wouldn’t you? Moreover, you surely wouldn’t like to have a person who can’t talk about their ideas in your team either. It doesn’t matter what results they have achieved; the candidates you’re looking at should perfectly blend in with your company’s culture because if the rest of your team isn’t happy with someone, then your results won’t turn into successes either.
…But still focus on results
With that said, you still obviously want to see some results. It’s easier to employ marketers than any other kind of professionals because the process is a lot about numbers. During your interviews with candidates, make sure you are asking these questions:
By how much have they improved sales?
What campaigns brought real results, and what did they do to improve those campaigns?
Was the investment return for some of the campaigns and activities you’re interested in good?
Look for someone who keeps tactics and the strategy in balance
The marketing process is the most fluid because there are no harsh rules. This is why you need a team who is ready for what’s going to happen the next year, maybe one year and a half. You need a team that doesn’t mind developing campaigns while thinking about the future. This is why you need people who can balance tactics and strategy along the way and, at the same time, be able to deploy last minute.
Hire hungry
Many rapid changes happen in the marketing landscape, so if you decide to hire based solely on experience, you can end up with a team that has obsolete skills. Look for those who are hungry for learning, growth, and sharing what they know.
Takeaway
Startups may not have a problem hiring jacks-of-all-trades, but when their business starts to grow, they need to look for the most talented digital marketers out there, especially if they want to keep on building towards success. If you are in the same situation, aim for monetizing skills sets, acquisition, and content. As a matter of fact, look for emails and phone numbers of content strategists in the list provided through the link if this type of professional is what you are looking for.