Is a Marketing Freelancer Right For Your Business?
Businesses today operate in a tough environment. When it comes to generating leads and sales, some companies are turning to marketing freelancers for help. This way, they can get specialized skills and expertise not available in-house, and forego the cost of hiring a full-time employee. This article lays out when it makes sense for business to work with a marketing freelancer.
Freelancer vs Full-Time Employee
The main difference between freelancers and full-time employees are how much time they spend on work related to your business.
With an in-house marketer you get 100% focus and dedication to your company. They learn the ins and outs of your customers, your industry, your tech stack, and your people. They’re able to navigate internally to get the work done needed to make a business impact.
A freelancer, however, offers part time marketing support or plugs in as-needed. Many types of marketing freelancers exist: specialists, generalists, even fractional VPs and CMOs. Working with freelancers gives you flexibility and a low-risk way to invest in marketing. This can be especially helpful during economic recessions.
Hiring a full-time marketer can be expensive. Employers are required to withhold taxes from paychecks and contribute to Social Security and Medicare. Additionally, W-2 employees are often eligible for benefits, such as health insurance and 401(k) plans, which can be costly for employers.
On the other hand, working with a part time marketing freelancer gives you specialized expertise at a fraction of the cost. No salary. No benefits. No onboarding swag bag. Many times, freelancers and companies do short-term projects to see if there’s a good fit, then enter longer-term engagements. Freelancers can also structure engagements in different ways: retainers, projects, hourly rates, and more. We’ll dig into that later in this post.
How Do You Evaluate a Marketing Freelancer?
The answer to this question depends on your specific marketing needs and experience level of the freelancer. Marketing freelancers usually have years, if not decades of experience under their belt. But just like hiring a new employee or evaluating an agency, there has to be a good fit with your business. Consider the following:
Are they a good fit for your company culture?
Do they have the skills and experience you need?
Can they meet your deadlines?
How do their rates compare to alternatives?
Look for tangible examples, like customer testimonials, case studies, and a portfolio of past work. Another way some companies work with marketing freelancers is to give them a small project to start. This way, you can test the waters before you jump in.
Benefits of Working With a Marketing Freelancer
When you find a good freelancer, working with them can benefit your business. You get access to marketing expertise, you can use your marketing spend more efficiently, and you can reclaim more time for you to focus.
1. Access to Experience and Expertise
Freelancers can inject new energy into your marketing. They also have experience working with different clients, possibly in your industry—perspectives that can be extremely helpful to your marketing campaigns. For instance, I have experience in B2B SaaS, consulting firms, professional services, consumer services, and local businesses.
Marketing freelancers also understand how to use different content marketing frameworks and know when they may be a good fit for your business. This experience and expertise can be especially helpful if you’ve hit a growth plateau.
2. More Efficient Use of Marketing Spend
Hiring a freelance marketer is often much more cost-effective than hiring a full-time marketer. This can be a huge benefit, especially if you're on a tight budget. Here are a few ways marketing freelancers can make your marketing spend more efficient:
Freelancers are nimble, and complete projects quickly.
Freelancers are more affordable than hiring in-house marketing positions.
Freelancers often have deep experience, making their campaigns effective.
3. More Time For You To Focus
At startups and small businesses, owners and operators have their hands full and wear many different hats. A good marketing freelancer will give you back time to focus on other areas of your business. With experience comes the know-how to get things done without distracting clients or involving them too much.
How Much Do Marketing Freelancers Cost?
The cost to work with a marketing freelancer will vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the project, duration of the work, and the freelancer's level of experience. To determine the cost, you can ask for a quote or proposal that outlines the scope of the work and the associated fees. Also, freelancers have different ways of structuring their contracts. Here are a few different ways they work with clients:
Hourly. Some freelancers charge hourly rates anywhere from $50 to $300+, depending on their experience and expertise.
Project-based. This is when a freelancer would scope out a specific project for a client for a fixed fee. Many different factors can impact the cost of a project. Freelancers should be able to estimate their projects appropriately.
Retainer. In this scenario, a freelancer offers a range of possible services to a client, depending on their needs in a given timeframe, for a fixed monthly fee.
Work With a Freelance Marketing Director
For startups and SMBs, it may not make sense to hire a full-time marketing director. Instead, work with a freelance marketing director. Get the marketing expertise you need to grow. At a price you can afford.
