What Your Marketing Team Should Look Like by Business Size

Building an effective marketing team is crucial for business success, but what is the correct structure of that team based on the size of a business? From micro businesses with just a couple of employees to enterprises with hundreds and thousands, the approach to building a marketing team must be tailored to the specific needs and resources of an organisation. We will explore what your marketing team should look like based on the size of your business, focusing on who should be hired internally and what roles should be outsourced. We’ll also uncover when to use consultants or agencies across various facets of marketing, including strategy, activation, web, digital, PR, copywriting, social media, and video production.

Micro Business (1-2 Employees)

Internal Hires

A micro business is a small-scale enterprise typically characterised by having a very small number of employees, usually between 1 and 2. These businesses often have limited resources and operate with a small budget. Micro businesses are usually owner-operated, with the owner involved in most aspects of the business’s operations. They often focus on local or niche markets and may offer highly specialised products or services. Examples of micro businesses include sole proprietorships, home-based businesses, and small online stores.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing for a micro business is also an unlikely route for a founder to take due to the minimal budget at their disposal. They shouldn’t require any outsourced marketing help as they wouldn’t have any major campaigns in the works. However, if this microbusiness relies heavily on a solid digital presence or eCommerce for sales, it may consider outsourcing its website build to a wed developer.  

Web Developer: Engaging in a freelance web developer or a small agency to create and maintain your website is a worthwhile option. A founder may be able to do this in house using a basic website platform like Wix or Weebly, but there will be a limit to the quality, knowhow and execution. With a web developer you’re guaranteed a professional who will produce an asset that will be a fundamental part of your sales and marketing channel for years to come.

Marketing/Business Strategist: Although unlikely, a founder may consider the advice and direction of a marketing/business strategist who can use their experience to guide their micro  business in the right direction whilst providing insight on their current marketing and business practices.

Small Business (2 to 10 Employees)

Internal Hires

Small businesses, typically with 2 to 10 employees, have evolved from their micro business phase where they now need to build a more substantial marketing foundation. A small business will still have limited resources, compared to larger companies, which means they must prioritise only the most important marketing roles for any internal hiring. It’s also possible that, depending on the business and its offering, a founder/owner may decide not to internally hire any marketing professionals but rather outsource.

Here are two potential internal hires that a small business owner could consider on either a part-time or full-time basis:

Marketing Coordinator: A part-time role that is responsible for the overall marketing strategy direction, planning, implementation and coordination. A marketing coordinator allows an owner/director to focus more on the day to day running of the business and being part-time, has a less significant impact from a cost perspective.

Marketing Assistant: A more cost-effective alternative to that of a marketing coordinator, a marketing assistant can work for an owner/founder on all marketing related tasks that meet the goals of the overall strategy. Tasks would include creating engaging content for blogs, social media, and other channels whilst also helping with all marketing collateral and promotional activities.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing can a worthwhile route for small businesses to access specialised skills without expanding their internal team beyond their financial means.

Marketing Coordinator: A part-time/casual fractional marketing coordinator would be an excellent alternative to an internal hire thanks to their flexibility. A key thing to remember with a fractional marketing coordinator is that they would have proven experience with a wide array of businesses from various sectors versus a part-time hire who may only have experience with one or two organisations.

Web Development: All web development activities should be outsourced for a small business, even if the business is strongly focused on eCommerce. An outsourced web developer will build your web presence from the ground up and be available on a casual basis to monitor and maintain the integrity of the website.

SEO and PPC: Outsourced SEO and PPC professionals can assist with driving your online awareness and engagement campaigns resulting in increased web traffic and conversions. SEO and PPC initiatives can be implemented in an incremental way, making it a cost-effective exercise for small businesses to outsource.

Marketing Consultants:

Some small businesses may be at the stage where they can benefit from strategy consultants for future marketing activities that will grow their business to the next level. One consultant in particular that would benefit a small business is a Digital Strategist who are versatile and future-focused: planning digital campaigns that draw customers to your brand.

Medium Business (10 to 50 Employees)

Internal Hires

Medium-sized businesses are at an exciting growth stage where they can consider building a structured marketing team. With increased resources compared to smaller businesses, medium-sized businesses can begin to invest in internal hires for key marketing roles while still leveraging outsourcing and consultants for specialist needs. Here's a detailed look at how a medium-sized business can structure its marketing team and the strategic use of outsourcing, consultants, and agencies.

Marketing Manager: The Marketing Manager is a pivotal role in a medium-sized business, responsible for steering the overall marketing strategy and ensuring that all marketing activities align with the business’s objectives. Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Planning

• Campaign Strategy: Develop and implement marketing campaigns that align with business goals.
• Market Research: Conduct research to understand market trends and customer needs.

Execution and Management

• Content Creation: Oversee the creation of marketing materials, including digital content, advertisements, and promotional items.
• Channel Management: Manage marketing channels such as social media, email, and SEO.

Team Leadership

• Team Coordination: Lead and coordinate a team of marketing professionals, ensuring timely and effective execution of campaigns.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with other departments, such as sales and product development, to align marketing efforts.

Performance Monitoring

• Analytics and Reporting: Monitor and analyse campaign performance, adjusting strategies as needed to optimise results.
• Budget Management: Manage the marketing budget to ensure cost-effective spending.

Customer Focus

• Customer Engagement: Develop strategies to engage and retain customers, enhancing their overall experience with the brand.

The Marketing Manager ensures the successful execution of marketing strategies, driving brand awareness and customer acquisition.

Marketing Assistant: An entry-level role that provides vital support to the marketing manager by handling a range of administrative and operational tasks. This position involves assisting with the execution of marketing campaigns, conducting market research, and managing day-to-day activities that keep the marketing team running smoothly. Key responsibilities include coordinating marketing materials, maintaining marketing databases, and assisting with social media management.

Content Manager: For a medium sized business that is nearing the 50-employee mark, a Content Manager may be a role with which a business decides to onboard on a part or full-time basis. This individual is responsible for overseeing the creation, distribution, and management of content across various platforms. The role of the Content Manager is essential for building brand awareness, engaging the target audience, and driving organic traffic through high-quality content, important for that leap into becoming a large business.

Outsourcing

As a medium sized business varies between 10-50 employees, there is scope for outsourcing for various marketing specialisations depending on the lifecycle stage of the business.

Digital Marketing Specialist: The Digital Marketing Specialist can help drive a medium sized business’s online presence and digital engagement. This role focuses on leveraging digital channels to generate leads, increase brand awareness, and drive conversions. Fortunately, this is not a full-time role and can be effective on a casual basis for this sized business.

Graphic Designer: The Graphic Designer plays a crucial role in creating visual content that supports the business’s marketing strategy with all collateral channels. This individual is responsible for producing high-quality graphics that enhance brand identity, engage the audience, and drive marketing campaigns. The digital marketing manager, content manager and digital marketing specialist will lean on a graphic designer for all of their visual needs, so its beneficial to locate an individual that can work interchangeably with various people on a casual basis.

Social Media Manager (SMM): This role is dependent on the business and how important their social channels are for awareness and engagement. A business that has an insignificant social media strategy doesn’t require a SMM whereas a business that’s wanting to grow its social channels would benefit from a part-time SMM. This role requires an individual to juggle both the social media strategy and engagement, whilst also focusing on some media outreach and communications tasks.

Web Development: A medium sized business should already have a website in play, but it may need some improvements to cater to its growth, especially if the business is focused on eCommerce or has a heavy digital presence. Having an outsourced web developer to monitor and maintain the integrity of the website will be frequent requirement but not enough to warrant a full-time person.

SEO and PPC: Outsourced agencies or freelancers can assist with ongoing SEO and PPC campaigns to drive traffic and conversions. SEO and PPC initiatives can be time heavy and costly exercises if done in-house for small businesses which is why it is recommended to outsource these activities and keep them to strict budgets.

Large Business (50 to 200 Employees)

Internal Hires

Large-sized businesses are at an established stage where they can build comprehensive in-house marketing teams with more focused roles. With increased resources compared to medium businesses, large businesses can create a solid marketing team while still leveraging outsourcing for short term campaigns and strategies.

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): A Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in a large business plays a critical role in shaping the company's overall marketing strategy and driving its execution. Here are key responsibilities and functions of a CMO in a large organisation:

Strategic Leadership

• Vision and Strategy: Develop and articulate a clear vision for the marketing department, aligned with the company's overall business goals.
• Brand Management: Ensure the company's brand identity is strong, consistent, and effectively communicated across all channels.
• Market Research and Analysis: Oversee market research to understand customer needs, market trends, and competitive landscape to inform strategic decisions.

Marketing Execution

• Campaign Development: Lead the creation of integrated marketing campaigns that span multiple channels, including digital, traditional media, and experiential marketing.
• Product Marketing: Collaborate with product development teams to ensure successful product launches and ongoing product promotions.
• Digital Marketing: Oversee digital marketing strategies, including SEO, PPC, social media, email marketing, and content marketing.

Team Management

• Leadership and Mentorship: Build and lead a high-performing marketing team, providing guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with other departments, such as sales, product, and customer service, to ensure marketing efforts are aligned with overall business objectives.
• Performance Management: Set performance metrics for the marketing team and monitor progress against goals, making adjustments as necessary.

Budget and Resource Allocation

• Budget Management: Develop and manage the marketing budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to maximise ROI.
• Vendor Management: Oversee relationships with external agencies, vendors, and partners to ensure quality and consistency in marketing efforts.

Customer and Market Focus

• Customer Experience: Champion a customer-centric approach, ensuring that all marketing initiatives enhance the customer experience.
• Brand Loyalty and Retention: Develop strategies to build brand loyalty and retain customers, including loyalty programs and customer engagement initiatives.

Innovation and Adaptation

• Innovation: Stay abreast of the latest marketing trends, technologies, and best practices, integrating them into the company's marketing strategy.
• Adaptability: Quickly adapt marketing strategies in response to changing market conditions or new opportunities.

Reporting and Analytics

• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilise data analytics to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and initiatives, making data-driven decisions to optimise performance.
• Reporting: Provide regular reports to the executive team and board of directors on marketing performance, strategic initiatives, and future plans.

In a large business, the CMO's role is dynamic and multifaceted, requiring a blend of creative thinking, strategic planning, and operational excellence to drive the company's growth and success through effective marketing initiatives. It’s worth noting that a CMO doesn’t have to be a full-time position but can be fractional allowing for a business to acquire the expertise for this role on a freelance or part-time basis.

Marketing Manager: Working under the CMO, this role will be responsible for steering the overall marketing strategy that has been set by the CMO and ensuring that all marketing activities align with the business’s objectives. The marketing team looks to this individual for direction so it’s important they have a good leadership skill and can delegate tasks effectively.

Content Lead: This individual should ensure that all brand awareness, engagement, and the building of organic traffic is being achieved through high-quality content. They should oversee the creation, distribution, and management of content across various platforms too. This position is essential for building brand awareness and engaging the target audience through high-quality content which is a focus for a large business to remain competitive in its space.

Digital Marketing Lead: This role will focus on leveraging digital channels to generate leads, increase brand awareness, and drive conversions. They should also encompass skills like SEO, PPC and email marketing. This role will work in tandem with the content lead and to create excellent digital marketing collateral, further building the businesses brand and image.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing remains useful for scaling operations and accessing niche expertise.

Graphic Design Lead: This will be very industry specific but there will likely be a need for part time/freelance designers for all visual content within your digital, print and brand marketing

Social Media Lead: Some large businesses may decide to include social media within the Digital Marketing Team, but if your business uses social media as a secondary channel then a outsourced role may be required to keep platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn fresh and active.

If your large business is undertaking a new marketing and promotional campaign where extra talent is needed, outsourcing to a marketing recruitment agency would be an excellent option due to the flexibility and level of skills on offer.

Enterprise (200 to 2000 Employees)

Internal Hires

Enterprises are large entities that require big, specialised marketing departments with roles for every aspect of marketing. The marketing team may number into double digits meaning various skilled position will need to be filled and monitored. 

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): The CMO of an enterprise is a key position that oversees the entire marketing function. As mentioned a CMO is responsible for:

• Campaign Strategy: Develop and implement marketing campaigns aligned with business goals.
• Team Coordination: Lead and coordinate the marketing team for effective campaign execution.
• Channel Management: Oversee marketing channels like social media, email, and SEO.
• Performance Monitoring: Analyse campaign performance and manage the marketing budget.
•  Customer Engagement: Create strategies to engage and retain customers.

Marketing Manager: The marketing manager is responsible for overseeing the overall marketing strategy and reports to the CMO. The Marketing Manager can also assist with developing and implementing marketing strategies. This position requires a combination of strategic thinking, leadership skills, and a deep understanding of marketing principles with business goals in mind.

Marketing Department: An enterprises marketing department will be thriving with various creatives and marketing professionals that include:

• Content Team: All content strategists, writers, and editors. The team will likely have a Content Manager who ensures that all brand awareness, engagement, and building organic traffic is being achieved through high-quality content.
• Digital Marketing Team: A strong focus on leveraging digital channels to generate leads, increase brand awareness, and drive conversions. This team will encompass specialist SEO, PPC and EDM experienced individuals.
• Graphic Design Lead: It’s highly likely an enterprise will be creating various pieces of digital and print marketing collateral items where large amounts of graphic design work will be necessary.   
• Social Media Lead: An enterprise may require a heavy social media presence which will require a Social Media Lead who will be responsible for all Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube channels. They’ll primarily manage all social media, with strategy and direction coming from the marketing manager.

Outsourcing

Outsourcing at the enterprise level is often for strategic partnerships and large-scale projects where additional help is needed on a short-term basis.

If your enterprise business is undertaking a major campaign where extra talent is needed, outsourcing to a marketing recruitment agency is a great way to include flexible, highly skilled marketers.

The structure of your marketing team should evolve with the growth of your business. From the versatile generalist in a micro business to specialised departments in an enterprise, each stage requires a tailored approach to balance internal hires, outsourcing, and the use of consultants and agencies. By understanding the unique needs of your business size and leveraging the right mix of resources, you can build a marketing team that drives growth, enhances brand visibility, and achieves your business goals.