Insights

Building a Marketing Team

Hiring, structuring and getting the most out of a small B2B marketing team, plus the question underneath all of it: what to keep in house, and what to hand to a partner.

Frequently asked questions

Asked about this topic, answered straight.

What is the first marketing hire a B2B company should make?

Someone who can decide as well as execute. A first hire who only executes needs direction that does not exist yet, and a first hire who only strategises produces plans nobody runs. The rare useful profile does both, and is worth waiting for.

Should you hire in house or work with an agency?

In house for the things that need to live with your product and your customers, outside for the specialisms you cannot keep busy full time. Most lean B2B teams end up with a small core and a partner for depth, because a paid specialist, a designer and an analyst are three hires and rarely three full jobs.

How do you structure a small B2B marketing team?

Around outcomes rather than channels. Three people who each own a channel will optimise their own number. The same three, pointed at getting known, getting found, and getting specific accounts, will make trade-offs between channels that a channel owner never will.

What should a marketing team be measured on?

Pipeline contribution and the leading indicators that precede it, agreed with sales before the quarter starts. Measuring a small team on volume produces volume, which is how teams end up busy, well reviewed, and not growing the business.

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