Australia has hopefully come through the worst of the Coronavirus situation and now the powers that be are giving the green light to start hiring again. This should be an exciting time!

Businesses know they need to be in the digital space, but aren’t always sure where to start. Are you guilty of writing a job ad that’s a checklist of every applicable digital marketing skill?

Must have experience with Google Analytics, Ad Manager, LinkedIn and eDMs. You must have experience with WordPress and creating engaging content with Illustrator. Filming and video production would be advantages. Must know your way around Salesforce and be able to build an automation journey from scratch…

It’s an extensive and impressive list, but is it realistic to find someone who ticks every box?
So before you start writing down your wish list, we’ve put together some top line considerations to think about.

WHAT’S THE BUSINESS OBJECTIVE?

Are you trying to build a brand presence online, or run an aggressive paid media acquisition strategy? You might want both, but generally speaking, digital marketers will skew one of two ways. Either they’re stronger with data and analytics, or they excel at creative, copy and brand.

So it’s important to establish what the business is trying to achieve and what skills you want your in-house employee to have and what you’re willing to outsource.

Ask yourself questions like;

• Do you have budget for paid media?
• Do you want to drive leads or sales?
• Are you running paid media already but your current cost per acquisition (CPA) or cost-per-click (CPC) are too high? Or is your business better off putting the time and effort towards building a strong brand online through content creation (blogs, eDMs and social posts), which can encourage retention with your current customer.

BUDGET FOR FREELANCERS

Instead of finding someone who’ll be spread thin across all the digital requirements, put aside budget for Freelancers. Freelancers will produce quality work in specialised fields (video or design) so you can focus on a Digital Marketing Manager who’s a cultural fit and can manage the strategic vision.

LOOK TO THE AGENCY SPACE

Generally speaking, if you’re looking for an all-rounder, look to agencies. Often you’ll find people who are experts at managing different relationships, and getting a lot done in a short time. They’re ready to get hands-on with what needs doing, open to up-skilling and excel at putting on multiple hats to achieve different goals.

SHORT COURSES

The great thing about the digital space is that it’s always changing. The bad thing about the digital space is it’s always changing. This means that your hire will have skills that may need to be updated. Allow budget for education and up-skilling. That way you can be prepared for the next Google Algorithm change.

IT’S A TEAM EFFORT

A marketer doesn’t operate in a silo. Some of the best solutions come from other teams that are on the ground with your customer. When you bring your new recruit on put a focus on team building and brainstorming sessions. Not only will this allow your new hire to get a 360 understanding of a business, it also gives other business units insight into how marketing works and how useful it is when communicating who your brand is and what you provide.

If you’re unsure where to begin or what you’re even looking for, reach out to Creative Natives to discuss your business needs and requirements, we’d love to help.