Why Hire a Factional CMO or Interim Marketing Expert? Top 10 Reasons 2021 is the Perfect Time
By Mary Louise Rubin
Over the course of the last 12 months, countless businesses large and small have pivoted and thrived, while others, faced with too much uncertainty, shuttered their doors. For all of those in-between, it’s safe to say that there are thousands of businesses still working their way through what the next planning cycle needs to accomplish to get back on track and forge the path to a brighter future. But because everyday demands come first, it can be hard to find time for that strategic planning process. That’s where interim talent comes in.
I recently attended an insightful Zoom panel discussion about how companies can maximize the impact of interim talent to help reach their goals. Panel host Jamie Klein, CEO at Inspire Human Resources, set the stage for why now more than ever is the right time for leaders to turn to outside, hand-on expertise: "What Covid-19 did is put the need for the interim talent ‘on steroids’ - organizations and leaders are seeking outside experts more than ever who can parachute in to get work done to solve specific business problems,” she explained.
So, the “gig-economy” trend that started pre-pandemic is not only here to stay but has become a very effective approach to helping your company grow. Why turn to outside marketing experts to uncover solutions and define a path forward? Here are the top 10 reasons we believe it’s a decision worth considering today:
1. Cost efficiency. An outside expert CMO allows you to bring talent and leadership to your team without long-term commitment. You decide how much resource you need. High impact, low risk is more important than ever.
2. Time savings. No time-consuming search for the right permanent hire. Trusted experts with broad-based experience are ready to augment your team.
3. Augmentation of your existing team. Whether it’s filling a short-term gap or adding resources to a lean team during a product launch or peak season, flexible marketing experts become part of the team.
4. New ideas to reach you customers. Your marketing plan is consistent and mostly effective, but fresh thinking and new ideas will deliver new results.
5. Trust. With years of experience in diverse categories and industries, an interim CMO comes with a track record of thoughtful leadership and strategic impact.
6. Innovation is essential. Whether it is new products that attract more customers, new services that differentiate from the competition or a new internal approach that keeps employees engaged, innovation is key to generating value and growth. An outside expert can bring “disruptive” ideas to the table and creative strategies that will define new pathways to profitable results.
7. Review, revise and reaffirm the fundamentals. You haven’t had the time to consider updating your vision, mission and strategy since your company was in its nascent stage. Bringing in the right expert to get back to the fundamentals will define the next stage.
8. It’s time to focus on marketing. Your company may not be big enough yet for a full-time marketing role, but you know more focus is needed to build an effective marketing strategy and plan that will generate growth.
9. Long term planning matters. Your marketing team is small, agile and executes tactics well, but has no time to focus on long-term strategy and planning.
10. Your brand is your most valuable entity. Things change. Make sure your brand makes the statement you want. Whether it’s a logo re-design or a website re-fresh, your brand needs to say what matter most about your company and say is consistently.
What lies ahead are new opportunities and ways of doing business that will create short-term wins and long-term growth. Considering finding the right interim marketing talent to take you to new places in 2021.