Scaling marketing as a startup: When to hire, when to outsource, and when to wait

For startups there is often a pressure to build a marketing team as soon as they secure funding. There’s a feeling that without a CMO, a content manager, a performance marketer, and a brand strategist, you’re already behind. But the reality is, in the early days, you don’t necessarily need a full team, you need the right support, a clear direction, and a plan to scale when the time is right. Marketing at this stage isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing the right things, at the right time, with the right people.

When you’re wearing multiple hats as a founder, marketing can feel like an overwhelming, never-ending list of things to do. Many startups immediately turn to agencies or freelancers for support, which can be a great move but only if you go in with a clear idea of what you need. The mistake I see too often are around this approach is going to too tactical without necessarily knowing what you need strategically.

Before you hire an agency, let's think more strategically...

Agencies and freelancers are great at execution, but they can’t always define your strategy for you at least, not in a way that’s truly aligned with your business goals. They’ll deliver what you ask for, but if you’re unsure what to execute or why, you risk wasting budget on scattered efforts that don’t drive results.

That’s why, before bringing in an agency, it helps to have a strategic lead in place, someone who can define the marketing priorities, align efforts with business objectives, and ensure that every external partner is working towards measurable success.

This doesn’t mean you need a full-time CMO on payroll from day one. But a fractional CMO, interim CMO, or marketing consultant can provide the strategic foundation and direction you need, helping structure your marketing approach, oversee the campaigns, and ensure your investments are actually delivering commercial impact.

What’s the difference between a fractional CMO, interim CMO, and a marketing consultant?

• Fractional CMO – A highly experienced marketing leader who works part-time on a long-term basis, providing ongoing strategic direction without the full-time salary cost. They help shape your overall marketing approach, ensure alignment with business goals, and oversee execution (even if that execution is outsourced) – worth checking out an article by algocentric titled “Why should I hire a Fractional CMO?” if you are looking at this option.

• Interim CMO – Typically brought in for a fixed period of time, an interim CMO is ideal when you’re in transition, such as post-funding, pre-launch, or before hiring a full-time team. They help put structures in place and prepare your business for long-term marketing success.

• Marketing Consultant – More project-based, a marketing consultant advises on specific areas like positioning, brand messaging, or go-to-market strategy. They don’t work as deeply within your business as a Fractional or Interim CMO but can provide valuable high-level direction.

So how can this help you avoid wasting budget?

If you go straight to an agency without defining your marketing priorities first, it’s easy to end up with generic campaigns that don’t actually move the needle for your business. That’s why having a Fractional CMO or a consultant involved before you bring in an agency is really helpful.

These marketing supporters will help you answer the right questions first, for example:

• What’s the immediate goal? Brand awareness, lead generation, investor credibility? Each one requires a different approach.

• What do you actually need help with? Content? Paid ads? PR? Strategy? Be specific.

• What’s your timeframe? Are you looking for a quick boost before a funding round, or do you need longer-term strategic support?

• How do you measure success? Without clear KPIs, it’s impossible to evaluate whether an agency or contractor is delivering real value.

Bringing in external help without answering these questions first often leads to wasted budget, missed expectations, and frustration. A strategic support ensures that everything is set up for success before you invest in execution.

Marketing needs to grow with you, not overwhelm you

There’s this pressure to do everything, everywhere, all at once, social media, events, SEO, PR, paid ads, brand campaigns. But, for a startup, that approach is impossible to sustain. Instead of feeling like you need to be everywhere, it’s far more effective to focus on the channels that truly move the needle for your business. You don’t need to go viral. You need to reach the right people.

The best way to do that is of course by deeply understanding your audience. Where do they go for information? What problems are they actively trying to solve? What proof do they need to trust you? Once you get that right, marketing feels less like shouting into the void and more like having the right conversations in the right places.

Strategy vs. Agility: The startup balancing act

Here’s the tricky part. Every marketer will tell you to stick to a strategy, and they’re not wrong. A strong strategy is what keeps marketing from becoming a chaotic, reactive mess. But at the same time, startups change fast. What worked six months ago might not work today.

The best approach is to build flexibility into your strategy from the start. Instead of rigid six-month marketing plans, think in shorter sprints. For example, what’s the focus for the next 6–8 weeks? What experiments can you run to test what works? What are you learning from customers that might change your approach?

A startup’s greatest strength is its ability to move fast. Marketing shouldn’t slow you down, it should support where the business is going, not hold it back.

It’s ok if you don’t have to have it all figured out

This is the part I really want founders to hear… it’s okay if you don’t have your marketing fully worked out yet.

Your business is evolving, and your marketing should evolve with it. What matters is having the right foundations in place, knowing when to bring in external support, and making sure you build in a way that allows for growth.

So, if you’re feeling the pressure to hire a full team, launch on every channel, and understand every aspect of marketing at once, take a breath. Start with what matters, build as you go, and remember that your marketing should be working for you, not the other way around.