Are you setting up your Marketing Manager to fail? Why Marketing Strategy Comes First

Why strategy needs to come before hiring — and what to do instead

You’ve hired (or are about to hire) a Marketing Manager. You want them to take the reins — to sort the socials, drive leads, improve the website, raise brand awareness… maybe even build the whole plan.

But here’s the problem.

They’ve walked into a business without a clear marketing strategy.No defined audience. No agreed positioning. No measurable goals.

And now, they’re being asked to make it all work.

We see this time and time again — ambitious SMEs hiring smart people, but skipping the step that would actually set them up for success. The result? Frustration on both sides and underwhelming results.

The problem with jumping straight to hiring

Let me tell you a quick story.

My brother-in-law asked me to look over a job spec he’d written for a Marketing Manager for their family-run SME. It said:

We need someone to:

• Create a marketing strategy

• Design all the print materials

• Manage the website, social media and digital marketing

• Run events and in-store promotions

• Oversee the internal communications

• Work with brand managers to make sure all their needs are covered

The salary? £32,000

Now I see versions of this all the time — especially in small businesses trying to scale.

And here’s the problem:

You’re setting that person up to fail.

Not because they’re not capable. But because the business hasn’t done the work upfront to create a clear, focused strategy they can implement against.

Marketing strategy isn't a to-do list - it's a business asset

Marketing strategy should be shaped at board level. It’s not just a list of tasks — it’s a strategic business tool that supports your growth.

Before you worry about delivery, you need to be crystal clear on:

• Who your audience is (and isn’t)

• What makes you different from competitors

• Where the business is going — and how marketing can help get it there

• What your marketing plan needs to do in the next 6–12 months

  
  

This is where many SMEs go wrong.

They jump to hiring someone full-time or throw budget at an agency — but there’s no real plan in place.

Why your Marketing Manager needs a strategy to succeed

Once your marketing strategy is in place, your team can actually deliver. They know:

• The objectives they’re working towards

• The channels that matter

• How to measure success

• What to say, and to whom

  
  

Whether you’ve got a junior marketing assistant, a freelancer, or you’re thinking about hiring in-house, a strong strategy lets them be effective — not just busy.

It’s the same if you’re using agencies. Without a clear direction, you’re buying time and creativity, but not traction.

A much smarter approach for a small business

Back to my brother-in-law.

Instead of rushing to hire, he brought in a consultant to build a focused marketing strategy for his family run SME.

That strategy now sits at the heart of the business — and an existing team member is delivering the marketing plan with far more confidence and clarity.

The result?Marketing is now supporting business growth, not just taking up time.

What's the alternative to a full-time hire?

Not every SME is ready to bring in a full-time marketer. And even if you are, you might still need higher-level support to build the strategy first.

That’s where we come in.

At Your Marketing Department, we work as a flexible partner — delivering outsourced marketing strategy and fractional marketing support tailored to your business.

Whether we’re supporting your internal team or managing delivery for you, we bring clarity, structure and consistency to your marketing.

Need a grown-up marketing plan that actually works?

Let’s talk about what’s right for your business.

Book a call