If you’re a business owner juggling sales, operations, and customer service, your marketing can easily fall to the bottom of the list. It is a hard thing to prioritize when you don’t know where to start and you have a million other things to do. But consistent, strategic marketing is essential if you want to grow your business.
Hiring a freelance marketing manager can give you the marketing support you need — without the cost of hiring a full-time employee. It can be a smart choice if you know you need to get in front of the right audiences but are struggling to find the time or motivation to figure it all out.
Working with a freelance marketing manager is such a smart move and might be the right choice for your business, but how do you know if they can help? ,
What Is a Freelance Marketing Manager?
A freelance marketing manager is an experienced marketer who works with businesses on a contract or project basis. They provide outsourced marketing support to plan, manage, and execute your marketing activity, often acting like a member of your team. They can usually help with all areas of marketing, but you can work with them to figure out what you actually need, get their advice, and build a strategy that fits your company.
Unlike a full-time employee, a freelance marketing manager gives you flexibility: you can hire them for a set number of hours each month, for a specific campaign, or on a retainer basis. This makes them a cost-effective solution for startups, small businesses, and growing companies that need expert-level marketing strategy but don’t have the budget for an in-house hire.
The Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Marketing Manager
1. Cost-Effective Marketing Solution
Hiring a full-time marketing manager means paying salary, benefits, office space, and ongoing training. With a freelance marketing manager, you only pay for the hours or projects you need. This allows you to get expert-level work at a fraction of the cost.
2. Specialized Expertise
Freelance marketing managers often have broad experience across multiple industries and channels. They can bring in-depth knowledge of SEO, social media management, email campaigns, website maintenance, and paid advertising — without you needing to hire multiple employees.
3. Flexible and Scalable Support
Because they work on a freelance basis, they can scale their involvement up or down depending on your goals and budget. If you’re running a big campaign, they can dedicate more hours. In quieter periods, you can scale back to essential maintenance like content updates and email campaigns.
What Marketing Services Can You Outsource?
Honestly, you can outsource whatever makes sense for you and fits your budget. Maybe you already have a strategy and just need help with day-to-day implementation and ongoing optimization. Or maybe you’re starting from scratch and need advice and a plan. Either way, you can work with a freelancer to put together a package that’s tailored to your needs, goals, and budget.
Here’s what a freelance marketing manager can take off your plate:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): They’ll audit your website, identify keywords, optimize on-page content, and create a strategy to help you rank higher in search results.
Email Campaigns: From welcome sequences to monthly newsletters, they can design and send campaigns that nurture leads and drive sales. - Social Media Management: They’ll plan content calendars, write posts, schedule them, and track engagement to grow your presence on platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
- Website Maintenance & Landing Pages: Keeping your website updated is crucial for user experience and SEO. A freelance marketing manager can handle updates, troubleshoot issues, and build high-converting landing pages for campaigns.
- Paid Campaigns (PPC & Paid Social): They can manage Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other paid channels, ensuring your budget is spent efficiently to deliver measurable results
- Event Management: From planning and promotion to coordinating the day-of details, they can handle everything needed to ensure your events run smoothly and attract the right audience.
Each of these areas contributes to building a consistent marketing presence and generating qualified leads (without the stress of trying to do it all yourself.)
Signs You Need Freelance Marketing Support
Wondering if now’s the time to get help? Here are some common signs:
- Your website traffic is flat or even dropping… or worse, your site hasn’t been updated since the day you launched it.
- You rarely post on social media or send email campaigns but when you do you never quite know what to say.
- You’re not sure which of your marketing efforts are actually working, or even where to start with tracking them.
- You don’t have time to plan or execute campaigns but when you do you struggle with the know how.
If any of these sound familiar, hiring freelance marketing support could be exactly what you need to regain momentum.
How to Choose the Right Freelance Marketing Manager
Finding the right person is key to getting results. Here’s what to look for:
- Experience & Track Record: Ask for case studies or examples of previous campaigns, or testimonials from other businesses.
- Strategic Approach: They should be able to create a plan that aligns with your business goals.
- Clear Communication: Look for someone who provides regular updates and reports.
- Channel Expertise: Make sure they can cover the areas most important to your business (e.g., SEO, social media, email marketing).
For me, the key is finding someone who’s not only creative and able to think outside the box, but who also aligns with what you are trying to achieve. The soft skills matter just as much as the creative ones. For example, attention to detail, clear communication, hard working and solid time management can make all the difference when you’re working with a marketing freelancer. You want someone who can bring fresh ideas while staying organized and reliable, so you can trust them to deliver and feel confident they’re are passionate about achieving your goals.
Where to Find a Freelance Marketing Manager
Knowing where to start your search, and having confidence to find someone who is the right fit is where it gets hard.
If you’re ready to start, here are some of the best places to find qualified freelancers:
- Freelance Marketplaces: Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour let you post projects and review freelancer profiles. Just be cautious as quality can vary and some of the best freelancers avoid these platforms.
- LinkedIn: A great place to search for marketing professionals, check recommendations, and see examples of their work.
- Industry Groups & Communities: Facebook groups, Slack communities, and local business networks often have trusted recommendations.
- Referrals: Ask peers or partners in your industry if they’ve worked with a great freelance marketing manager. Personal recommendations are often the most reliable.
There’s no single “right” way to find freelance marketing support. It depends on what works best for you. If this is your first time hiring a freelancer, you may feel more confident starting with trusted recommendations. On the other hand, freelance marketplaces can offer flexibility and a wide pool of talent to choose from.
What matters most is finding someone who’s the right fit for your business and has the skills to take your marketing to the next level.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a freelance marketing manager gives you access to expert marketing support, without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. Whether you need SEO, email campaigns, social media management, website maintenance, landing pages, or paid campaigns, outsourcing your marketing can help you grow faster and focus on what you do best.
Ready to take the next step? Reach out to discuss how I can help grow your marketing activity.
