When a founding team starts looking for their first marketing hire or adviser, they usually have a rough idea of what they need — but not a clear picture. They brainstorm a list of marketing skills, put together a job posting, and hope for the best.
I've seen this play out many times in my 14 years in digital marketing, and the same mistakes keep showing up — at startups and established companies alike. So let me save you some time (and budget) by sharing what I've learned.
Don't apply a B2C playbook to B2B marketing
This one trips up a lot of founders. B2C and B2B are fundamentally different, and what works for one rarely works for the other.
In B2C, buyers often make quick, emotion-driven decisions. In B2B, you're dealing with longer sales cycles — sometimes years — and multiple decision-makers across different departments. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
One of the most common and costly mistakes? Pouring money into Google Ads right out of the gate. In my experience managing paid search campaigns for B2B companies, most conversions from Google Ads came from unqualified leads. Very few turned into actual sales opportunities.
"What works for B2C doesn't automatically translate to B2B — especially when it comes to paid channels."
Instead of chasing a paid search specialist, look for a well-rounded B2B marketer who understands your industry and knows how to optimize the full funnel — from awareness all the way through to closed deals. The best B2B marketers think beyond just "marketing." They understand sales, operations, and the tools that tie everything together.
Who you need depends on your stage — and your budget
Marketing talent comes in many forms: advisers, freelancers, part-timers, agencies. There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but here's a useful framework depending on where you are:
- Early stage: Hire a seasoned marketing adviser with startup experience. You need someone who can both think strategically and roll up their sleeves to execute. Look for someone with a mix of qualitative skills (content marketing, SEO, PR, social, email) and quantitative skills (paid ads, marketing automation, analytics).
- Growth stage: Bring on a full-time generalist who can build your brand organically before layering on paid channels. Don't hire a paid media agency before you have someone in-house to manage the budget and monitor results closely.
- Scale stage: Now you can invest in specialists — demand generation, marketing operations, content, and performance marketing.
The most important thing at the early stage? Get your organic foundation right first. Build your website, blog, social presence, and email list before spending on ads. The better your product and content, the less you'll need to pay to grow your audience.
Know the difference between a specialist and a generalist
Hiring a specialist too early is a mistake I see startups make all the time. An SEO specialist or Google Ads expert is great — but if you don't have the broader marketing infrastructure in place, their work won't have much to land on.
Your first marketing hire needs to wear many hats. They should be able to:
- Set up and manage your marketing tech stack (think HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot)
- Work closely with sales to align on lead definitions and pipeline metrics
- Create content and manage campaigns across multiple channels
- Measure and report on what's actually driving revenue
Once you have a solid generalist in place — and the data to show what's working — then you can start bringing in specialists to go deeper in specific areas.
A Final Word
Finding the right marketing talent for a B2B company isn't just about ticking boxes on a job description. It's about finding someone who understands your business model, your buyers, and how to build something sustainable — not just flashy.
If you're a founder navigating this and want to talk through your options, I'm happy to help. Feel free to reach out or book a session.