Freelancers in the World of Marketing
Every company needs marketing. Regardless of industry, market sector, or size, products or services of any type simply don’t sell themselves — despite what some firms will have you believe! That type of claim, right there? That’s a marketing technique. Many companies try and emulate their competitors or hire expensive in-house marketing teams to stand out from the crowd. But there is another way — and it could be becoming the norm. Freelance marketing is more popular than ever, and with good reason.
Compelling Marketing Stats for 2022
Marketing is a fast-evolving aspect of business, especially now that most companies are embracing existing and emerging technologies. 70% of all firms now have a digital transformation strategy in place or are actively working toward one. That means they need marketers with experience navigating the digital landscape to ensure they’re not left behind as their competitors soar the data highways. According to content marketing platform HubSpot:
Consumers now have access to at least 10 internet-connected devices in their households.
Around half of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices — a stat that has remained consistent since 2017.
Facebook is more popular with marketers than ever and the No. 1 content distribution platform choice.
Over 98% of Facebook users access the platform via the mobile app, meaning you need content that’s not only accessible but beautiful and effective on mobile devices.
97% of Pinterest “top searches” don’t relate to any brand or organization.
46% of marketers have found success with the recently popular “short video” format.
Yet only 31% of marketers invest time and money in the format worldwide.
43% of marketers state that producing quality video content reduces the number of support calls their organization receives.
Savvy marketers need to be on top of these types of stats, reviewing what’s working and what’s not, but also daring to take risks and jump ahead of the curve to try something new. Freelance marketers often have the nerve and the know-how to fill the gap left by jaded in-house marketing teams who haven’t got the time to stay abreast of every new development.
Why Hire a Freelance Marketer?
So, it’s clear that there are multiple complexities to modern marketing. What’s the problem with having an in-house team dedicated to figuring it all out, day by day? Well, apart from the fact that it’s very expensive to pay a permanent, salaried team to be learning new skills every day, your on-site marketing experts are blinkered by their own experience of your firm. Unless you have some of the most experienced marketers in the industry, they will often have a narrow field of knowledge and may only apply that in terms of what’s already been agreed in the boardroom.
Enter the freelance marketer. A free agent isn’t influenced by office politics, bias, or previous issues or disruptions that could weigh heavily on company morale. They are focused, driven, and paid to do a very specific job: create effective marketing strategies that encourage business growth. Freelance marketers bring the following benefits:
Skills that match specific or niche needs of the business
Flexible contracts for effective budgeting
The ability to have someone on-site or remote, as needed
Extra support on short-term, high-risk projects
Support if you’ve had to let someone go or if someone has retired or left
Extensive experience and proven results
If you want to take your business to the next level, you may want to consider a freelance marketing executive: a fractional chief marketing officer, or CMO. This type of freelancer becomes a member of your C-suite for as long as you need them, guiding your overall marketing strategy and helping businesses get the right investment or even acquisitions. Tech startups, in particular, benefit from expert freelance CMOs who can help them through to the Series-B funding stage and beyond.
Final Word
According to Statista, in 2020, 38% of companies utilized a mix of in-house and outsourced marketing efforts. The story of 2021 was the “Great Resignation," but in reality, much of the talent leaving businesses went on to become sought-after freelancers, including those providing a range of marketing services to other businesses that need that support. Businesses are quickly recognizing that freelancers actually save them time and money and streamline their strategies for faster growth. Make sure your business has the right marketing people in place: Book a 15-minute introductory call with our tech-focused marketing team who will connect you to the right freelancer for your company.
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