Written by Cid Hanna, Marketing & Communications Director, Business Link Alberta
Marketing is essential for growth, but many small business owners reach a point where they realize they can’t do it all themselves. Hiring a marketing consultant or agency can help accelerate growth, bring new expertise into your business, and free up your time to focus on operations.
Bringing in outside help works best when you know what you need, what to expect, and how to choose the right partner.
When it might be time to hire marketing help
Many entrepreneurs start by handling their own marketing. That approach can work well, but there are times when outside expertise becomes necessary to help you grow and succeed.
Many entrepreneurs start by handling their own marketing. That approach can work well, but there are times when outside expertise becomes necessary to help you grow and succeed.
Some common signs it may be time to hire a consultant or agency include:
- You are spending so much time on marketing that your actual business is starting to feel like a side project to your marketing efforts.
- Your marketing strategy currently involves trying things at random and hoping one of them magically works.
- Customers keep showing up, but you have no idea whether they found you through Google, Instagram or pure luck.
- Your business has hit a growth plateau and your marketing plan is starting to feel more like guesswork than strategy.
- You are launching something new and realizing that “post about it and hope for the best” might not be a full marketing plan.
- You have discovered that terms like SEO, conversion tracking, and analytics dashboards may require someone who actually enjoys dealing with them.
A marketing professional can help bring structure, strategy, and measurable goals to your efforts and better yet, free up your time for your passion project, the actual business you started!
Setting a realistic marketing budget
One of the first questions small business owners ask is how much they should spend on marketing. And while you hope the answer will be “about twenty dollars and a well-timed Instagram post,” the reality is every business is unique, but there are some common guidelines you can follow to start.
Typical marketing budgets for small businesses fall into these ranges:
- Startup or early-stage businesses: 10 to 20 per cent of projected revenue
- Growing businesses: 7 to 12 per cent of revenue
- Established businesses: 5 to 10 per cent of revenue
This budget may include several different costs such as:
- Advertising on platforms like Google or social media
- Website development and maintenance
- Design, content or video production
- Marketing software and tools
- Consultant or agency fees
It is also helpful to think about marketing costs in two categories. One is the cost of expertise or strategy, such as working with a consultant or agency. The other is advertising or media buying, which is the money paid directly to marketing platforms to purchase the advertising.
Treating marketing as a strategic investment rather than a short-term expense can help support long-term growth.
Hiring an individual consultant versus an agency
Small businesses often wonder whether they should hire an individual marketing consultant or work with an agency. Both options can be effective depending on your needs and your budget.
Marketing consultant
An individual consultant is often a good choice if you need strategic guidance or a marketing plan but still plan to handle some of the work internally.
Consultants are often well suited for:
- Marketing strategy development
- Business or marketing audits
- Coaching and guidance for business owners
- Short-term projects
- Businesses with smaller budgets
Benefits of working with a consultant include lower costs and more direct access to the person providing advice. Some consultants only consult on the word while others (often more junior) might be willing to build and post ads as well. The main limitation is that one person cannot specialize in every area of marketing, and they may have limited bandwidth to meet your needs or timelines.
Marketing agency
Agencies often provide a broader range of services and may be able to manage multiple aspects of marketing at the same time.
An agency may be a better fit if you need:
- Full-service marketing support
- Ongoing campaign management
- Work across multiple marketing channels
- Larger scale campaigns
The advantage of working with an agency is access to a team of specialists, which may include designers, strategists, advertising experts, and content creators. However, agency services are often more expensive and depending on the agency structure, some firms may assign different team members with varying areas of expertise to support your account.
What you should expect from a marketing partner
Whether you work with an individual or an agency, a strong marketing partner should provide more than basic services such as posting on social media.
A professional marketing partner should provide the following:
A clear strategy
Your marketing partner should help define your target audience, your key messaging, and the marketing channels most likely to reach your customers.
Defined goals
Marketing activities should be tied to measurable outcomes such as increased website traffic, more customer inquiries, stronger brand awareness, and increased sales.
Regular reporting
You should receive reports or updates on performance, typically monthly or quarterly. These reports should include clear explanations of what is working, what needs improvement, and what actions are planned next.
Transparency and communication
Your marketing partner should clearly explain pricing, deliverables, and timelines. They should also be open about results and realistic about what marketing can achieve.
Be cautious if someone promises guaranteed results or overnight success. If marketing worked like that, every business owner would run one ad, go viral, and spend the rest of the year on vacation. In reality, effective marketing requires testing, adjustment, and consistent effort over time.
Questions to ask before hiring a consultant or agency
Before signing an agreement with a marketing partner, take time to ask questions about their experience, approach, and expectations.
Some helpful questions include:
- Have you worked with businesses similar to mine?
- Can you share examples or case studies of past results?
- How do you develop a marketing strategy for a new client?
- How will success be measured?
- How often will we communicate or meet?
- Who will be my main point of contact?
- What costs are included in your fees, and what costs are separate?
These conversations can help ensure you choose a partner who understands your business goals and communicates clearly.
How to know if your marketing is working
Marketing results do not always appear overnight. As an entrepreneur, you already know that most success stories involve a lot of hard work behind the scenes. Marketing follows the same pattern. It takes consistency, testing, and patience, but you should still see signs that things are moving in the right direction.
Some ways to track success include:
- Website traffic and online engagement
- Lead generation and customer inquiries
- Email newsletter subscribers
- Conversion rates from marketing campaigns
- Sales growth over time
Your marketing partner should help interpret these numbers and explain which channels and tactics are delivering the strongest results.
If several months pass and you still do not have clear insights into what is working or where improvements are needed, it may be worth reassessing the strategy.
How Business Link Alberta can help
Many entrepreneurs don’t realize they can access support before hiring a marketing consultant or agency.
Business Link Alberta provides free resources and guidance for entrepreneurs across the province. Business strategists can help you research your market, understand your competitors, and explore marketing strategies that fit your goals and budget.
Hiring marketing help doesn’t have to feel like gambling. With a little preparation, the right questions and some guidance from Business Link Alberta, you can make a decision that helps your business grow.
At its best, marketing simply helps the right customers find the right business. Your job is running the business. The marketing should help bring the customers to you.
