Running a startup takes tenacity, flexibility, and willingness to change. One of the most significant changes businesses needs to consider after a certain point centers around their employment structure. More specifically, it becomes necessary to introduce roles into your business that you didn’t have before so you can continue to grow at a steady pace.
A Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is one such role that is invaluable to many startups and small businesses. CMOs are a central part of communicating with customers and identifying market trends. With the right CMO at your business, you can greatly increase sales and bring your company to the forefront of your industry.
In this article, we’ll discuss why you should hire a CMO to help your company with its digital marketing and other operations. Finding the right person for the job may take time, but it will pay off in the long run as you grow your business and establish its marketing prowess.
Take Pressure Off Current Employees
When most small businesses first start out, employees wear multiple hats and fill roles as needed. This structure, or lack thereof, serves its purpose while a company is getting its footing, but as a company expands, it becomes more necessary to define clear roles for each employee.
Hiring a CMO will give your business a clear figurehead for marketing and take some of the marketing responsibilities away from employees that could focus on other things. Not only will this take some pressure off of them, but it will help strengthen the different parts of your company that those employees will be able to put more energy towards.
Give Your Business Direction
Small businesses start with a series of small-to-medium-sized goals that are often accomplished in rapid succession. Once the majority of those goals are achieved, and you’re left with a short list of long-term goals, you may feel lost on how to reach them. Hiring a CMO can give your company the direction it needs to achieve those goals, outlining clear market goals and objectives. Whether it means increasing brand awareness or establishing a new marketing strategy, you’ll have a strong mind at your side to steer the ship into the future.
Help Your Business Grow
CMOs primarily focus on business development and growth, and their help comes in the form of innovative marketing plans and customer communications. By bringing someone into your company who understands how to build brand awareness, you’ll be able to expand your reach and potentially bring in more customers than ever before. And for startups that may be stalling out in some respects, the boost provided by a CMO can mean the difference between falling apart and thriving.
Bring a Unique Voice Into Your Company
Out of all the potential benefits that hiring a CMO could bring to your company, few are as invaluable as simply having a unique voice in the room that can contribute new ideas. Stagnation is one of the biggest enemies of business growth, and sometimes all it takes is a new perspective to give your company the push it needs to excel and become an industry leader.
The difference between small businesses that stay small and companies that experience continued growth and success is a willingness to make significant structural changes. Hiring a CMO can be one of the most valuable things a burgeoning company can do to ensure it continues to grow. Even if you’re not prepared to commit to a full-time CMO, a part-time CMO can give your business the push it needs to keep growing until you’re ready for a more permanent change.
Roni Davis is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area.