A former colleague recently approached me for advice on building a small in-house marketing services department. This individual owns a small but growing company and wanted to launch targeted marketing campaigns to educate, inform and attract more customers. The problem, he told me, was he wasn’t sure what he was hiring for.
First, we discussed the different types of campaigns he could create. We agreed that a mixture of traditional materials together with a digital campaign was the best approach. He also needed front-end web updates and possibly – down the line – some videos. He wondered how many people he needed to hire.
Cue the wonderful world of millennials. Back in the nineties when digital graphics programs (e.g., Adobe et al.)) first started being used, artists had little to no understanding of HTML or coding or anything digital. With the majority of advertising materials consisting of print ads, hard copy brochures, catalogs, direct mailers, tradeshow items and similar items, a graphic artist’s responsibilities were narrowly defined. As websites became more popular, the artist was often asked to create graphics and save them as GIF or JPG files, but that was the extent of their digital work.
But that changed quickly. By the early 2000s, digital marketing became de rigueur and a new generation had emerged with skills that expanded into HTML, CSS, SEO, Javascript and more. These young designers possessed a flexibility that allowed them to accomplish the traditional tasks but also work with programmers to help build attractive sites and applications.
One thing I always recommend is to hire a designer who possesses as many skills as possible. I personally believe that expertise in Adobe Suite, HTML5 and CSS is a must, but they should also have solid photography skills and some familiarity with coding. Such an individual can prepare any type of print materials but also work comfortably with e-shots, landing pages, update web pages (or build basic websites) and even edit video. It also is a good indication that this individual strives to be on top of his or her game.
Also, I know it can be very difficult to judge, but try to gauge the candidate’s enthusiasm during the interview. You want a talented artist, but you can do without a Jackson Pollock wannabe moping around the parking lot every two hours.
The next critical position is coordinator or marketing manager. This person doesn’t necessarily need a marketing background, but they should be able to multitask, possess good organizational skills and work well with the artist. Writing ability is a huge plus. This person will coordinate your lunch and learns and other company events as well as act as intermediary with publications or printers. If they can write, they should be preparing PRs or ad copy and they should be tweeting and helping with your LinkedIn and other social media presence. If they are talented enough, they can even do your blogging.
In summary, even for a small company, I believe it’s a two person job. The necessary skill set and personality requirements are different, and you certainly don’t want to invest in anything unless it produces effective results that drive measurable revenue. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if what you want to accomplish justifies these additions. If you don’t think you want to take the risk or think the expense outweighs the benefits, consider outsourcing to an agency that understands your industry.
