At a certain point, marketing starts to feel different.

You’ve probably invested in a website. You may be posting on social media. You might have experimented with ads or hired a freelancer or agency along the way.

Yet despite all that activity, something still feels off.

Results are inconsistent. Decisions feel reactive. Marketing feels busy, but not necessarily effective.

This is often the moment business owners find themselves asking a question they didn’t expect to face so soon:

Should we hire a marketing manager internally — or should we bring in outside marketing leadership?

This question isn’t a sign that something is wrong. In fact, it usually means the business is growing.

Why This Question Comes Up

As businesses move beyond their early stages, marketing naturally becomes more complex.

What once worked through instinct, word-of-mouth, or simple tactics starts to break down. There are more channels to consider, more decisions to make, and more money at stake.

At this stage, many businesses realize the issue isn’t effort — it’s direction.

Marketing isn’t just about doing more things. It’s about knowing what matters most, what can wait, and how everything fits together.

That’s when the conversation shifts from tactics to leadership.

Option One: Hiring a Marketing Manager

Hiring a marketing manager internally can make a lot of sense in the right situation.

Where This Works Well

An internal hire can:

• Focus exclusively on your business
• Develop deep knowledge of your brand and customers
• Handle day-to-day execution consistently

For businesses with a clear strategy already in place, an internal marketing manager can be a strong asset.

Where It Often Breaks Down

However, many growing businesses hire execution before they’ve clarified direction.

This creates a few common challenges:

• One person is expected to handle strategy, content, ads, analytics, and more
• Leadership decisions still fall back on the owner
• The hire lacks guidance or clear priorities
• Marketing activity increases, but momentum does not

In these cases, the issue isn’t the hire — it’s the absence of leadership structure around marketing.

Option Two: Bringing in Outside Marketing Leadership

When people hear “outsourcing marketing,” they often think of vendors executing isolated tasks.

But outside marketing leadership is different.

What This Actually Looks Like

Outside leadership focuses on:

• Defining strategy and priorities
• Connecting marketing to business goals
• Overseeing execution across channels
• Reducing guesswork and reactive decisions

This isn’t about outsourcing tasks. It’s about outsourcing leadership.

For many businesses, this approach provides clarity without the commitment or cost of a full-time hire.

The Real Difference Isn’t Internal vs. External

The real decision most businesses are facing isn’t about where marketing lives.

It’s about execution versus leadership.

Most marketing challenges at this stage aren’t caused by a lack of effort. They’re caused by a lack of direction.

Without clear leadership:

• Tactics multiply
• Priorities blur
• Vendors execute without alignment
• Owners stay involved in every decision

With leadership:

• Focus sharpens
• Decisions become intentional
• Execution supports a larger plan
• Marketing begins to compound

How to Know Which Path Makes Sense

Here are a few signals that can help clarify the right next step.

You May Need Leadership First If:

• Marketing feels busy but ineffective
• There’s no clear plan guiding decisions
• You’re reacting instead of prioritizing
• Vendors are active, but no one is leading
• You’re unsure what to hire for internally

You May Be Ready for an Internal Hire If:

• A clear marketing strategy already exists
• Roles and expectations are well defined
• Leadership direction is already in place
• There’s budget for both leadership and execution

There’s no universal right answer — but there is a right sequence.

A Final Thought

The businesses that gain momentum fastest are usually the ones that establish direction first — and then decide who should execute it.

When marketing has leadership, clarity changes the conversation.



And clarity tends to change everything.