Strategic Expansion: Choosing the Next Key Roles for Your Growing Marketing Team
Introduction
Embarking on a new role within a small software organization often presents both challenges and exciting opportunities. Having recently joined a company with a minimal marketing structure, you’re now at a pivotal point—seeking to expand your team to better support your strategic goals. With an initial focus on backfilling a web development position and a broader vision to grow the team, understanding which roles will deliver the most value is essential.
Background Context
Your organization is relatively small, with limited prior marketing activity. Previously, the marketing function comprised a director overseeing two employees: a content writer and a hybrid web developer/graphic designer. The web developer was let go shortly before your arrival, leaving a gap in technical and web maintenance capabilities. Your proposal for 2026 includes funding to replace this role but also considers expanding the team further. The leadership has expressed interest in not only filling the technical role but also adding an additional team member to amplify marketing efforts.
Assessing Needs and Priorities
Given the company’s website—a single platform generating approximately 100-150 daily sessions—the workload for web development may be manageable for a part-time or generalist approach. Your expertise lies in digital marketing, which suggests a strategic focus on content marketing, lead generation, and overall brand visibility.
When contemplating the next hires, consider the following:
- The value of specialized versus versatile roles
- How each addition aligns with your marketing objectives
- Budget constraints and long-term growth plans
Potential Roles for Expansion
- Digital Marketing Specialist or Campaign Manager
A dedicated digital marketing professional can craft targeted campaigns, manage paid advertising, and optimize channels like social media, email marketing, and SEO. This role can help generate more traffic, leads, and conversions—directly impacting revenue.
- Content Strategist or Content Marketing Manager
Building upon your current content writer, hiring a content strategist can elevate your content efforts—developing comprehensive content plans, aligning messaging with buyer personas, and ensuring consistent brand storytelling across platforms.
Alternative options to consider:
- Marketing Automation Specialist: If automation tools are adopted, a specialist can optimize lead nurturing and customer journeys.
- Data Analyst or Marketing Data Specialist: To measure marketing effectiveness and inform data-driven decisions.
Conclusion
The optimal next two hires hinge on your company’s immediate needs and strategic ambitions. Given your focus on digital marketing and existing content capacity, a logical approach is to invest in roles that can amplify your campaigns and ensure data-driven growth
