Marketing or Operations Manager? The benefits of hiring a hybrid
Not sure if your creative agency needs a Marketing Manager or an Operations Manager? You should consider hiring a hybrid!
We’ve all heard the analogy of the plumber having a leaky tap. This is very comparable to creative agencies not marketing themselves in the right way. You’re so busy doing it for your clients that you don’t get around to doing it for yourself.
We get it. Recently, we created and filled an internal Marketing and Operations Manager role. Quite frankly, this has changed the game for us. Our systems have been smoother, metrics clearer, and brand better. Here’s why you should consider doing the same.
What is this role?
So, what exactly is a Marketing and Operations Manager? Quite simply it is a hybrid role which sees an experienced Marketer come into a business and split their time across marketing the agency to new and existing clients and also take some of the operational tasks off the founder’s hands.
Marketing activities for an agency can be the difference between a healthy pipeline of new business or relying on the black book of the founders. Here’s what it could look like day to day:
Marketing:
- Curate a monthly email that goes out your database
- Be responsible for content on Linkedin
- Submit articles to businesses like little Black Book to gain PR
- Internal comms between staff
- Manage company’s social content
- Produce reports/Whitepapers to generate leads
- Produce your company EVP doc
- Write job descriptions and adverts
- Manage website content
- Develop and implement SEO strategy
Operations:
- Help onboard new starters
- Liaise with the finance team to help hit financial goals
- Track staff leave requests
- Track expenses
- General office management duties
- Help organise social events
- Write and update internal business policies
- Monitor team communications and be the first point of call for internal tech-stack issues
- Audit spend on subscriptions and platforms being used
- Monitor and action requests for support from team members
What sort of profile should I look for?
To successfully fill a Marketing and Operations Manager role, you want someone with experience who can be autonomous and can adapt to the changing needs of an agency.
A generalist marketer who has worked in small businesses or startups is a big plus. We also find that parents, who are used to spinning multiple plates at once, are a great fit.
Marketing and Operations Managers are people who can handle lots of different tasks at the same time without missing a beat. They know how to prioritize what’s most important, stay organized, and easily switch between planning campaigns, coordinating with the team, and managing day-to-day operations. They stay calm and focused, even when things get busy, making sure everything gets done on time and runs smoothly.
What should the week look like?
The balance between marketing and operations in this role really depends on where your business is at and how your agency is set up. At first, you might need to focus more on the operations side to build strong systems and processes. But once there is an operating rhythm in place, the role usually shifts to about 60-70% marketing and 30% operations.
That said, this can change based on what you value as a founder and what your priorities are. If you think it’s important to have solid operations from the get-go, the focus on operations might stay bigger for a while. On the other hand, if you’re keen on growing fast through creative marketing, the role might lean more toward marketing sooner. It really comes down to what works best for your business and its goals.
How much would this role cost?
You could find a great Marketing and Operations Manager around the $110-120K mark. And we highly encourage you to consider part-time hires. And guess what? If you hire a return-to-work parent from us, the recruitment fee is half price!
What else should I consider?
As part of the interview process, we suggest having the potential candidate present a 30-60-90 day rough plan on how they would go about the role. This way, you are aligned from day 1 and not just hiring someone you think is a good culture fit.
What are you waiting for? Go hybrid! It’s transformed our agency, blending marketing and operations into one powerful role. A hybrid manager will keep your brand shining and your operations smooth – handling everything from social media to onboarding.
Want to see the difference it can make? Contact Ryan and find out how a Marketing and Operations Manager can elevate your agency. Book your meeting today!