Why Your Next Marketing Hire May Not Be a Hire at All

If you’re leading a nonprofit, a church, or a mission-driven organization, you didn’t sign up to be a marketing expert. Yet here you are. Writing emails. Posting on social media. Updating the website. Trying to make sense of Google Analytics late at night.

And you’re not the only one. Most smaller organizations split up marketing tasks among whoever’s available. The children’s ministry director becomes the “social media person.” The admin assistant makes the flyers. The executive director writes the newsletter at midnight.

It’s resourceful…but it’s also risky.

Here’s what usually happens:

• Knowledge gaps. You might be great at writing content, but have no idea how to get people to actually read it. Or maybe you’re posting consistently on Facebook but have no follow-up system for new leads. You’re not doing a bad job; you just don’t know how to get the results you want.

• Lack of support. If you’re like most people in these roles, marketing is one of many responsibilities, but not your main job. You’re doing the best you can on the side, but there’s no time or opportunity to grow. So your potential—and your marketing—sees limited results.

• Aimlessness. If you’re not tracking metrics, or you don’t know how to interpret them, you can’t see what’s working (and what’s worth your time).

• Burnout. The more hats your team wears, the more likely they are to burn out. And when that happens…oof.

Most organizations don’t stay in this place because they want to. They stay here because hiring someone new just feels impossible.

But here’s the good news: a marketing consultant or fractional team might actually be a much better fit than you think.

The True Cost of Employees and Consultants

Hiring an employee sounds like the long-term solution. But before you post that job listing, it’s worth looking at the real numbers.

The Hidden Costs of Full-Time Staff

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, the true cost of an employee is usually 1.25 to 1.4 times their salary. So a $65,000 salary ends up costing you about $84,500 once you include payroll taxes, insurance, and benefits.

It’s not just money, either. You’re also paying for onboarding and training. Equipment. Software. HR compliance. Paperwork. Space.

Where I live—Allen County, Indiana—MIT’s Living Wage study says a single adult with one child needs $78,457 a year just to meet basic needs. Add benefits and taxes and you’re at $101,000 or more.

Even part-time staff come with hidden costs. Using the QuickBooks Employee Cost Calculator with the same data as above, a part-time employee working 20 hours a week costs around $44,500 per year—roughly $5,000 more than their stated salary.

The Consultant Advantage

Now compare that to hiring a consultant:

• No payroll tax or benefits

• No onboarding or equipment needs (most of the time)

• No long-term HR liabilities

• No PTO

• Able to scale work up or down based on budget

Most consultants also specialize in a narrow range of services, so they’re faster, more focused, and more efficient than someone trying to do five jobs at once.

Why a Small Freelance Team Often Outperforms a Big Agency

When hiring a full-time staff member isn’t realistic, many organizations turn to big marketing agencies for help. On paper, it makes sense—agencies promise full-service support, impressive portfolios, and a whole team of experts. But for small to midsize nonprofits, those promises can come with some serious trade-offs.

The Hidden Costs of Big Agencies

• High retainers, low customization. Agencies often charge $3,000 to $10,000 or more per month—whether or not you need a full campaign that month. And if your budget is small compared to their big clients, you’ll probably get shuffled to junior staff with limited authority.

• Layers of communication. Your main point of contact will likely be an account manager, not the person doing the work. That means delays, diluted understanding, and project bloat.

• One-size-fits-all approach. Agencies often use templated processes built for corporations. But your nonprofit’s mission isn’t a product, and your audience isn’t a consumer segment. You need nuance, not a recycled funnel strategy.

• Misaligned metrics. Agencies tend to focus on KPIs like impressions, reach, and click-through rates. Those numbers look good in a report but don’t always lead to stronger donor relationships or long-term growth.

• Slow turnaround and limited flexibility. Agencies juggle dozens of clients at once. When you need a quick pivot or a report for your board by Friday, you’re unlikely to get it—unless you’re one of their top-paying clients.

The Freelance Advantage

In contrast, small independent consultants or boutique teams (like Mission-Driven Marketing) offer a more agile, tailored, and relationship-driven approach:

• Direct communication with the person doing the work

• Custom strategies rooted in your mission and goals

• Lower overhead and flexible pricing

• No fluff—just what you need, when you need it

• A true partner in the trenches, not just a service provider

With a freelance partner or fractional team, you’re not just buying deliverables—you’re building momentum. You don’t need a million-dollar campaign. You need consistent, thoughtful help from someone who understands your story, respects your constraints, and knows how to get results without burning out your budget or your staff.

How to Find the Right Consultant (for You)

I’ve worked with a wide variety of clients across industries and in all kinds of marketing roles. So believe me when I say: no two organizations are the same. Your goals, vision, and challenges are 100% unique. So when it comes to hiring a consultant, don’t just grab the top-rated freelancer on Fiverr and hope for the best.

A great marketer for one organization might totally miss the mark with yours. You need someone who fits your rhythm, listens first, and adapts to how your team actually works.

Here’s how to find that unicorn:

1. Start with Clarity

Before you start browsing profiles, define what you really need. Strategy or execution? Social media or donor engagement? Email marketing or website content? Be honest about your gaps so you can match the right skills to the right problem.

2. Look for These Qualities:

• Experience in your niche. Someone who understands nonprofits, churches, or mission-driven work will move faster and deliver better results.

• Clear, proactive communication. Great consultants should make your life easier. That means they should provide you with regular updates in ways you can easily understand.

• Process transparency. They should be able to walk you through how they work, what tools they use, and how they approach new projects.

• Ability to show results (and explain them). Ask why their ideas will work, and how you’ll know they’ve been successful.

3. Where to Look:

• Fiverr: Great if you need a narrow, streamlined focus. I've used Fiverr many times for small tasks that need a human touch. (Vet carefully)

• MarketerHire: Established, vetted marketing professionals for part-time or fractional roles. Perfect if you need someone who works alongside your staff, rather than independently.

• Mission-Driven Marketing: Strategic, experienced partners who actually understand your mission. (Shameless plug for my own services, but I won't steer you in the wrong direction, even if your best fit isn't me!)

Overcoming Internal Resistance to a Marketing Consultant

Sometimes the biggest hurdle comes from within your own staff.

Your team might feel (understandably) uneasy, or even frustrated, when an outside consultant is brought in. They might think, “Why not trust the people who are already here?”

I've been in this situation several times—as a consultant, as an employee, and as a boss. Here’s how my experience (and mistakes) have taught me to approach this:

• Frame it as support, not replacement. Bringing in a consultant means you’re investing in your team, not replacing them. You’re offering them the help they need in a role they didn’t necessarily ask for.

• Humility matters. Look for a consultant who views themselves as a partner, not a savior. The best consultants come alongside your team, listen first, and work collaboratively, rather than trying to compete.

• Communicate openly and often. Keep lines of communication open between leadership, staff, and the consultant. When people understand the “why” and feel included in the “how,” resistance starts to fade.

Unless it’s part of your strategy to replace your staff, a consultant doesn’t need to take things over. They lift burdens, build capacity, and make your existing team stronger.

Success is WOrth the Investment

When done right, fractional help is both cost-effective and growth-enabling.

Just like Joe said in last week's article:

"With the right preparation and tools, marketing is an investment that brings new life to organizations."

You’ll pay a higher hourly rate for consultants, but you’ll avoid thousands in extra costs and get the freedom to experiment, pivot, and scale without locking in another W-2.

You Don't Have to Do it Alone

If you’re feeling stuck or stretched too thin, take this as permission: you don’t have to keep doing everything yourself.

It’s great that you’re passionate about your mission. But it will burn you out if you try to carry too many things on your shoulders.

Instead of waiting for the budget to hire an employee, start with a fractional solution. One that grows with you, adapts to your needs, and respects your budget.

You don’t need a massive team. You need the right one.

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