Building on our previous article about agency and client integration:
As small to medium businesses (SMBs) scale their operations, they often face challenges in building an efficient marketing team that can grow with them while staying agile and cost-effective. The evolving nature of digital marketing, emerging technologies, and the rise of data-driven strategies require SMBs to adopt an integrated approach to future-proof their marketing efforts.
Assessing Your Business Needs
Growth for SMBs, particularly in marketing, is often measured by key metrics including revenue, customer acquisition costs (CAC), and return on ad spend (ROAS). As these businesses scale, marketing teams need to be calibrated in proportion to these growth indicators, as well as internal factors like personnel, operational complexity, and technology utilisation.
Here's a guide to optimising your marketing function as your business grows.
1. Adopt a Growth-Stage Approach to Team Structure
SMBs in different growth stages—from early startup to established mid-size company require different marketing team configurations.
Early-Stage businesses typically need a lean marketing structure, focusing on core competencies such as brand awareness and lead generation. A small, agile team working closely with an external agency can often provide the required expertise without the cost of hiring full-time specialists.
Growth-Stage organisations could partially execute Owned Media, such as customer relationship management (CRM), and content creation, while maintaining strategic partnerships with agencies for more complex digital channels like paid search, analytics, and programmatic advertising.
Mature SMBs with strong revenue streams may benefit from a hybrid marketing model. This involves a balanced in-house team managing core competencies such as brand strategy and creative, while dividing execution on technical services including paid search, SEO, analytics and AI-based customer targeting tools.
2. Leverage Advanced Marketing Technologies
With marketing technology (MarTech) evolving rapidly, SMBs must tap into tools that offer efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced campaign performance. According to Gartner, SMBs should focus on leveraging AI-driven platforms, marketing automation, and CRM systems that can integrate seamlessly into their operations.
Marketing Automation: Tools including HubSpot, Marketo, or Salesforce streamline tasks such as email campaigns, customer segmentation, and lead nurturing. These platforms offer SMBs scalability without requiring a large team to manage multiple channels.
AI for Efficiency: Implementing AI-powered tools including chatbots, content generation tools (like Jasper or Copy.ai), and predictive analytics tools can help reduce operational burdens, increase conversion rates, and personalise customer interactions without needing to scale headcount proportionally.
3. Develop an Agile, Data-Driven Culture
In McKinsey's analysis of high-growth businesses, agility is highlighted as a key driver for success. SMBs should foster a data-driven marketing culture that can rapidly adjust to market conditions. This involves building dashboards for real-time performance monitoring, adopting agile methodologies for campaign execution, and encouraging iterative testing (e.g., A/B testing, CRO) to refine conversion, messaging and audience targeting.
Real-Time Data Analysis: Tools such as Google Analytics 4, Power BI, and Tableau provide SMBs with actionable insights to refine marketing strategies. By continuously optimising campaigns based on performance data, businesses can stay competitive without overspending.
4. Outsource Tactical Functions but Retain Strategic Control
As businesses grow, outsourcing complex or time-consuming tactical marketing functions can provide cost-effective expertise, while allowing in-house teams to focus on strategic brand-building and customer engagement.
Research from Bain & Company supports this hybrid model, which is proven to drive faster decision-making and allow companies to pivot marketing strategies in response to real-time customer feedback.
The key is to maintain a balance—keeping strategic control in-house while leveraging external partners for specialised tasks.
5. Invest in Talent and Ongoing Training
While technology can handle much of the operational load, the human element remains essential for creativity, strategy, and leadership. As SMBs grow, investing in talent through hiring and continuous training becomes crucial. According to PwC, businesses that continuously upskill their teams are better able to adapt to changing marketing trends and technologies.
Training should focus on emerging trends such as data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR and Australia's Privacy Act), advanced digital marketing techniques, and leadership development.
6. Build Strategic Partnerships with Agencies
Partnerships with suppliers aligned to your growth objectives can enable SMBs to scale efficiently. Agencies like sml.med.LRG. provide the specialised expertise that SMBs need to remain competitive, without the high cost of hiring full-time in-house staff.
By offering only the required hours and services, rather than a part-time or full-time resource, these partnerships ensure cost-effective, tailored solutions that meet your specific business needs.
Benefits of an Agency Partnership:
Cost Efficiency: Agencies often have access to cutting-edge tools and platforms, allowing SMBs to leverage advanced marketing strategies at a fraction of the cost.
Access to Expertise: Agencies bring expertise which may not be financially viable to develop in-house.
Scalability: Agencies provide a flexible workforce that can scale up or down as required, making them ideal for businesses that experience seasonal fluctuations or rapid growth spurts.
7. Responsible Financial Management in Marketing
As the marketing team and capabilities grow, responsible financial management is paramount. SMBs should regularly audit their marketing spend to ensure efficiency. Tools including ROAS calculators, MMM and CAC models, and financial forecasting should be part of the decision-making framework to allocate budgets effectively across marketing channels.
By strategically managing marketing expenses, SMBs can ensure that their marketing efforts contribute positively to the bottom line without wasting resources on ineffective campaigns or unnecessary overheads.
The digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, with new technologies and strategies emerging regularly.
For SMBs to thrive, they must build marketing teams that are not only efficient today but are also equipped to adapt and scale as the business grows.
Leverage the hybrid model for cost-efficient access to specialised expertise.
Harness the power of AI and marketing automation tools to streamline operations.
Foster a culture of agility and data-driven decision-making within the marketing team.
Invest in continuous learning and strategic agency partnerships to remain competitive.
By following the above guide small and medium-sized businesses can future-proof their marketing teams, ensuring that they remain agile, scalable, and prepared for whatever challenges the ever-changing digital landscape presents.
Contact us today to explore how we can help your business thrive through a collaborative, integrated marketing strategy. We’re available at hello@sml.digital.