Marketing agency for startups deciding what the first marketing hire should be
The first marketing hire shapes the next two years. Hire a brand marketer when you needed pipeline, or a performance buyer when nobody has defined the message yet, and the company loses a year. Start from the need, then fill the role.
Match quiz
Step 1 of 5 Step 2 of 5 Step 3 of 5 Step 4 of 5 Step 5 of 5
The quiz below starts with Start this month selected. Four questions left.
No account, no calls. Ad accounts stay in your name.
The match
Fit
Suggested plan
Fee band per month
Typical start
Budget split across channels
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
First 30 days of scope
Weeks 3 to 12, KPIs and the second and third best profiles unlock when you send your brief.
Your brief is confirmed. You receive a written proposal by email within two business days.
Second and third best profiles
Live board
The eight marketer profiles, ranked by how well they fit your answers.
| # | Profile | Fit | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Scores update with your answers. Fit is calculated in your browser from your answers. Nothing is sent until you choose to send a brief.
Three common starting points
No marketing yet, product works
The usual first match is the Fractional Marketing Lead, who sets the plan, picks the first channel and writes the job description for the first in house hire.
Founders sell, pipeline is thin
A B2B Demand Generation Lead on Channel Team builds outbound support, LinkedIn and search around what founders already know works in sales calls.
Consumer app or store, paid works a little
A Paid Social Buyer or Paid Search Specialist on Specialist scales the channel that already shows signs of life.
What the first quarter gives you
- A written marketing plan your board can read
- One or two channels running with real tracking
- Numbers that show which channel to fund next
- A hiring plan for in house roles, if you need them
Fractional Marketing Lead
- Fee band per month
- 9,600 to 18,000 USD
- Typical start
- 10 days
The first 90 days
-
Days 1 to 30
positioning check, tracking, channel choice with the reasons written down
-
Days 31 to 60
first channel live, weekly numbers, first content or creative
-
Days 61 to 90
quarter review, budget for the next quarter, hiring recommendation
Which plan usually fits
Seed stage teams with one channel to prove usually start on Specialist at 1,900 USD per month. Series A teams that need a plan and two channels often choose Channel Team at 4,800 USD per month, and teams replacing a missing head of marketing choose Growth Bench at 9,600 USD per month.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual prepay, per month |
|---|---|---|
| SpecialistOne channel, one matched specialist | 1,900 USD | 1,615 USD |
| Channel TeamTwo to three specialists, up to three channels, project lead | 4,800 USD | 4,080 USD |
| Growth BenchFull team across all channels, fractional marketing lead, weekly reporting | 9,600 USD | 8,160 USD |
| EnterpriseMulti brand or multi market programs | from 18,000 USD | Custom |
Frequently asked questions
A full time marketer costs salary, benefits, tools and months of hiring. A plan costs a fixed monthly fee and starts within days. Many startups use both, the plan first, then the hire.
Yes. The Fractional Marketing Lead can write the role, review candidates' work samples and hand over the accounts.
No. Plans are paid monthly in cash, like any other supplier.
Related: saas marketing agency support for software startups and growth marketing agency teams for later stages.