5 Reasons why hiring Freelance Marketers is good for your start-up

Flexible work models and the Gig Economy are not new in the industry. However, what is new is the fact that more and more companies are choosing to hire flexible talent for their specialized needs. A recent news piece reported how 67 BSE 100 companies had hired 57% contract workers in FY19 as opposed to 54% last year. While there is much debate as to whether this is a healthy trend or if organizations are opting for this to cut costs, the reality is that this trend is here to stay.
 
More and more professionals are opting for freelance work or work from home, especially, young mothers for whom this kind of work arrangement gives the work-life balance they seek. Traditionally, only a few roles were perceived to give themselves to remote working, but, with increased connectivity, more people, across sectors, are choosing to work on flexible models.
 
Marketing is one such function. So far, inhouse experts or agencies ruled the roost for advertising and marketing. But with the rise of the startup culture, brands and small businesses alike are waking up to the benefits of hiring freelance marketers. 
 
Concurrently, it is a well-known trend that the employee of today - read Millenials - leans towards more flexibility in work and is choosing remote or part-time work. They are assisted in their endeavors by platforms that help get them such work and more earning power of freelance gigs.
 
So what are the benefits of hiring a freelance marketer versus a full-time one? Let’s take a look.
 
1# Fast-changing digital landscape
Marketing as a function is majorly responsible for ensuring your product or service is firmly etched in your consumer’s mind in a sea of competing brands. With digital platforms ever-evolving, companies cannot afford to lag behind. In such a case, consulting marketers with ready experience can fill in any gaps in a full-time team and bring on board a large set of skills that can very well prove to be your edge. The fact that they can come on board instantly, with minimal cost, is an added plus.
 
2# Hire talent irrespective of location
A lot of talented marketing professionals choose to go freelance rather than be in an agency or a full-time role to earn better and do the kind of varied work they want to do. For businesses, the fact that they can get the best in the field irrespective of where he or she is placed is an added advantage. 
 
3# Save costs
Well, the report mentioned above also noted that in FY19 employee costs as a percentage of net sales fell to 9.39% from 10.17% in FY17. That is to say, hiring contract workers definitely makes business sense. The right mix of talented marketing freelancers, across domains, can help bring down costs and increase return on the investment made.
 
4# Expanding your bandwidth
Most small businesses start with lean teams, doing most of the work themselves including marketing their services. But it is important for them to consider a well thought out marketing strategy that does not have to be driven by the owners themselves. This is where freelance marketers can come in, helping them find their voice and build their brand while they focus on getting in more business. 
 
5# Increased productivity and scaling up faster
A Stanford study has revealed that freelance workers who operate out of their homes are more productive than their full-time peers. So rather than worry that remote workers may lack the commitment or spend time watching Netflix, you can be assured, they are as committed or maybe more than an 8-hour workforce. Added to this, marketing teams can scale up faster with flexible teams especially in the digital space.
 
The times are changing and it is up to you how you make the most of it. If you are an SME or a startup trying to figure out how to get the best freelance marketing talent, you don’t have to look any further. Flexibees can not only take off the stress of identifying and interviewing the best flexible, remote or part-time talent there is but can get you the right fit. Reach us at https://www.flexibees.com/for-businesses.html to discuss further.