One-Person Marketing Team – Skills, Outsourcing, and Training for Success

For small businesses with a single-person marketing department, managing a wide variety of tasks and projects can feel like juggling with one hand tied behind your back. As a Marketing Manager or Executive, you’ll be responsible for a mix of strategy, content, digital marketing, and customer engagement. At the same time, you’ll need to make sure that your work aligns with overall business objectives, stays on track with timelines, and gets measurable results.

This article delves into the core skills required to manage different areas of the marketing function within a small business, and explores the likelihood of some areas being outsourced to agencies or freelancers. If you’re in the position of managing all these responsibilities, this guide will help you assess what’s essential for your role and where you might need extra support.

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Core skills every Marketing Manager should have

As a Marketing Manager in a small business, you’re expected to wear many hats. Here are the core skills required to manage different areas of the business effectively:

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1. Strategic Planning and Project Management

One of the most critical skills for a single-person marketing department is the ability to think strategically and manage multiple projects at once. As a marketing manager, you’ll need to:

• Develop a clear marketing strategy?that aligns with business goals
• Set measurable KPIs?and track the performance of your campaigns
• Manage projects?from start to finish, ensuring they meet deadlines and stay within budget
• Prioritise tasks?effectively to ensure you’re focusing on the most important initiatives

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2. Content Creation and Copywriting

Content is the backbone of any marketing effort. As the sole person in the department, you’ll likely be writing blogs, creating social media posts, email campaigns, and potentially even overseeing website copy. You’ll need to:

• Write compelling content?that engages your audience and aligns with your brand voice
• Create visuals?for social media and marketing collateral (or coordinate with a designer)
• Optimise content for SEO?to improve search rankings and drive organic traffic

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3. Digital Marketing and Social Media Management

Managing digital campaigns and social media accounts is vital for driving traffic, leads, and brand awareness. In your role, you’ll be expected to:

• Run paid ad campaigns?(PPC, social media ads) to drive conversions
• Manage social media accounts?and maintain a consistent posting schedule
• Monitor analytics?to optimise campaigns and improve results
• Engage with customers?on social platforms to maintain strong relationships

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4. Email Marketing and CRM

Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways to nurture leads and convert them into customers. You’ll need to:

• Build and manage email campaigns, segmenting your audience for targeted messaging
• Track open and click-through rates, adjusting your strategy for better results
• Manage the customer relationship management (CRM) system?to ensure timely communication with leads and customers

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Where should you outsource?

While it’s possible to handle many of these responsibilities in-house, there are certain areas that might benefit from external support due to capacity or expertise constraints. Outsourcing to freelancers or agencies can help you focus on higher-priority tasks and ensure your work is always professional and high-quality.

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1. Graphic Design and Web Development

As a Marketing Manager, design and website management might not fall under your core skillset. You may need external support to:

• Design marketing collateral?(flyers, banners, brochures) and social media graphics
• Develop and maintain the company website, ensuring it stays functional, secure, and optimised for search engines (SEO)

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2. SEO and Performance Marketing

SEO and performance marketing can be a complex and ongoing task that requires expertise. You might consider outsourcing to:

• SEO specialists?to optimise your website, track keyword performance, and improve organic search visibility
• Paid media experts?who can manage PPC campaigns and social media ads, ensuring the best return on investment

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3. Content Creation and Copywriting

If content creation and copywriting are taking up a significant amount of your time, consider outsourcing to:

• Freelance copywriters?to help with blog posts, website copy, or email campaigns
• Content creators?to help with social media management or video content production

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Training your in-house marketing team

While there are plenty of great theory-based courses that can provide general knowledge and certifications, these often don’t address the specific needs of your business or the unique challenges you face in your current role. That’s where a more bespoke approach comes in. Karbon Creative’s?6-month training programmes?are tailored to your position, ensuring that the skills you gain are directly applicable to your business.

Our?Marketing Management?modules focus on practical skills like project management, budgeting, and stakeholder communication, all while aligning with your business goals. The?Social Media Management?modules covers strategy, content creation, and campaign management. Meanwhile, our?Marketing Expertise?programme provides hands-on experience with SEO, PPC, email campaigns, and performance tracking.

By opting for a tailored training programme, your in-house marketing team will have the expertise to drive results, adapt quickly to changes, and contribute to the overall growth of your business.?Drop us an email if you’re interested in finding out more.

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Wrapping up

In summary, as a one-person marketing department, you’ll be expected to manage a wide range of responsibilities, from strategy and content creation to digital marketing and email campaigns. While many of these tasks are manageable, some areas may benefit from outsourcing to experts who can offer specialised skills. By taking a phased approach, building your in-house team gradually, and investing in training and professional development, you’ll create a marketing function that drives success and scales with your business.

If you’re ready to take your marketing efforts to the next level and upskill your in-house team, contact us for a free consultation to discuss how we can support your growth and help you build a stronger marketing team for 2025.