Team and agency management means one person directs everyone who does your marketing, whether they're on your payroll, on contract or at an agency. We write the briefs, set the deadlines, review the work and keep each party focused on the same quarterly goal. You stop being the go-between.
The problem: lots of help, no direction
A common picture in a growing business: an agency runs the ads, a freelancer maintains the website, a part-time coordinator handles social posts, and a printer does the seasonal flyers. Each is competent. None of them knows what the others are doing, and all of them take instructions from the owner, who is busy.
The result is duplicated work, mixed messages and reports that each look fine in isolation. Fixing it costs less than adding another vendor.
What we do
Brief every party from one plan
Each vendor and staff member gets a written brief drawn from your 90-day plan: the goal, their part, the deadline, the budget and how success will be judged. A good brief fits on one page.
Run a single calendar
Everyone works from the shared calendar set up under marketing operations, so the ad agency knows when the website changes and the coordinator knows when the offer ends.
Review work against targets
Each month we review every party's output against its agreed targets, not against how busy they were. Agencies get room to choose tactics; they don't get room to change the goal.
Handle the awkward conversations
When something slips, we raise it early and in writing, with the facts. Most problems are fixed at that stage. When they aren't, you get a clear, documented recommendation.
Hiring and coaching your first marketer
Many owners reach a point where an in-house coordinator makes sense. The risk is hiring someone junior and expecting them to set strategy alone.
We help in four steps:
- Define the role. What the person will own, what stays with vendors and what stays with leadership.
- Design a practical task. A short, paid or unpaid exercise (your call) based on a real problem, which reveals more than a résumé does.
- Onboard with the plan. The new hire starts with a written plan, a calendar and a scorecard instead of a blank page.
- Coach monthly. Regular sessions to review their work, build their judgement and gradually hand over more decisions.
We advise on the marketing side of hiring only. Employment law, contracts and pay are for you and your HR or legal adviser.
Who it is for
- businesses paying two or more marketing vendors with no one coordinating them
- owners who spend hours each week relaying messages between agencies
- businesses ready to hire a first in-house marketer and wanting to get it right
Timeline
Within the first month we meet each party, review their scope and recent work, and issue the first round of briefs. A full rhythm of monthly vendor reviews is usually in place by week six. Hiring support follows your recruiting timeline, typically six to ten weeks from role definition to start date.
How results are measured
- each party's delivery against its agreed targets and deadlines
- hours the owner spends on marketing coordination, before and after
- overall cost per new customer across all vendors combined
- for a new hire, a 90-day review against the goals set at onboarding
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying vendors for activity. Contracts measured in posts or hours encourage volume, not results. Tie reviews to outcomes where you can.
- Giving every vendor its own goal. They will optimise their slice at the expense of the whole. One quarterly goal, shared by everyone.
- Letting the newest hire set strategy. A junior marketer needs direction and coaching, not a blank cheque.
- Switching agencies too fast. A new agency needs ramp-up time too. Change only after a fair, documented trial.
This service is usually part of fractional CMO leadership. As an example of what coordinated, long-running work can deliver, HeatLand built up 850+ SEO articles alongside a 300% lead increase in 6 months. That is a result from our HVAC work. See the results page for more.
Frequently asked questions
Will you try to replace our agency with your own people?
No. Our job is to make your current people more effective. If a vendor repeatedly misses agreed targets after a fair chance, we will document it and talk it through with you, and the decision stays yours.
Can you help us hire a marketing coordinator?
Yes. We help write the role, design a practical interview task and coach the new hire through their first months. Employment terms and contracts are for you and your HR or legal adviser.
How do you hold an agency accountable without micromanaging?
By agreeing a small number of outcome targets at the start of each quarter, reviewing them monthly and leaving the agency room to decide how to hit them. Clear targets reduce the need for supervision.