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How to Source Talent When It’s Time to Diversify Your Acquisition Channels

22 July 2021

This article will help growing startups determine the best talent solutions for effectively testing new acquisition channels.

Company-specific customer research and segmentation are critical to identifying the right channels and targeting best suited to reach your ideal customer audience.  While almost everyone is leveraging Facebook and Google, our work with the top tech companies reveals several key acquisition channels many marketing leaders are not yet testing, but should be considering.  These include audio, connected and streaming TV, micro influencers, affiliates and even direct mail (still effective after decades).

In future articles, we will dig deeper into how these channels can impact your business and even share leading resources and vendor recommendations our clients have found very useful.  

But before you spend your first dollar, you need the talent to test them.  We examine the four leading options to help you decide which option may be best for your business.

Talent Option #1: Outsource to an Agency

Outsourcing a new channel to an experienced agency is the most widely used option among fast growing tech companies. It has a lot of advantages, but may not be right for everyone.

Advantages

Disadvantages

In the end, for companies with large enough budgets for a substantial media investment and the stomach, margins or urgency to work with a significant agency fee, outsourcing to an agency is likely a great option.  However, we recommend meeting your account team first to evaluate the individual talent you’ll be assigned.

Talent Option #2: Test it Using Your Current In-House Team

If one of your team members already has experience in the channel you are looking to test, this option often makes sense.  However, this often isn’t the case.  Instead, this responsibility is assigned to what amounts to an inexperienced team member you “think” is most capable.

Advantages

Disadvantages

For those on a tight budget, this is sometimes the only realistic option for testing new channels.  In this case, we suggest putting your best effort forward and if the initial data shows even a glimmer of hope, gather enough data to make the business case to invest in it properly.

Talent Option #3: Hire a Freelancer or Contractor to Execute

Often considered the ideal compromise between option #1 and option #2, freelancers and contractors can act as an extension of your own team with limited commitment or investment.

Advantages

Disadvantages

A talented freelancer or contractor can be a nice option, but it isn’t perfect.  Negotiating your contracts so they are tied to channel results can minimize your financial risk and make it a great option.  To help retain insights and historical learnings, ensure your freelancer documents and records everything.

Talent Option #4: Hire a Full-time In-house Channel Expert

Hiring specialized, full-time talent in-house for a new potential channel makes sense when you have conviction that the channel can work for you and the resources to fully test it. This includes resources to hire talent in-house and the media spend they’ll need to test and prove out the channel.  

Advantages

Disadvantages

When selecting this option, one way to minimize risk is to look for candidates with experience beyond the channel you are looking to test.  They may have specialized in this channel most recently, but look for candidates whose backgrounds span other channels and skill sets so should this channel prove unsuccessful, they can still add value elsewhere.

Exploring new channels that have the potential to meaningfully impact your business is something every business and marketing leader should pursue. We offer guides for evaluating and launching several key channels including Audio, OTT/CTV, Affiliate and Direct Mail. Once you’ve determined your next channel to test, utilize the above options to help you decide how to source the talent to execute. At RevelOne, we not only specialize in marketing and GTM retained searches, but we offer insight and advice on org design and marketing strategy, and can tap an extensive network of specialized freelancers and agencies should you need additional help.

 

About RevelOne

RevelOne is a leading marketing advisory and recruiting firm.  We do 300+ searches a year in Marketing and Go-to-Market roles from C-level on down for some of the most recognized names in tech.  For custom org design, role scoping, and retained search, contact us.

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