Once you’ve identified your company’s marketing needs, it’s time to determine the right type of marketer to hire. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular types of marketers and when their role is most effective.
1. Growth Marketer (Best for Startups & Scale-ups)
Focus: Rapid acquisition, retention, and revenue growth through data-driven experiments.
Best For: Startups, SaaS, eCommerce, marketplaces.
Key Skills: Paid ads, SEO, conversion rate optimization (CRO), analytics, A/B testing, referral loops.
When to Hire: When the company needs fast user acquisition and conversion optimization.
Example: A SaaS startup struggling with low sign-ups should hire a growth marketer to optimize landing pages and scale paid campaigns.
2. Demand Generation Marketer (Best for B2B & Enterprise Sales Models)
Focus: Driving leads and pipeline through inbound and outbound strategies.
Best For: B2B SaaS, enterprise companies, companies with long sales cycles.
Key Skills: Paid media, content marketing, marketing automation, account-based marketing (ABM), lead scoring.
When to Hire: When the sales team needs more qualified leads and better lead nurturing.
Example: A B2B fintech company launching a new product should hire a demand gen marketer to run LinkedIn campaigns and webinars.
3. Product Marketer (Best for Companies with a Complex or Competitive Product)
Focus: Positioning, messaging, competitive analysis, and sales enablement.
Best For: SaaS, fintech, health tech, or any industry with strong competition.
Key Skills: Market research, customer insights, storytelling, go-to-market (GTM) strategy, sales enablement.
When to Hire: When the company has a great product but struggles with differentiation and messaging.
Example: A cybersecurity startup with a unique AI-powered solution should hire a product marketer to refine messaging and support the sales team.
4. Lifecycle/Retention Marketer (Best for Companies with Customer Churn Issues)
Focus: Engaging, retaining, and upselling existing customers.
Best For: Subscription businesses (SaaS, eCommerce, mobile apps).
Key Skills: CRM, email marketing, push notifications, personalization, loyalty programs.
When to Hire: When retention is low, churn is high, or customers aren’t engaged.
Example: A fitness app should hire a lifecycle marketer to set up automated email sequences and push notifications to keep users active.
5. Brand & Content Marketer (Best for Companies Needing Awareness and Thought Leadership)
Focus: Building brand awareness, content strategy, and storytelling.
Best For: Consumer brands, DTC, tech startups, companies competing on brand loyalty.
Key Skills: Copywriting, content creation, SEO, video marketing, social media.
When to Hire: When the company wants to establish authority in the market and grow organic traffic.
Example: A sustainable fashion brand should hire a content marketer to produce high-quality blogs, influencer collaborations, and SEO-optimized content.
Who Should a Company Hire First?
Company stage is enough key factor to consider when looking to bring on a full-time marketer.
| Company Stage | Best Marketer to Hire |
| Pre-Launch / MVP | Growth Marketer (to drive initial traction) |
| Startup (<$10M ARR) | Growth or Demand Gen Marketer (to scale lead acquisition) |
| Scale-Up ($10M-$50M ARR) | Product Marketer (to refine messaging and GTM) |
| Enterprise ($50M+ ARR) | Lifecycle Marketer + Brand Marketer (to retain & expand) |
💡 Pro Tip: Many startups hire generalist marketers first (who can handle multiple areas), then hire specialists as the company scales.
How to Make the Best Hire?
1️⃣ Align the hire with the business goal. If you need more leads, hire a demand generation marketer; if retention is a problem, hire a lifecycle marketer.
2️⃣ Consider budget & team structure. A growth marketer can cover multiple areas early on, while larger teams need specialists.
3️⃣ Look for adaptability. In startups, agility is key—hire marketers who can test, iterate, and scale campaigns efficiently.
4️⃣ Evaluate past success. Strong candidates should have a track record of moving key business metrics (CAC, LTV, pipeline growth).
By understanding your business needs and hiring strategically, you’ll set up your marketing team for long-term success.
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Hiring the right marketers isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about fuelling your growth. If your startup is struggling to identify the types of marketers it needs or attract this talent, we can help. Our specialized marketing recruitment practice is built to connect high-growth companies with candidates who drive results.
Book a call and take the first step toward building the marketing team your startup needs.