Here’s an example of the extreme expectations climate tech startups (and other startups ) have for their first marketing hires . . . 😬
This startup is hiring their first marketer. And, in their own words pulled straight from the job description, they’re expecting:
⚫ The marketer gets a “marketing lead” job title (i.e. mid-level marketing role)
⚫ They must have 4-8 years of marketing experience
⚫ They will have to build the marketing strategy from the ground up for “a new product category”
⚫ They will manage LinkedIn, Twitter, blog posts, paid acquisition, webinars, in-person event marketing, influencer partnerships, “and more”
⚫ They should be ready to work “the occasional 60-hour work week”
This is a LOT to expect for a mid-level marketer with less than 10 years of experience.
But, for some reason, it seems to be the way many climate tech startups set up their marketing motion: with one VERY overwhelmed marketer.
(It’s also the reason most of the 10+ first marketers I’ve interviewed over the past year are either completely doubting themselves or already planning their exit strategy.) 😥
Here are my 3 favorite alternative suggestions for climate tech startups who are starting to build their marketing team: 👉
1️⃣ Contract 1 fractional CMO to build the marketing strategy and hire 1 full-time mid-level marketing generalist who can do most of the legwork.
2️⃣ Hire 1 senior-level marketer (such as a marketing director or head of marketing) who knows how to build a marketing strategy but still has very recent experience rolling their sleeves up and doing — and they enjoy that.
3️⃣ Work with a specialized marketing agency that allows you to outsource your marketing team completely. What you should be looking for here is an agency that gives you a dedicated marketing director/CMO to build and lead executing a comprehensive marketing plan that aligns with your business goals.
While this lays the foundation, climate tech startups will also likely still need to set aside marketing budget to contract additional marketing support along the way.
As amazing as climate tech marketers are, no one can do it all — at least not well — in marketing, especially not alone.