From a Founder’s Perspective: How to Hire a Chief Marketing Officer

Who is the Chief Marketing Officer?

Firstly, we needed to get ourselves familiar with the definition of CMO, before hiring one. A CMO is responsible for everything in marketing, from the planning to the execution.

 This individual should also be familiar with different social media platforms and able to give numbers if the marketing efforts made in a month are really worth it.

Simply; a creative individual who can track what’s working and what’s not!

What Does a CMO Do?

Before hunting and shortlisting a CMO, it’s important to understand what would be the responsibilities of that person, here is the job description of a CMO:

• Identifying any issues with the current brand identity and taking measures for effective rebranding
• Oversee all brand content to make sure that the tone is consistent
• Virality is Important, content should have that WOW factor
• Manage Influencer relationships across all social media platforms such as Instagram.
• Manage paid media campaigns to ensure an increase in views and customers through digital channels.
• A weekly report to ensure everything is on track.
• Should be able to work with the allocated marketing budget in terms of video production and handling paid ads on social media.

Chief Marketing Officer: Technical Qualifications

When hiring for a CMO, look for someone with 10-plus years of industry experience.

Out of which, he should have had 7 years of experience in a leadership position. Also, here are some other technical qualifications that I was looking for:

• Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM.
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM.
• Familiarity with analytics tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or Tableau.
• Knowledge of email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or SendGrid.
• Ability to analyze data to track KPIs, ROI, and customer behavior.
• Experience with A/B testing tools (e.g., Optimizely, VWO) for performance optimization.

Hiring a Chief Marketing Officer: Monetary Benefits and Salary

Here are the general expenses associated with hiring a Chief Marketing Officer, specifically in the USA. The base salary that we are considering is $434,200 (all calculations are based on that).

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential

Let the Shortlisting Begin…

Once a job post is created, it was time to make it live on various platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and Monster.

You can then shortlist based on the technical and professional skills that you are looking for.

Interview Questions to Ask a CMO

Here are some questions you can ask your potential CMO:

• Can you walk us through a successful marketing strategy you've implemented in the past?
• How do you balance creative marketing with data-driven decision-making?
• How do you measure the success of marketing campaigns and what key performance indicators (KPIs) do you prioritize?
• Can you describe a time when you had to pivot a marketing strategy due to unforeseen challenges?
• What is your experience with customer segmentation, and how do you tailor marketing efforts to different segments?

If the individual gives satisfactory answers to the above questions, they move on to the next stage. If the answers are not up to the mark, you will have to repeat the entire process from scratch.

As a backup, you should also have alternatives in mind.

Alternatives: Working With a Digital Agency

When all the above efforts fail to hire a CMO, the best alternative is to go with a digital agency.

 You wouldn’t have to give benefits and bonuses, which would save you more than 140k in benefits per year.

 So, here are my top 3 choices for a digital agency:

1. Design Ade Premier

Design Ade Premier is a digital agency, go through their Instagram page, and you will see designs, animations, and motion graphics that are both colorful and vibrant.

This digital agency has worked with different industries ranging from the restaurant industry to health and wellness.

Clients DAP Has Worked With

Here are some clients that DAP has worked with:

Social Media Following

DAP has a strong social media presence and here’s what it looks like:

This really shows that DAP knows what they are doing.

Services Offered

2. Kar Creative

Kar Creative is a digital agency that was founded in 2018. It’s based in Los Angeles and has been helping brands create self-aware marketing campaigns for more than 5 years.

They have a human-first approach. Everything they create is by and for humans.

Clients Kar Creative Has Worked With

Here are some clients that Kar Creative has worked with:

Social Media Following

If I am hiring an agency to take over the role of a CMO, one thing that I consider is how strong is their social media presence.

Services Offered

3. True North Social

True North Social is a digital media agency that’s majorly focused on SEO and web design. This agency helps brands design creative websites, that help increase traffic and eventually close more leads.

They specialize in running SEO and PPC campaigns, especially for e-commerce brands.

Clients True Social Has Worked With

Here are some clients that True North Social has worked with:

Social Media Following

If I am hiring an agency to take over the role of a CMO, one thing that I consider is how strong is their social media presence.

Services Offered

Note: This social media agency doesn’t have a specific specialization but does everything, which means they wouldn’t be focused on the marketing aspects of my agency.

I guess now I know the answer to

“How to hire a chief marketing officer?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Why hire a CMO?

Companies should hire a CMO to ensure strategic alignment between marketing efforts and overall business objectives.

A CMO brings a comprehensive understanding of market trends, customer behavior, and competitive landscapes, allowing them to craft marketing strategies that directly contribute to the company’s growth and profitability.