Do I need more Marketing resource - or a more efficient department?

This is one of the most common questions I hear.

And it’s usually being asked for a reason.

When “more resource” feels like the answer

If marketing feels:

• Overwhelming

• Slow

• Reactive

• Disconnected

It’s tempting to assume the solution is more people, more agencies or more budget.

But that’s not always the problem.

The efficiency question

Sometimes we are just busy fools. It’s ok – it happens to the best of us. And before we know it we’re doing things for doing things sake without any real benefit.

Before adding resource, ask:

• Are priorities clear?

• Is anyone accountable for results?

• Do we know what’s actually working?

• Are tools and processes helping or hindering?

If the answer to those is unclear, adding more resource often just adds more complexity – not to mention more cost.

What efficient marketing looks like

An efficient marketing function has:

• Full integration with the wider business

• Clear goals and success measures

• Defined ownership and decision-making

• Simple and effective processes

• The right martech stack

• Reporting that informs action

When those are in place, resource gaps become obvious - and solvable.

The smarter starting point

Before adding more people, more tools, or more budget, it’s worth asking whether your marketing is actually set up to work efficiently. In many cases, businesses don’t need more marketing.

They need:

• Clarity

• Structure

• Direction

Once that’s in place, it becomes much easier to decide whether additional resource is genuinely needed. Skip this step, and you risk scaling confusion instead of results.

If this has raised questions about how your marketing is really working, a short conversation can help you work out what’s needed next.