Delegation in the Marketing Industry and Why It Matters

As a marketing professional, it can be hard to regulate the day and still get every task done. In an industry that is demanding and always shifting, a marketer has to be on top of the work to stay efficient. The ability to delegate is invaluable — even if it is easier said than done.

Take a self-employed digital marketer. Rather than working for an agency or in-house, the operator prefers to take on projects solo. Fine — until the pipeline gets busy and suddenly there is more work than one person can manage.

It's a good problem to have. But when an operator is spread too thin, both the quality of the work and the level of client service suffer.

So how does a sole proprietor delegate? What happens when the work keeps coming and there isn't enough headcount to absorb it? A few practical rules.

Use freelancers as leverage

Working alone doesn't mean working without help. If managing a client's social channels is eating too much time — or if social isn't the operator's wheelhouse — that work moves off the desk. Not everyone is good at writing captions, engaging audiences, and researching hashtags. The cost of a qualified freelancer is almost always lower than the cost of letting the work degrade.

The rule is simple. Vet the freelancer. Make sure the quality the client sees doesn't slip. Then move the menial or time-heavy work off the principal's plate.

It is OK to say no

Self-employed operators hesitate to turn work away. Agencies and in-house teams hesitate too. More work means more revenue, and no one wants to leave revenue on the table.

But sometimes the volume is too high to guarantee quality. A prospect wants a marketing consultation and the calendar is already full. Rather than saying yes and figuring it out later, look honestly at the next few weeks. Work with the client on a timeline that fits both sides. Most clients want a specific operator badly enough that they will accept a later start in exchange for the work being good.

Delegation is not a loss. It is a discipline. Learning how to delegate — and how to decline — is part of any professional career. No one wants sub-par work. For in-house teams and agencies, structuring workflow around each person's strengths beats drowning them in volume every time.

Originally published April 2019.