If I'm ever known for anything when I die, it'll probably be the amount of times I've told entrepreneurs that they cannot waste time trying to do everything, and that the best way to grow is to eliminate, delegate, and automate. If you're on board, but don't know where to start, I'd say one of the best exercises to start with is delegating your marketing strategy to the pros, while you focus on things that you're required to do: biz dev, hiring, all of the high level stuff that needs you to be there.
But how do you know if it's time to hire out? Start with answering these two questions as honestly as you can:
How Much Time Are You Spending On Marketing?
The main reason you're probably hesitant is because of the cost. You probably think outsourcing to a marketing company would be an expensive cost, and it would be better to just do it yourself.
How much time are you spending trying to figure out the nuts and bolts of successful marketing campaigns? I get that if you're just starting out, you want to be as grassroots as possible, but time is money. Your money, for all intents and purposes, is infinite; there are millions of ways to make money. Your time is finite. Once you realize that, you'll start to think about what you're priorities are when it comes to your time, and that's when the delegation will begin. I believe that marketing is one of the first places to start, as I've found it to be a field best left to the pros since it can be a pain to try and keep up with new tactics, analytics, and strategies. Instead of focusing on trying to keep up, focus your efforts on things that actually require your expertise as the owner and leave the grunt work to the pros.
How Comfortable Do You Feel Doing Marketing On Your Own?
Along the lines of question #1: how knowledgeable do you really feel when it comes to your customer base and your marketing strategy? Do you know where your customers are hanging out on social media? Do you know how to do product integration campaigns with influencers? Better yet, read this article (which has a lot of great tips) and see if your eyes cross over. If they do, then marketing is out of your wheelhouse and should be sourced to a team that can do it better, faster, and more successfully than you.
It may feel scary to hire professionals to handle your marketing for you, but if you're feeling totally overwhelmed by creating a marketing strategy, then it's a step you need to take. If you're unsure, have a heart-to-heart with yourself by truthfully answering these two questions, and by the end you'll know the answer: do it. Do it yesterday.