Marketing audit or a marketing manager?
Two very different investments, often considered at the same moment. Here is what each one costs, what each one delivers, and the conditions that make one the better first move. You know your business. This page is here to help you make the call.
Prefer to run marketing yourself? See the Marketing Accelerator.
Marketing audit vs hiring a marketing manager, in short
A marketing audit and a marketing manager solve different problems. An audit is a one-off, independent diagnosis of what is wrong and what to fix first, delivered in seven working days for £495 + VAT. A marketing manager is an ongoing salaried hire who owns delivery. If you already know what needs doing, hire. If the brief is still unclear, an audit tells you what to hire for before you commit to the salary.
Side by side
What each option costs and delivers.
Cost
Audit: £495 + VAT, one-off.
Hire: A UK Marketing Manager typically earns £40,000 to £65,000 base salary, before employer National Insurance, pension contributions, recruitment costs and ramp-up time, which commonly add another 20 to 30 percent on top.
Time to value
Audit: 7 working days from completed onboarding.
Hire: Typically months, covering notice periods, onboarding and ramp-up.
What you get
Audit: An 18 to 20 page report, a Marketing Score out of 100, priority recommendations, a 90-day plan and a 30 minute walkthrough.
Hire: Ongoing ownership, day-to-day delivery and someone accountable in the business.
Independence
Audit: An external, evidence-led view with no internal politics attached.
Hire: An internal view, shaped over time by the priorities set for them.
Commitment
Audit: None beyond the one-off fee. You own the report and roadmap.
Hire: A permanent role, with the cost and risk of getting the brief wrong.
Ongoing delivery
Audit: Not included. Your team, your agency or Marketing Lite can run the plan.
Hire: Included. That is the point of the role.
Salary levels vary considerably by region, sector and seniority, so check current UK benchmarks for the specific role you have in mind before comparing.
Making the call
Which one fits your situation?
A hire makes sense when
- You can describe the role, the channels and the targets clearly today.
- Marketing is already a proven growth engine you want to scale in-house.
- There is enough consistent work to fill a full-time role.
- Someone senior is available to set direction and manage the person.
An audit first makes sense when
- You are unsure which marketing skills the business actually needs.
- Previous marketing spend has not produced a clear return.
- You want an independent view before committing to a permanent cost.
- You need a prioritised plan a new hire could pick up on day one.
The real value of an audit
Clarity on what to hire for, before you spend on a hire.
The most expensive marketing mistake is not a bad hire. It is the right hire given the wrong brief. An audit gives you an evidence-led view of where the gaps are, which skills would close them, and what the first 90 days should look like. If you then hire, the new person starts with a plan rather than a blank page. If you do not, you still own a roadmap your existing team or agency can run.
The plan
Diagnose, decide, deliver.
- 1
Diagnose
7 working daysThe Marketing Audit reviews twelve areas of your marketing and scores performance out of 100.
- 2
Decide
Your callUse the findings and 90-day plan to decide whether the gap is a skills gap, a direction gap or a delivery gap.
- 3
Deliver
OngoingHire against a clear brief, run the plan in-house, or take ongoing direction with Marketing Lite or Marketing Pro.
What is at stake
Both options cost money. Only one is reversible.
A hire is a long commitment
Salary, employer costs and notice periods continue whether or not the brief turns out to be right.
Waiting has a cost too
Every month without direction is another month of budget spread across activity nobody is measuring.
An audit is a fixed, small bet
£495 + VAT, one-off, delivered in seven working days, with a plan you keep either way.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
Marketing Audit™
Know what to hire for, before you hire.
£495 + VAT
Running marketing yourself instead? See the Marketing Accelerator.