Comprehensive Guide to Hiring Marketing Freelance Roles for Small Businesses

In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, small businesses are increasingly turning to freelancers to access specialized skills, maintain flexibility, and drive growth without the overhead of full-time hires. Freelancers offer a cost-effective solution, allowing businesses to scale their workforce according to project demands and budget constraints. This agility is particularly beneficial for startups and small enterprises aiming to stay competitive and innovative. ​

However, while the benefits are substantial, there are challenges to consider. Managing a team of freelancers requires clear communication, effective project management, and a strategic approach to ensure alignment with business goals. Without proper oversight, businesses may face issues such as inconsistent quality, missed deadlines, or lack of cohesion among team members. ​

This is where a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) can play a pivotal role. By providing strategic direction and overseeing the integration of freelance talent, a Fractional CMO ensures that all marketing efforts are cohesive, targeted, and aligned with the company's objectives. They can effectively bridge the gap between freelance contributors and the core business strategy, maximizing the return on investment and driving sustainable growth.​

Pros	Cons
Cost Efficiency: Freelancers often cost less than full-time employees, as businesses save on benefits, office space, and equipment.	Inconsistent Availability: Freelancers may juggle multiple clients, leading to potential scheduling conflicts or delays.
Flexibility: They can be hired on a project-by-project basis, allowing businesses to scale their workforce as needed.	Limited Control: Managing freelancers can be challenging, as they operate independently and may not align perfectly with company processes.
Access to Specialized Skills: Freelancers often possess niche expertise, enabling businesses to tap into skills not available in-house.	Potential Quality Variance: The quality of work can vary between freelancers, requiring thorough vetting and management.
Reduced Onboarding Time: Experienced freelancers can quickly adapt to projects, minimizing training and onboarding periods.	Confidentiality Risks: Sharing sensitive information with external contractors may pose security concerns if not properly managed.
Global Talent Pool: Businesses can hire freelancers from around the world, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences.	Lack of Long-Term Commitment: Freelancers may not be as invested in the company's long-term success compared to full-time employees.

In this guide, we'll delve into the most common freelance roles essential for small businesses, explore average hourly rates across different experience levels, and provide insights into evaluating and integrating these professionals into your operations. Additionally, we'll discuss how a Fractional CMO can streamline the process, ensuring that your freelance team operates efficiently and contributes meaningfully to your business success.​

How to Hire for Common Tasks that Require Specialist

In the evolving landscape of small business operations, the reliance on freelance professionals has become a strategic necessity. Whether it's enhancing your online presence, managing financial records, or creating compelling content, freelancers offer specialized skills that can be pivotal for growth. Their flexibility allows businesses to scale operations up or down based on demand, providing a cost-effective solution without the long-term commitment of full-time hires. However, integrating freelancers into your business model requires careful consideration of their roles, compensation, and how they align with your overall strategy. In the following sections, we'll explore the most common freelance roles essential for small businesses, delve into average hourly rates across different experience levels, and provide insights into evaluating and integrating these professionals into your operations. Additionally, we'll discuss how a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) can streamline the process, ensuring that your freelance team operates efficiently and contributes meaningfully to your business success.

Most freelancers are hired for SEO

Freelance Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist

Role Description: An SEO specialist enhances your website's visibility on search engines like Google and Bing, helping potential customers find your business more easily. They conduct comprehensive keyword research to understand what your target audience is searching for, implement on-page optimization by refining website content and structure, and execute effective backlink strategies to build authority. Good SEO practices not only drive organic traffic but also improve website credibility and user experience.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $20–$35

• Intermediate: $35–$75

• Expert: $75–$150+

Evaluation Tips: When selecting an SEO specialist, review their track record for improving search rankings and generating organic traffic growth. Confirm their proficiency with popular SEO tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Search Console, or Moz. It's essential to verify their understanding of current search engine algorithm updates, as SEO is a rapidly evolving field. Request case studies or references that showcase their success in achieving measurable improvements in previous projects.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Manager

Role Description: A PPC Manager oversees paid advertising campaigns across platforms such as Google Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and other social media channels. Their goal is to drive highly targeted traffic and generate leads or sales through carefully managed ad budgets. Key responsibilities include keyword research, ad creation, budget optimization, A/B testing ad creatives, and analyzing performance data to continuously improve campaign efficiency and return on investment (ROI).

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $25–$50

• Intermediate: $50–$80

• Expert: $80–$150+

Evaluation Tips: When evaluating PPC Managers, focus on their proven experience managing ad spend effectively, achieving measurable ROI, and driving quality traffic. Review examples of past campaigns or case studies highlighting specific results, such as increased conversions or reduced cost-per-click (CPC). Confirm proficiency with analytics and campaign management tools like Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Business Manager, and any industry-specific platforms. Additionally, assess their ability to clearly communicate campaign insights, make data-driven recommendations, and adapt strategies quickly to optimize results.

Marketing Strategy Specialist

Role Description: A Marketing Strategy Specialist helps your business define clear, actionable marketing objectives and outlines a detailed roadmap for achieving them. They assess your market position, target audience, and competition, developing tailored strategies across multiple channels (digital, social media, content, offline). They also set measurable goals, choose appropriate marketing tactics, and ensure alignment of efforts to maximize return on investment (ROI) and achieve sustained business growth. Depending on the size of your company and your stage of growth, this role could range from a specialist to a CMO level role. While Fractional CMOs are pricier, their experience and ability to think analytically typically make the ROI worth the extra cost.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $50–$75

• Intermediate: $75–$150

• Expert: $175–$300+

Evaluation Tips:When hiring a Marketing Strategy Specialist, look for proven experience in creating and executing comprehensive marketing plans. Evaluate their ability to perform detailed market research, competitor analysis, and customer segmentation. Review case studies or portfolios demonstrating past successes and measurable outcomes such as increased market share, improved brand awareness, or enhanced customer engagement. Excellent communication and leadership skills are critical, as they will coordinate closely with various team members and stakeholders. Additionally, assess their strategic thinking, creativity, and their capacity to adapt quickly to changing market conditions.

Content Writer/Copywriter

Role Description: A Content Writer or Copywriter creates compelling, relevant, and engaging written material tailored to your audience and business objectives. Their work spans a wide range of content types, including website pages, blogs, social media posts, emails, product descriptions, marketing collateral, whitepapers, and press releases. The primary goals of content writing and copywriting are to capture attention, establish credibility, enhance SEO visibility, and drive conversions. Copywriters often specialize in persuasive, sales-oriented content designed to prompt immediate action, while content writers typically focus on delivering value and building audience trust through educational, informative, or entertaining content.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $20–$40

• Intermediate: $40–$75

• Expert: $75–$150+

• Specialized Content (e.g., critical web pages, sales copy, thought leadership): $150–$300+

Note: If the content involves critical website positioning, high-conversion landing pages, essential marketing copy, or thought leadership materials, you should expect—and plan—to invest significantly more. Specialized writers who deliver influential, high-impact content bring deep expertise in brand positioning, audience engagement strategies, and persuasive techniques that justify these higher rates.

Evaluation Tips: When selecting a content writer or copywriter, thoroughly review writing samples to assess clarity, style, grammar, and tone. Ensure their content aligns with your brand’s personality and effectively speaks to your target audience. Look for experience with SEO-driven content creation, including proficiency with keyword research and optimization techniques. Evaluate their ability to adapt their writing to various formats and channels, from formal industry reports to conversational social media posts. It's beneficial to review case studies or analytics demonstrating measurable results, such as increased web traffic, improved engagement rates, or higher conversion rates. Communication skills and responsiveness to feedback are also critical, as collaborative refinement often enhances content quality. Most importantly, analyze results. Did their copy create engagement, traffic, conversions, or other key metrics?

Social Media Manager

Role Description: A Social Media Manager develops, implements, and manages your company's social media strategy across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. Their responsibilities include creating engaging content, scheduling posts, managing community interactions, monitoring social listening, responding to comments and messages, analyzing performance metrics, and running targeted advertising campaigns. Effective social media management strengthens your brand presence, fosters customer loyalty, drives website traffic, and ultimately boosts sales and conversions.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $20–$40

• Intermediate: $40–$75

• Expert: $75–$125+

Evaluation Tips: When hiring a Social Media Manager, evaluate their experience in creating content tailored specifically for each social media platform. Review their past work and case studies to assess their ability to increase follower engagement, grow audiences, and drive measurable results, such as increased website traffic, conversions, or revenue. Proficiency with social media management tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, or Later is crucial, as these platforms enhance efficiency and reporting. Confirm that the candidate understands your target market and brand voice, and verify their responsiveness and customer interaction skills. Lastly, ensure they demonstrate strategic thinking—showing an ability to adjust tactics based on analytics and evolving social media trends.

Email Marketing Specialist

Role Description: An Email Marketing Specialist plans, creates, and manages targeted email campaigns aimed at nurturing leads, engaging customers, promoting products or services, and increasing conversions. They handle list segmentation, copywriting, email design, campaign automation, and performance tracking. Effective email marketing specialists craft personalized content to maintain subscriber engagement, minimize unsubscribe rates, and maximize deliverability and open rates.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $25–$45

• Intermediate: $45–$75

• Expert: $75–$150+

Evaluation Tips:Evaluate candidates by reviewing samples of previous email campaigns they've managed, specifically examining their ability to craft persuasive, engaging content and visually appealing layouts. Assess their knowledge of email marketing tools like MailChimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, or HubSpot. Check their understanding of email automation, customer journey modeling, segmentation strategies, and A/B testing. Request examples of past campaign results, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, to measure their effectiveness. Strong analytical skills and a proactive approach to improving campaign performance through data-driven insights are essential.

Competitive Analysis Specialist

Role Description: A Competitive Analysis Specialist evaluates your competitors' market positioning, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses. They provide insights into your competitive landscape, helping you identify opportunities for differentiation and strategic advantage. Their work often includes competitor profiling, benchmarking products or services, analyzing competitors' marketing tactics and customer engagement, and recommending actions to improve your market standing and capture market share.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $25–$50

• Intermediate: $50–$90

• Expert: $90–$175+

Evaluation Tips: When hiring a Competitive Analysis Specialist, seek candidates who demonstrate strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesize large amounts of information into actionable insights. Evaluate previous competitive analysis reports or case studies to gauge their depth of research and clarity of presentation. Confirm their proficiency with research tools and competitive intelligence platforms, such as SEMrush, SimilarWeb, SpyFu, or industry-specific databases. Ensure they have experience conducting comprehensive SWOT analyses and translating competitive insights into strategic recommendations. Additionally, assess their ability to communicate findings clearly and effectively to different stakeholders within your organization.

There are many other specialized freelance roles that small businesses frequently rely on to optimize their operations and marketing efforts. Here are several key positions that, while sometimes overlooked, can significantly enhance productivity, visibility, and effectiveness in today’s competitive landscape:

Graphic Designer

Role Description: A Graphic Designer creates compelling visual content that strengthens your brand identity across digital platforms, marketing materials, advertising, packaging, and social media. Their expertise helps ensure brand consistency, visually engaging content, and effective communication of your company’s messages.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $25–$40

• Intermediate: $40–$75

• Expert: $75–$150+

Evaluation Tips: Carefully review portfolios for creativity, consistency, and alignment with your brand aesthetic. A designer might be excellent, but might not be a fit for your brand personality. For example, a telehealth company probably would not be best served hiring a highly creative designer who handles artists. Confirm their proficiency in essential design software such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) or similar tools. Also, assess experience relevant to your specific industry, and request client references or testimonials to evaluate their professionalism, reliability, and ability to meet deadlines.

Podcast Producer/Editor

Role Description: A Podcast Producer/Editor manages the end-to-end production of podcast episodes, including recording, editing, enhancing audio quality, and distributing episodes on platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Their skill ensures professional audio quality, compelling storytelling, and effective audience engagement.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $25–$50

• Intermediate: $50–$100

• Expert: $100–$200+

Evaluation Tips:

Review their past work to evaluate audio quality, consistency, and production skills. Confirm proficiency with professional audio editing software such as Adobe Audition, Audacity, GarageBand, or Pro Tools. Assess their knowledge of podcast distribution platforms, best practices for episode optimization, and their ability to produce engaging content tailored to target audiences.

Google Tag Manager (GTM) Specialist

Role Description: A GTM Specialist implements and manages website tracking codes through Google Tag Manager, enabling accurate collection of visitor data for analytics and digital marketing campaigns. They ensure precise tracking of user interactions, conversions, and key performance indicators (KPIs), supporting data-driven decision-making.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $20–$30

• Intermediate: $30–$45

• Expert: $45–$70+

Evaluation Tips: Confirm their familiarity and experience with Google Tag Manager, including implementation and debugging of tracking tags. Ensure a clear understanding of data layer concepts and integration with analytics platforms such as Google Analytics, Meta (Facebook Pixel), and other digital marketing tools. Ask for case studies or examples of previous work demonstrating successful setup and accurate data capture. If you need a specialist with offline tracking via GCLID, make sure your investigate their experience with that skill.

Data Visualization Specialist

Role Description: A Data Visualization Specialist transforms complex data sets into intuitive visual formats such as interactive dashboards, charts, and infographics. Their work aids decision-making by clearly presenting insights and actionable information, improving organizational communication and understanding of performance metrics.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $25–$40

• Intermediate: $40–$60

• Expert: $60–$100+

Evaluation Tips: Evaluate proficiency in visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI, Google Looker Studio, or D3.js. Examine portfolios demonstrating their ability to present complex data clearly and compellingly. Additionally, ensure they can tailor visuals to various audiences, balancing aesthetic appeal with practical usability for data interpretation. These specialists will likely NOT have advanced statistical or analytical skills, so make sure you are covered for both places. For deeper understanding of this key difference see our blog: Beyond Pretty Charts: Why Most Marketing Teams Are Missing the Analytics Edge

Photographer/Videographer

Role Description: A Photographer/Videographer captures professional, high-quality images and videos for marketing, branding, events, and promotional purposes. They are responsible for pre-production planning, execution, and post-production editing, ensuring visuals that resonate with your audience and effectively communicate your brand message.

Average Hourly Rates:

• Entry-Level: $25–$50

• Intermediate: $50–$100

• Expert: $100–$200+

Evaluation Tips: Review their portfolio carefully to assess style, creativity, and technical proficiency in both photography and video content. Confirm experience relevant to your specific project needs, whether event coverage, product shoots, promotional videos, or corporate photography. Additionally, clarify details of their post-production process, including editing, retouching, video editing software proficiency (e.g., Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro), and turnaround times for deliverables.

Leveraging a Fractional CMO for Effective Freelancer Management

Hiring freelancers provides flexibility and specialized expertise, but managing multiple independent contractors simultaneously can become complex and time-consuming. Partnering with a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) simplifies this process by offering strategic oversight, seamless integration, and measurable results:

• Strategic Alignment: Ensures all freelance projects align directly with your overall business goals and integrated marketing strategy.

• Expert Hiring: Identifies, evaluates, and selects freelancers who possess the precise skills and cultural fit required by your organization.

• Efficient Project Management: Coordinates workflows, assigns tasks clearly, sets realistic deadlines, and maintains rigorous quality control across all freelance engagements.

• Advanced Performance Monitoring: Utilizes deep analytical insights—not just simplistic dashboards—to accurately measure freelancer contributions, quickly adjust strategies, and ensure optimal return on investment.

  
  

By working with Orr Consulting, you gain not only fractional CMO leadership but also deep expertise in freelance talent management, performance analytics, and strategic marketing execution. Orr Consulting bridges the gap between freelancers and your business strategy, delivering cohesive campaigns, measurable outcomes, and sustained business growth.

Ready to elevate your freelance management strategy? Contact Orr Consulting to learn how a Fractional CMO can optimize your freelancer investments and drive meaningful business results.