A Demand Generation Manager is a critical addition to any tech marketing team – so when exactly is the right time to hire one? The answer can vary depending on a lot of factors, but there are a few very clear signs that your go-to-market (GTM) team will benefit from having an experienced professional in place to guide your lead acquisition strategy and execution.
In this blog, we will go over everything you need to know about what a Demand Gen Manager does and when you know that it is the right time to begin recruiting for one:
Understanding Demand Generation Marketing in Tech
Demand Generation marketing is a somewhat broad category in essence, technically encompassing many different activities contributing to boosting awareness, visibility and ultimately increased interest in what you are selling among your target market(s). In practice, and especially in the world of technology, Demand Gen marketers and leaders are lead generation machines that serve this function however they need to, and to the best of their abilities and expertise. This includes conceptualizing, implementing, executing, contributing to or delegating any of the following:
- Building and deploying a demand generation strategy
- Directing or supporting inbound and/or outbound GTM channel tactics
- Track, analyze, and optimize marketing campaigns
- Aligning marketing efforts with sales enablement goals
- Build out and improve marketing automation processes, lead scoring, and CRM integrations
- Grow organic and paid distribution channels, including email, PPC, social media and blogs
As you can probably figure out from the above, a Demand Generation Manager needs to be a multifaceted, jack-of-all-trades while still being able to master a few of them. It is a role that often requires as much experience as natural ability, greatly affecting average compensation for skilled candidates. However, with the salary trends we have seen emerging for 2024, smaller SaaS companies with less cash on hand may be able to hire less experienced candidates for lower rates.
When Do You Need to Hire a Demand Generation Manager?
As alluded to earlier in this article, hiring a Demand Gen Manager is an important step in building up your marketing team, especially for a tech startup looking to stand out in a crowded B2B market. But when exactly is the best time to begin sourcing for a qualified candidate that fits your needs? Here are the benchmarks we recommend you hit before starting your search:
- If you have successfully raised a Series A funding round
- If you have implemented a CRM and marketing automation platform and want to maximize its output
- If you have someone dedicated to generating content to use
- If you have built up traction for your marketing efforts but need to increase the volume and quality of your leads
In short, once your organization has begun to scale up your outreach programs, it will be time to seriously consider hiring a Demand Generation Manager. However, there are several other factors to keep in mind as you begin your recruiting search and refine what your unicorn marketing candidate looks like.
Demand Generation Manager Hiring for Tech Startups by Stage
For tech startups, your size and what funding round you are at will obviously play a significant role in deciding your hiring budget, which also often affects how fast you are going to be able to attract top-level talent for the position. Conversely, this is also when having a Demand Gen marketing strategy has the most impact as your org must raise awareness to stand out in your market. You can leverage the Betts Compensation Guide to stay on top of salary averages for the given year and refer to our target rates – and adjustments – to better inform your offer pitch.
Leveraging a Demand Generation Marketer for Analytics
Demand Generation Managers are the arbiters of getting the most out of your data for your marketing campaigns, meaning that you will be relying on them to capture actionable insights from your analytics. Of course, this also means arming them with the tools they need to extract this information, and implementing a CRM or marketing platform is its own investment. You must carefully consider your total Cost-per-Hire by factoring in additional expenses like these to ensure you have a clear picture of your target ROI.
Remote Demand Generation Managers – Hiring by Location
Despite a growing push for return-to-office (RTO) among many enterprises, most tech companies still offer hybrid working models and there remain quite a few that allow work-from-home (WFH). What we have seen is that generally there is a bit of added incentive in compensation rates, with remote Demand Gen marketers usually earning at the lower end of the salary band in their field. This may be critical for startups trying to recruit in more established markets like New York, Austin or San Francisco where the average rate for more experienced GTM professionals will be much higher for in-office work.
Growth Marketing vs Demand Generation Marketing Trends
Growth Marketing strategy is an increasing area of priority for many SaaS companies, with many in the Betts network expanding their recruiting searches for leadership-level candidates with experience in this field. However, we have found that the actual available talent pool with the required knowledge and skill set is dwarfed by the demand, which means that other roles will be picking up some of the slack as they learn to take on at least part of the responsibilities of a true Growth Marketer. This includes Demand Generation Managers, whose wide range of duties often include activities that parallel those of Growth Marketing leaders.
Ready to Hire Your Next Demand Gen Manager?
Hiring a Demand Gen Manager is an important decision to make for growing your tech marketing team, but to get there you should know what your unicorn marketer looks like and what you need to attract top talent for the role. Betts Recruiting will help you optimize your talent acquisition with a scalable, data-driven and proven approach to finding the right fit marketing hire for your GTM team.
Contact Betts today to get started on your search for your unicorn Demand Generation Manager.