Marketing support can feel like a choose-your-own-adventure novel except instead of dragons and treasure, you’re navigating SEO, TikTok ads, newsletters, and brand campaigns. The real challenge? Figuring out what kind of support you actually need. Do you hire an agency? A freelancer? A full-time team? Or just keep winging it until something sticks?
Spoiler: “winging it” isn’t a strategy. The truth is many businesses struggle to define their marketing needs clearly, which means wasted spend, underwhelming results, and a lot of “we should’ve figured this out sooner” moments. The good news is you don’t have to stumble through the process alone.
Let’s unpack why businesses struggle, how you can evaluate your own marketing needs, and how Breef helps you find the right support (without drowning in RFPs or endless Googling).
Why Businesses Often Struggle to Identify Their Marketing Needs
If you’ve ever thought, “We need more marketing!” but couldn’t quite define what that meant, you’re not alone. Here are some of the biggest reasons brands get stuck:
Too Many Options, Not Enough Clarity
The marketing world is an endless buffet: SEO, content, paid social, influencers, email automation, brand strategy… the list never ends. Without clarity on what will actually move the needle for your business, it’s easy to over-order or grab the wrong plate.
Shiny Object Syndrome
A competitor launches a TikTok campaign. Another brand goes viral with UGC. Suddenly, you feel behind. Businesses often chase trends without asking if they align with their goals, audience, or budget. The result? A lot of effort with little return.
Lack of Internal Expertise
Many small businesses (and even mid-size ones) don’t have in-house marketing experts to guide decisions. Without a clear understanding of tactics and outcomes, “needs marketing” stays vague and undefined.
Focusing on Tactics Instead of Goals
“We need Instagram ads!” may not be true. What you actually need might be lead generation or brand awareness. When goals aren’t defined first, businesses jump into tactics that don’t serve their bigger picture.
Time and Bandwidth Constraints
When teams are already stretched thin, there’s little energy left for deep reflection on needs. The urgent pushes out the important, and defining a marketing roadmap takes a backseat.
How to Evaluate Your Marketing Needs
So how do you move from “we need marketing” to “we need X, Y, and Z to hit our goals”? Here are some practical ways to evaluate:
Start With Business Goals, Not Channels
Do you want to increase sales? Build brand awareness? Enter a new market? Goals should drive your marketing needs not the other way around. A clear goal keeps you from chasing every shiny tactic.
Audit Your Current Efforts
Take stock of what you’re already doing. Which channels are performing? Which are underperforming? For example, maybe your email list is growing steadily but your social media engagement is flat. The audit shows where to double down and where to seek outside help.
Define Your Resources
Be brutally honest about your team’s capacity and skills. Do you have someone who can manage content calendars, or is that a gap? Do you have budget for ongoing ad spend, or just a one-off push? Knowing your resources helps shape realistic support.
Understand Your Audience
Marketing support should be tailored to where your audience is spending time. If your target buyers are B2B decision-makers, LinkedIn ads might be smarter than TikTok. If you’re selling lifestyle products to Gen Z, TikTok and UGC should be on your radar.
Identify Gaps in Expertise
Maybe you have a strong creative team but no analytics muscle. Or you’re great at content but lack paid media strategy. Knowing your weak spots helps you zero in on the kind of support you need most.
Consider Scale and Sustainability
Do you need a one-time campaign or long-term support? Scaling businesses often need ongoing strategy and execution, while smaller ones might just need a rebrand or website refresh.
Get the Right Marketing Support with Breef
Here’s the kicker: even when you know your goals, resources, and gaps, finding the right support can still feel like dating without an app. Endless searches, mismatched partners, and a lot of ghosting.
That’s where Breef comes in. Instead of spending weeks Googling or relying on word-of-mouth, you can create a project brief and get matched with agencies that already fit your needs. Whether it’s brand strategy, paid social, SEO, content creation, or influencer marketing, Breef curates the right partners so you don’t waste time or money.
Through the platform, you’ll get structured, easy-to-compare proposals so you can evaluate more clearly. Plus, you’ll have a dedicated strategist to guide you through the process (from clarifying your needs to selecting the right partner to managing contracts and payments).
The result? Less guesswork, more clarity, and a partner who helps you execute the marketing that actually matters.
Final Thoughts
Marketing support isn’t one-size-fits-all. The real question isn’t if you need it, it’s what kind you need. By defining your goals, auditing what’s working, and being honest about your resources, you’ll set yourself up to choose support that makes sense.
And if that sounds overwhelming? Don’t sweat it. With Breef, you’ll have the guidance, clarity, and connections to find your perfect-fit agency without the chaos of the traditional search.
Ready to stop guessing and start scaling? Book a call with a Breef Marketing Strategist to get started. 🚀
