Outsource Marketing in Chicago
Outsource your Chicago business marketing to a dedicated team. Fractional CMO, content, SEO, email, and paid advertising. Startup-friendly pricing.
The Economics of Outsourcing vs Hiring
The cost comparison is not just salary versus retainer. It is the total cost of having a marketing function operational in your business.
| Factor | In-House Hire | Outsourced Team |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $100,000-$150,000 | $36,000-$96,000 |
| Time to operational | 2-3 months | 2-4 weeks |
| Skill coverage | 1-2 specialties | 5-8 specialties |
| Management required | 5-10 hours/week | 2-3 hours/month |
| Firing risk if wrong hire | Significant | Switch partners easily |
| Vacation/sick coverage | None | Built into team |
| Tools and software | $3,000-$8,000/year extra | Included |
| Training and development | Your responsibility | Included |
The outsourced model costs 25-65% less and delivers broader expertise. The in-house model gives you more control and a dedicated person who builds deep institutional knowledge. Both have a place.
Outsource when: - Your revenue is under $3M and cannot support a full-time marketing hire - You need marketing breadth (content, SEO, email, paid, social) not depth in one area - Your founder time is better spent on product, sales, or operations - You want to move fast without a 3-month hiring and onboarding process - You are unsure what marketing channels work and need experimentation before committing
Hire in-house when: - Your revenue exceeds $5M and marketing is a proven growth driver - You need daily, hands-on marketing work that requires deep product knowledge - You have management bandwidth to direct and develop a marketing employee - Your marketing needs are stable and predictable (not experimental)
Three Outsourcing Models
Done-for-You Marketing
We handle everything. Strategy, execution, reporting. You spend 2 to 3 hours per month reviewing results and providing business context. This is the most common model for busy founders.
Best for: Founders at 1871, Techstars alumni, bootstrapped operators who cannot spare more than 3 hours per month for marketing.
Monthly investment: $3,000 to $8,000 depending on scope.
What you get: Full marketing function. Content, SEO, email, social, paid (if applicable), website updates, monthly reporting, quarterly strategy.
Fractional CMO
We provide strategic marketing leadership and direct a combination of our team and your internal resources. This model works when you have some marketing capacity (a junior marketer, a content writer, a social media intern) but lack strategic direction.
Best for: Companies with $1M+ revenue that have outgrown founder-led marketing but are not ready for a full-time VP of Marketing.
Monthly investment: $4,000 to $8,000.
What you get: 10 to 15 hours per month of strategic leadership. Channel strategy, team direction, vendor management, budget optimization, KPI setting, and executive reporting.
Project-Based
We handle specific marketing projects: website redesign, email migration, content calendar launch, SEO audit and implementation, paid advertising setup. This model works for businesses that have ongoing marketing covered but need specialized expertise for specific initiatives.
Best for: Companies with in-house marketing teams that need outside expertise for technical or specialized projects.
Project investment: $5,000 to $25,000 depending on project scope.
What you get: Scoped deliverables, fixed timeline, complete project from start to finish.
Chicago Businesses We Work With
Our outsourced marketing clients span Chicago's business landscape.
Technology startups. SaaS companies in the Loop and River North that need lead generation, content marketing, and conversion optimization. Typical engagement: done-for-you marketing at $4,000 to $6,000/month.
Professional services firms. Consulting firms, accounting practices, and law firms along LaSalle Street and the North Shore. Typical engagement: content marketing and LinkedIn strategy at $3,000 to $5,000/month.
Consumer brands. Food and beverage companies in the West Loop and Fulton Market. Lifestyle brands in Wicker Park and Logan Square. Typical engagement: social media, email, and content at $3,000 to $6,000/month.
Community ventures. Mission-driven organizations across Chicago. Typical engagement: website, content, and community engagement strategy at $2,000 to $4,000/month.
How Outsourced Marketing Works at Running Start Digital
Week 1: Onboarding. We learn your business, your customers, your competitors, and your goals. We audit your existing marketing assets, analytics, and customer data. We identify quick wins and long-term opportunities.
Week 2: Strategy. We deliver a 90-day marketing plan with specific priorities, channels, and metrics. Not a 50-page document. A focused plan with 3 to 5 priorities and clear success metrics.
Weeks 3+: Execution. We execute the plan. Content goes live. Emails get sent. Ads get launched. Website gets updated. You review weekly or biweekly progress updates and provide feedback.
Monthly: Report and adjust. Full performance report. What worked. What did not. What we will change. Budget reallocation. Priority adjustment.
The first 30 days are about learning and foundation-building. Months 2 and 3 are about testing and optimization. By month 4, the system is running and producing measurable results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much time do I need to invest as the founder?
Two to three hours per month for the done-for-you model. One monthly strategy session (45 minutes), one async review and approval cycle per month (30 minutes), and ad-hoc communication as needed (30-60 minutes). If you are spending more than 3 hours per month managing your outsourced marketing team, the team is not doing its job.
Q: What if the outsourced team does not understand my business?
This is the most common concern, and it is valid. We solve it with intensive onboarding in week one, regular communication, and by assigning a dedicated strategist who learns your business deeply. By month two, our team understands your customers, your competitors, and your value proposition well enough to produce content and campaigns that sound like they came from your internal team.
Q: Can I mix outsourced and in-house marketing?
Absolutely. Many Chicago companies use us for strategy and specialized execution (SEO, paid ads, email automation) while handling social media and community engagement in-house. The fractional CMO model is specifically designed for this hybrid approach.
Q: What is your contract length?
Month-to-month. No long-term contracts. We believe that if our work does not produce results, you should be free to make changes without penalty. Most clients stay for 12+ months because the results compound over time, but you are never locked in.
Q: How quickly can you start?
We begin onboarding within one week of engagement. The first marketing activities (quick wins, content planning, analytics setup) happen in week two. Full execution begins in week three. This is months faster than hiring, onboarding, and training an in-house marketer.
Q: What results should I expect in the first 90 days?
Month 1: Marketing foundation established, quick wins implemented, content calendar launched. Month 2: First content published, email sequences active, initial data collected. Month 3: Measurable improvement in website traffic, first marketing-attributed leads, clear data on which channels are working. By month 6, you should see consistent lead flow and decreasing cost per acquisition.
Ready to put this into action?
We help businesses implement the strategies in these guides. Talk to our team.