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Do You Need a Virtual Assistant, a Freelancer, or a Concierge Team?
- Malaika Karriem
- Apr 21
- 7 min read
A Founder’s Guide to Choosing the Right Marketing Support
If you’re a founder in growth mode, there’s one question you’ve probably asked yourself more than once:
“Should I hire a virtual assistant, find a freelancer, hire employees or bring in a concierge team?”
Your marketing needs are growing — but your time, energy, and mental bandwidth aren’t. You know you can’t do it all, and you're ready to get real support. But with so many options (and so much noise), it’s hard to know which one’s right for you.
But what kind of support actually makes sense for your business?
A Virtual Assistant (VA) who can handle admin and light marketing tasks?
A Freelancer who specializes in one or two things?
Or a Concierge Marketing Team that can plug in like a department — and grow with you?
Let’s break it down — and help you figure out what kind of support will actually move the needle.
First, What’s the Real Problem You’re Trying to Solve?
Before we compare options, let’s get clear on what you actually need help with. Are you…
Drowning in repetitive tasks that eat up your day?
Struggling to stay consistent with content and outreach?
Spending hours writing emails, designing decks, or updating your website?
Playing marketing whack-a-mole instead of executing a real strategy?
Clarifying the problem helps you avoid hiring the wrong kind of help — which only wastes time, money, and momentum.
Option 1: The Virtual Assistant (VA)
Best for: Admin support, light marketing tasks, inbox management, scheduling, basic social media posting
What they do well:
Follow SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)
Execute repetitive, rule-based tasks
Support with admin duties that free up your calendar
What they don’t do:
Build strategy
Create high-quality content or design
Manage or lead campaigns
Cost: $20–$50/hour (varies by experience and region)
Signs you need a VA:
You spend hours scheduling posts, uploading blogs, or formatting newsletters
You already have a marketing strategy — you just need someone to implement
What to watch out for: You’ll need to give very clear instructions. Most VAs aren’t marketers — they follow directions, not lead strategy.
Option 2: The Freelancer
Best for: One-off projects, specialized skills (e.g. writing, design, ads), seasonal or short-term campaigns
What they do well:
Deep expertise in one skill area
Quick execution of specific tasks
High-quality deliverables (if well scoped)
What they don’t do:
Holistic brand support
Cross-functional campaign execution
Ongoing marketing strategy + implementation
Cost: $50–$150+/hour or flat project rates
Signs you need a freelancer:
You need a logo, website, or sales page written and designed
You have one specific deliverable in mind and a defined budget
What to watch out for: Freelancers focus on their lane. You’ll still need to manage timelines, connect the dots between roles, and ensure consistency across your brand.
Option 3: The Concierge Marketing Team
Best for: Founders who want end-to-end marketing support without building a team from scratch
What we do at Founder:
Build and execute your content and campaign strategy
Write your newsletters, blogs, email sequences, and press releases
Design your decks, lead magnets, brand assets, and social graphics
Create and manage marketing systems and content calendars
What makes us different:
You don’t have to manage 5 different people — we handle it all
You don’t need to train us — we come in ready to lead and support
You get strategic execution that scales with you
Cost: $2,000 – $7,500/month (varies based on your needs).
*Concierge marketing is a premium, done-for-you service, so it’s more expensive than hiring a VA or individual freelancer — but often far more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team or managing multiple contractors.
Signs you need a concierge team:
You’re spending too much time managing your marketing (or not doing it at all)
You need consistent visibility but can’t keep up with content
You want strategic creative support without hiring multiple roles
What to watch out for: Not all concierge services are created equal. Some are glorified VAs — others just do design or copy. Look for a team (like ours) that combines strategic depth with creative execution.
So, What’s the Right Move for You?
Take the quiz to find out if you need a virtual assistant, a freelancer, or a concierge team.
Grab a pen, or just tally your answers mentally — and keep track of whether you answer mostly A’s, B’s, or C/D’s.
1. How do you currently feel about your marketing workload?
A. I just need someone to help with a few repetitive tasks
B. I’m juggling a bunch of projects — and progress is slow
C. It’s a bottleneck. We’re ready to move faster, with polish
2. What kinds of marketing tasks are falling through the cracks?
A. Posting to social media, organizing files, sending follow-ups
B. Email campaigns, blogs, decks, or content planning
C. Strategic content, pitch-ready decks, brand voice consistency, visibility efforts
3. How much direction do you want to provide?
A. I can explain what I want and check back occasionally
B. I’d rather co-create and give some feedback
C. I need a team that takes initiative, drives the strategy, and gets it done
4. What matters most right now?
A. Saving time
B. Consistency and visibility
C. Gaining traction and investor confidence
5. What’s your biggest hesitation about outsourcing marketing?
A. I don’t have a ton of budget
B. I’m worried about quality
C. I need a team I don’t have to micromanage
Quiz Results: What Kind of Support Do You Need?
Mostly A’s: You Need a VA (Virtual Assistant)
You need help checking boxes, not building brand strategy. A virtual assistant can help take care of repeatable tasks like organizing content, scheduling posts, or updating spreadsheets — but don’t expect them to shape your messaging or drive growth.
Best for: Admin-heavy teams
Not ideal for: Building a scalable marketing strategy
Mostly B’s: You Need a Freelancer (or Two)
You know what you need — you just don’t have the time to do it all. A skilled freelancer (writer, designer, or strategist) can help you with execution, but you’ll need to stay hands-on to manage quality, timelines, and cohesion.
Best for: Founders who can give direction
Not ideal for: CEOs who want to fully delegate
Mostly C’s or D’s: You’re Ready for a Concierge Marketing Team
You don’t need “extra hands.” You need a proactive, strategic partner that gets startup life — and knows how to translate your vision into powerful, consistent marketing.
Best for:
1. Visionary Founders with a Validated Offer
You’ve proven your idea works. You’re not figuring it out anymore — you’re building and scaling. Concierge marketing is for founders who are past the DIY stage and ready for consistent, strategic execution.
2. Time-Strapped CEOs Who Need a Plug-and-Play Team
You don’t have time to brief five people every week or chase down creatives. You want an experienced, proactive team that knows what to do, gets it done, and elevates your brand without needing micromanagement.
3. Companies Prioritizing Brand Integrity + Growth
You’ve invested in your brand and need messaging, visuals, and campaigns that are on point — every time. Concierge support protects your brand while helping it scale through strategy, not just output.
4. Founders in a High-Growth Phase
Whether you're hiring, fundraising, or expanding into new markets, you need more than content creation — you need systems, strategy, and support to grow sustainably.
5. People Who Want to Let Go Without Dropping the Ball
You’re done juggling it all. Concierge marketing is for the founder who wants to reclaim their time while gaining peace of mind that everything is still getting done — and done well.
Not ideal for:
1. Founders Still Testing Their Offer or Audience
If you’re not yet sure what you’re selling, to whom, or how it works — a lighter, more flexible option like a freelancer or strategist might be better until you’re more established.
2. Founders Who Want Full Creative Control
Concierge teams work best when there’s trust and space to lead. If you need to approve every sentence or tweak every color, this model might frustrate you (and slow you down).
3. People Only Looking for Task-Based Support
If all you need is someone to schedule posts or organize your inbox, a VA is a better fit. Concierge marketing goes deeper — we don’t just do tasks, we drive strategy.
4. Budget-Constrained Startups
Concierge marketing isn’t the cheapest option — and that’s the point. If your business isn’t ready to invest in high-level support, start with what you can afford and grow into it.
This is what we do at Founder. We take over — without a lengthy onboarding process — and act as your plug-and-play creative department. Think:
Pitch decks polished and ready
Brand messaging locked in
Thought leadership content that builds authority
Marketing systems that scale as you grow
What We Handle For You (So You Don’t Have To)
We’re your all-in-one marketing department.
At Founder, we specialize in helping startup founders who are past the DIY phase — but not ready to hire a full internal team. We meet you where you are and step in with marketing that’s done right:
You shouldn’t be spending your time designing slides or writing launch emails.We protect the integrity of your brand while executing better than you could alone — so you can stay focused on leading.
We can take over without a lengthy onboarding process.Time is tight. We get it. Our team is built for fast-moving businesses. You delegate, we deliver.
You’ll get consistent, strategic, on-brand content — without micromanaging it.This isn’t fluff. It’s results-oriented marketing that fuels visibility, traction, and investor confidence.
You’re not alone. We’re not task-takers. We’re your embedded marketing team — your creative communication partners.
Ready to Hand It Over? Let’s Talk.
We help founders grow with consistent, strategic, done-for-you marketing — so you can stay focused on leading, pitching, and scaling without dropping the ball on visibility. No more duct-taped marketing. No more DIY overwhelm. Just smart, scalable support — built for founders like you.
You built the brand. Let us market it.
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