On paper, that signals growth and opportunity. In reality, many SMEs inside that ecosystem are feeling the squeeze.
Costs are up. Employer contributions are up. But now AI has entered the chat.
I am seeing a clear pattern. In house marketing teams are being reduced. Roles are being merged. Businesses are attempting to hire one person who can cover strategy, paid media, SEO, content, CRM, analytics and now AI implementation. In some cases I've seen 'web development and graphic design' also fall under the 'marketing manager' role. The job specs read like over five roles stitched together.
The thinking makes sense at first glance. If AI makes work faster, surely one strong hire can handle more?
That assumption is where the cracks start.
Recent UK Employer Skills Survey data shows ongoing recruitment difficulties across digital roles. Hiring skilled digital talent remains a challenge, particularly for SMEs competing with larger employers on salary and benefits. So businesses tighten the brief and hope for a unicorn.
Unicorns are expensive. And usually mythical.
What tends to happen instead is this:
A capable marketer joins. They are expected to set strategy, execute campaigns, manage suppliers, report to the board and “sort the AI stuff out” on top. There is no depth in any one channel because there is no time. Performance plateaus. The board questions marketing. The hire burns out or leaves.
Then the cycle starts again.
Wrong recruitment decisions do not just cost a salary. They cost momentum. They cost wasted ad spend without strategic oversight. They cost six months of stalled pipeline while someone learns the business. They cost reputation when brand messaging becomes inconsistent.
AI is not the villain here. Used properly, it improves efficiency and can accelerate research, content structuring and reporting. But AI does not replace commercial judgement. It does not build positioning. And it does not take accountability when revenue drops.
The pressure on SMEs is real. Hiring three specialists is not always viable. But compressing an entire marketing function into one overstretched role is not a saving. It is deferred cost.
The Manchester digital scene is ambitious. Scale ups want speed. Founders want lean teams. But clarity matters more than headcount.
Do you need senior leadership to define direction?
Do you need channel specialists to execute?
Do you need external oversight before committing to a permanent hire?
Better questions upfront prevent expensive corrections later.
If we keep pretending one person can operate as a full department because AI exists, we will see more churn, not more growth. The smarter conversation is not about replacing teams. It is about structuring them properly.
That is why the discussion around marketing recruitment Manchester needs to evolve.
And sometimes the most commercially sensible first step is speaking to a marketing consultant in Salford.
