I thoroughly enjoyed this article by Blake Smith on startupgrowth.com titled "Startup’s Guide to Hiring First Marketing Staff"
I found this section to be particularly interesting:
Different audiences make purchasing decisions based on different appealing factors and criteria, and it is essential to work with marketers who understand your audience (example) and their needs.
They don’t need to be an absolute expert in your sector, but they should demonstrate the ability to identify your target audience and develop innovate means of growing it.
It should also go without saying that marketers with experience in your field will find it easier to create comprehensive marketing materials for you – your business’s domain comes naturally to them and their efforts are thereby less contrived.This was a timely message for me and something I 100% agree with. I have recently been working on more projects that align with my personal interests, and found that the "work" is much more enjoyable and the finished product was great!