Ask HN: Where is the best place to find a true internet marketer for a startup?

We are running a startup and currently looking for a true marketer that can help us expand and acquire more users. Where do you go to search for these serious marketers? What characteristics do they have? How do you distinguish between the good and the bad ones?

We hope you can share your experiences. Thanks

What kind of marketer are you looking for ? - SEO, SEM, PPC, Viral, PR, etc.

I know a lot of Internet marketers. The ones who can get results consistently and who care about optimizing those results are already making a ton of money promoting their own businesses or selling other people's products through affiliate programs. You can't hire them on a salary. If you want to get them on your side, start an affiliate program and offer a generous commission for signups or sales. Whatever your gross margin is, expect to pay about half of it to the affiliate.

It might seem like a lot, but remember that with affiliates you're guaranteed to make a profit. If you paid for an advertising campaign yourself, or hired a firm for a fixed amount, you could potentially lose thousands (or more) if the campaign fails.

If you want to pay for results but you don't want to manage a bunch of individual affiliates, look into cost per action (CPA) marketing. There are several firms (NeverBlue, Pepperjam, etc.) that offer this service. Like it says on the tin, CPA marketing is when you pay after a specific action (like user registration) is performed. They're usually a significant minimum spend with CPA marketing.

However, if you ask me, you should take the time to train yourself (or one of your other founders) into being a capable marketer. Good marketing is one of the important factors in the success of your business, and if you ask me, it's too important to delegate or outsource to somebody who isn't invested in the future of your business.