Posted by Ashley | Download Our Free Guide: In-house Marketing Team Vs Marketing Agencies
Why invest in digital marketing?
Digital marketing is crucial to the success of any business – and hiring an in-house marketing team or a marketing agency is the first step to take toward that success. These days most communication is conducted electronically and online, so it’s safe to say that no matter your target audience, they’re most likely going to have a computer, laptop, tablet, or phone.
Without a digital marketing strategy, you won’t reach the number of people you hope to convert into leads for your product or service. On a fundamental level, investing in digital marketing is crucial for the long-term success of your business; But that poses a big question: Who do you rely on for digital marketing services?
You have two options: an in-house digital marketing team or a marketing agency. Regardless of which you choose, both will be experts in helping you accomplish your digital marketing goals.
The difference between in-house digital marketing versus a marketing agency
Super simple; An in-house team is the marketing department within your own company, and a marketing agency is an outside resource or company solely dedicated to providing marketing services. You hire the in-house marketing team, and a marketing agency already has everyone you need to put together a successful marketing plan.
The cost difference between hiring in-house digital marketing versus a marketing agency
On average, depending on the industry, businesses spend up to 30% of their budget on marketing. New businesses have been known to spend 50%!
(sources: WebFX, FirstPageSage, Forbes, LegalZoom)
Which would be best for you?
As much as we would love to say that a marketing agency is always the best option, the truth of the matter is that every business is different. There is a significant difference between the cost of running an in-house team vs hiring an outside team. However depending on the size and nature of your business, hiring an in-house marketing team might be a smart long term investment. That also means that depending on the size and nature of your business, hiring an outside agency might be a smart short term investment, as well as a smart long term investment. When deciding which of these options will work the best for your company, you have to start by taking a good look at your short-term and long-term goals. Like so many things in business, there isn’t a one-size fits all approach for digital marketing – as much as we all would like there to be!
Keep reading for more insight on deciding whether to hire an in-house marketing team or a marketing agency to help with your digital marketing strategy!
The pros of hiring an in-house marketing team
The number one benefit of having an in-house marketing team is its accessibility to them. Everyone you need is a desk or email away. An in-house team’s sole purpose is to prioritize developing and marketing your brand, giving them the advantage of brand familiarity. You, as a business owner, also have a more direct say in a marketing strategy’s direction.
The cons of hiring an in-house marketing team
While having a solid in-house marketing team on your side is amazing, the biggest disadvantage that comes with relying on them is the time, money, and efforts spent to train and onboard new employees, plus the potential for turnover. It’s often a gradual process to find the right people for your team. Those potential team members will consider the wages, benefits, and culture your company offers, which may not be the right fit for them. There’s also the fact that your in-house marketing team requires certain paid software (such as adobe creative suite, website performance analysis, social media scheduling software, email platforms and SEO tools) to bring your company the results and success you’re looking for.
The pros of hiring a digital marketing agency
Marketing agencies are trained, built, and experienced to overcome every aspect of marketing. You can trust them to provide a variety of digital marketing services such as graphic design, web development, strategy, PPC, SEO, exceeding ROIs or KPIs, and much more. They hire the best industry professionals for their teams to make sure they’re covering every digital marketing element across the board and always keeping clients happy. Marketing agencies most likely have experience with companies in your industry and can offer extra insight on how to best navigate those digital marketing waters. Marketing agencies also offer faster avenues to developing successful marketing strategies, and discovering the latest trends, and are already equipped with the best digital marketing tools and resources.
The cons of hiring a marketing agency
The cost of a marketing agency may exceed how much you pay for an in-house marketing team. Great marketing agencies price their services at a level that reflects the quality and expertise of their services. However, marketing agencies serve multiple clients at a time, so you have to consider what kind of marketing strategy schedule you need to follow and how aggressive and consistent you want that strategy to be.
Communicating with a marketing agency may be slightly more difficult than with an in-house digital marketing team – unless the marketing agency you hired prioritizes swift responses like us. You may also have to juggle communicating through different time zones if you’re outsourcing. Marketing agencies have multiple clients, meaning that occasionally some will take priority over you. While you provide brand direction for a marketing company, it takes time for them to align with the tone of your brand. There will be an onboarding process in the beginning as the marketing agency adapts its content to fit your goals. Marketing agencies have initial control over a marketing strategy as they build a foundation for collaboration.
The conclusion on whether to rely on an in-house digital marketing team or a marketing agency: it depends
The number one factor that will dictate your decision on whether to hire an in-house digital marketing team versus a marketing agency is your vision for the company’s short- and long-term goals. Example questions to ask yourself are:
- Do you want to gain more traction on social media by boosting engagement via likes and new followers?
- Do you want to earn income through PPC ads and paid social media advertising?
- Do you want to freshen up your brand from the ground up?
- Do you need to optimize your website for SEO so clients can find you via a Google search?
The options are endless, but it’s vital that you take the time to think about your business needs and goals, and how much time, effort, and money you will invest in a digital marketing strategy.
You may even use a hybrid of both services as your business grows and expands. There may be times when one will best suit your needs over the other, and you might even find that what once worked for your company, no longer has the same relevance. The key is identifying what will best serve your company as it and marketing trends change.
Objectively neither an in-house marketing team nor a marketing agency is better than the other. Ultimately both options exist to help your company in achieving your business goals. So which is the right move for you?
We’ve created a free downloadable guide breaking down the pros, cons, and cost of hiring In-House vs Agency teams. You can snag that guide below!