Marketing is an essential function of any business. It’s how you spread brand awareness, communicate with your audience, and grow your customer base. Without a solid marketing strategy in place, your company won’t get the attention it deserves, and you won’t get the results you desire.
And most companies today realize just how important marketing really is. In fact, data from the World Advertising and Research Center (WARC) estimates that marketing spend will reach over $618 billion by the end of the year.
But any honest marketer will tell you that building a solid marketing plan isn’t always easy. It’s not as simple as putting together a blog post, or ramping up your social media presence. Marketing needs to be strategic in order for it to be effective. That means you need to build campaigns, allocate budget, analyze data, craft a compelling message, and so much more.
The good news is, it’s never too late to invest in your marketing strategy. But it does help to have the right people for the job. Some companies choose to build a robust in-house marketing team, while others outsource their projects to a marketing agency. So how do you know which one will get the best results for your business?
Start by Defining Your Marketing Goals
Before you decide to assemble a marketing team or partner with an agency, I recommend taking a step back, and start by defining your marketing goals. Maybe there are certain skills gaps you’re looking to fill, or maybe you need help creating a brand new strategy from scratch. When you know exactly what you want to accomplish, the decision will be much clearer.
Marketing teams and marketing agencies both have their pros and cons—and we’ll get into those differences later. Their strengths lie in separate areas, so you’ll want to pick the option that can best support your marketing needs and your budget. Naturally, that’s going to be very different for every company.
Maybe you’re a startup that has no marketing strategy in place, and you need to build one fast in order to stay competitive. In this situation, an agency is going to be your best option because they have the skills and tools to execute quickly. On the other hand, a more established company that values company culture might prefer to hire in-house marketers that are personally vetted by leadership.
Nevertheless, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of marketing agencies and marketing teams, so you can determine which one will have the biggest ROI for your business. Either option will likely be a significant investment for your company, so make sure you know what you’re trying to accomplish before committing.
The Benefits of Hiring a Marketing Team
To kick things off, let’s look at the benefits of hiring marketers. Keep in mind that a “team” could be just one or two marketers, or maybe 10 people. However you choose to form your marketing team is completely up to you, just make sure you have the budget, and enough work to keep everyone busy. Here are some of the main perks to consider:
- They Know Your Brand
When you hire marketers to form a powerhouse in-house marketing team, they will quickly become experts in your industry. Not only that, but they’ll also be familiar with your competitors. Having that inside knowledge can be incredibly useful when you’re crafting messaging, revamping your website, creating marketing resources, etc.
- You Can Hire for Specific Skills
If you’re looking to double down on just one specific area of marketing, like SEO or paid campaigns, hiring an in-house marketer for that purpose is a great option. You can choose from a pool of qualified candidates who have experience in that area, and they’ll be able to dedicate all their time to working on those projects.
- Communication is Easier
Another obvious benefit of having an in-house marketing team is that they’re on-site every day. Having your marketing team in the same office makes it much easier to communicate, hold meetings, brainstorm, and randomly bounce ideas off each other. There’s no phone tag, missed emails, or scheduling conflicts.
The Downsides of Hiring a Marketing Team
Like with everything, there are some downsides of building an in-house marketing team. So before you start posting job descriptions, it’s important to understand the drawbacks of this option, and determine what makes sense for your business. Here’s what you should know:
- It’s Expensive
Hiring a marketing team is almost always going to be more expensive in the long run than working with a marketing agency. According to Indeed, the average salary for a marketing manager is over $70,000 per year. And if you’re considering hiring more than one person, the cost will add up quickly. Make sure you have enough budget to hire the team you need before you pull the trigger.
- Staff Get Overworked
Let’s be honest—sometimes you set internal deadlines, and they aren’t met. That can be frustrating for a number of reasons, but it can also delay important projects. When you hire in-house marketers, bandwidth eventually becomes an issue. People get pulled in different directions, time gets wasted, and things fall off the radar. That’s less likely to happen if you work with a good agency.
The Benefits of Hiring a Marketing Agency
Now let’s jump to the other side of the fence, and talk about when hiring a marketing agency is a smart move. If you’re considering this route, know that there are literally thousands of marketing agencies to choose from. It’s a good idea to do some research and find a reputable agency who has experience working with a company like yours. Or better yet, ask your network for a referral. Here’s how a marketing agency can help your company:
- You’ll Save Money
For most companies, the biggest draw of hiring a marketing agency is the cost savings. Hiring an agency isn’t cheap, but it will be less expensive overtime than hiring several salaried in-house marketers. If you need extra hands for an upcoming project, but aren’t looking for long-term help, working with an agency is a great way to get support for a limited amount of time without committing to a new hire.
- Their Skillset is More Diverse
If you need help managing multiple areas within your marketing strategy, the best marketing agencies will have knowledgeable staff who are trained on those different tactics. There’s someone who is an expert at Facebook ads, someone who specializes in SEO, and so on. As a result, your account manager can assemble a personalized team that meets all of your company’s needs.
- It’s More Efficient Overall
When you hire a marketing agency, you’re paying for a whole team—not just one or two employees. You’re getting access to a group of people who possess the skills needed to manage your marketing campaigns successfully and get you the results you want. There’s no learning curve and no training required. And because marketing agencies are accustomed to managing a high volume of client work, they usually have solid project management and workflow systems in place to keep them on track.
The Downsides of Hiring a Marketing Agency
To keep things fair and even, we need to wrap up by looking at the potential pitfalls of working with a marketing agency. Here are the biggest challenges to be aware of:
- You’re Not Their Only Priority
One of the downsides to working with a marketing agency is that you’re not their only client. That means your company won’t be their number one priority at all times. If you need something completed at the last minute, the team might not be able to make it happen on a tight deadline. It also means their time is less flexible, which could make scheduling meetings—and general communication—a little more challenging.
- They Don’t Know Your Brand
It also takes marketing agencies more time to really get to know your brand. They haven’t worked at your company, so they have to rely on research and your own guidance to get a grasp on your company and your industry. At the beginning of your partnership, expect there to be a trial period before everyone is on the same page, and the agency is producing work that accurately reflects your brand voice, messaging, and so on.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, choosing a marketing team or a marketing agency is a very personal decision. It should be based on your marketing goals, your needs as a company, and your budget.
And keep in mind that you can always choose both options! It might make sense to hire a few in-house marketers to manage your core campaigns, and work with an agency for one-off projects, or for support in specific areas. What matters most is having a solid marketing strategy that is aligned with your goals, and is designed to help you get real business results.