In-House vs Agency Marketing: Which Should You Choose?

If you’re a fledgling business owner or a solopreneur, it’s typical to wear many hats and work yourself to the bone to complete all of the tasks required to keep your young company afloat.

But as your business grows, you will probably reach a point where the demands start to pile up and it becomes too much to go at it alone. As any business owner knows, marketing plays a crucial role in the growth and success of your company.

There will likely come a time when you will need to decide if you want to produce your own in-house marketing team, or if you want to go the route of agency marketing.

There are pros and cons to both options, and every business will have to decide what the best choice is for its needs. Keep reading to see which digital marketing strategy is right for you.

In-House vs Agency Marketing

Both of these options have a place in the business world and it’s up to you to decide which option will provide you with the greatest value.

Some prefer to have complete control by keeping marketing efforts to themselves, while others prefer the benefits of hiring a digital marketing agency. Let’s take a look at what you can expect from each option.

Agency Marketing

When you hire an agency to do your digital marketing you get a turnkey solution that will complete your tasks on time and on budget. These will be experts in their field, and you can have confidence that they have their finger on the pulse of the industry and will produce professional results.

You can expect specializations in areas like content marketing, graphic design, PR, PPC, and more. Some shops will have a broad range of expertise, while others will be more niche.

In-House Marketing

With in-house marketing, you or your team are doing everything yourselves from top to bottom. This can include everything from writing, design, email campaigns, online advertising, etc. With this option, you have complete control of the visions, the quality, and the outcome.

There are many roles to consider if you go in this direction. You’ll likely need a content writer, designer, social media manager, SEO specialist, and paid advertising specialist, to name a few.

Pros and Cons of In-House Marketing

Of course, there will be benefits and downsides to whichever route you take. Here’s a list of some of the pros and cons of an in-house team to help you have a clearer picture of what to expect.

Pros of in-house marketing:

Brand Awareness

If your marketing team is homegrown, they are going to be instilled with your core messages and brand from day one. Everyone should be on the same page and have a sound knowledge of the message that they want to communicate.

Complete Control

With an in-house team, you have complete control. From concept to completion, you are able to provide quality checks and craft a message that brings your vision to life.

On-Site Staff

When your staff is within arm’s reach it provides you with great accessibility. There are no lags in communication like there might be when you are outsourcing your work.

Cons of in-house marketing:

Cost

Depending on the scope of your work, hiring an in-house team can get pricey in a hurry. If you consider that the median salary for a marketing manager is $62,000 per year, you can see how costs can escalate quickly if you are hiring for multiple roles.

Recruiting

Ask any business owner about challenges and one of the first things they’ll likely mention is finding good talent. The recruiting process can be strenuous and daunting in your search for your unicorn.

Software Expenses

If you’re doing your own development, design, and campaigns, you’ll have to invest in a lot of different software. This software can be anything from graphic design to CRM to editing to email campaigns.

Pros and Cons of Agency Marketing

Just like the in-house option, agency marketing comes with its pros and cons as well. Here are some of the perks and challenges.

Pros of agency marketing:

Expertise

With an agency, you are paying for specialization. This is what their entire business is built around, so you can expect experienced people to produce professional results.