Who Does It Better: Your Team or a Marketing Agency?

Every successful business survives off of a strong marketing strategy, and depending on the company, the team behind every one of these strategies can differ greatly. Companies often rely on one of two groups of people to develop strategy: their in-house marketing department or an outside marketing agency. Many companies have a hard time distinguishing which of these sources would be the best option for them that will be cost effective and generate measurable results. Let’s dive in a little deeper and explore the benefits and downfalls of hiring versus outsourcing for marketing strategies.

Understanding the Difference Between In-House VS Outsourced

To weigh the pros and cons of our options, it is important to define what each of the roles are and what typical responsibilities they include. 

In House Marketing: All company related marketing activities are completed by internal team members of said company. The team typically is led by a manager and they are in charge of strategizing and executing marketing efforts. Here are some examples of an in-house marketing teams responsibilities:

  • Social Media Management
  • Building and Maintaining a Brand
  • Website Management
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Email Marketing
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Advertising

 

Outsourced Marketing Agency: Hiring an external individual or agency to develop, execute, and maintain a company’s marketing strategy. Companies can outsource one specific function to an agency, or they can choose to have the agency handle all marketing related business functions. An outsourced marketing agency may be responsible for tasks such as:

 

As you can see, both teams handle similar tasks and responsibilities, but the key difference lies in their connection to the product or service they’re promoting. In-house marketers are employed by a single company and focus solely on that brand’s offerings, while outsourced marketers are hired externally to promote products or services for multiple companies they aren’t directly employed by.

In-House Marketing Key Takeaways

A Deeper Connection to What You are Marketing

In-house marketers have a significant advantage when it comes to understanding the product or service they are selling. This team has an inside look on the operations of the business and a great deal of knowledge of their product. Understanding the how and what behind a product or service can help a marketer better curate strategy that strongly aligns with the company’s mission, vision, values, and overall brand. 

Easier Collaboration and Communication

Typically, in-house marketers can walk down the hallway and find answers to their questions through conversations and experiences with their product or service. They have established lines of communication throughout the company, and collaboration can happen amongst different departments to enhance the marketability of a product. 

Long-Term Overhead Costs

Employing and maintaining an in-house marketing department can have several overhead costs that are long term. Hiring a full team requires financial commitment to training, development, software, benefits, and other costs associated with marketing functions. For many smaller sized companies, the budget they have does not make room for such large overhead costs.

Outsourced Marketing Agencies Key Takeaways

Having Access to Industry Experts

When you partner with a marketing agency, you’re gaining access to professionals who have built their careers around specific areas of marketing. This level of specialization is often difficult to achieve in smaller in-house teams, where marketers are required to wear many hats and juggle multiple responsibilities. At an agency, team members are focused on a single function, which helps them to gain expert insights on these functions. Working with a specialist can lead to greater positive results in a shorter period of time.

Check out the impact that working with a marketing specialist can have on your business by reading more about the partnership between Greenwood Chevrolet and 898 Marketing.

Innovative Ideas and Their Impact

Marketing agencies are often behind some of the most innovative and audience-focused campaigns. Why? By working with a variety of clients, agencies develop a strong sense of what’s trending, what’s effective, and what to avoid. Agencies bring unique and fresh insights that can create high quality campaigns that better engage your target audience.

Which Option is Better?

Ultimately, the answer to this question is determined by your business goals. Both types of marketing teams can help lead a company to success. It is important to identify how much your business is willing to invest in both money and time. Many businesses adopt a hybrid approach by utilizing both an internal and external team. By combining deep brand knowledge with specialized expertise, this partnership can develop sustainable marketing success.

Work with Experts at 898 Marketing

Have you decided that the winner of this debate is outsourcing? We agree with you! At 898 Marketing, we take pride in collaborating with businesses to share their story with the world. As a full-service digital marketing agency, our experts work to provide each of our partners with solutions to help them meet their marketing goals. We would be honored to tell your story.

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