Bravo 👏 You’re here & one step closer to resourcing your business with a digital marketing team that will help grow your business!
Whether or not you should hire in-house marketing specialists or partner with a digital agency can be a little trickier for SMBs. Business is fluid & the market moves quick, not to mention the increasing amount of noise you’re facing competing against others communicating your brand proposition, products and services.
What worked yesterday changed while you were sleeping last night; and while that can be slightly terrifying as a business owner, marketing manager or someone looking to move the needle in your business, it need not be with a little consideration and planning to find the right marketing support for your organisation.
This article will simplify your choice, helping you focus on your business’s unique needs, growth goals, current resources, and the benefits of both in-house vs digital marketing agency, or a hybrid-model of expert agency support for your in-house team.
When should I hire marketing specialists to bring in-house?
In-house marketing teams offers additional control and the ability to pivot at a moments notice. This option will suite your business if you need close alignment between people, departments & brand. You’ll be ready to invest long-term and manage costs associated with hiring & retaining a number of specialist marketing roles, provide ongoing training & monthly subscriptions for marketing tool kits.
If your marketing goals are focused on long-term growth and can afford to have multiple marketing specialists in-house to support consistent brand messaging, building an in-house team with the right people is a great investment.
Best for
Businesses with bigger budgets for salaries, ongoing training, and retention activities.
Companies prioritising brand consistency & internal alignment.
Challenges
Expertise is often limited or multiple marketing specialist hires are required.
Higher fixed costs, including recruitment and retention of talent.
Marketing professionals skilled in all areas (e.g. SEO, social, technical, media, analytics) are like unicorns… they’re impossible to find.
When to Partner with a Digital Marketing Agency
Agencies provide flexible access to specialised expertise across various marketing areas, such as SEO, social media, PPC, and content. With an agency, you can easily scale your efforts up or down based on your needs, and can rest assure that that right agency is delivering industry best practice & insights.
This makes this option ideal for companies with fluctuating campaign activity, limited marketing expertise in-house, special project needs or demand best practice & highest quality in marketing strategy & delivery.
Best for…
Companies needing a range of services without the high cost of multiple professional hires.
Businesses wanting the performance marketing that leverages the latest tools and industry insights without major hire costs or marketing toolkit investments.
Challenges…
Less day-to-day control and brand alignment may require time and effort to communicate your brand values.
Retainer costs ensure access to rolling services but require communication organised approach to campaign & delivery.
Hybrid Marketing: A Balanced Approach
A hybrid model allows you to keep key functions in-house while outsourcing specialised tasks to an agency like meks. This approach provides flexibility and scalability, ensuring that your in-house team manages brand consistency while the agency supports campaigns & delivery that require specialised skills. Many businesses find this model effective as it balances control, budget, and expertise.
Best for:
Businesses needing brand alignment with the flexibility to scale quickly.
Companies requiring access to specialised skills for specific projects or campaigns.
Challenges:
Coordination between in-house and agency teams requires clear communication.
Involves regular costs, but typically offers a better return on investment for growing businesses.
Weighing up the Pros & Cons of Marketing In-house, via Agency, and Hybrid
| In-House Marketing | Agency Marketing & Support | |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | Teams become product & service experts, understanding your brand & business with day-to-day support | Access specialised & broad expertise, ensuring your marketing is aligned with the latest industry trends |
| Pro | Direct control over activities, strategy & teams that can flex with business needs; marketing today, admin tomorrow | Focused on strategy, execution & deliverables, rather than getting distracted by other business as usual activities |
| Pro | Seamlessly integrate with other business departments, fostering collaboration in the business. | Provides a different viewpoint, which can deliver fresh insight & challenge existing assumptions |
| Pro | Expedited communication with across-the-desk chats, standup & quick-fire meetings on to meet pressing needs | Efficient communication thats is driven by clear outcomes rather than water-cooler chats & catch-ups |
| Pro | Direct control over campaigns to ensure they align with business goals & objectives | Direct control & oversight of the team and their activities. |
| Pro | In house teams are all yours... They serve you, your customers & business needs | Access to experts & subject matter specialist that may not be available internally. |
| Cons | Recruitment, retention & talent burnout can be difficult to manage in specialised fields and salary bandwidths | Limited day-to-day oversight compared to in-house marketing teams with video, phone & email comms |
| Cons | Paying for specialist software, tool kits & continuous training to ensure team's skills & insight keep pace with market trends | Agencies mange multiple clients so organisation is pivotal in delivering timely campaigns & marketing support |
| In-House Marketing | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Teams become product & service experts, understanding your brand & business with day-to-day support |
| Pros | Direct control over activities, strategy & teams that can flex with business needs; marketing today, admin tomorrow |
| Pros | Seamlessly integrate with other business departments, fostering collaboration in the business. |
| Pros | Expedited communication with across-the-desk chats, standup & quick-fire meetings on to meet pressing needs |
| Pros | Direct control over campaigns to ensure they align with business goals & objectives |
| Pros | In house teams are all yours... They serve you, your customers & business needs |
| Cons | Recruitment, retention & talent burnout can be difficult to manage in specialised fields and salary bandwidths |
| Cons | Paying for specialist software, tool kits & continuous training to ensure team's skills & insight keep pace with market trends |
| Agency Marketing & Support | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Access specialised & broad expertise, ensuring your marketing is aligned with the latest industry trends |
| Pros | Focused on strategy, execution & deliverables, rather than getting distracted by other business as usual activities |
| Pros | Provides a different viewpoint, which can deliver fresh insight & challenge existing assumptions |
| Pros | Efficient communication thats is driven by clear outcomes rather than water-cooler chats & catch-ups |
| Pros | Direct control & oversight of the team and their activities. |
| Pros | Access to experts & subject matter specialist that may not be available internally. |
| Cons | Limited day-to-day oversight compared to in-house marketing teams with video, phone & email comms |
| Cons | Agencies mange multiple clients so organisation is pivotal in delivering timely campaigns & marketing support |
Take the time to assess your marketing goals, available budget, and the skills your team currently has. The right choice will help you maximise your marketing efforts, adapt to change, and drive meaningful growth.
Choosing between in-house and agency support doesn’t have to be a binary decision. By aligning your choice with your business goals, you can leverage the strengths of both models. Here at meks, we’re dedicated to helping you make informed decisions that lead to sustainable growth so we’re always here to connect & learn about how we can support your business growth.