It’s no secret that businesses are facing more challenges now than ever before.
While owning a business has never been an easy gig, things like fluctuating stocks, interest rates, and overall work stress make it tempting for people to cut their losses and tighten their belts.
One of the things we’ve seen time and time again is businesses moving their marketing in-house – or cutting it altogether.
After all – why use a marketing agency when you could just make it an internal thing?

Marketing Agency Vs. In-House – Why Use A Marketing Agency?

Let’s take a look at the agencies and in-house services, and which one’s best for the situation.

In-House

In-house teams are employees on your payroll – they work your hours, and on your schedule.

Pros:

• Focus

When hiring an in-house team, you can guarantee that their focus will be squarely placed on your business. While they may have multiple responsibilities, they won’t have other clients to think about. 
Additionally, if you need to pivot and focus on something else, your team can shift at the drop of a hat.

• Greater Control

Hiring in-house means you have complete control of strategy, assets, designs, copy, and more. If you know exactly what you want, and have some experience in the field, this is going to be the best way to get results quickly.

• Opportunity To Grow Talent

Learning the ins and outs of industries and companies can be a time-consuming task – which is why agencies have lead times.
However – if you’ve hired smartly – you’ve got a brilliant opportunity to invest in growing your team.
That means that, as time goes on, every member can grow their skillset and take on more responsibility.
That means you’ll be paying employees more, but you’ll have a dedicated team who can show you a direct ROI.

Cons:

• Skills Might Be Lacking

Finding somebody with the skills needed to effectively handle and manage teams isn’t easy, and you’ll probably need to have more than one department head – which may affect you if you dislike flatter structures.

• It’s Easier To Get Lost

As your company grows, processes become more complex, and it’s easier for things to get lost in the chaos.

• Hiring Is A Lengthy Process

Because this is going to be your baby, it’s important to make sure you’ve got the right team for the job. Interviewing people can be a lengthy process, and it may take some time before you find the right people for the job.

• It Becomes Repetitive

Working on the same thing over and over can leave many people creatively fatigued, making it difficult to find ways to repurpose the wheel.

• Why Use An In-House Team?

If you’re looking for quick results, and hyper-focusing on one thing, then an in-house team is better.
Additionally, if you want to start small, finding one person with a wider skillset may be more beneficial initially, so that you can look for an agency later on.

Marketing Agency

Agencies are made up of specialists such as graphic designers, copywriters, and media strategists.
Their job is to handle the same tasks as an in-house team, but with some differences.

Pros:

• Greater Expertise

Partnering with a digital marketing agency immediately gives you access to an entire team of specialists who have a range of skills and a wealth of knowledge.
Every person in the agency has a specific job – and they do it well. 
Additionally, they’ve got experience in a huge range of industries, meaning they can bring more to the table creatively – something which puts you ahead faster than an in-house team would be able to.

• Wider Range Of Talent

While finding an all-rounder isn’t impossible, it’s extremely rare.
As we said earlier, when partnering with an agency, you’re getting access to a whole host of skills – but you’re also getting access to a whole host of tested skills.
Every team member has been vetted by the agency – and given the green light to work there.

• Dependent On Your Results

When you succeed, the agency succeeds.
Their growth depends on your success as much as your growth does.
That means you’ve got a team of people dedicated to making sure you do the best you possibly can.
They’ll also provide feedback monthly to show you how you’re doing – often with in-depth reports, which means it’s easier to keep track of your results.

• Faster Scalability

Growth is a great thing, but having to hire new employees is a lengthy process.
If you want to ramp up quickly, you just need to pay the agency more, and they handle the rest.
That means you don’t have to waste time interviewing multiple possible hires for weeks – or even months.

Cons:

• Lead Times

Agencies make their money by working with businesses just like yours – that means that they need time for their team to create the assets you need, and send them to you for approval.
This lead time can be frustrating for some, albeit a necessary evil.

• Results Aren’t Guaranteed

As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
While agencies depend on your success to measure their own, your industry may be very competitive, and growing to the point where you see the results you want might take longer than you’d like.

• Requests Might Not Be Actioned Immediately

Tying in with lead times, because agencies are often working on more than one client at a time, if you have a flash sale that has just been okayed, there’s no promise that the agency will be able to do the work you need done, though they’ll try their hardest.

• Why Use A Marketing Agency?

If you’re looking for quick scalability, then an agency is the way to go.
By hiring one company, you can rest assured that you have experts in that team to get the work done, giving you more time to focus on other ventures.

So, Marketing Agency Vs. In-House – Which One’s Best?

At the end of the day, the best decision for you will be the one you feel fits best. 
If you want faster growth, an agency is what you need.
If you want to keep it within the company, then you’d be better off with an in-house team.
Some companies hybridise, working with both an agency and an in-house team – which can be brilliant, or completely horrible.
If you’ve got a tight timeline, then an agency won’t be the best decision.
But in-house teams can’t guarantee success either, and the costs can add up quickly.
If you’re looking for a flat, once-off rate with no hidden costs, then an agency is the better decision.
Whatever your choice, make sure you take the time to ensure you’ve got the best resources on hand – like this guide – to make your business venture a success.