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Should You Hire a Marketing Team or a Digital Agency?

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Here’s something most organizations will agree on: when seeking to influence visitors and build consumer relations, a company needs first-rate marketers to help its business thrive.

But here’s where the scenario gets more complex—often times, business owners are unsure of whether to hire a full-time in-house marketing employee or a digital marketing agency.

Let’s dig right in and compare the two possibilities when you ask yourself: “Should I hire a marketing team or a digital agency?”

Team vs. Single Employee

First of all, should you hire a team or a single employee? There’s no cut-and-dry answer here. As each company has a unique vision, it is important to analyze what arrangement could best serve your business. However, marketing is an extensive and demanding business practice that requires numerous tactics and jobs – everything from content creation to web performance analytics. It may be challenging to find a qualified individual that can equally succeed at a variety of tasks. Of course, when making the decision, it’s necessary to consider factors such as experience, skill level, communication skills, industry knowledge, and timeliness.

How To Decide What’s Best For You

Should you work with an in-house employee/team or a digital marketing agency? This decision should be strongly based on the needs and logistics of your business. There are several questions to ask yourself to help uncover which choice is the most appropriate fit. Let’s break it down.

What specific marketing elements are you seeking? Are you currently only looking to add an email specialist? If so, then an in-house employee may be the most suitable choice. If you are seeking help on numerous marketing fronts, a digital agency may make the most sense for your needs. A team will divide up certain responsibilities according to their strengths, whereas an in-house employee may spread themselves too thin with various responsibilities.

What are your business goals? What’s your timeline for achieving them? An outside agency may help achieve these short-term goals more rapidly; they can concentrate on all marketing aspects while allowing you to focus on other aspects of the business.

How big is your budget? Can you afford to hire multiple in-house employees? Examine your finances carefully. What resources do you have the time and money to invest in? Consider factors like staff training that are essential for the professional development of in-house employees.

For further assistance on assessing the value of in-house versus outsourcing, read this comprehensive Forbes article.

Pros and Cons

Benefits of Digital Marketing Agency

1. Diverse Skills

A digital marketing agency provides a team full of diverse talents and abilities. Each person brings a particular skill to the table. At SeedX, we supply content writers, email marketing specialists, web designers, ad specialists, social media experts, and more. With a range of expertise, the agency will assess a problem from different angles and perspectives. More minds, more marketing magic!

The flipside: With an in-house staff, it’s less likely to find a single person qualified to assume the various roles in marketing. That’s a lot to take on!

2. Costs

Hiring a digital marketing agency is far more cost-efficient than using in-house employees. Glassdoor statistics show that the national average base salary for a marketing manager is $78,141. Obviously, those numbers will drastically increase with an entire in-house team. A digital marketing agency is less expensive – annual costs with a team can range from $24,000 to $96,000. With the right agency, you’ll be getting exceptional services, experience, and productivity for significantly less money. Check out this helpful infographic that weighs the costs of a digital agency versus an in-house team.

The flipside: Hiring an in-house team requires a substantial budget from the company. In addition to the annual salary for an in-house employee or team, there is a multitude of other expenses including vacation time, yearly bonus, and employee benefits.

With continuous advancements in advertising, design, and social media, the marketing world is moving forward at a fast pace. A strong digital marketing agency will stay on its toes and be well-versed about industry trends, keeping on the cutting-edge of the latest technology and tools in its line of work. This up-to-date knowledge about processes can help your business run smoothly and efficiently.

The flipside: An in-house team may not be as experienced and knowledgeable about industry trends, especially if one person is running all marketing operations.

4. Focus on Marketing

A digital marketing agency will be solely focused on the marketing efforts of its clients. This allows business leaders to spend more time on internal operations and other opportunities.

The flipside: When using an in-house team, there may be more overlap between daily business operations and marketing work. There could potentially be less freedom to concentrate on areas not related to marketing.

 

Benefits of In-House Marketing

1. Internal Communication

Streamlined communication among different departments may be an advantage with an in-house team. A strong full-time employee may offer more immediate and regular involvement in this regard on a daily basis. When hiring in-house employees, it’s essential to examine how the employees can best interact with other company divisions in order to optimize business performance. Read this useful article on ways to cultivate productive and successful internal communications.

The flipside: A digital marketing agency has other clients and may not provide the level of attention you’re seeking. However, this aspect is completely dependent on the quality and commitment of the specific team. A topnotch agency should exhibit strong communication skills and respond to requests promptly and efficiently.

2. Hand-picking Employees

Building an internal team allows you to select the best employees for particular tasks. It’s essential to find candidates that have relevant skills and can handle the dynamic responsibilities of marketing. Note that hand-picking employees is often a time-intensive and expensive process, especially if hiring multiple people.

The flipside: A digital agency is more of a package deal; it is likely that the team has already been formed. You may not have the power to build or modify the group. However, hiring a preset team will save you from the laborious efforts of creating a team from the ground up.

3. Familiarity with the Company

 An in-house full-time employee will typically gain a more intimate knowledge of the company and will become very familiar with the brand’s vision and goals. Participating in brainstorming sessions and meetings may allow the employee to have a better grasp of the company’s voice.

 The flipside: A digital agency works remotely, so it naturally won’t be as immersed in company culture. Yet this can be overcome. With ample communication and research regarding your company’s voice, along with a strong fit, there should be a mutual understanding of objectives.

 

Where to Find Digital Marketing Agencies 

Thumbtack

-Thumbtack connects you to experts on various industries. A page contains an introduction, list of services, and details such as business hours, social media accounts, and payment methods. There is also a section comprised of past projects, photos, and videos. Past clients can review agencies, which can greatly help prospective clients obtain unbiased testimonials. SeedX connects with many clients through Thumbtack – check out our page here.

Clutch

Clutch is a marketing platform that provides technical insights to improve customer interaction and activity. They work with hundreds of popular brands like Godiva, Pandora, and Samsonite. Their strategy involves three key functions they describe on their site- “identifies your customers, extracts meaning from your data, and recommends actions that benefit your brand.”

 

Upcity

Upcity is a marketplace that connects companies to a multitude of trusted professionals. The central team compiles reviews and finds the most reputable and reliable agencies across the country. Similar to Thumbtack, there are a plethora of details on each agency that can help you make an informed decision. An agency page includes an overview, a list of services, client types, and a unique section entitled “What Makes Us Different.”

 

-A simple Google search can be highly productive and useful, particularly for locating agencies in your geographic area. For example, if you google “Top Digital Marketing Agencies in New York City,” multiple pages pop up with lists and descriptions of top-notch teams. Google can be an excellent tool to conduct in-depth research and explore your options. This list provides a concise and informative overview of 20 important digital marketing agencies in NYC. The piece briefly discusses each agency’s location, role, and clients.

 

Have you made your decision yet? No?! Do not fret! This is a pivotal choice that demands a great level of thinking, research, and consideration of many factors. Weigh those pros and cons, ask yourself the essential questions, and let this article guide you in executing the best plan for your business. As we say at SeedX: Conquer the Internet.

Be Influential. Grow.

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