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Agency Vs In-House Marketing

By Sinead Harte

Website Account Manager

June 2023

No matter the size, industry, or profitability of your business, finding the right marketing strategy and approach is essential for your success.

Whether you’re looking into hiring an in-house marketing team or wanting to partner with a marketing agency, there are many things to consider.

But, what is the difference between an in-house marketing team and a marketing agency?

An in-house marketing specialist or team works for only one business, focussing on the marketing strategy for that business. Whereas, partnering with a marketing agency involves outsourcing your marketing efforts to a team of specialists who manage marketing services for a portfolio of clients.

And while either or both can be beneficial for your business, it can take time to choose the right fit.

So, what works best for you? Let’s break it down.

Cost

In-House

While on paper, it may appear more cost-effective to hire an in-house marketing team, there are many unforeseen costs associated with this approach.

Hiring an experienced internal team takes time. You will need to consider advertising for the position/s, and the time it takes away from your business efforts to find, interview, employ and train the right people.

This can be a costly process, especially when you consider ongoing salary, superannuation, leave, equipment, software, hardware and more.

But, if you take the time to invest in your marketing team, the reward is having a team whose sole purpose is to communicate your business’s marketing strategy. Your staff will develop a deep understanding of your business’s missions, values and vision and develop strategies that deliver your message quickly.

 

Agency

When you partner with a marketing agency, the cost is an ongoing negotiation based on your requirements. And whilst it may appear to be more expensive per hour than an internal team, you will have access to a team of marketing experts who are specialists in each area of marketing.

Use your agency as much or as little as you need and pay accordingly. You can engage with an agency per campaign, hourly, a set amount of hours per month- whatever your business requires, without the costs of  hiring, training and onboarding internal employees, a marketing agency is plug and play — ready, set, work.

Expertise

In-House

An in-house marketing team is 100% focused on your business and knows the ins and outs of your marketing strategy. By having a deep understanding of your industry, business, solutions, and services, an in-house marketing team becomes an expert in your field.

An in-house team will stay up-to-date with industry trends and news, essential to developing campaigns in real-time. And because they have greater access to Executives and Directors, your marketing team can negotiate budgets and planning strategies as needed.

On the other hand, an in-house team may become stretched across a variety of marketing tasks and responsibilities making it difficult to upskill and train in new marketing technologies and techniques.

As the old saying goes, “jack of all trades, master of none” can ring true for an in-house marketing team. Having a marketing specialist or group trying to create designs, write ads, create engaging content, build websites and more can be difficult for an individual or a small team.

We often see companies on the hunt for a marketing 'unicorn' who can handle every aspect of marketing. But the truth is, if you want it done properly, you need a specialist at each stage.

Content, design, management, reporting, strategy, and execution are all separate stages that require different specialisations. To expect one staffer to cover all of your businesses requirements is like expecting a Sales Rep to handle your IT, Accounting, and Catering.

 

Agency

A marketing agency is comprised of a team of experts in specific areas of marketing. By working with several clients on a range of marketing campaigns, marketing agencies lead the way in finding new and innovative ways to deliver your message.    

When you partner with a marketing agency, you are working with experts who are specifically trained in the most up-to-date industry practices, essential for your business’s success.  

For instance, at CoBright, our team comprises of graphic designers, web developers, digital marketers and content specialists who work collaboratively together to deliver purposeful and coordinated marketing material that aligns with your marketing strategy.

To Summarise

At its core, marketing is flexible. It isn’t a case that one is better than the other — both in-house marketing and agency marketing have their place.

At CoBright, we can act as the marketing arm of your business. So, if you don’t have an internal marketing team, CoBright can handle your digital presence, brand identity, and overall marketing strategy.   

But that’s not all we do. If you have an in-house marketing specialist or team, we can partner with them to support current strategies, develop ongoing or ad-hoc campaigns, and elevate their current marketing capability.

So instead of competing against each other, marketing agencies and in-housing marketing can work hand-in-hand. Because at the end of the day; two minds are better than one. By collaborating we are Brighter, Together.

 

 

Learn more about our Managed Marketing solutions

 

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