In today’s time and flexible work environment, the big question that every firm or company is facing is ‘Do we outsource and work with a marketing agency or invest and hire a whole in-house marketing team?’ This choice has come into the forefront by keeping in sight the ever-growing popularity of digital marketing. However, as a marketing agency ourselves that maintain an in-house team and at the same time offer marketing services, it is fair to say that we can understand your dilemma. So what is the solution? The right decision for this solely depends on the company goals and weighing those against the strengths and weaknesses team.
But despite being pros and cons to both of these choices, many companies opt to outsource their marketing services. The question then arises ‘Why companies are choosing Agencies over In-House Team?’ Thus, to answer this question in detail, it is imperative to look into the difference between in-house and marketing agency because each of them has a different way of solving problems and meeting the company goals for which they are working. Let us discuss Why companies are choosing Agencies over the In-House Team?
WHY COMPANIES ARE CHOOSING AGENCIES OVER IN-HOUSE TEAM?
IN-HOUSE ADVERTISING
In-house marketing team usually refers to those marketing activities that are performed by the employees of a company. Thus, companies going through this route assemble a marketing team to develop, manage and maintain the digital marketing strategies. Though, the marketing team size may vary depending on the scale of the business and the work that needs to be done and finished. So, this internal marketing team that markets the product has some primary roles like management of social media, content creation, product marketing, SEO, web design etc.
PROS
- Accessibility- Have the convenience of a team that be accessed anytime.
- Specific skill set- Have the opportunity to handpick an entire team of experts with particular skill sets that you require.
- Focus- The energy of the whole team revolves around the business and on generating revenues.
- Competitive knowledge- The internal team can develop a deep and critical understanding of the competitors as they will have all the information about the business.
CONS
- Turnover- Will have to deal with the hassle of interviewing, hiring and bringing employees on-board. It requires a lot of effort and time.
- Overburdening- Probability of overburdening the team because of excess work and limited marketing staff becomes high. Furthermore, if a vital member resigns, the entire in-house gets stuck until you find a suitable replacement.
- Creative Stagnation- Chances of the team lacking a deeper skill set when compared to the employees of the agency are higher. So chances of getting stuck in a rut are more.
- Cost- Hiring an entire team can be quite costly with budget restrictions.
DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY
In comparison to an in-house team, marketing agency refers to an agency to which you outsource and pay so that they manage your businesses’ marketing and advertising strategies. So, the step of hiring a marketing team becomes removed from the company. It is due to this reason that many companies are choosing agency over an in-house team. However, the structure of the agency team varies because of the focus that is maintained on having a full, cross-functioning, specialised team which cover various departments like- SEO, analytics, creative technology, finance, advertising and customer support.
Most of the time, when a company decides to go external, i.e., outsource their marketing to a trusted agency, it is because they may lack cash flow, investment or the necessary expertise to hire a team themselves. Despite this reason, there are many other benefits associated with an agency as a result of which companies are choosing agency over an in-house team. The reasons are as follow:
COST-EFFECTIVE-
Hiring a full agency is just a fraction of hiring an entire in-house team of experts, keeping in sight, the sheer knowledge they provide. Furthermore, companies also do not lose time for sick leaves or holidays because a team member is always available for handling the execution of strategies. All of these make their cost quite affordable.
VARIED EXPERTISE –
Agencies usually have the best talent around. So, they are a one-stop-shop for all marketing-related things. Taking ourselves as an example; we here at We Love Digital Marketing have employees in infographics, web designing, content writing, advertising, PPC, ROI and many other departments. Thus, outsourcing marketing of the business to professionals with niche skills and expertise provides a high level of competence surity. This is absent within an in-house team without an enormous investment from the company.
FLEXIBILITY/ SCALABILITY-
Working with a marketing agency offers flexibility which is less easy with an in-house team where there is a fixed number of employees with specialised skills. It is because an agency provides a variety of services that can be scaled up or down depending on the requirements. With changing needs and environment, the marketing approach of the agency also alters. Thus, it offers access to a whole range of tool to address specific requirements as they are fluent in every marketing tactic.
STRATEGIC INSIGHT-
As they come in with an outside perspective they help to see problems that you never know even existed. And so, their diverse team helps in solving problems faster by coming up with creative solutions. Furthermore, they also help in growing the business by delivering fresh ideas, as they have a higher level of marketing knowledge.
RESULT DRIVEN-
The agency knows that if they don’t deliver successful results, their working relationship might suffer. So, to avoid this hassle, they efficiently assemble all the necessary software and tools along with aligned incentives to prepare for an emergency that may emerge out of nowhere. Furthermore, they conduct an objective assessment of your business and implement that strategy which translates into more shares, followers, clients and ultimately increased sales. Thus, by creating a concrete plan to get a faster Return of Investment, they prevent any ‘newbie’ mistakes.
Thus, in the end, the choice solely depends on ROI and how it aligns with your business. A large company with a lot of money to invest may choose to side with an in-house team whereas small businesses with a smaller budget, would choose to invest in external talent and find an agency to thrive their company. But if you are still wondering then,
WE CAN HELP YOU DECIDE
All of the above-stated pros of opting for marketing agency answer the question of why companies choose an agency over an in-house team. But, we understand that despite weighing the benefits of both a marketing agency as well as an in-house team, the choice can be overwhelming, and so, we have plenty of resources which can make your job of deciding easier. Here at, We Love Digital Marketing, we offer and deliver specialised services for consultations. Being a digital marketing agency in Kolkata, we are client-oriented so, we do everything that your brand needs to make a mark in the online marketplace. Still, if you want to learn more, you can explore our blog/site. We would love to discuss your situation with you!
