Hiring an Agency vs. Doing it In-house
When looking for a marketing solution, you can hire an in-house team or an agency. Most people are in a dilemma on what to choose. Each option has its advantages. In this article, we will compare hiring an agency with an in-house team.
You can access top-notch talent when you hire an agency
We live in a very competitive environment. Ad marketing thrives on cutthroat competition. Companies want the best team to help them overcome competition.
If you decide to hire, prepare on how to deal with talent shortages and elaborate hiring processes. You must train and manage that talent. Unfortunately, ad marketers are highly specialized people. That is because it is a diverse area. You need to hire several people.
If you opt for an agency, you will have access to all their professionals. If they need a campaign done, they will have all the experts working on the project.
The cost function is forgiving for agencies
The cost of hiring one ad-marketing expert is high. The cost of training and maintaining is also quite high. If you compare that expense with the cost of bundled agency services, the cost of one employee can cater to your entire marketing agency cost.
Since you need more than one person to run your marketing company, the cost will be high when you opt for an in-house team.
It also takes time to make a consistent team. Sometimes you don’t have that time. The digital space is highly dynamic. If you let competition get a head start, you will play catch up forever. When you hire an agency, they begin work immediately.
Agencies deliver results
Most of the times, all you care about are results. You want your campaigns to bring in conversions. The person that fulfills your pressing needs becomes the hero. Agencies deliver consistently.
Perhaps it is because they have experience in the industry. They don’t experiment on campaigns; they pick a winner every time. Agencies also fail; however, their failure rate is lower than that of in-house teams.
Agencies invest in tools that a company can use
Ad marketing tools are expensive. Some companies put up budgets over $250,000 annually on tools. That kind of investment is out of reach for medium and small enterprises.
Agencies continually upgrade their tools to compete with the best. If a company were to do the same, its return on investment would probably never match the capital outlay. Agencies can do this because they serve many customers.
You can invest more money in adverting since you are confident that the money is safe. Internal teams take time to grow. They also require constant maintenance for them to deliver.
Lack of motivation and boredom can stifle creativity. Even when you invest more money, the teams may employ the same methods they have used in the past. They may never know how to diversify their marketing efforts.
Finding a culture fit with agencies is difficult
Hiring your team gives you an opportunity to look for employees that rhyme with your company culture. You can also train them on company values. If there are updates to internal mission or vision, you can easily communicate that to your team.
An agency is an outsider. It only takes instructions related to the job function. They don’t need to share cultural values with your company. That position is tricky because customers may associate your company with agency values.
If the agency has questionable ethics, expect the backlash to affect your business. You have to be careful when vetting agencies. Typically, an agency should share common ethical values and standards.
Agencies may not give you full-time attention
Hiring an employee means he or she works under you. He or she provides your company full-time attention. It means he can dedicate more time on your campaigns. He or she can strive to improve your business fortunes.
Agencies have multiple projects running concurrently. You have to depend on the company to keep their word. If they promise to give you a dedicated marketing expert, they should do so.
An in-house employee gives you live updates on projects. The communication process is smooth. Unless the agency implements a comprehensive communication strategy, it may never match-up with the internal communication channels.
Conclusion
An in-house team works best with big organizations. They can afford to bring many experts. They can also create a continuous process of hiring, training, and talent development. Such companies also spend a lot on acquiring tools and other resources. SMEs are the exact opposite of their larger counterparts. They can benefit greatly from the services of marketing agencies.