Hiring a Marketing Agency VS Doing Marketing In-House

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A person writing on a tablet with a graphic that says digital marketing hovering above it in El Paso.

Many business owners come to a point where they ask themselves, should I hire a marketing agency or hire someone in-house to handle our online marketing? 

Online marketing can bring in leads, help with community awareness, show off your services, and grow your business. Many different strategies can help accomplish your goals. Outsourcing to a digital marketing agency and handling your marketing in-house have different pros and cons to keep in mind when making that decision.

If you want to accelerate your business with a quality, personalized marketing plan, AGI Marketing is here to help. Contact us online or call (888) 269-5449 today to learn more.

In-House Marketing

In-house marketing means hiring and paying someone or a team within your company to take care of your marketing within your business. You hire them and pay their salaries.

In-House Marketing Pros

Brand & Industry Familiarity

Having someone at your company running your marketing means they know who you are as a company, your brand, and your target market. Hopefully!

Accessibility to the Employee (Quick Communication & Decision Making)

Sometimes, you want something posted immediately or need an answer to how a campaign is performing. It is easy when you have a direct line to the employee running your marketing or can walk up to their desk and ask them a question.

100% of Time Focused on Your Business

Hiring someone in-house means they are 100% focused on you. They don’t have other clients to attend to. Your company will always be their priority.

In-House Marketing Cons

Not Having Expertise in Multiple Digital Channels

Finding someone with experience in multiple types of digital marketing can be tough. Usually, they specialize in one or two platforms or strategies. Someone who knows how to perform SEO, generate reviews, run Google ads, and run a social strategy are few and far between. 

Recruitment

With the issues above when it comes to having experience in multiple platforms – This also makes recruiting and hiring hard, especially if you don’t know what you want or need. If you know what you are looking for, let’s say, a social media expert and an SEO expert, you might get lucky with finding someone who knows both, or you may need to hire two people to fill those roles.

Employee Turnover

If you find an expert in multiple strategies, and they quit or don’t work out, this puts you back on the drawing board for hiring again.

Outsourced Marketing

Outsourced marketing means you are hiring an outside agency to take care of the marketing for your business. You usually pay them a monthly fee for certain services, which could be per project.

Outsourced Marketing Pros

Expertise

At a digital marketing agency, different departments handle each service. Everyone in each of these departments is an expert in that one strategy. There will be a content department, an online reviews department, a Google ads department, a social department, etc. They are constantly staying on top of new trends and trying to improve results.

Lower Cost

When outsourcing to an agency, average costs per year start around $20,000 and go up from there, depending on your needs, goals, the size of your company, etc. The cost to hire an in-house marketing professional can start around $50,000 and above, plus the cost of the budget you are putting behind your marketing campaign. If you have to hire multiple employees, that cost doubles. 

Scalability

Increasing the workload doesn’t affect an agency. If you want to add on more services, start posting two blogs a month instead of one, or run multiple social campaigns at the same time, all of this can be done. With an in-house expert, they will have a capacity on what they can manage within a 40-hour work week.

Tools & Resources

Agencies have a set of the most up-to-date and helpful tools and resources to use when performing their strategies and services. There are keyword research tools, analytics platforms, competitor research tools, web results, etc. 

Outsourced Marketing Cons

Location

An agency that is a right fit for you may not be located in your city. This can be a deal breaker for businesses who like to meet in person or have someone who understands the local market best. However, many agencies are set up to make sure everything runs smoothly and can accomplish needed conversations on the phone and through Zoom.

Multiple Clients

With an agency, you are not going to be their only client. They will not be focused on your business 100% of the time. Agencies usually sell their strategies as a monthly service. Each month will be focused on specific tasks that they need to accomplish to make sure you are successful.

Control

At an agency, when it comes to requesting edits, pausing campaigns, launching, researching, etc, you will email in, call in, or submit a ticket. Depending on the urgency of the request, it could be handled immediately, in a day, or a few days later.

How to Decide Which Option Is Better for Your Business

Every business is unique based on location, size, industry, services, and goals. All businesses can benefit from some type of strategy, and deciding which way to take it is ultimately up to you. 

If you choose to go with a digital marketing agency, be sure to choose one that truly gets to know your business so they can properly put together a strategy focused on your goals. A marketing strategy is not one size fits all. It takes a lot of research, testing, improving and usually includes more than one strategy. To get started with a trusted agency today, call AGI Marketing at (888) 269-5449 today!

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Angele
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Angele

Born and raised in Senegal, West Africa, my love for diverse cultures and adventure led me to the U.S. 16 years ago. From kickstarting my college journey at Harrisburg Community College in Pennsylvania to earning my Bachelor’s in Communication Studies with a minor in Public Relations and a Master’s in Marketing Intelligence at Towson University in Maryland, it’s been a fun ride!

Now, picture this: an avid chatterbox with an outgoing personality – that’s me! AGI turned out to be the perfect match, where I blend my creativity with strategic expertise, crafting campaigns that contribute to the success of diverse industries. It’s not just about elevating one business; it’s about orchestrating success across various fields.

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Jess

After growing up in the Finger Lakes region of upstate NY (Garbage Plate region) and being an artsy athlete at school, I went to college for Graphic Design and to play lacrosse. After graduating from RIT I’ve moved everywhere – Oklahoma, Texas, Cali, Nevada, and back home to New York. I’ve always loved exploring new places, but the Finger Lakes is where I want to settle down – there is truly no place like it. 

Working in digital marketing gives you that new place mindset – it’s always changing, and I’ve loved this job because of that. I love celebrating the wins with employees and client success.

Jim
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Jim

I spent half of my childhood growing up in Nashville and the second half in Chicago. Right out of high school, I joined the Army where I learned a lot about growth. I got out of the Army in 1997 and started my own company that became AGI Marketing. We began as a graphics and vehicle wrap company, but as I saw the world start to shift to digital and the need to be online, we transformed into a digital agency. 

We have grown considerably since that shift. I am obsessed with growth – for my staff, family, the company, and myself, and we love being able to help businesses grow. Outside of the office, I have five children, three grandchildren, and a wonderful wife. I am very involved in my Christian church and enjoy traveling!

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