Any company that has any kind of digital marketing strategy has to make that all-important decision: in house marketing vs. agency. In other words, do they hire a member of staff to handle all of their digital marketing work, or do they outsource marketing to a third-party company?
Like any business decision, there is no right or wrong answer to this question, dependent as it is on the business itself. For large companies, it is a simple matter to outsource marketing duties elsewhere while smaller enterprises might find the whole in house marketing vs. agency question a more daunting proposition.
So, instead of taking a firm stance, we’re going to discuss the key points to help you reach your decision in the great in house marketing vs. agency debate…
In house marketing vs agency? Play to your strengths
If you have a strong digital marketing team in your office already and they’re producing results that meet or exceed your company’s expectations, then you might be one of those lucky businesses that don’t need to outsource marketing to another firm. Many companies don’t have that luxury, and that’s okay. After all, you have no problem with your bookkeeping, or your security, or even your recruitment onto a third party, so why worry if you have to outsource marketing in the same way? It keeps your staff focused on your core business, while someone else handles your digital marketing.
Workplace politics
If the in house marketing vs. agency marketing discussion ever had an elephant in the room, it is this. Workplace politics exists in pretty much every business and, with something as wide-reaching as your digital marketing strategy, all your departments are going to want to offer their buy-in to the process. For a permanent employee, this can be a tricky proposition as they are pulled back and forth by various areas of the business and – rightly or wrongly – will need to consider various internal issues as they put your strategy together. When you outsource marketing, you cut out that possibility. A third-party marketing company neither knows nor cares about any ongoing drama in your workplace. All they care about is your marketing strategy.
Maintaining your edge
Digital marketing is an extremely fluid phenomenon. As the major pay-per-click providers constantly shift their algorithms to create a better user experience, does your in house marketing team really have the time and wherewithal to keep abreast of these changes? If the answer is “no”, then you have a problem. When you outsource marketing to a dedicated third party, you know that they have their finger on the pulse of all new developments in online marketing and SEO.
Speed and manoeuvrability
A major advantage of using an agency for your marketing strategy is that they can implement your marketing needs quickly. Perhaps more importantly, they can change tacks at the drop of a hat. If a certain campaign is failing, you should be able to rely on your marketing agency to do whatever adjustments are required without further consultation. With an in-house digital marketing team, they are often expected to get their decisions approved by someone further up the management chain. This can cause a serious marketing bottleneck, especially if said management is not fully briefed on all the ins and outs of the strategy.
Of course, these are just a few talking points for any in house marketing vs. agency marketing debate. For more information, or to find out what else a digital marketing agency can do for you, be sure to contact anova today.
