Should Your In-House Marketing Work with an Agency?
"Why would we hire an agency? Isn't that what we have you (all) for?" If you've suggested using help from a marketing agency to supplement your in-house services for your company, you may have heard a similar management comment. Many companies struggle with understanding the benefits of hiring a marketing agency versus using their in-house marketing team instead.
The first and most important thing to define is your company's marketing goals and weigh them against your current team's strengths and capacity levels. Quickly growing companies tend to hire people to fill a problem, but unless you're a pro at hiring people, it can be hard to ensure that the new hire(s) can handle the job that meets your full company marketing goals. Assessing your company's own limitations can be a bit daunting and challenging. Still, it's vital to decide whether your marketing efforts can/need to stay in-house or outsource. There are so many marketing agency benefits to consider. Here are just a few:
More Comprehensive Range of Skills
Working with an agency brings multiple specialties at a much smaller price than hiring numerous individuals with various expertise areas. These individuals bring a variety of expertise to the table, so now you can maximize your spending while getting the most for your money. A broader network of brainpower helps you and your company by putting many skilled eyes on the project for a fraction of the cost of hiring in-house marketing.
Speed
Agencies are built for speed. The ability to get things done and done well with little editing is impressive and usually makes them stand out above the rest. Many marketing agencies' expertise lie in their ability to put the pedal to the metal, so get you what you're looking for, even when under pressure or a time crunch.
Communication
The agency you're working with may not be just down the hall, but they are often better communicators than those sitting just a few feet away (hopefully 6 feet). Good marketing agencies make sure the client (you) doesn't ever feel out of the loop. The goal is to make sure you're always in the loop, so expect follow-up emails, phone calls, zoom meetings, and text messages. Before you know it, it will feel like the agency team IS your team, precisely what they aim to achieve.
Industry Insider Tools
The added benefit (among many) that a marketing agency can bring to you and your company or team is the access to tools/platforms that you would typically have to pay premium pricing to get. Most good marketing agencies have invested time and money to research and utilize the best of the best software to help track success and report out to you with those numbers. It's all about the ROI, and the right agency will make sure you are getting that info from their well-established platforms and tools that you may not have otherwise known existed.
It's never a bad idea to ask for help in business, especially when you don't have an expert in every area of marketing on the team. Choosing in-house marketing vs. an agency partner is entirely up to you, your company, and your situation. Outsourcing can be the most cost-effective route, and in the end, deliver the best results.
Not sure where to begin? Learn more about how a great marketing agency can help support your in-house marketing team and goals. Give Serendipit a shout!
