Marketing agency vs. In-house team? Find out today from Spirus

Marketing agency vs. in-house team:

It's an age-old question for so many businesses.
Do they set up or keep their existing marketing team in-house or do they take the plunge and partner up with a marketing agency?

It's important to state that there is no right or wrong answer here. Factors like your goals, ambitions, budget, values and KPIs all come into play when determining which avenue is best for your particular needs. And it's often been said that it's also wholly possible to get the best of both worlds.

There's no doubting that it's a tough choice to make, and will involve spending some time and doing the research. In this post, we'll be looking at the main difference between in-house vs. agency marketing, and the advantages of both. We'll also look at certain factors to consider that could help you make the right choice, and briefly explain the hybrid approach. Finally, as always, we'll tell you how we do things here at Spirus.

What is the difference between a marketing agency and an in-house team?

As we've mentioned before, a marketing agency is a company, or service provider, that works with various clients in one or more areas of marketing. Their job is to assist companies with planning, creating, and executing specific phases of their marketing strategies and goals.

The direct opposite of outsourcing, an in-house team relies on having people "in the house". It is conducting an activity or an operation within a company, and not making use of external resources.

What are the advantages of working with a marketing agency vs in-house team?

Cost-effective

Partnering up with a marketing agency, especially when you're just getting started, is certainly the most cost-saving and cost-effective way of running successful marketing campaigns. With small teams and even smaller budgets, businesses often lack the necessary marketing knowledge amongst their in-house team. Working with a group of specialised experts, whose sole focus is on your company's specific needs and goals, will be invaluable.

Expertise

It's definitely possible that you have the basics down. And that things like your tactics, trend-watching, and day-to-day strategy are all well understood amongst the team. But what if a specialised project or campaign needs to be executed? Something that your in-house team has never worked on and has no experience in. Again, this is where working with a marketing agency becomes extremely beneficial.

Lower commitment required

When you partner up with a marketing agency, tasks such as hiring an in-house team, recruiting, conducting interviews, onboarding, and training new employees, are no longer your responsibility. It is also, generally speaking, a lot easier to hire (and fire) a marketing agency than it is an employee. Working with a marketing agency will free up time for you and your business to focus on other important goals and projects.

Large networks

Top marketing agencies will have built up large networks of channels and connections that can only be useful to you when partnering with them. They will also have access to a wide variety of tools and resources that either aren’t practical or are just too expensive for only one company to have.

Technology-driven

When it comes to technology, top marketing agencies will always be up to speed on the latest trends in technology. They will also have systems in place to collect and analyse all the necessary data that they require. They will use analytical reports, data, and specific software, to target the right customers, with the right products, at the right time.

Creativity

One of the best and most important things about working with a marketing agency is that they will bring fresh and creative ideas to the table. They'll also bring objectivity, which is vital! It's essential that people who are impartial and uninfluenced by any internal biases look at your strategy. It's never a bad idea to get a fresh pair of eyes to look at any given project or campaign, and working with a marketing agency will open you up to new perspectives that you may not have thought about or seen before.

What are the advantages of having an in-house team?

Expertise and familiarity

Similarly to working with a marketing agency, the skills and expertise of your team make all the difference. In-house employees have been carefully and extensively vetted for the job, and are essentially paid to live and breathe your brand. By having an in-house marketing team, you maintain full control over your brand and how it is presented to your target market.

Speed and accessibility

Marketing agencies will be working on numerous projects all at the same time. Having to maintain their loyalty and keep all of their customers happy will affect how fast they're able to complete your work. On the other hand, if you have an in-house team, they are focused solely on your goals and objectives. They're also easy to access, as they're all under one roof. There's no having to call or email and then wait to hear back from someone.

Control and security

Many businesses prefer to have complete and outright control over their marketing practices, which makes working with a marketing agency virtually impossible. Having an in-house team means that you won't need to share any of the company's sensitive data with outside agencies, providing an extra layer of control and security.

Factors to consider when deciding on a marketing agency or an in-house:

Your company's values

It goes without saying that you want to work with people who share the same values and ethics that you and your company do. Generally, working with an in-house team will make this easier to accomplish than working with a marketing agency. As previously mentioned, full-time in-house employees are carefully vetted, and while the same may be true of a marketing agency, they're not being vetted by you.

Your company's goals and objectives

It's vital that you define your company's specific requirements and achievable goals. This will be invaluable when making the decision of hiring a marketing agency or an in-house team. Are your goals and objectives achievable with an in-house team? Do you have the expertise amongst your team? Can you afford the equipment that will be needed?

Adaptability and growth

What type of project or campaign are you looking at? Is it one that is constantly changing and requiring immediate feedback, or is it more simple than that? Can your in-house team keep up, adapt, and more importantly grow, with the changing trends?

What is the hybrid approach?

As the name suggests, the hybrid approach makes use of both marketing agencies and in-house teams to achieve your marketing goals. As an example, you could build an in-house team that only focuses on one specific aspect of your marketing activities, and also employ a marketing agency to take care of tasks that require greater expertise or skill. Now you have two teams complimenting one another.

When implementing a hybrid approach effectively, it's important to set crystal clear roles and expectations for each team. Both teams need to be acutely aware of their responsibilities and what is expected of them.

What are the benefits of a hybrid approach?

Access to industry experts at a fraction of the cost.
Access to the latest technology that is too expensive for one company.
Access to large networks and databases that agencies have built up.
Creativity and objectivity will be increased.
You maintain control over your company's data.

Why choose Spirus?

At Spirus, we proudly offer a full range of marketing and communications services. From developing your strategy, mission, vision and values, to implementing and reviewing your marketing campaigns. Many of our customers have commented that they love the fact that we "do the doing" as well as the talking, making us something of a one-stop-shop for all of your marketing and PR needs. We work alongside your existing marketing team and provide any and all additional services that you require. Whether that be writing great copy, designing beautiful graphics, producing engaging videos, running your social media, printing your physical campaign, or liaising with the media, we will get your business out there!

We work collaboratively in partnership with our clients to bring your brand to life, reach the right people, and ultimately, make more sales. Your marketing activities will have the most impact if they are scheduled for the right time, to make the most of seasonal opportunities, and be aligned with your business needs and strategy. Do not worry. We have you covered!