At some point, most growing businesses hit the same wall. The owner has been doing the marketing in the evenings, or it’s been handed to whoever seemed good with social media, and it’s no longer enough. Something has to change. Agency or freelancer, or someone in-house? Each suits a different situation.
There are three main options: hire someone in-house, work with a freelancer, or use an agency. Each is a sensible choice for some businesses and a poor one for others. Whether an agency or freelancer suits you better than a hire depends on your budget, how much marketing you need, how varied it is and how much time you have to manage it.
Here’s how to think it through.
Hiring an in-house marketer
An employee works only for you, gets to know your business deeply and is there day to day. That’s a real advantage for businesses with a steady volume of marketing work and lots of internal knowledge to capture.
The trade-offs:
- Cost is more than salary. Add employer’s National Insurance, pension contributions, equipment, software, training and holiday cover.
- One person can’t do everything. Few people are strong at strategy, copywriting, design, paid ads, analytics and video. You’ll likely still need outside help for some of it.
- Junior hires need direction. A junior marketer can be excellent at delivery, but will struggle if nobody senior is setting the strategy.
- Recruitment takes time. And if they leave, much of the knowledge can leave with them.
In-house tends to suit businesses with a clear strategy, enough ongoing work to fill a full role and someone able to manage the person.
Working with a freelancer
Freelancers are often specialists: a copywriter, a paid ads manager, a designer, a social media manager. You pay for the work you need, and good freelancers bring experience from a range of clients.
The trade-offs:
- Usually one skill set. You may need several freelancers, and someone has to coordinate them.
- Capacity is limited. Holidays, illness or a busy period with other clients can slow things down.
- Quality varies widely. References and examples of work matter.
Freelancers suit businesses that need specific, well-defined help and have the time to manage it.
Working with an agency
An agency gives you access to a team with a mix of skills, such as strategy, design, content, ads and development, without employing any of them. Good agencies also bring the benefit of seeing what works across many businesses.
The trade-offs:
- Less day-to-day presence. They’re not in your office and don’t absorb your business by osmosis. You’ll need to share information and give feedback.
- You’re one of several clients. Make sure you know who’s doing the work and how much of their time you’re getting.
- Fit matters. An agency that’s brilliant for national brands may not suit a local business, and vice versa.
Agencies suit businesses that need a range of skills, want strategy as well as delivery, or don’t have time to manage several individuals.
The question isn’t which option is best in general. It’s which one gives you the skills you need, at a volume you can afford, with a level of management you can actually provide.
Agency or freelancer? Five questions to help you decide
- Do you have a clear marketing strategy? If not, you need someone who can set one, not just someone to carry out tasks.
- How much work is there, really? Write down everything you’d want done each month. Is it a full-time job or a few days?
- How many different skills does it need? The more varied the work, the harder it is for one person to cover.
- Who will manage it? Every option needs someone in your business to give direction, approve work and share information.
- What’s the full cost of each option? Compare like with like, including employment costs, tools and the outside help an employee would still need.
Mixing and matching
It doesn’t have to be in-house, agency or freelancer, with nothing in between. Common combinations include an in-house marketing coordinator supported by an agency for strategy, design and paid ads; or an agency handling most of the work while the owner or a team member creates day-to-day social content.
If you’re weighing up an agency or freelancer against an in-house hire, our outsourced marketing department is designed for businesses that want the range of a full team without hiring one. And if you already have someone in-house who needs strategic direction, our marketing strategy work can give them a clear plan to follow.
