As your business grows and you build your online brand, you’ll soon start to consider your marketing needs. Every business needs effective marketing, but you might come across this debate:
Should we hire a marketer in-house or outsource to a digital marketing agency in Sheffield? Which is the way to go?
Both in-house and agencies offer numerous benefits. Whether you want to increase your online visibility, create a buzz with a marketing campaign or just want to better speak to your target audience, marketing is essential. Read on to find out what separates in-house marketing from agency, and which would benefit your business the most.
What is In-House Marketing?
In-House marketing is exactly how it sounds. You keep your entire marketing team internal. In-
House, in general, means any work completed by internal employees rather than people hired externally.
Your entire internal team handles everything. From creating to executing to tracking marketing strategies using internal resources within your organisation. This also means that your in-house team will handle everything from planning, advertising, branding, social media, and SEO.
Depending on the size of your organisation, the size of your in-house team will vary. A small-to-medium business might have a smaller team, including a marketing manager, marketing assistant, social media specialist, and designer. A larger company, however, will likely have extensive in-house teams with specialised roles for numerous marketing tasks. For example, they will have specialists in market research, PR, data analysis and more.
In-house marketing comes with its perks, but it does come with its challenges.
Perks of In-House Marketing
If you have a larger budget and particularly value directly overseeing campaigns, you may benefit from an in-house marketing team. Here are some perks of hiring in-house:
Better understanding of the brand
Many agencies may not be able to replicate the tone of your organisation or industry.
Integration with other departments
An in-house marketing team can easily work with other departments in your organisation. This translates to a more holistic understanding of the company’s marketing needs.
Control and Alignment
With an in-house marketing team, you have direct control over marketing campaigns and can monitor them closely. Many agencies may not be able to offer this level of direct communication.
Here at Daffodil Marketing, we pride ourselves on fast communication and working closely with clients, as we understand the importance of representing your brand as strongly as possible.
Disadvantages of In-House Marketing
While there are plenty of advantages of in-house marketing, there are paramount disadvantages.
Higher Costs Long-Term
Salaries, training, benefits and annual leave all add up. On top of this, you will need to account for tools you may not have access to already, such as subscriptions to services like Mailchimp, Adobe, or Canva Pro.
Limited Skillset
In-house teams often lack the diverse experience that agencies come with. Hiring a specialist for every channel can quickly become costly, whereas outsourcing to a marketing agency in Sheffield comes with experts in SEO, PPC, copywriting, design, and more.
Constrained Resources
Small teams may be overloaded by limited resources. This can quickly lead to burnout and missed opportunities. Alongside this, when a team member leaves, it can quickly disrupt campaigns or create knowledge gaps that require extra training to bring your team back up to speed.
Issues with Scalability
As your business grows, so does the amount of marketing required. Scaling campaigns up can quickly require more hands on deck than your organisation can afford. It’s costly in hiring more staff, training and development, and managing increasing amounts of company data – not to mention the costs of hardware and software.
All these tasks take up plenty of time, and if you are an SME based in Sheffield, you may not have the time to spare.
What is a Marketing Agency?
A marketing agency is an external organisation that businesses hire to manage their marketing. These agencies come in all shapes and sizes, suited to various needs. For example, one agency may specialise in specific areas, like influencer marketing, SEO, or performance marketing. These agencies also vary in the industries they specialise in; some may have experience all-around, others, more niche.
Unlike in-house, digital marketing agencies in Sheffield work independently but in close collaboration with your business. They take time to understand your brand, brand voice, goals, target audience and more, to create tailored strategies or content for your business.
Advantages of a Marketing Agency
There are plenty of benefits to outsourcing your marketing efforts. Here are some key advantages to hiring a digital marketing agency in Sheffield.
Wide Range of Expertise
When you hire a digital marketing agency, you aren’t just getting one person. You’re getting a team of specialists. These specialists have a diverse skillset and are proficient in different areas of marketing. This level of expertise can lead to more effective and stronger marketing strategies.
Scalable
When your business grows, your marketing does too. One of the biggest perks of outsourcing to a digital marketing agency in Sheffield is the ability to scale up and down with your business. Quiet season? Reduce your package needs. Big campaign in the works? Scale up without worry of hiring, training, office space, equipment, and more.
Cost-Effective
Although hiring an agency might feel like a high cost upfront, it can be more cost-effective in the long-term. You don’t need to worry about overhead costs, including salaries, benefits, software, tools and more. This can lead to significant savings.
Disadvantages of a Marketing Agency
There are undeniable advantages to working with a marketing agency. However, it’s important to understand the disadvantages of working with one too.
Less Brand Intimacy
A marketing agency won’t be as rooted in your company culture as an internal team. However, over time, as your relationship builds, so does your agency’s understanding of your team’s values and behaviours.
Compatibility
Not all digital marketing agencies in Sheffield work seamlessly with every business. You may prefer to leave an agency to get on with things or keep you in the loop every step of the way. We have worked with clients who have voiced incompatibilities with their previous agency, so we strive to communicate at the level they want.
Communication
As a marketing agency isn’t in-house, there is an inevitable communication lag that comes with the physical distance. However, with a strong agency like Daffodil Marketing, support is always available on demand. We’re just a phone call away.
Which is Best for My Business?
Digital marketing is not just an added perk; it’s how to stay relevant in a competitive market.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. For example, a business could have a generalist marketer working on a little bit of everything while outsourcing social media work. You could have a strong internal marketing team, but outsource when you need a hand during a busy campaign launch.
The marketing world is always evolving, and your needs will too. At Daffodil Marketing, we can offer the best of both worlds. Reach out to chat with one of our specialists today, over the phone, or over a coffee on us.
