Outsource Marketing or In-house?
In-house and outsourced marketing are two different ways of approaching the same goal. With in-house marketing, you’re putting a permanent team together in your business. They work on your marketing strategies and campaigns under your employment and can work in the office or remotely as part of the same team.
Outsourced marketing still gives you a team to tackle your marketing strategies, but the difference is that it belongs to someone else. You’re outsourcing your marketing services to an existing agency or individual and they handle the tasks off-site while also delivering services to other businesses at the same time bringing you cross-pollination of ideas, access to tech you wouldn't otherwise afford, and economies of scale.
Many companies struggle to choose between the two options, so which one is better? The best way to find out is by comparing the two and looking at their pros and cons.
The Pros & Cons of In-House Marketing
Opting to build an in-house marketing team will have benefits and drawbacks. We’ve collected the main points for you to see below:
Pros
You have more control over how the team works and what they work on every day. You also have more control over things like budget allocations.
An in-house team can be picked by you, so you choose people who fit with your company culture and have a deeper understanding of the business.
It’s easier to collaborate with your in-house team and for other parts of your company to liaise with them on different projects as everyone is in the same place.
Cons
It’s simply more expensive to put an in-house team together - Talent.com says the average marketing officer makes $89,559 per year. That’s the salary for one person, let alone the other team members. You then also have recruitment and onboarding costs (and your time) per person to add to this.
There’s no guarantee your team will work well together and you may have to make changes, spending more money.
In-house teams could require additional training to broaden their skill sets - again, this costs more money and wastes valuable time.
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The Pros & Cons of Outsourced Marketing
By contrast, outsourced marketing offers a different perspective and its own unique set of pros & cons:
Pros
Far more cost-effective - you pay a monthly or annual fee that works out a lot cheaper than putting a team together.
Immediate access to seasoned professionals with all the skills you need. There’s no need for extra training as you’re instantly working with experts.
You could have a marketing team working for you that knows how to be productive and has worked as a unit for years. They already have great synergy, and this can help you save time across all your marketing projects.
Outsourced marketing is flexible in that you can choose to pay for it when you need it. Perhaps you do not need external help at some points but now and then would like to pay for a marketing consulting service. You can do this as you’re not fixed into employment contracts!
Cons
You get slightly less control over the proceedings.
Outsourced marketers aren’t specialists in your business so they won’t have the same knowledge that an in-house team could boast.
Should You Outsource Marketing or Build an In-House Team?
The answer depends on your unique situation. If you’re running a smaller business without a big budget and you need professional marketing advice and help, then outsourcing is the smarter choice. It helps you save money while giving access to experts whenever you need them. The added flexibility is a nice bonus and makes up for the possible lack of control or communication concerns.
On the other hand, in-house marketing may benefit you if you have a large business and can afford to put together a team, and it’s essential to have full day-to-day control over all of your marketing efforts.
It all depends on where your business currently stands and what your budget allows you to do. If you’re interested in learning more about outsourced marketing and its benefits, feel free to contact The Change Starter today.
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