Marketing: Ready, Steady, Go?
Steve Jobs set it out simple for us- “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?” However, in today’s increasingly competitive market, you need a lot more equipment to put that dent with your company. Are you hilariously confused about where to find Thor’s hammer for that? Don’t worry, we’re here to help in your search for finding the right one between an in-house vs digital marketing agency.
So, the way e-commerce was bound to happen, likewise, marketing online to get things sold there has also been inevitable ever since.
Though there are two roads that can be taken to reach your digital marketing goals-
- Hire a Digital Marketing Agency
- Build an In-house Team
But, guess what? everybody is in the same dilemma that what is going to be the bang for the buck.
In-House vs Digital Marketing Agency: What’s the Deal?
Marketing is always done with a goal. Sometimes, it’s to reach the right customers, get leads, elevate conversion rate, or establish a brand value and reputation.
And, to gain the most out of your marketing, it should align with your business goals. And, that’s where a well-designed, and “based on the data and facts” marketing strategy is needed. This highlights why businesses might get confused and think of hiring professionals!
Are you planning to outsource your digital marketing? Read this awesome resource that guides you through top factors while shortlisting the right agency.
Anyway, both an agency and an in-house team can work efficiently for a brand. It all depends on the following top factors that are here to educate you about both the systems-
FACTOR #1
The Creative Flow is Essential!
Map the direction of your creativity! Measure what’s going great with your brand’s digital presence and what is just, well, bleh! And did you know it is often said that creativity comes from diversity? Well, it is absolutely true when it comes to marketing digitally. Content strategists, be it in an in-house vs digital marketing agency, they require all kinds of latest updates, trending news, tech and “distractions” to bring out subtly quirky ideas for your brand.
In-House:
While creating content, an in-house team is devoted to a single brand, yours. This alone can get the team stuck in a creative rut and a cycle of ‘not so creative ideas’ then usually repeats.
Pros:
- Devoted efforts
- Aligned brand goals
Cons:
- Creative block
- Less industry knowledge
Agency:
However, each member of a marketing agency works on tens of other projects and brands, that keeps them updated with the latest trends in a plethora of industries. With this their creative engine is always churning something new, and all the content that is delivered keeps your audience engaged with your brand.
Pros:
- Creativity is always high
- Industry knowledge
- Content with a high engagement rate
Cons:
- Ideas often differ from brand’s visions
- Many agencies struggle with following a brand’s guidelines for social media optimization
If you see, a marketing agency can be compared to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
And its Oompa Loompas possess immense experience in delivering and improvising on marketing solutions, that are difficult to be duplicated in an in-house team. However, whether working in-house vs agency, you have to keep a clarification of communication and basic understanding with the team.
FACTOR #2
Who has the Latest Tech Guns?
Technology & tools, the biggest attraction of this century, is also game changer across nearly all sectors.
Say, for example how VFX has let movie directors come to deliver their message more clearly through amazing graphic technologies.
Similarly, your advertisement campaign’s message will be clear to your audience with the assistance of the right technology.
In-House:
Acquiring the right technology & tools while working with an in-house team can be an expensive job, and if you try to improvise on your strategies, implementing these can also stretch over a long period of time as you try to improvise on your marketing plans.
Pros:
- Easy to learn
- Opportunity to plan multiple strategy
Cons:
- Longer implementation
- Expensive
- Extra tool expert resource required
Agency:
However, a marketing agency has subject matter experts with the right marketing tools and techniques, to build better strategies for you, and to assist you in getting a head start in your marketplace.
Pros:
- Quick and early usage of tools
- Latest versions of technology and tools
- Cost reduction
Cons:
- Lesser indigenous strategies
- Absence of self-knowledge about the tech
Overall, the fight between in-house vs digital marketing agency is not just objective. You should actually know how your goals are going to be better met when hiring an agency or providing the appropriate technology to your in-house team.
FACTOR #3
A Place where you can Focus on your Goals
A major necessity in the flow of carrying out your marketing and business goals is to maintain a balance between marketing strategies and business goals and not get swayed away by any one of them.
In-House:
A well-arranged team segregates your marketing tasks while keeping them aligned towards your common brand goals. However, the difficult task is to arrange your A-team of in-house marketing.
Pros:
- Push towards brand goals
- Highly focused efforts on all-round marketing
Cons:
- An in-efficient team entangles different marketing efforts
- No vibrant campaigns
- Long Implementation Period
Agency:
Whereas, a marketing agency is swift in deploying as many experienced experts as you need, however, it becomes your responsibility to install a proper communication channel to understand your requirements to ensure continuous productivity.
Pros:
- Swift deployment of team
- Unhindered Business Goals
Cons:
- Often improper communication channels
- Misaligned marketing strategy
In this search for better opportunities in an in-house vs digital marketing agency, your business goals and objectives should remain unhindered by the disruptive factors of hiring and training personnel in your organization and you can meet the goals within your expected timeline.
FACTOR #4
Get your 360° Marketing Needs
Rigidity is the antithesis of what we must follow in our marketing strategy. The shape of a strategy should be flexible to cover all-around aspects of improvement, be it brand recognition through content or paid search engine advertisements.
This whole complex of performing a 360-degree set of functions in marketing is a subjective approach and depends on how you go about your strategies whether working in-house vs digital marketing agency.
In-House:
Whereas, a time-tested and fully equipped in-house team makes you achieve your goals and objectives by devoting fully to your brand.
Pros:
- All efforts are in one place
- Brand goals are an absolute priority
Cons:
- The team is forced to work outside their niche
- Lacks expertise
Agency:
A marketing agency on one hand vitalizes each dynamic marketing function as a priority and involves experts to drive positive results.
Pros:
- Dynamic marketing
- Multi-angle approach from experts
- Focused goals and objectives
Cons:
- Misaligned strategies
- Improper Communication with Brands
FACTOR #5
Boost, the Secret to your ROI & Performance!
Futile marketing attempts? lacking somewhere with strategies? a ton of wasted resources?
In this tussle between these two systems, performance can be driven through both, as you want, however respective imperative conditions become necessary carriers of boosting growth and ROI.
In-House:
Driving Performance through an in-house team depends on the bifurcation of your team functions, clean categorization of internal teams, regular reports and the big-goal guidance you set for team leads on a regular basis.
Pros:
- Dedicated teams
- Business goals aligned with team goals
- Close analysis of improvements & failures
Cons:
- Neat classification of internal teams
- Lack of expertise in some areas
- Technology & resource expenses
Agency:
The above does not happen within a marketing agency, an agency lives and dies by the ROI of your company. They have dedicated categorized teams and functions and a tested algorithm to get your requirements fulfilled. But. Yes, there’s a but; the communication between your brand and agency is the key. If there are loopholes there, your marketing goals will always feel unsatisfied.
Pros:
- Classified teams
- All-around expertise
- Loaded with the latest technology
Cons:
- Lacking in brand communication
- Knowledge of the Marketplace
- Reporting & analysis may be tampered with
FACTOR #6
Regular Reports Improve Strategies
Marketing has always been considered a complex of different strategies that come together to assist in making a brand more visible to the audience and customers, which in the end is supposed to drive that company’s sales.
Digital Marketing on top of that, is a new and naive practice which is also an ongoing study to deal with different aspects of the practices existing within it, like paid media, content marketing, e-mail marketing, social media marketing, SEO, website development, leads generation and management, etc. This is bound to make anyone delirious about the next strategy that one should have. It is here when experts of a marketing agency come as saviours and make things clearer for you with regular reports for a visibly great performance.
In-House:
In-house agencies rock it when it comes to reports. These reports are built in the context of testing your strategies on the anvil of your business goals. You will find it easier to perform an effective analysis of your strategies and prepare better for the coming future.
Pros:
- Regular reports
- Reports in view of business goals
- Better analysis of strategies
Cons:
- Lack of expertise in functional areas will inhibit progress
- Time-consuming for a single team
- Projections may suffer if insufficient or inadequate resources
Agency:
An agency’s functions are highly dependent on your communication. If you see from an agency’s view, a client that is paying a regular sum and doesn’t really care about reports and improvement, is a god for the agency, because it’s less hustle, minimum penalty and maximum regular profits. Hence, your communication is the key factor that will drive your marketing strategies to perform well with an agency.
Pros:
- Regular reports
- Accurate application of strategies
- Detailed projections
Cons:
- Poor brand communication
- High-jacking of future marketing strategies by the agency
Have You Decided? In-House vs Digital Marketing Agency?
Once you decide whether to hire a marketing agency or go in-house, the next step would be to set up teams! Hiring people for in-house teams, or hiring a marketing agency if you decide to outsource your marketing!
In both these scenarios of in-house vs digital marketing agency, gathering the right people, resources, and budget is paramount. Start working in the right direction, and achieve your business’s goals with marketing that can pronounce your business’s values and services to customers!