Should You Bring Your Marketing In-House, Continue Outsourcing, or Switch Agencies? Here's How to Decide.
After years of working with the same marketing agency, you might find yourself asking, “Are we still the perfect match”?
You’ve grown accustomed to their services, but you’re now wondering whether it’s time to bring your marketing efforts in-house, continue outsourcing to your current agency, or switch to a new one altogether.
Deciding the right direction for your marketing can be a daunting task, especially when you’ve already invested time, energy, and resources into your existing partnership. But making the right decision is key to the long-term growth and success of your business.
Here’s how you can weigh your options and make the best decision for your company:
Assess Your Business Needs and Goals
First things first, where is your business now, and where it’s headed?
What are your marketing objectives for the next year?
Are your goals more aligned with rapid growth, brand awareness, or lead generation?
Different strategies may require different approaches—bringing marketing in-house, continuing with an agency, or switching to a new one.
Ask Yourself:
Do I need more control over the day-to-day marketing decisions? Bringing marketing in-house might provide more flexibility and control.
Is my marketing team fully equipped to handle the current scope? Evaluate whether your in-house team has the skills, bandwidth, and resources to meet your marketing needs.
What are the future marketing goals for my business? Will a change help you grow in the direction you want?
Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Current Agency
If you’re happy with the work your current agency has been doing, it’s worth considering whether a continuation of the partnership will help you achieve your goals. However, if you're experiencing frustration or stagnation in results, it might be time to consider a change.
Key Signs It Might Be Time to Switch Agencies:
You’re not seeing measurable results: If you’ve been investing in marketing with little to no tangible outcomes, the agency may not be aligned with your business goals.
Followers, website visitors, and even foot traffic are all great - but are they leading to the growth of your business?
The agency is not adapting to changes in your business: As your business grows or changes direction, your marketing needs evolve. If your agency isn’t agile enough to keep up with those changes, it may be time to look for someone who can.
Questions to Ask:
Is the agency providing creative, data-driven solutions?
Are they offering new ideas and staying ahead of marketing trends?
Are you getting the level of customer service and communication that you need?
Consider the Benefits and Drawbacks of Bringing Marketing In-House
All of Team City Girl has worked both in-house and on the agency side. Like everything, there are pros and cons of each and let’s be honest… sometimes you need to roll the dice and change things up. If it doesn’t work, that’s okay!
Bringing your marketing in-house can offer some great benefits, but it comes with its own set of challenges. In-house marketing gives you complete control over your campaigns and direct access to your team, which can lead to faster adjustments and a deeper connection to your brand.
Benefits of Bringing Marketing In-House:
Complete Control: You’ll have full ownership over marketing decisions, content, and strategies.
Deeper Brand Understanding: In-house teams tend to have a better understanding of the company culture, voice, and goals.
Cost-Effectiveness (in the long run): Although there’s an upfront cost to hiring and training an in-house team, it can ultimately be less expensive than paying agency retainers.
Challenges of Bringing Marketing In-House:
Higher Overhead: Hiring, training, and managing an in-house marketing team can be expensive.
Resource Limitations: Your in-house team may lack the specialized skills or capacity for some advanced marketing services (SEO, paid ads, content creation, etc.).
Time and Effort: Managing an in-house team requires significant time and effort to ensure campaigns are running smoothly.
Evaluate the Pros and Cons of Outsourcing to a New Agency
If your current agency isn’t meeting your needs, switching agencies may be the right move. However, this decision requires careful thought. When was the last time you broke up with someone? The key advantage of working with an agency is the expertise and resources they bring to the table.
Benefits of Switching to a New Agency:
Access to Expertise: A new agency may offer specialized knowledge, innovative strategies, and creative ideas you may not have access to in-house.
Scalability: Agencies can scale up or down as needed, providing flexibility as your marketing efforts grow or shift.
Cost Savings: Agencies can often offer services at a lower cost than the expense of hiring and maintaining an in-house team.
Challenges of Switching to a New Agency:
Time Investment: Finding a new agency requires time to vet potential partners, discuss your goals, and evaluate proposals.
Loss of Familiarity: It can take time to build the trust and understanding you had with your previous agency. Expect a learning curve as the new agency gets up to speed.
Alignment Issues: You need to ensure the new agency fully understands your business goals, target audience, and vision from day one.
Compare the Costs of In-House vs. Agency vs. Hybrid
When evaluating the cost of bringing marketing in-house versus outsourcing or switching agencies, consider both short-term and long-term expenses.
In-House Marketing: Includes salaries for your marketing team, software tools, training, and resources. It may be cost-effective in the long term, but the initial setup can be expensive.
Agency: Typically involves a monthly retainer or project-based pricing. While it offers flexibility and access to experts, the costs can add up over time.
Hybrid Model: Some businesses choose to keep certain aspects of marketing in-house (like content creation) while outsourcing specialized tasks (like SEO or paid ads) to an agency. This can give you the best of both worlds—control and expertise.
Questions to Ask:
What’s my current marketing budget, and how does each option align with it?
Will my business benefit from the specialized skills agencies offer, or do I have the resources to build an in-house team?
What’s the long-term cost-benefit of keeping marketing in-house versus outsourcing?
Finding the Right Fit for Your Business
Ultimately, the decision to bring marketing in-house, continue outsourcing, or switch agencies boils down to your specific business needs, goals, and resources. If your current agency isn’t delivering the results you need, it may be time to explore new options. On the other hand, if you feel confident that an in-house team will better suit your vision and budget, bringing marketing in-house could be a great long-term investment.
Regardless of the path you choose, remember that marketing is an ongoing process, and staying flexible and open to change is essential. Whether you stick with your agency, switch partners, or build your team, the right decision will support your business’s growth and help you achieve your goals.
Need guidance on the best marketing solution for your business? Let’s chat and explore the right approach that fits your goals, resources, and vision.