by Hawke Media 

For growing companies, the decision between in-house marketing and seeking outside help can be pivotal. A digital marketing agency offers invaluable expertise and a bird’s-eye view that may not be possible with an in-house team. However, many organizations ultimately choose to bring marketing in-house, even if they lack a clear rationale for doing so.

High-Level Benefits of Digital Marketing Agencies 

Consider the benefits of hiring a digital agency:

• Relieve HR hiring stress
• Retention concerns eliminated
• Overhead reduction
• Marketing budget scaling 
• One-stop-shop for multiple marketing services
• Access to cutting-edge tools, technology, and industry insights from experienced pros

High-Level Benefits of Hiring In-House  

Agencies have tons of important benefits, but there will always be aspects that you can only get in-house. The most important ones are:

• Full control of who handles marketing for your organization and how they go about it
• A team that is familiar with your business culture and is monitored closely to comply
• Ease of sharing information with marketers to enhance adaptability
• Having marketing and sales under the same roof

Talent & Overhead Costs

Amid the pandemic and tight labor market, the hunt for experienced marketers has become challenging. 2022 reports show the median time to find a marketer is 40 days, and 77% of companies report hiring difficulty, the highest in 17 years. In two years, there has been an 8% increase in hiring challenges. Almost 30% of new marketing hires leave their job within six months.  

Finding experienced marketers has become more difficult due to the pandemic and tight labor market. Stats reveal that it took 40 days in 2022 to hire a marketing professional, while 77% of companies reported difficulty hiring. Offering training, onboarding, and mentorship can be costly for employers. Benefit options, including healthcare, vision, dental, 401(k), and mental health assistance, are also a priority for today’s workers.

The costs of nurturing talent add up. Unless you’re sure your team will grow with you for the long term, it’s usually more cost-effective to hire outside your company. 

No More Jacks of All Trades

If you’re planning to execute integrated marketing plans on multiple platforms, you will likely need multiple specialists in different fields. Often for a single campaign, you’ll need people skilled at:

• Creative copywriting for video
• Video production 
• Paid advertising on organic platforms
• Community management and social media
• Content strategy

An agency has teams that can handle each of these responsibilities, have done it before for multiple clients, and know the most successful strategies to get seen and convert.

Real-Time Assessment  

Often, hiring an agency for your marketing needs is a great solution no matter what. When that agency can serve as a full-on Outsourced CMO, you know you’re in good hands. The current market, with its economic unpredictability and rapidly shifting workforce, and developments in AI, makes outsourcing your marketing efforts all the more logical. There are plenty of great reasons to hire in-house, but the first line of defense will almost always be getting outside experts.