Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency vs the DIY or Freelancer Approach

Why Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency Beats DIY or Freelancers

In today’s competitive business landscape, digital marketing is a critical component of success. Having a robust online presence is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. However, the question of how to manage digital marketing remains: should you hire a digital marketing agency, handle it in-house, or rely on freelancers? This article compares the pros and cons of digital marketing options. Get the information you need to make the best choice for your business.

A general thought on hiring an agency: Regardless of your type of business, do you think the average person could do your job as well as you do? If you answered no, then ask yourself, why would you think that just anyone can do your marketing?

Things You Need to Know

As with any trade or profession, all practitioners are not the same. Unfortunately, far too many business owners seem to think that anyone can do our website and marketing. This is the thinking of a company that can be destroyed by skilled competitors. How do you best assure yourself that you’re hiring a competent and reliable marketing agency? Here are some valuable tips:

• Agency Credentials Your agency needs to be established and proven. How long has the agency been in business? What is the story behind the founding of the agency? What is their business style and culture?
• Key Personnel Credentials You need to confirm that the key personnel are a good fit for your business. What types of positions (titles, responsibilities, etc.) have they held? What are some of their career success stories? What can they bring to the table for your business?
• Business Experience & Accumen You need people who need minimal oversight and truly understand how to achieve objectives. Do they truly understand how a business works from the top down? Have they worked at large corporations, SMB’s, start-ups, turn-around situations, etc.?
• Breadth of Services You need agency that can seamlessly handle present and future needs. Can the agency provide what you may need (website development, technical support, SEO, local search, content marketing, social media marketing, etc.)
• Client Base Diversity Acquired knowledge is valuable. Has the agency acquired experience working with service companies, professional practices, industrial companies, etc.)?
• Account & Task Management You need to know the talent level of the people of the people doing your work. Is your account just a folder on the desk of a young new-hire? Will your marketing be handled by someone with a passion for excellence and concern for details?

Advantages of Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency

1. Expertise and Specialization: Digital marketing agencies consist of teams of specialists who are well-versed in diverse areas such as SEO, PPC management, local search marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and more. This depth of expertise is difficult to achieve with freelancers or in-house teams, especially for small to mid-sized businesses. The key benefit is having a professional marketing team to bring strategic insights and best practices that maximize your marketing ROI.
2. Access to Specialized SaS Tools: Successful digital marketing relies on data-driven strategies and analysis. Agencies have access to industry-leading tools for SEO audits, keyword research, social media scheduling, and performance tracking. These tools are often expensive for individual businesses or freelancers. The key benefit is having in-depth analytics data which enables better decision-making and campaign effectiveness. Agencies maintain service subscriptions, which can cost thousands annually. You get the benefit of this marketing intelligence without any direct cost to your business.
3. Scalability and Flexibility: A digital marketing agency can scale services up or down based on your business needs. Whether you’re launching a new product or service, targeting new markets, or seeking to conquer seasonal opportunities, agencies can adapt quickly and effectively. The key benefit is having a reliable partner that can do the right things, in the right manner, at the right time.
4. Cost-Effectiveness: While hiring an agency might seem expensive upfront, it’s often more cost-effective in the long run. Building an in-house team involves recruitment costs, salaries, benefits, and training. Freelancers may seem cheaper but often lack the capacity to handle comprehensive campaigns. The key benefit is eliminating the overhead costs associated with in-house teams and enjoying a higher ROI.
5. Consistency and Reliability: Agencies provide consistent output and adhere to deadlines because their reputation depends on it. Freelancers may juggle multiple clients, leading to delays or inconsistent quality. The key benefit is the assurance of professional quality of services with timely delivery of deliverables. Examples are scheduled blog articles, email campaigns, local search updates, and social media posts.
6. Fresh Perspectives and Creative Ideas: Agencies work with various industries, exposing them to different trends and creative strategies. This diversity enables them to bring innovative solutions tailored to your business. The key benefit is fresh perspectives that prevent your campaigns from becoming boring, and ensure they resonate with your target audience.
7. Focus on Core Business Functions: Partnering with an agency allows your team to focus on core operations rather than getting bogged down by the intricacies of digital marketing. The key benefit is having an agency actively manage productivity. This frees your team to concentrate on your business operations.

Disadvantages of Hiring a Marketing Agency

While the benefits are compelling, it’s important to consider potential downsides. Here are issues that may arise if you hire an unqualified or unethical marketing agency:

1. Budget Issues: Agencies require a recurring fee for professional services rendered. This can create a significant financial stress investment for startups or small businesses. This is especially true if the agency cannot generate a relatively prompt ROI. Mitigation: Evaluate your marketing budget and negotiate contracts to ensure value for money.
2. Less Immediate Control: Working with an external agency means you’ll have less direct oversight compared to in-house teams. Mitigation: Establish clear communication channels and regular progress reviews.
3. Learning Curve: The agency may need time to understand your business, brand, and audience, which can delay results initially. Mitigation: Provide comprehensive onboarding and clear expectations upfront.
4. Potential for Misalignment: If the agency doesn’t fully align with your vision or goals, the campaigns may not meet expectations. Mitigation: Choose an agency with a proven track record in your industry and maintain ongoing collaboration.

DIY Digital Marketing: The Challenges

Taking the DIY route may seem appealing due to perceived cost savings, but it comes with significant challenges:

• Achieving Measurable Results: Digital marketing requires specialized skills that are difficult to acquire without formal education, training, and experience. Do you know what you’re doing?
• Time Demands: Managing campaigns, analyzing data, and staying updated on best practices will take time away from running your business and your personal life. Are you willing to sacrifice your time?

While DIY digital marketing may work for small businesses with minimal budgets, it’s rarely a practical or effective effort to grow a business. In fact, when your marketing if absent or failing, the resulting stress will actually cause you to lose focus on your business.

Common problems and failures with DIY marketing:

a) Dismal results from poor understanding of marketing concepts, planning, and implementation.
b) Lack of progress caused by inability to commit time to actively implement and manage marketing.
c) Poor lead generation due to a weak targeted presence, poor branding, and no conversion strategy.

Freelance Contractors

The truth is, most freelancers are just trying to make a little side money. Typically, they do not have the formal education or training to work at an agency. They seem to be the most interested in working when thier bills arrive and they need to send an invoice. Is this the person you want to rely on to make your business successful?

The average freelance contractor is a high-risk / low-potential marketing option. They almost always know less about your industry, competitors, and company than your average employee. Because their time is limited, they push the services they can do with less effort. They tend to avoid the time-consuming work that often yields the best results.

Freelancers probably have a regular job which makes your business a lesser concern. Timely communication? With other priorities, they may be generally unavailable for meetings, phone calls, emails and text messages. Lastly, having limited time results in an inability to manage complex, multi-channel campaigns. In short, a freelance contractor is not a reliable option for marketing services.

Conclusion: The Case for Agencies

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, businesses need more than just occasional social media posts or basic website updates—they need data-driven strategies, cutting-edge tools, and consistent execution. While DIY efforts and freelancers may seem attractive, they often fall short of delivering sustained, measurable growth.

Hiring a reputable digital marketing agency offers

• Professional marketing expertise and services.
• Depth of experience, knowledge, and creative solutions.
• Availability and reliability when you need it 24/7/365.
• Outcomes which deliver an ROI that sustains revenue growth.

By partnering with a competent digital marketing agency, you can focus on your business operations. Your agency can help you maintain, diversify and grow your business. Whether you’re a startup looking to establish a presence or an established company aiming to expand, investing in a top digital marketing company can be the key to unlocking your growth potential.

Wrap up statement with a call-to-action statement and link

CREDITS and FOOTNOTES

• Photo by Gerd Altmann, available at Pixabay