The big question: Employ a newbie or partner with an agency?
If you’re a business owner, decision-maker, or a marketing manager, chances are you will find yourself at a crossroads — should you build an internal marketing and design team, or should you partner with an external agency?
This can feel like a very tricky question, as it’s a very important one. This decision can significantly impact the effectiveness and efficiency of your marketing efforts and in turn the success of your business.
Of course, as an agency, it’s safe to assume we are biased… But this bias comes from years of firsthand experience — watching businesses struggle with the challenges of building a marketing team, only to realise down the track how much time, energy and resources they’ve wasted.
So, let’s unpack the ins and outs of this big decision so you have all the details you need to get it right.
The in-house hustle
The appeal of an internal team is undeniable. We get it. Having dedicated personnel focused solely on your brand feels like the ultimate commitment to your marketing goals.
It’s one thing to have a fantastic marketing manager, however, the reality of maintaining an internal marketing department can present significant challenges:
High costs: Investing in a graphic designer in Australia will cost you around $80k per annum. Same again for a copywriter. The average social media manager annual salary is $80 - $100k per year. (Not to mention the cost of recruitment).
Limited expertise: Marketing today demands expertise in strategy, creativity, digital marketing, analytics and more. Building a team with this level of diverse knowledge is super expensive and time-consuming.
Employee turnover: Even after you’ve invested heavily in hiring and training, there’s always the risk of employees leaving. Losing key team members can disrupt your entire marketing strategy and force you back to square one.
Slow results: Even with significant investment, a small in-house team may lack the experience needed to deliver timely and impactful results.
Why an agency could be the ultimate ally
Why limit yourself to the capabilities of a few in-house hires when you can tap into a vast pool of expertise with a highly regarded agency?
Plus, a good agency is committed to empowering your in-house team, making sure you and your marketing impress all-round and achieve meaningful return on investment.
At Kick, our team is made up of only highly skilled professionals who are leaders in their fields — no juniors in sight. We can’t speak for all agencies, but that’s the difference in the service we offer. There are a whole bunch of benefits available to you when partnering with a quality agency, including:
Access to top talent: Instead of being limited by the capabilities of a small team of employees, you tap into a vast pool of expertise that spans multiple industries and disciplines. Web development, graphic design, copywriting, creative strategy, social media content creation…
Fresh, innovative ideas: Thanks to our experience with diverse clients, agencies bring fresh perspectives and innovative tactics, often overlooked by internal teams.
Efficiency and speed: Getting the job done on time and on budget is the operational goal of a good agency, meaning you can get your project up and running faster, as well as getting results that might take an in-house team months (even years) to achieve.
Focus on what you do best
While an internal marketing team may seem like the right choice for some businesses, collaborating with a full-service agency, offers a more robust, flexible and experienced approach.
By outsourcing your marketing needs, you can focus on what you do best — running your business — while leaving the complexities of modern marketing to the experts.
