Are you about to decide between hiring an online marketing employee or outsourcing your digital marketing activities? In this blog, I won't provide you with a list of pros and cons for both options. My opinion is, of course, biased (something like WC-eend), and I would love to tell you why and when, in my view, you are best off with a marketing agency.
Investment, not costs
To begin with, you should see marketing as an investment, not an expense. In terms of time, money, and attention. Maybe you have a marketing employee in-house, but they are juggling all the tasks? For example, offline marketing, but also SEO, SEA, email marketing, and conversion optimization. The next question you should ask yourself is: is this being done with the time and attention you would like? Is there enough focus on what needs to be done? Hiring an online marketing agency does not mean you have to outsource all online aspects. You determine together what the needs are and which expertise is lacking in-house. You are assured of the right attention to keep things sharp continuously.
Maybe you also have knowledge of, for example, SEA or SEO and want to be involved in decision-making about optimization possibilities while running your business. Don't forget that an online marketing agency invests time in developing the necessary marketing expertise. For you, it's an additional task. At Follo, we pay weekly attention to our own development and also attend events like Friends of Search.
Do you need to hire someone to expand or set up your (online) marketing team? Ask yourself if it's worth the cost and time. Is this the right decision for your business and revenue?
Efficiency and making progress
Do the math: an average medior/senior online marketer costs quickly € 4,000 to € 5,000 per month, including all costs. At an agency, you get a huge amount of time and expertise for your digital marketing for the same amount. Moreover, you can start much lower in terms of price, have a lot of flexibility, and take little risk. Where an in-house marketing expert is entitled to at least 24 vacation days per year and can be unexpectedly absent, your coverage with an online marketing agency is always guaranteed. Every day (and sometimes even at night with us).
At Follo, for example, you have one contact person who bears the final responsibility, but ultimately a whole team of experts works on your campaigns. Many agencies work remotely or are present once a month for a progress meeting. At Follo, we choose to be physically present as much as needed. This way, we truly become an extension of your organization.
Growing together
With an agency, you can reduce labor costs and increase your flexibility. But as your company grows, you will eventually reach a point where your organization has the strength to support a full FTE with enough focus. At that moment, we take a step back, or we use the time to become even better together. Then we reach the (in our eyes) ideal situation: an in-house online marketer who can also rely on an experienced agency with a wide range of expertise. Because for us, a clear point of contact with online experience is also an added value.
So what is the ideal mix in my eyes? Letting an agency strengthen you and your team. This provides you with several benefits:
- More continuity and focus
- Maintaining efficiency through optimal collaboration
- Less risk on labor costs
- More flexibility
- A wealth of experience
- Always up-to-date on new developments and opportunities
Curious how we at Follo can be the extension of your organization? We would love to have a conversation to develop a solid business case so you know what it will yield. Because every investment requires a good foundation. Based on data and knowledge, we make a targeted forecast.
