Should you Hire an In-house Marketer or a Marketing Agency/Consultant?
Making the right choice:
Growing your agri-business takes more than passion and determination, it requires strategic marketing to stand out in a competitive market. Whether you're launching innovative products or managing an agronomy team, the right marketing approach can make all the difference. But should you build an in-house marketing team or hire an agency?
This guide breaks down the key considerations to help you decide the best path forward—so you can focus on growing your business with confidence.
Key considerations when hiring marketing help
Factor | In-House | Consultant/Agency |
Budget | Requires salary, benefits, equipment and training with high fixed costs | Often higher short-term costs but flexible, project-based pricing that may cost less in the long run |
Expertise | Skillset depends on the hire; may need training or multiple team members for diverse skills | Access to specialized expertise across various marketing functions |
Management Load | Requires direct oversight, training, and career development | Agency or consultant self-manages projects and deadlines with minimal daily supervision |
Speed & Execution | May take time to onboard and ramp up skills | Faster execution with established processes and teams |
Commitment & Risk | Long-term commitment; harder to scale down quickly | Lower commitment: easier to adjust scope or terminate engagement |
Control & Integration | Full control over strategy, messaging, and collaboration with internal teams | Brings an outside perspective while aligning closely with brand messaging through clear communication and collaboration |
Perspective & Risk | Can grow deep brand familiarity, but may be limited by internal thinking | Brings external insights and best practices from other industries |
Every business looks different, so there’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer. Your decision to hire in-house talent or outsource to an agency comes down to a few key considerations:
Budget: What’s your financial wiggle room? Agencies often seem pricy up front, but in-house hires come with hidden costs like benefits, equipment, and payroll expenses.
Expertise: Are you looking for a jack-of-all-trades or a specialist? Agencies often bring a breadth of expertise, while in-house marketers are tailored to your specific goals.
Time & Resources: Do you have the bandwidth to train and manage another employee? If the answer is “no” or “not yet,” outsourcing might be your best bet.
Control & Immersion: Regardless of whether you hire in-house or agency, you need someone fully immersed in your brand. An in-house marketer will understand your operations inside and out in a way an agency might not unless you have a contractor hired as a fractional CMO.
Flexibility & Scale: If your needs fluctuate seasonally or as trends change, you may want an agency that can adapt and scale quickly with your demands.
The Pros of Hiring an In-House Marketing Team
If you’ve hired a marketing consultant before or already have established systems and workflows, it may be time to bring talent in-house. Here’s why it might work:
Deep Immersion
An in-house marketer lives and breathes your brand. They’re in the trenches with your team daily, getting to know your business on a molecular level. That deep understanding helps them craft campaigns that align with your goals.
Control
With an in-house team, you hold the reins. Every strategy, campaign, and content piece flows through you. This level of control enables a tight, brand-focused execution.
Long-Term Growth
You’re not just hiring for a project; you’re investing in your brand’s future. When you take the time to train and upskill employees, you’re growing industry experts who can move your business forward.
Ease of Collaboration
Quick brainstorming sessions, impromptu strategy tweaks, or daily check-ins? These are much easier when your team is just a coffee break away.
The Cons of hiring an In-House Marketing Team
But before you post that job listing, consider the flipside:
Budget Constraints
A qualified marketer doesn’t come cheap. Salaries, benefits, and equipment add up quickly. And remember, marketing isn’t a one-person show — you may need multiple hires to cover all bases.
Limits on Expertise
A small in-house team may lack the specialized skills you need. It’s hard for one person to master social media, SEO, content creation, and campaign execution all at once. Expecting them to do so may backfire.
Tunnel Vision
Sometimes, being too immersed in the day-to-day makes it difficult to see the bigger picture. An outsider’s perspective can be invaluable when it comes to finding creative solutions or spotting growth opportunities.
Scaling Challenges
Marketing strategies change fast, and your team might struggle to adapt to sudden demands, like pivoting campaigns or scaling up during a busy season.
The Pros of outsourcing to an Agency/Consultant
If committing to a full-time hire feels like jumping into the deep end before you’ve learned to swim, outsourcing to an agency offers an attractive alternative.
Broad Expertise
Marketing agencies are like Swiss Army knives. Need help with SEO, social media ads, email campaigns, or branding? Agencies employ specialists who know their craft.
Budget-Friendly (Surprisingly!)
Agencies may seem expensive at first glance, but when you factor in the hidden costs of an in-house hire—taxes, benefits, and office overhead—outsourcing may be cheaper.
No Long-Term Commitments
Not ready to take the plunge into full-time hires? Agencies are flexible. Use them for short-term projects or scale their involvement up and down as your needs evolve.
Fresh Perspective
Agencies work with all kinds of clients across industries, which gives them a unique vantage point. They can offer strategies and insights you may not have considered because you are too close to the business.
Less Management Hassle
Hiring and managing employees takes time, from onboarding to weekly check-ins. Agencies come ready to execute with little handholding needed, freeing you up to focus on the big picture.
The Cons of outsourcing to an Agency/Consultant
Of course, outsourcing isn’t for everyone:
Less Control
Agencies may not know the inner workings of your business as intimately as an in-house hire. You’ll need to spend more time upfront getting them up to speed on your vision.
Cultural Disconnect
Your values and passion? That’s not always easy to convey to an outside team. Misalignment in branding or tone could hurt customer trust if a consultant or agency doesn’t take the time to get to know you.
Pricing Varies
While agencies can offer broad expertise, you often pay a premium for it. Hourly rates may add up, so ensure you understand their pricing model.
Availability Isn’t Always Immediate
Agencies have multiple clients to juggle. You may not get the “drop everything and fix this” urgency you might expect from in-house staff.
What’s best for you?
The right choice boils down to your unique needs and growth stage. If you’re looking for someone to align closely with your day-to-day operations and if budget allows, building an in-house team might be a long-term win. Conversely, if you’re strapped for time, need specific expertise, or want to avoid long-term overhead costs, outsourcing to a marketing agency or consultant could yield faster results.
Still undecided? Consider a hybrid approach
Still torn? A hybrid approach gives you the best of both worlds. Start with a consultant to build a strategy and systems, then bring marketing in-house when you’re ready. This model lets you get expert support upfront while preparing for long-term growth.
What if you already have an in-house marketer? Bring in a consultant for specialized skills or extra capacity when needed. This ensures you have the right support at the right time without overcommitting resources.
Remember, marketing is not a one-off investment. Whether you go in-house or agency, treat it as a continuous process that evolves alongside your business.
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