You already know that digital marketing is the best way to generate leads and boost brand awareness. But, should you do the work in-house or outsource your digital marketing needs? Or a combination?

There are pros and cons to any scenario. And that’s what I’m going to tell you about today: the pros and cons of outsourcing your marketing activities.

Now, full disclosure, I’m a conversion copywriter for hire, so I’m solidly in the “outsource your marketing activities” camp. Ultimately, though, you need to do what’s right for you and your business. And, as much as I’d like for it to be so, sometimes outsourcing just isn’t the best choice for you.

So, let’s jump right in, yeah?

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Your Marketing Activities

Many small businesses don’t have marketing teams already in-house. If you’re an entrepreneur it’s even less likely that you’re going to have these resources in-house.

But there are tons of moving pieces to digital marketing. And when you consider how important digital marketing is to building and growing your business, it just makes sense to have a dedicated person or team handling it.

That doesn’t mean you need a specific person to handle social media, traditional marketing, SEO, copywriting, content marketing, etc. But you do need to have all of your bases covered.

While there are clear benefits to outsourcing your marketing activities, there are also disadvantages to letting someone outside of your business handle your messaging. To make the best decision for your business, you need to consider both sides.

Pros of Outsourcing Your Marketing Activities

We’re going to start off with a look at the many benefits you’ll enjoy should you choose to outsource your marketing activities. For many (I’d say most) small business owners and entrepreneurs, outsourcing is the best thing you can do. Here’s why:

You’re getting a team of experienced professionals

One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing your digital marketing activities is that you’re getting access to years of expertise and experience from writers, SEO experts, strategists, designers, and more.

You’ll be free to focus on operations

Even if you’re well-versed in marketing yourself, as a business owner or entrepreneur you have no business doing anything that will pull your attention and energy from managing your team or those vital daily business operations. When you outsource your digital marketing, you’ll be able to focus on running your business and still maintaining a solid work-life balance.

It’s cost-effective

It might seem counterintuitive, but outsourcing your digital marketing is much more cost-effective than hiring and paying a full marketing team. When you outsource, you’re ready to hit the ground running. You’re not paying someone to learn how to do the job you need them to do.

While it might seem like a lot of money to lay out for marketing, when you outsource you’re paying for results. This is particularly true for copywriting.

You’ll have access to established industry connections

Hiring an external marketing business to handle your marketing needs means getting access to the industry knowledge that the members of that team have accumulated over their time in business. This can make it a lot easier to find influencers who want to work with you and make sure that your content gets wider exposure.

You’ll be more productive

If you’re an entrepreneur or business owner, you already know what’s it’s like to stick to deadlines and schedules. But when you have to do everything yourself—or oversee the people who are doing it—it gets harder and harder to get everything done.

Outsourcing your digital marketing efforts means not worrying about any of that. You’re not only getting the materials that your agency provides, you’re also getting the project management that will make your life so much easier.

The Cons of Outsourcing Digital marketing

Okay, we’ve talked about the positives. Now it’s time to take a look at the downside of outsourcing your digital marketing.

You might feel out of touch

After the time you’ve spent building your business, letting go is hard. When you outsource your digital marketing activities you might feel like you’re out of the loop.

The Solution:

The right agency isn’t going to let you feel out of the loop. You’ll get as many updates as you want and will be as involved as you want with setting the direction of your message.

Finding the right company can be time-consuming

There are tons of options around for outsourced digital marketing. Picking the right agency can take some time if you really put in the effort to research.

The Solution:

Hire me for your marketing strategy and implementation needs.

Now that we’ve got that settled… The best place to start your search for the best marketing agency for you is by asking your network who they use. Next, do a quick Google search. Then, compare the lists you have and do a quick review of the services your list provides. If you’re not moved by the agency’s website or the services, cross them off your list.

Once you have a shortlist, reach out to each of them and ask all of the questions you have. Based on those responses, you’ll have a good idea if one of the agencies stands out to you.

You might not have immediate access

Your chosen marketing agency might have a waitlist. This means that it could be a few weeks or more before they can get started on your project.

The Solution:

This is actually a good thing. While you obviously want to get started right away, a busy agency means that they’re in demand. And if they’re in demand, they’re probably really good at what they do.

You won’t be the only client

Along the same lines as the previous section, with an outsourced marketing business you won’t be the only client. Agencies spend their time between multiple clients which means you might not be priority #1 every day.

The Solution:

Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Find an agency that you want to partner with long-term and establish timelines and deadlines that will keep your project on track.

Should You Outsource Your Marketing Activities?

So, should you outsource your digital marketing activities or hire an in-house marketing team?

It depends.

Every business has a unique set of needs, so there might not be a cut-and-dry answer to your question. The important thing to remember is that you have options. You can hire a team, outsource all of your marketing, or outsource just a portion of it and hire a lean in-house team.

A great place to start is by engaging a marketing consultant — like me! I've got the expertise you need to get your business growing, increasing conversions and revenue. Get in touch today!