(Max Pixel)

Whatever industry you’re in, and how large or small your business is, you’re going to need digital marketing in some degree to keep the whole operation afloat. This is pretty obvious to all modern entrepreneurs, but what isn’t so obvious is the resources you should be devoting to your online presence. One of the big questions all business owners come across is whether to handle marketing themselves, or to outsource it. Here’s a look at the pros and cons for both.

DIY

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One of the main advantages of handling all your marketing yourself is the amount of knowledge you’ll be able to tap into. Your in-house staff will have a very close proximity to the business, and a keen understanding of its values, audience and aims. Once they’re trained in some of the technicalities of marketing, they’ll become very nimble and effective in applying marketing tactics based on your brand strategy. Another big advantage is the consistency of the output. If you’ve been wanting to accelerate your content output, but find you simply don’t have the time and energy to commit to the quotas you’re setting yourself, then DIY marketing could be the way to go. This will allow you to keep a close eye on the content your brand is publishing, and free up your own time for more pressing, executive tasks.

The biggest drawback of taking a DIY approach to marketing is cost. If you want to staff an in-house marketing team that’s up to modern standards, it’s going to get expensive, aside from the big challenge of scouting, recruiting, and training the best talent out there. A typical in-house team for a small business can cost up to $150,000 a year not including benefits, bonuses, and the initial cost of hiring. You’re also going to see a significant drop in productivity when you’re first training up your team in most cases. Depending on your standards of hiring, there may be a considerable learning curve in front of new, in-house marketers.

Outsourcing

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One of the most attractive things about outsourcing marketing is the significant cost savings. If you pass your Digital Marketing needs onto an SEO company and order a comprehensive service, you’ll often wind up paying a fraction of what you would with an in-house team, and get the same or even better results. When you’re outsourcing, you’ll pay a pre-set, contracted rate, and that will be it. You’ll also be able to skip the learning curve of training your own marketers, and rely on knowledge and experience which can be hard to find elsewhere.

The only real con in outsourcing digital marketing is the lack of control and authenticity. They may be experts, but you’re going to have to hand over control of your marketing efforts to someone who’s unfamiliar with your brand, company culture, and values. The best marketers will do all they can to become familiar with the business and all it stands for. However, you’re still going to have to sacrifice some authenticity, though usually for more reliable results.

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