Maybe you’re spread too thin. Or maybe you don’t have the talent in-house to execute the task at hand. Whatever the case may be, there are plenty of reasons marketers look outside their organization for support. Some scenarios include:

• They’re not getting the results they need to be successful
• They have a big project that needs to get done, fast
• They don’t have the internal team or knowledge to pull it off
• They need an outsider’s perspective

Seeking outside help—whether from an agency, consultancy, firm, or freelancer—can help grow your marketing or solve a major challenge for your organization. But there are also times when seeking outside marketing help actually isn’t the best option. But before we dive into all of that, let’s start with the basics—options for marketing support.

Let’s pretend you have a big campaign or marketing initiative coming up. If you don’t have the necessary resources in-house to execute the project (or those resources are swamped with a different initiative), you have a few options to get the job done. They include:

2. GET EXTERNAL SUPPORT

If you don’t have the talent in-house, you can hire an outside expert, whether that’s an agency, consultancy, or freelancer.

4. SOLVE IT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

The final option is to find ways to be more efficient to create time to focus on the project. The only thing to be aware of is that technology creates its own set of problems as well.

Now you have a few decisions to make. The first should be whether you want to solve the problem internally or externally, which will likely be dependent on things like your budget, the type of work you need done, if the work warrants a full-time employee or multiple hires, and your investment in the long-term future of this work.

If you feel like this will be a long-term investment and it warrants hiring a full-time employee, then go for it. But if you need a wide variety of skills and don’t necessarily want to invest in all the costs that come with a new hire, then looking externally can be a good solution.

Once you’ve determined that you need external help, you need to figure out what kind of external help you need. There are two major buckets: 

• Freelancers and contractors
• Agencies and consultancies

In many ways, the pros and cons to working with an agency or a freelancer are similar to bringing in a new hire. A freelancer might give you specific knowledge in your industry and will be more affordable than going with a marketing agency or consultancy, but they’re probably not suited to take on huge, complex projects.

• Is the project big or complex?
• Do I have the budget to bring on an agency?
• Do I need help over the long haul, rather than on a one-off project?
• Do I need a group of problem solvers?
• Do I need access to a variety of roles (such as copywriters, digital specialists, designers, and more)?

If you answered yes to a few of these questions, congratulations! You’re shopping for an agency.

We’ve alluded to a few of these already, but there are some major upsides to working with a marketing agency or consultancy.

1. YOU GET ACCESS TO A VARIETY OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS

According to CareerBuilder, 50% of human resource managers say they currently have open positions for which they cannot find qualified candidates. Which means that if you decide to hire someone in-house to do the work, you might not even be able to find the right person for the job for quite some time.

With an agency, you don’t just get access to qualified candidates who can do the work, but to a variety of them. Depending on your budget, you’ll have access to the insights of experts ranging from copywriters and art directors all the way up to creative directors and brand strategists, as often as you need them.

2. YOU GET ACCESS TO THE LATEST MARKETING TECHNOLOGY

As you’re likely well aware, marketing technology is exploding. And the best part about working with an agency? They’re using and have used a ton of martech. Because their job is serving tons of diverse clients, they’ve gained exposure to various martech options and have access to auditing tools that you may not be paying for in-house. They’ll know the ins and outs of what’s available, and they’ll be well-equipped to tell you what you need—and what’s not a smart use of your money.

3. YOU CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER

When you work with an agency or consultancy and form a true partnership, both parties benefit. On the client side, you gain perspective from experts in the industry and can learn from their findings and reporting. On the agency side, we get to learn your business, your industry, and the pains you experience as a business—what’s keeping you up at night.

4. AGENCIES ARE RELIABLE

Whereas your in-house team members or freelancers may have to push timelines back for emergencies or illness, agencies and consultancies tend to be a little more reliable because they have a pool of talent to draw from. Even if a major player on the account leaves the company, the agency or consultancy can typically bring on someone new without much friction.

5. THE BEST AGENCIES WILL TELL YOU HOW IT IS

When you work with a good agency, they’ll give you their unbiased opinion, and help you gain some perspective. The same can’t be said about new hires…at least not initially. Because an agency is a separate entity, they’ll be more likely to help you understand where there are opportunities for growth, and more willing to really push you.

Now that you’re up to speed on the pros and cons of hiring in-house vs. hiring external marketing help, we’re going to walk through one of the biggest topics that agencies and consultancies really don’t like to talk about—pricing.