When owners are looking to grow their business, commonly an increased focus on marketing is at the forefront. So the questions come to mind… Is there someone that can execute SEO strategies? Do I need to hire someone new? Or can I look elsewhere and find an agency?

The decision of choosing to partner with a digital marketing agency or hire a new employee is difficult, and obviously differs dependent on individual company needs. It’s important to recognise the benefits of both to understand which would best suit your business!

Partnership with a Digital Agency

Expertise

An agency will always specialise or have a particular expertise which they offer as a service to clients. Whether it be local SEO, Google Ads or Content Marketing, they would offer this specialised service to a number of businesses; some even in your industry. This means a digital agency would have valuable insights and experience. Working with many partners, they know what works and what doesn’t – you can expect to see results from their strategies.

A Team

When you choose to partner with an agency there is normally a team of people and their network working together on your project. This diverse structure is great for offering a variety of perspectives, solutions and flexibility to explore multiple marketing pathways. 

Partners

Working with a SEO agency is a partnership, there is no hierarchy and therefore they will most likely be willing to offer strategic advice. Being a business relationship, results matter and the agency will always remain focused on your business growth. 

Quality Assurance

References or claims on a resume can be hard to validate, but real, honest reviews from clients are invaluable. Before deciding on a digital agency client reviews are readily available to you. Seeing the past performance of an agency will help in providing reassurance that they can deliver on promises. 

New In-House Employee 

Mission orientated 

Although there is no guarantee, if you do get the hiring process right, an employee that joins your team will be driven by your business mission. A passionate employee will want to see the business succeed and excel in their role rather than just do the expected minimum.

Sole Focus

A digital agency will be working with numerous clients at one time, whereas an employee’s only focus is the business. This does not mean an agency won’t be able to produce results, however their brain power needs to be divided. 

Availability

Hiring a new team member means they will always be present during working hours and available to collaborate with. Although meeting with an agency would always be welcome, instant discussion is not as accessible. 

Brand Insights

Whilst working at the company, employees are exposed to customer opinions and know what image the business wants to convey. Marketing strategies will align with these insights, while a digital agency may need to build familiarity with the brand. 

Modern Economy & Costs

Another major deciding factor and benefit of choosing to outsource to a specialising SEO agency is costs. The finances and time of a hiring process are all too commonly looked past, but shouldn’t be ignored because acquiring great talent is costly!

Firstly there are costs associated with actually finding the right person, whether it be advertisements or setting time out of the day to conduct interviews. This is then followed by training and factoring in a buffer period for the new hire to settle in. During this process new software will need to be purchased to ensure the worker has all the necessary tools to perform their role. And obviously salaries, where it is presumed the greater the talent = greater the financial cost. 

What suits your business needs will differ company to company, but keep in mind all variables and do your research to find the best fitting employee or digital agency. 

Ready to engage with an agency? Contact us to speak to an in-house expert today!