In-House or Outsource?

When considering your marketing needs, there’s a very fine line between knowing if keeping positions in-house or outsourcing is best. And on this fine line are lots of questions: What’s the most financially-sound decision? Which will provide optimal productivity? Where does success lie? While we may not have all of the answers for your specific situation, we can most definitely offer up our experience and thoughts.

One-Stop Shop?

A common pitfall for marketing departments is assuming that marketing is marketing (and marketing is easy!), and therefore that one person will be able to take care of it all. The truth is that marketing has many manifestations in a company, and is far more complex than many other departments. The way we see it, there are four main pieces of the marketing pie: research and analysis, relationship building, implementation of content and campaigns, and project management. If you’re leaning towards keeping all of these responsibilities in-house, we strongly suggest that you don’t expect one person to do them all — in fact, one person in each role is probably ideal. If you choose to outsource these responsibilities, you’ll most likely find a consulting team that’s poised and proficient — and able to complete all necessary tasks efficiently.

The Nuts & Bolts

Then there are the logistics of hiring an employee versus contracting an outside firm — and with them come a few key considerations: price and convenience. Outsourcing is typically considered expensive, but really can provide long-term savings when one considers paying an employee (or four!) salary, and keeps in mind the tax and benefit expenses that become necessary. The advantage of keeping the work in-house is that employees will be present in the office consistently, but when a company gets into a pinch — or worse, doesn’t see the results they need — there are far less commitments due to a contractor than a person on-staff.

So … in-house or outsource? We’ve given you the down-low, which means it’s time for you to walk the line until you decide which side is a true fit — good luck (and of course, we’re here if you need us)!

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