As we explore working with a digital marketing agency versus an in-house team, some differences seem blatantly obvious. But the outcomes may not be as clear, so let's break it down. 

The company that develops in-house marketing will try to hire specifically to meet their marketing needs. Perhaps they employ one staff to look after their marketing or hire an entire team. The staff may be dedicated to marketing exclusively, or marketing may be a part of their job description. Already the process of developing an in-house team is complicated.

Employees of an in-house team have first-hand knowledge and understand the business, its operations, and its goals. Owners may be concerned that an agency will not understand their company's vision. 

An owner may feel their employee understands the company culture better and perceive agency personnel as outsiders telling them what to do. 

The flexibility of building an in-house team may seem attractive to business owners at first. But putting this plan into action requires extensive company resources, such as time management and financial commitments. 

Consider these factors:

• Is the cost of a salary for an employee/s dedicated prohibitive for the company? 
• Is the marketing knowledge and experience at a professional level? 
• Do owners and managers have the time to oversee, measure outcomes, and make adjustments to all aspects of marketing? 
• Do the employees have time to meet demanding deadlines, among other conflicting responsibilities?
• Do personnel conflicts arise due to disputes between roles and responsibilities?
  Can the employee handle all aspects of marketing, including:
• Search engine optimization (SEO) 
• Pay Per Click advertising (PPC)
• Web design
• Content and blogging
• Social media marketing
• email campaigns
• Mobile marketing
• Web analytics 
• Online advertising, design, content

Digital Marketing is a competitive field with new marketers popping up all over the place. Any business owner will want to do some homework to find exemplary service. Understandably, we cannot speak for all, so the reference here is to MyPortal Marketing business practices. 

A Digital Marketing Agency worthy of your consideration should be led by a professional owner who employs various abilities and skillsets. Ideally, they are a team of experts who provide you with the highest quality marketing for your business. 

Owners and Managers that choose to work with an agency rather than in-house marketing still need to be very involved. There's no getting away from a time commitment to marketing for your company. But time spent working with an agency is very different from time spent with an in-house marketing team. Initial planning stages with an agency may be time-intensive for management initially, but that will become less of a time commitment as the agency begins to understand the vision and workflow of your business. 

There is no getting around a financial commitment to marketing for your company. When hiring an agency, financial responsibility is different from hiring in-house marketing. Your company has no human resources responsibilities to manage on a contract with the agency. Contracts are an attractive feature for most companies and often more cost-effective. 

MyPortal Marketing spends time in the planning stages getting to know the business well, beginning with owners, managers, and employees. Brand development and surveys provide clarity to get the messaging right from the beginning. By the time the planning stage is complete, employees will integrate MyPortal as a part of their team.

Once the planning and development stage is complete, marketing specialists handle all aspects of digital marketing as listed above. Messaging will be consistent because of the detailed surveys and brand messaging the agency has completed with the company. 

Hiring an agency partner can help you focus on your core business while the agency handles the roller coaster ride of digital marketing.

The difference between working with in-house marketing or an agency comes down to what is best for your business. In-house marketing may have certain benefits, but there are many potential pitfalls to be aware of and prepared to manage. 

Choosing the right digital marketing agency for your company will have many benefits, fewer pitfalls, and a solid argument for the successful growth of your business.