Your B2B business is growing (wahoo!). There’s just one problem. Those minor marketing tasks that you and your team used to handle yourself are becoming increasingly complex and time-consuming.
You’re faced with the age-old marketing dilemma.
Do you outsource to an external B2B marketing agency to handle it all for you?
Or do you build an in-house marketing team to take care of it internally?
Having your very own in-house team comes with a bunch of benefits. You get full control, instant accessibility, and specialist knowledge of your brand and products. However, these advantages don’t tell the whole story.
For many small and medium-sized businesses, hiring a B2B marketing agency can actually be a more strategic choice. From stronger ROI to more scalability and innovation, B2B marketing agencies can give you the support you need without the cost or complexity of hiring full-time staff.
If you’re on the fence about whether to go the in-house route or opt for an agency, check out our quick comparison guide to get the lowdown on both options.
1. Cost Effectiveness
In-house marketing team: More than just wages
When thinking about the cost of building an in-house marketing team for your business, your mind might run straight to salaries. But the expense of an in-house resource extends far beyond the payroll.
First, you’ve got recruitment and onboarding costs. Then there’s education, equipment, and software…not to mention ongoing training and support. And don’t forget to add on employee benefits! It’s crucial to factor in all these fixed expenses when determining the suitability of an in-house team.
B2B marketing agency: A lower-cost solution
With a B2B marketing agency, you don’t have to worry about the upfront costs of hiring and onboarding full-time employees. Agencies come equipped with their own tech and training, so you’re simply paying for their services and specialist knowledge.
The often predictable costs involved with hiring a marketing agency (such as a monthly retainer) can make it easier to manage your marketing budget and pay a single fixed cost rather than handling multiple expenses.
The verdict: Outsourcing your marketing to a B2B agency is generally more cost-effective compared to the higher expenses of hiring, training, and supporting full-time employees for an in-house marketing team.
2. Expertise and Skills
In-house marketing team: Limited skill set
Unless you’re prepared to hire (and pay!) for a specialist in every facet of marketing, you’re likely to run into skills gaps within your in-house marketing team. While this certainly doesn’t mean that in-house teams lack marketing experts, even broadly-skilled marketers tend to be more proficient in certain areas, such as SEO or design, than others.
These skills gaps can make it more difficult to execute multi-channel marketing campaigns, involving various tactics and touchpoints, with the expertise needed to cut through in a competitive market.
B2B marketing agency: Diverse expertise
The beauty of a (good) B2B marketing agency is that it will give you access to skilled specialists in different areas of marketing. For example, a B2B marketing agency offering services like branding, events, and digital marketing will have experienced professionals across all of these areas.
By outsourcing your marketing to a full-service B2B agency, you can take advantage of a much broader range of talent and expertise – all without the expense of a huge in-house team or needing to hire and manage countless freelancers.
The verdict: Hiring a B2B marketing agency lets you tap into a network of skilled professionals without having to assemble a full team of marketing specialists.
3. Scalability and Speed
In-house marketing team: A more rigid structure
Given the fixed costs of an internal marketing team, you’ll need to keep your marketing output steady. Too little work one month can leave team members idle, while an unexpected surge in requirements can mean a scramble to find and train new hires.
An in-house marketing team can also make it harder to pivot quickly or capitalise on emerging opportunities. Internal resources tend to be bound by more rigid structures that can impact agility, potentially causing you to miss out on valuable opportunities.
B2B marketing agency: The freedom to be flexible
When you’re working with a B2B marketing agency, you can generally enjoy the flexibility of scaling up and down as needed. Got a big campaign coming up that needs extra creative hands on deck? Your agency can probably cover it. Need to dial back your marketing spend next year? You can slow down without stress.
Then there’s the fact that marketing agencies tend to have greater agility when it comes to testing out new trends or strategies. Without the processes and structures that hold in-house teams back, agencies can make rapid adjustments to campaigns that yield great results.
The verdict: If you’re seeking a solution that makes it easy to scale, pivot, and be flexible with your marketing, outsourcing to a B2B marketing agency is the smart move.
4. Innovation and Creativity
In-house marketing team: The risk of creative fatigue
A common problem with in-house marketing departments is the potential for stagnation. In-house marketers can become jaded doing the same things over and over again (“because that’s how we’ve always done it”), as well as lacking an incentive to stay up to date with industry trends and developments.
This can result in stale marketing strategies, outdated campaigns, and assets that fail to stand out in a competitive market – leaving you at serious risk of declining sales and a dwindling audience.
B2B marketing agency: A focus on fresh perspectives
On the flipside, a major advantage of B2B marketing agencies is the creativity and innovation they bring to the table (after all, that’s literally what you’re paying them for!). As agencies have an imperative to stay up to date with the latest innovations in marketing, they can apply their cutting-edge insights to give you a strong competitive edge.
On top of that, B2B marketing agencies have exposure to different industries and clients, which can result in creative approaches that draw on broader marketing knowledge about what’s trending, what’s working, and what needs to be left out.
The verdict: Working with an experienced B2B marketing agency can give you access to greater creativity and innovative industry perspectives.
Want to Get the Agency Advantage?
Choosing the right B2B marketing agency for your business can be the decision that changes everything. If you’re looking for an experienced B2B marketing agency in Australia that takes a no-fluff approach to getting outstanding results, MIH is the marketing partner you need.
Get in touch with our super-talented (and super-friendly) team today and let’s have a chat about your B2B marketing needs.
