The 52: Choosing the Right Marketing Support: Part 3

Last week, we explored three types of marketing providers: consultants/coaches, full-service agencies, and specialists. Now let's consider whether to outsource marketing, manage it in-house, or adopt a middle ground.

• In-house marketing: Managing marketing internally gives you full control and allows for extensive experimentation. It also reduces your dependence on external experts. However, this method may lack varied viewpoints and miss the expertise that seasoned marketers outside of your company offer.

• Outsourced marketing: When you outsource marketing, you delegate the workload to professionals, which can accelerate the development and execution of your marketing. This hands-off approach guarantees professional management but might lead your company to overly rely on outside businesses. Such dependence could restrict your flexibility to quickly adjust strategies in response to the changing environment.

• Hybrid approach: A hybrid strategy merges the best aspects of both approaches. Begin by working with an independent consultant to craft your strategy, ensuring impartial advice. Then execute this strategy through either a full-service agency or specific specialists. For ongoing tasks, blend in-house management with outsourced help. This method enables smart budgeting, focusing investment on high-impact areas like SEO while saving on regular activities. It also provides more adaptability for making adjustments or replacements.

While in-house and outsourced marketing have their advantages, a hybrid method often offers a well-rounded, adaptable, and cost-effective solution.