Should You Work With a Marketing Agency or a Freelancer?
There are so many things you have to take care of as a business owner. When it comes to marketing, people tell you a lot of different things about what works well and what doesn’t. So now you’re left wondering what is really important and you struggle to decide. What about hiring a marketing agency? They can usually take care of everything and you don’t have to worry about any of the marketing anymore, right?
Like most things in this world, there are pros and cons to hiring a marketing agency. And I’ll be honest with you, there are also pros and cons to hiring freelancers and self-employed specialists.
When I started out with my business, I also took on a part-time job at a marketing agency. I quickly realized why companies would hire a marketing agency and what their flaws are. In this blog I will tell you more about the difference between people that work in a marketing agency and freelancers.
What Is a Marketing Agency?
A marketing agency is a company that specializes in providing a wide range of marketing services to businesses and organizations. These services may include market research, brand strategy, advertising, social media management, content creation, and public relations.
Marketing agencies typically employ a team of experts with diverse skills and experience, allowing them to offer a comprehensive approach to marketing. They work closely with clients to understand their goals, target audience, and budget, and then develop customized marketing strategies that help them achieve their objectives. Marketing agencies may work with businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large multinational corporations.
Why Do Companies Hire a Marketing Agency?
Companies hire marketing agencies for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons is that marketing agencies have specialized expertise in marketing strategies and tactics. This means that they have the knowledge and experience to develop and implement effective marketing campaigns that can help businesses reach their target audience and achieve their marketing goals. They usually cover every type of marketing you’ll need, meaning you’ll only have to sign a contract once and you can stop thinking about it.
Marketing agencies can also offer a fresh perspective on a company's marketing efforts. By working with a marketing agency, businesses can gain new insights and ideas for their marketing campaigns that they might not have considered otherwise.
Another advantage of hiring a marketing agency is that they have access to a wide range of resources and tools. This can include things like market research data, industry trends, and cutting-edge marketing technologies. By leveraging these resources, marketing agencies can create more effective campaigns and help businesses stay ahead of their competitors.
What Is a Freelancer/Self-Employed Specialist?
A freelancer is someone who is self-employed. They offer their services to clients on a project-by-project basis or on retainer basis. Freelancers typically work in a variety of fields, including copywriting, design, email marketing, and consulting. They often work from home or a remote location and use their own equipment and resources to complete their projects.
Freelancers are responsible for finding their own clients and managing their own projects. They typically negotiate their own rates and terms with clients and may work with multiple clients at the same time. Freelancers may work on short-term or long-term projects, depending on the needs of their clients.
Because freelancers work independently, they have a high degree of flexibility and control over their work. They can choose which projects to take on and set their own schedules and working hours. This can be an advantage for those who value work-life balance or want to pursue other interests alongside their freelance work.
Why You Shouldn’t Work With a Marketing Agency
From my experience being part-time employed with a marketing agency, I noticed a couple things that would work better if I were freelancing for the same company directly.
The first difference is that generally speaking, people who work at an agency on payroll have someone to hold them accountable. Most of them have studied, where they had to do assignments and tests to pass. Now they work for a company where they’re expected to clock in. Freelancers on the other hand has taught themselves the skills they need to excel at what they do. The passion and motivation necessary to get where they are is valuable and a big plus for your company, you’ll notice a big difference in the quality of work they deliver. This is because a freelancer also has an image to uphold.
Another difference is pay. Marketing agencies hire writers and pay them less than what they would make as a freelancer. That’s because the agency has an office that costs money, along with other financial responsibilities like employee insurances etc. The reason this matters for you is that a lot of the writers are students for example, who write as a part-time job while they’re studying. They’re just there to do the work and often don’t actually care about the outcome… As a result, the work almost becomes mass produced. The writers usually have a certain amount of time to finish the piece, which often leads to lack of research into the product/service and target audience.
The final difference is that you don’t actually get to give feedback and build a relationship with the people who are executing the tasks. As a company working with a marketing agency, you’ll have one contact who manages a team. That team produces your marketing content and you usually don’t get in touch with them.
Of course, there are marketing agency’s that work with freelancers.. This can work similarly to people on payroll, but usually feels more like working with a freelancer directly. And might very well be a great combination for your needs!
The Pros & Cons of Hiring a Freelancer
For many business owners, working with a freelancer is a risk. It takes time to find the right person. But once you have the perfect specialist, it can be a very smooth and lucrative relationship.
What Are Some Disadvantages of Hiring a Freelancer?
And are they really a disadvantage? These are some things to consider when hiring a freelancer/self-employed specialist:
Freelancers typically work alone and specialize in one area of marketing, which means that they may have limited expertise in certain areas of marketing, but they’ll be super good at the area of marketing they specialize in.
Freelancers are often in high demand, which can make it difficult to secure their services when you need them. Additionally, because freelancers typically work with multiple clients, they may have limited availability to work on your project. This can result in longer turnaround times and delays in your marketing efforts. You can however set up a retainer contract with your freelancers. This guarantees their time for you so you don’t run into availability problems.
Communication can also be a challenge when working with a freelancer. Because they work independently, it can be more difficult to stay in regular communication with them and ensure that your needs are being met. This also can make them more flexible to work with, as some may work evenings or weekends, too.
When you work with a freelancer, you're essentially entrusting your marketing efforts to one person. This can be a risk, if the freelancer becomes unavailable or stops working on your project for any reason, it can be difficult to find a replacement quickly.
Do You Want Quality or Quantity?
Obviously, every company is different and your goals are different from others. That’s why it’s up to you to decide wether a marketing agency or a freelancer is best for your business. The arguments in this article are just my two cents on marketing agency’s and freelancers.
Do you want to mass-market your company? Then hiring an agency is a smart choice.
Do you want a relationship with the people who do your marketing, so you can grow together and lift each other up? Then working with a couple of freelancers/self-employed specialists is your way to go.
Want to know more about working with me as a self-employed email list manager and copywriter? Please, don’t hesitate to connect with me! I’m happy to tell you more about email marketing, email list management, email deliverability and copywriting. (:
