Marketing Agency vs Freelancer: Who Wins with Your Marketing?

Choosing between a marketing agency and a freelancer can be perplexing for the best of us. We want a marketing partner who will go with us long term and remain synergized with our goals. Every firm has its own set of requirements that need to be met, some on a daily basis, to edge them closer to their objectives. However, higher profit margins are not the only targets being pursue, a digital marketing strategy’s effect is ubiquitous.

A high-quality marketing plan would cement a business’ place as a frontrunner within the industry. By appeasing to the brand’s target market through a carefully crafted brand message and outreach, a marketing plan can add value that converts into high profit margins in the future. Therefore, we remain diligent advocates of finding the right marketing partner for your business, whether a marketing agency vs freelancer.

Typically, marketing services are divide between three sources: inhouse marketing, freelance marketing, and marketing agencies. However, since the latter two are outsource, taking up a bigger share of the business’ expense fragment, we will help you figure out which one can be the best investment for your business.

Understanding your needs

Before we list down the benefits of hiring a freelancer or partnering with marketing agency, let’s help you sort out your requirements first. Understanding what your business needs from a marketing perspective would help you search with a clearer vision since freelancers differ from each other in their nature of work and so do marketing agencies.

Here are some questions you can mull over to give yourself a running start:

The urgency of the project

Start off this evaluation by analyzing when you want this project to be done. This is where you will have to tap into the rational part of your brain and really get honest about when you really need this completed project. Surely, we all want a project completed as soon as possible, but evaluating its actual due date is important for the entire team to gauge.

If you are in a hurry to see this project, come to fruition then an agency might be a better option. Typically marketing agencies have a system set in place that is akin to an assembly line. Agencies are process-oriented, and they run on a time frame since they are jettisoning various projects simultaneously. Every department would work on a specific aspect of the project while another department revs its engine for the next step. Therefore, marketing agencies are well suit for handling a heftier workload that comes assign to a shorter time limit.

Freelancers, on the other hand, are a one-person unit hence they will take far longer to bring the project to completion. If you are still planning to lean on freelancers, you would do better with hiring various freelancers to work on your project at the same time.

The quality of work you are pursuing

Surely, every business is looking to receive copious return on their investment by receiving high quality work on time. Whether it is a marketing agency or a freelancer they should be able to deliver quality you are looking for.

Hence, make sure that you look through their work portfolio and run through reviews on their social media platforms and websites. The digital world is consistently buzzing with the newest, sharpest digital marketing professionals that go above and beyond for their projects, which is why it would be an absolute shame to settle for subpar quality.

Are you looking for a long-term partnership?

Is this a one-time project or are you looking for a long-term symbiotic partnership? Marketing agencies often have an upper hand over freelancers in terms of numbers. Agencies are made up of teams, but a freelancer is one person who can work on one thing at a time. There are some freelancers that stick to a batch of customers they have built familiarity with, while others like to move from one client to another.

Is there a specific set of skills you are looking for?

Are you more BTL focus? Do you want SEO implementation on your blogs and website? Regardless of who you are working with you need to contemplate the skills your current undertaking needs. Digital agencies have teams, and individuals, who are teeming with craftsmanship that produce high quality work. You can communicate your project needs and they will link you to the proper source of talent. However, with freelancing you will need to do more market research before finding your best match.

Can you trust them?

There are several factors that determine who you can work with however trust is a component at a forefront of every profitable partnership. You will be investing insurmountably hence you would want returns that are double-fold and go long term. Through research you can gauge whether they are being honest about their portfolio, whether they can assimilate with your goals, and can they specifically understand what your needs are? While exploring make sure to ask a lot of questions, with the agency/freelancer, and of yourself.

Should you go for a marketing agency or freelancer?

Availability and Reliability

A freelancer is vulnerable to unexpected disturbances like illnesses, family emergencies etc. Though these are normal occurrences they can put a serious dent in the progression of the project. However, a marketing agency will be able to compensate for an absent member with another member and you would not have to fret about missed deadlines and broken commitments. A marketing agency is made up of teams that bear the brunt of a missing member and still meet deadline.

Adjusting to your brand’s size, market, and industry

Marketing agencies are used to working with companies of different sizes, at different stages of their products’ life cycle. They know how to adjust their skill set and synchronicity according to responsibilities, deadlines, industry, market, etc. Because they have built their marketing aptitude on years of experience working with an amalgam of different companies. A freelancer on the other hand may not be familiar with the industry you are operating in. They may have to do thorough research on your target demographic and method of operation.

Flexibility of work hours

A digital marketing agency will always have someone working on your project and mold their schedule around your priorities. Some companies work in two shifts, which means your progress might continue into the night. If it is an online business. They would even have team members working in different time zones, and if your project is near launching they would not be oppose to burning midnight oil, or coming in on the weekends, to add finishing touches.

Though a freelancer can also work around your schedule. Some might be rigid about their working schedules and take weekends off. Since they are an individual who is prone to burnouts. Working in a different time zone from your freelancer can cause another inconvenience for the both of you.

Customer support

Many digital marketing agencies are equip with customer support services. They usually have an anointed accounts manager who will be in constant contact with you. And also relay your concerns to the team. If not for them, there are customer support departments within the companies that log in complaints and requests as well.

Freelancers might not be available at all times. And so you might have to wait for them to log on in order to get a query resolve.

Choosing a digital marketing resource will be completely up to your own requirements. You need to contemplatively engage in figuring out your own needs, and researching agent thoroughly.