If you’ve decided that content marketing is the right choice for your business, it’s time for the next step. Deciding whether to go with a content marketing agency, or building an in-house team from scratch is an important decision. There are distinct advantages to each, and negatives too. The right choice will depend on many factors, like cost, expertise, scalability, level of control, and alignment of brand values. It’s an important decision for businesses of all sizes. We want to provide an honest, nuanced view of the content marketing agency vs in-house team debate, and we hope this will help you make the best choice for your situation.
Honest comparison: content marketing agencies vs in-house content teams
| Comparison Factor | In-House Content Team | Content Marketing Agency |
| Access to Expertise | Limited to employees and maybe new hires, may be relatively slower to wide upskilling | Broader access to specialists, up-to-date, multidisciplinary |
| Brand Familiarity | Access to internal resources and knowledge of brand plans and nuances, may still require a learning curve for new hires | Must follow a clear onboarding process with relevant info sharing, and may require a learning curve |
| Level of Control | Full control, direct oversight of day-to-day activities | Less day-to-day control, still in charge of final decisions |
| Scalability Potential | Harder, slower, more expensive to scale or change team size | Greater flexibility to scale up/down as needed in terms of time as well as resources |
| Cost | Fixed costs: salaries, training, equipment, benefits, perks | Variable: project-based, retainer, and fractional offerings |
| Turnaround Time | Faster internal communication, may have quicker turnarounds, limited by team capacity | Can quickly deploy new initiatives of varying scales, relatively slower communication timelines |
| Long Term Value | Ongoing brand relevant content, long term consistency, ongoing content plans | Specialized strategy, consulting on short- or long-term projects, providing roadmaps, resources, fractional hires |
Now that we’ve laid out the major differences, you may already find yourself drawn to certain points. You may find that you prefer one over the other, or want a combination of both! We’ll talk about that in a bit.
Up next, let’s take a look at some honest pros and cons about hiring a content agency.
Pros and Cons: Content Marketing Agency
Pros of a Content Marketing Agency (here’s where agencies shine!)
Expertise
An agency will naturally have broad expertise across content types, SEO, and analytics. Since agencies tend to work across industries, they are likely to have a broader look at the field of content marketing as a whole.
Flexibility
Going with a content marketing agency can be cost effective, especially for flexibility in projects. Even as a company considering content marketing for the first time, it might be an easier way to experiment with new marketing strategies or techniques.
If your needs or goals change, agencies can similarly scale up or down. At Mycoso Media, we believe flexible access to expertise and resources is valuable. Along with our content strategy, creation, and management services, we also provide fractional content marketing teams. This includes flexible plans for ongoing support with content production, management, optimization, execution, and expansion.
An unbiased perspective
A last, quite important point: agencies bring a fresh perspective and can come up with innovative ideas. Sometimes, we can be too close to an idea or pet project. A fresh set of eyes can make all the difference. The flexibility of an agency model means you could also hire an agency to consult on your strategy and goals, or do a comprehensive content audit of your current approach. Sometimes, hearing you’re on the right track and getting a few good ideas can be immensely helpful!
Cons of a Content Marketing Agency (Things to keep in mind)
I know – you must be thinking, “They’re an agency, why would they say anything?” We told you at the beginning, we’re going to provide our honest take. These are some good factors to consider before hiring a content marketing agency.
Less direct control
Starting with one of the big ones: less direct control over content, strategy, and day-to-day updates. At Mycoso, our workflow involves clear collaborative conversations throughout building our strategy and roadmap. Our process is built for collaboration, and build feedback loops to ensure the content showcases your brand authentically.
As for day-to-day updates, if you need it, we accommodate it. We bridge the gap with a shared worksheet, Trello board, content pilots, or one of the many collaborative options out there. For us, personally, this one’s a non issue – we’re happy to collaborate the way you want. Transparency is one of our core values.
Issues with communication and brand familiarity
Another big one: potential for communication gaps, missed deadlines, onboarding delays, or misalignment. Once again, we’re happy to say this one’s pretty much a non issue here at Mycoso Media. Our focus on transparency and a collaborative approach eliminates most of these issues.
However, we can’t deny that onboarding does take time – that’s how we get to know your brand, your vision, and your goals. For any client, our initial conversations, interactions, and discovery interviews revolve around understanding these factors. So yes, of all these, maybe onboarding can be a source of delay. While we cannot speak for other agencies in this regard, it might be good to take a look at their approach to these factors before you make a decision about your content marketing agency vs in-house team dilemma.
Prioritization and project management
The last one I can think of: agencies work on multiple projects for multiple clients at once. Would they be responsive? How do they manage their time and deadlines? This is something that differs so greatly from agency to agency, and these are good questions to ask your agency before you hire them. We’d suggest your choices in terms of collaboration and communication should inform their responsiveness. In your initial conversations, clarify what kind of workflow you’re most comfortable with. An agency should be willing to work with you on this, and respect the choices you have stated.
Where In-house teams shine
The previous pros and cons list about content marketing agencies is, of course, informed by our point of view and our own processes as an agency. It would be remiss to not share some of the major pros of internal teams. After all, when deciding between a content marketing agency vs in-house team, you should also know when in-house teams are a better option.
Building an in-house team offers deep brand immersion, and ability to go for day-to-day pivots and switches. If real-time updates or community building is an important part of your process, an in-house team may be a good choice.
If your business requires highly specialized industry expertise, then an in-house team is a worthwhile investment. Many successful brands use a hybrid approach, with a core internal team supported by agency resources for scalability and expertise.
Which should you choose?
Hopefully, reading through these factors to consider has helped you come one step closer to an informed decision.
Choose a content marketing agency if you need specialized expertise, want a scalable approach, have flexible content needs, need strategic advice, or simply want to explore short term projects.
Choose an in-house team when you want real-time responsiveness, if community building is a large part of your strategy, need deep integration and/or brand consistency, and have the budget for long-term ongoing investment.
At the end of the day, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Many businesses find that a hybrid approach works best for them. They may use an in-house team for core business and brand content, while partnering with agencies for expert insights, specialized projects, or to help fill skill gaps.
If one of these feels or sounds “right” and aligns with your vision, resources, and growth strategy, that would be a great place to start! Curious about an agency partnership? Let’s have a chat and see if we’re a good fit!
Contact us for a free content audit or strategy session today!
Check out our Resources for more information about content marketing and what it can do for you.