Every business operating today needs to have some form of presence online. Usually in the form of a website or Social Media at least. Marketing that presence online, companies are faced with the question, do we hire a team in-house? Or outsource to a specialist agency?

Having experience in being part of an in-house marketing team and a specialist digital agency, we have put our thoughts on both options below;

In-house Team

• Having an in-house team which is 100% focused on your business and your customers is ultimately the best way to market your company. With everyone is working towards the same goal and no conflict of interest.
• Access to information is easier and unrestricted as the internal team usually works alongside each other and close to other relevant departments.
• Better motivation, internal staff are more likely to be motivated to reach company goals and help each other along the way.
• Communication is likely to be more efficient as relationships should already be existing with approval for each step of the campaign being faster.

Agency

• The fastest way to get advertising professionals and experts working on your campaign. Using an existing team means you don’t have to go through hiring process of suitable technical staff.
• Better knowledge – agencies generally work with a wide variety of customers and industries in both the local and international markets which gives them knowledge and understanding which can be used to improve your campaign.
• Agency contracts are often flexible and can be scaled up or down depending on the stages of the campaign. Companies can benefit from a lower fixed cost and less financial risk.
• Access to valuable data and tools, most agencies will be aware of and have access to the best industry tools and information, giving them the advantage in data analysis and interpretation.

Access and Tools

As mentioned in the last point, Advertising agencies can use various technical tools that have been designed specifically help audit and assist online campaigns. These tools can vary in levels of effectiveness and for smaller businesses be quite expensive.

Certified Professionals

In Thailand, hiring professionals with a good level of experience is not cheap nor is it easy. The demand for Digital Marketing professionals is higher than ever, which is driving the expected Salary range up, and increasing the level of staff turnover in these positions.

If you are in a position where you need to decide on building an in-house marketing team or hiring a marketing agency, here are some questions you may want to ask yourself;

In-house:

• Can I afford to hire an expert in-house to run our campaigns and what are the consequences if they do not perform well?
• Can I risk hiring someone without experience and they learn on the job?
• Have I set clear business objectives and goals for my online campaign?
• Do I have the other resources needed to run the full campaign such as designers and developers etc.?
• Who will manage the in-house marketing team?

Agency:

• Does the agency really understand my business?
• Is their solution tailored to my needs or is it a basic package deal?
• How does the agency charge, and where do they make their money from my campaign?
• Will they handle everything or do I need to find another company for things like the Ad Design etc.?
• What is the minimum contract term and what happens if I cancel?
• Do I get to access my campaign and what type of reporting should I expect?

If you’re looking for some assistance or advice on Digital Marketing you can contact Phoenix Media here, or call 02 038 5400 to arrange a free consultation.