DIY Digital Marketing vs. Hiring an Agency. Which is Better?

So, you’ve decided to take your online business to the next level – good for you! But with so many digital marketing options available, it can be tough to know where to start. Do you DIY (Do-It-Yourself) or do you hire an expert?

Pros And Cons Of DIY Digital Marketing

There are pros and cons to DIY digital marketing. On the one hand, it can be cheaper and more efficient to do in-house digital marketing. You can control the message and the environment in which your marketing campaigns operate, which can be valuable in terms of control and creativity.

The main challenge for you is to find and train the right talent you already have in-house and who are familiar with your products or services and willing to learn how to create compelling content for your business.

If you don’t have the technical skills or experience at hand to carry out DIY digital marketing, you won’t be able to get the results you want quickly. It will take time to find train and support your homegrown talent(s). It’s also important to remember that digital marketing is only as effective as the quality of your content and the effectiveness of the ads you create or the campaigns you post on social media. If you’re not targeting the right audience or using the right techniques, you won’t make much progress and you’re going to end up wasting some of your advertising budget as you ever so slowly go up the learning curve.

Pros: lower budget. Consistent output. Possibly more authentic and effective messaging.

Cons: slower results, requires time from your team members that can be better used in different and more productive activities. Lower ROI, initially.

Pros And Cons Of Hiring A Digital Marketing Expert

Hiring a digital marketing expert can save you time and money because they will be able to create effective campaigns that drive traffic and conversions. This means you will be able to achieve your business goals almost immediately when it comes to digital advertising, and considerably quicker when it comes to SEO. Additionally, a professional or an agency may have more experience and be better equipped to handle complex challenges. And, they will have access to tools you may not know about, or want to purchase or license for your company.  It’s important to weigh the benefits of each approach before making a decision.

The potential drawback to hiring a digital marketing expert is that they may charge high fees for their services. Second, they may not be familiar with your specific business or brand, which could lead to ineffective campaigns.

Additionally, if your business is new or has limited resources, it may be difficult to find a qualified digital marketing expert who campaigns, doing everything in house may not be the best option for you.

Pros: immediate efficiency, no learning curve, Access to better tools to achieve your goals, Intimate knowledge of different platforms and tools. Aware of new trends and best practices. Higher ROI, and the better solution for quickly launching a new product or a new service.

Cons: higher initial budget. Difficulty in finding reliable outside help.

Mixing in-house DIY Digital Marketing with outsourced professional help.

The combination of in-house digital marketing with outsourced experts can bring the best of both worlds.

How so?  There’s no question that the digital marketing you’ll do in-house will benefit from better control, and , possibly lower costs. But, an expert that you can trust will ensure that your marketing strategy is on point. And, experts in digital marketing will have more experience and are better equipped to handle complex challenges. They are also familiar with a range of tools and platforms that would take your inside team a lot of time and effort to fully master. The trick is to find the right balance between your time, budget and available talent, and the end results for all your digital marketing campaigns. For example, you may want to do all social media marketing in-house but outsource SEO or Digital ad campaigns on Google or Facebook/Meta where there are more technical aspects of your digital marketing.

Conclusion:

In the end, it all comes down to what’s best for your business and which talents you have available in-house. Remember that in the digital age, nothing needs to be monolithic. Do your research, weigh the pros and cons, and make the decision that’s right for you. Mix your in-house talent with external tech expertise to deliver the best campaigns. And, if you have questions, reach out to Digismart.io We’ll be happy to guide you in building the best digital marketing strategy for your business, whether you decide to hire expert help or go it alone or need help mixing and matching these two options.