Hiring A Marketing Agency vs An In-house Marketer
June 23, 2016

Most business owners tend to start up on
their own as solopreneurs or even with a business partner. That often happens due to
the initial lack of capital to recruit a team or simply because people are
dedicated to succeed on their own. Whatever the reasons are, in most cases starting
solo works fine at first. After a while, though, and especially if the business
starts growing, you’ll probably start feeling you need more sales
leads to capitalise on, higher website traffic or more professional communication methods to switch to. So then the question that needs to be answered is
whether to bring a marketer in-house or hire a marketing agency to do the work
instead.
As an in-house marketer who works for a marketing agency, I
believe it’s safe to say I am suitable to analyse the pros and cons of the two
without any bias.
When to hire a Marketing Agency
Unless you go for one of the fancier agencies in the market,
hiring a marketing agency is obviously the cheaper option. That is most appealing to the smaller businesses out there who cannot afford full-time staff. In
addition to cost, hiring an agency saves you plenty of valuable time. That is the time you would
spend training new employees or worrying about which software tools to invest in for your
marketing.
Hiring an agency means that you get the knowledge and
expertise of a team of professionals at your disposal. Marketers who work for
an agency usually have a wider experience than those working in-house as they
get to deal with all sorts of different businesses and tap into several
industries. Chances are they have worked for a company like yours before, and
even if they haven’t, they will know exactly the type of research to do in
order to get the best possible understanding of each client’s unique market and
business situation. This is why a lot of brands feel safer with an agency.
That being said, picking the right agency that is willing to
devote the time to understand where you’re coming from and where you want to be in the near future is crucial. Make sure
you do proper research and check for client reviews and feedback where possible.
If you are looking for a specialist to not only sort out your marketing but give
you their knowledge and market insight as well, you might want to search for a niche agency. That
might cost you a bit extra, but it is definitely worth it if your brand is lacking experience.
When to hire an in-house Marketer
In most cases, it’s best to bring someone in-house if you
own a medium or large business or you need to develop an elaborate marketing
strategy and feel you would benefit from someone who could work closely with
yourself and your management team. There are also many cases of businesses who
simply rely a lot on their communications or have a large number of customers they
need to formally communicate with on a regular basis. These businesses tend to
prefer having full-time staff to deal with anything marketing related that may
come up.
My advice is if you can afford an in-house marketer, hire
one. Make sure, though, that you have enough hours of marketing work that needs
to be done on a daily basis, otherwise, you will end up with a waste of money
and an unhappy employee.
Another thing you definitely want to consider before recruiting someone is finding the right person. A common mistake among small businesses is hiring
staff with no marketing background or any prior experience and assuming they
can deliver. Compromising on the quality of your staff is a big no and will
only end up costing you more money to train and manage that person in the long
run. If you cannot afford to hire the right personnel to handle your marketing, like I
said before, hire the right agency!
As I always say, every business is unique and I truly believe that each entrepreneur has the instinct to make the right decision for their business. I hope these tips based on my experience within those two roles gave you a few things to consider with regards to making the right hire. Please share your opinion below!
Recent Posts

By Jamieson Lee Hill
•
March 5, 2026
Intelligent Call Handling That Converts Missed calls quietly drain revenue from small businesses every day. When Jamieson Lee Hill, founder of Blam Digital, interviewed CRM Developer and AI Automation Specialist Livingstone Kariuki at Blam HQ in Birmingham, the conversation focused on a simple but critical question: how do small businesses stop losing opportunities simply because they cannot answer the phone? Blam’s AI answering service for small businesses has been built to solve that exact problem. Designed in Birmingham, UK, and delivered through a network of 300 partner agencies across 10 countries , the system is engineered to move inbound calls toward meaningful outcomes rather than trapping callers in frustrating loops or dead ends. For businesses searching for a reliable AI phone answering service UK solution with international scalability, the model combines structured automation with human oversight. This is not a replacement for human service. It is a structured, intelligent call progression that protects revenue and improves operational efficiency.

February 24, 2026
Systems-Led Leadership at Blam Digital Grant Stain is the Founder and CEO of Blam Digital, established in 2015. His leadership approach is defined by long-term thinking, structured systems, and a deliberate focus on building agencies that remain stable through market shifts, technology change, and economic cycles. Rather than chasing fast growth or short-term tactics, Grant built Blam Digital as an infrastructure-first business. The intention was clear from the beginning: give agency owners a repeatable framework they can rely on, instead of forcing them to constantly reinvent services, pricing, and delivery. That approach now supports more than 300 partner agencies operating across 10 countries.

February 9, 2026
Serving SMEs, Schools, Councils, Sports Clubs If you run a school, local authority, SME, sports club, or charity, you do not need a clever website. You need a website that produces action. Enquiries, applications, bookings, donations, registrations, or the correct contact route. That is what AI websites that convert are built to deliver.Blam Digital delivers AI websites that convert through a certified partner network. AI is used to improve speed and insight, while human specialists handle strategy, structure, SEO, accessibility, and quality control. This ensures performance improves without increasing risk.

February 2, 2026
How Broken Digital Systems Kill Enquiries If your website is not generating enquiries, you are not imagining it. Many owners and decision-makers sense something is wrong long before they can explain why. The site looks fine. Traffic exists. Marketing activity is happening. But enquiries, orders, or meaningful actions remain weak or inconsistent. This article explains why websites fail to convert visitors into enquiries, what is usually broken underneath, and how organisations fix it without rebuilding everything. Blam Digital works with SMEs and organisations, including schools, sports clubs, charities, and local authorities, and sees the same structural problems repeatedly.

October 27, 2024
One topic that often comes up in my coaching sessions with budding entrepreneurs is imposter syndrome. It’s that feeling of not being “credible” enough or worrying that we might not truly deserve the roles we’ve claimed in our businesses. Often, this isn’t something people willingly share; rather, it’s a subject that usually needs to be coaxed out of them. Imposter syndrome is essentially the fear that we don’t know enough, aren’t authoritative, or simply aren’t “good enough” to do what we say we’re doing. I see this challenge all the time within the Blam Partnership Programme. For many people, joining Blam means diving into a whole new world of digital marketing. They become certified marketers within a few weeks, learning new knowledge and skills at a rapid pace. But because they’re just starting out, they lack the hands-on experience behind that knowledge, and that’s often when the imposter syndrome kicks in. Facing Imposter Syndrome Head-On When new Blam partners step out to meet potential clients, they might feel like they’re on shaky ground. Speaking to established business owners and advising them on their digital marketing is no small feat, especially if you’re just starting your own entrepreneurial journey. But here’s the key insight I always share: the process, the training, and the systems we use at Blam give them knowledge that, while fresh to them, is immensely valuable to the businesses they’re serving. The beauty of the Blam model is that once a Partner makes a sale, they can rely on a whole team of experts to deliver what’s been promised. This support system is there to back them up, and it allows Blam Partners to lean on their new knowledge with confidence, knowing there’s a skilled team to fulfill their commitments. Imposter Syndrome Never Truly Disappears The truth is, imposter syndrome doesn’t just vanish after the initial stages of business. It can resurface at any time, often when you’re about to tackle something new. I know this from experience because I still face it, even after years of building and coaching businesses. In fact, right now, I’m about to launch a YouTube channel to reach even more budding entrepreneurs, providing case studies, interviews, and entrepreneurial advice. And, yes, despite everything, there’s still that nagging question: Why would people want to listen to me? If I’m honest, it took me years to feel comfortable in front of the camera, and even longer to recognise that being the face of a brand can help you connect with the audience you’re aiming to support. Putting yourself out there can be challenging, especially when you’re committed to providing real value. Reframing Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome doesn’t mean you lack knowledge or expertise. For my part, when I look back at my journey, I’ve coached hundreds of entrepreneurs, built seven-figure businesses, and, yes, had some failures. But those experiences form the foundation of my expertise, even if I sometimes feel like “little old me” isn’t the obvious choice to give advice. The takeaway is this: If you experience imposter syndrome, you’re in good company. I’d even argue that if we didn’t experience it, we might become arrogant, and that’s certainly not an endearing or effective way to connect with others. Embrace that inner doubt, but don’t let it hold you back. Instead, lean on the facts. Recognise the tools, training, and knowledge at your fingertips. In most instances, if you’re genuine and straightforward with your clients, you’ve got everything you need to deliver. Moving Forward with Confidence If you’re an entrepreneur dealing with imposter syndrome, remember that feeling unsure is part of the journey. Everyone feels it, it’s not a sign that you’re incapable, but rather that you’re pushing yourself to grow. Embrace that vulnerability, lean on the support systems you have in place, and trust in the value you bring to your clients. If you’d like to know more about the Blam Partnership Programme, check out the links below. And keep an eye out for my upcoming podcast, where I’ll dive deeper into topics like this and share more insights for those of you taking your first steps into the entrepreneurial world.



