Marketing agency vs in-house marketer
Hire a marketer or use an agency?
Compare the real cost, what each can do and what happens when someone is off. Plenty of firms end up with both.
Talk it through
Not sure which way to go?
Ring us or book a call. We'll tell you what we'd do in your position, even if the answer is to hire someone.
If you've got enough work for a full-time role and someone to manage it, hire. If you need a website, search and the odd campaign, an agency costs less. The strongest setup is often a marketer with an agency behind them for builds and SEO.
Marketing agency
Websites, search and campaigns, paid by the job or the month
In-house marketer
One person on your payroll, in the building
Dimension by dimension.
Compare each option below. On tablets, swipe sideways or focus the table and use the left and right arrow keys.
| Dimension | Marketing agency | In-house marketer | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost when the work isn't full-time | Pay for what you need. Our website care starts at £350 a month and SEO at £750 a month, excluding VAT. | A full salary plus employer National Insurance, pension, equipment and training, whether or not there's a full week of work. | Marketing agency |
| Knows your products and customers | Learns them from you, and needs your time to do it. | There every day, talks to the team and the customers. | In-house marketer |
| Photos, social posts and day-to-day jobs | Possible, but someone still has to send the photos and news. | Can walk over and take the photo. | In-house marketer |
| Website build, SEO and tracking | Core skills, done every week. | Few marketers can build and maintain a website properly on their own. | Marketing agency |
| Holiday and sickness | The work carries on. | Marketing stops while they're away. | Marketing agency |
| Getting out if it isn't working | Monthly care can be cancelled. Projects are fixed-price. | Notice periods, and the cost and time of hiring again. | Marketing agency |
The real-world calls.
The owner does the marketing in the evenings, when there's time
Choose: Marketing agency. Hand over the website and search so the jobs that bring in enquiries actually get done.
A larger firm with a sales team and a steady flow of campaigns, shows and content
Choose: In-house marketer. There is enough work for a full-time person. Keep an agency for the website and technical work.
You already have a marketer who's stretched
Choose: It depends. Don't replace them. Give them an agency for the builds and SEO so they can do the work only they can do.
What we won't hide.
- We are an agency, so we're not neutral.
- Salary and employment costs depend on the role, experience and region. Check current rates before you budget.
- Prices checked 28 September 2026 and exclude VAT.
Questions before you choose build or buy.
01 How much marketing does a small business actually need?
Usually less than people fear. A website that wins enquiries, a Google Business Profile that is kept up to date, and regular proof of recent jobs will do more than a busy social media calendar.
02 Can an agency work with our office manager or sales team?
Yes. Most of our clients don't have a marketer. We agree who sends us photos and news, and we do the rest.
03 Should we hire a marketer or automate the admin first?
Look at where the time goes first. If people are stuck retyping paperwork, fixing that may free up more time than a new hire. Our before-you-hire page goes through it.
Keep reading.
Book a 15-min call.
We do migrations, builds, and audits across both stacks. Tell us your real constraints and we'll give you an unfiltered recommendation, even if it means recommending we don't get the work.
What could work
better for you?
A new website. More customers. Less admin.
Tell us where you want to get to. We will reply within one working day.