Marketing Agency or In-House Team: What Pays Off

When a business starts to grow, the owner of a small company sooner or later reaches the same crossroads. Someone has to run marketing, and until now the owner did it themselves, on the side, between everything else. There are two options: hire someone to do it full time, or bring in an agency. In this article I compare both options on cost, speed, knowledge and risk, and explain when each one makes sense.

Why the question comes up at all

Marketing done on the side usually looks like this: the Google profile was opened a few years ago and has not been touched since, Facebook posts go out when someone remembers, and ads get switched on in a panic when work dries up. That works while the business is small and work comes through referrals.

When the business wants to grow, it needs a steady source of new customers. At that point it is clear that someone has to do marketing regularly and systematically, and the only question is who.

Cost: salary versus monthly fee

A marketing employee in Croatia costs a serious monthly salary, and on top of the gross amount come:

• equipment, a computer and software
• paid tools for SEO, ads and analytics
• the time it takes to settle in and learn your business
• holidays, sick leave and cover

That cost exists every month, regardless of how much work there is at the moment.

Working with an agency usually comes down to a monthly fee lower than one employee’s salary. It includes the tools and experience gained with other clients. I explain typical agency prices in How much does a marketing agency cost in Croatia.

Speed of getting started

A new employee needs time to learn the job, get to know the tools and work out what works in your industry. If it is their first marketing job, they will learn on your budget.

An agency that deals with local SEO and ads every day already has a process in place and starts straight away with proven steps. With local SEO the first changes on the map usually show within a few weeks, and reaching the top three takes up to 90 days. For a small business where every week without new enquiries is lost revenue, that difference often decides it.

Knowledge and tools one person struggles to keep up with

Google regularly changes its ranking rules, Meta changes how ad targeting works, and more and more customers look for recommendations through ChatGPT. Keeping up with all of it is a job in itself.

One employee has to follow SEO, ads, social media, the website and analytics all at once. Rarely is anyone equally good at everything. An agency working with many clients sees what works in different industries and cities, and brings that experience to your profile.

Map ranking tools are a good example. I measure rankings from 130 points across a city, because a customer in one neighbourhood sees different results from a customer three kilometres away. A small business rarely pays for such a tool on its own.

Risk: what if it does not work

With hiring, the risk is bigger than it looks. If the employee does not deliver, ending an employment contract takes time and money, and the months and the investment in onboarding are lost.

With an agency the risk is smaller, especially if the contract has a short initial term and a clear goal. A good agency shows progress every week, so you see very quickly whether the collaboration is heading in the right direction. I write about how to recognise such an agency in How to choose a marketing agency for your business.

A quick comparison

	In-house employee	Agency
Monthly cost	salary, contributions, tools	monthly fee
Start of work	after hiring and onboarding	straight away
Knowledge	one person	experience from many clients
Tools	need to be bought	included
Daily availability	in your office	by phone, email, video call
Risk if it fails	bigger and slower exit	short term and clear reports

When an in-house team does make sense

Hiring can be a good step if:

• the business has stable revenue and enough work for a full-time role
• you need someone on site every day, for photos, video and social media
• you want marketing under constant control inside the company
• you already have a clear strategy that someone needs to carry out

Then an agency and an in-house employee can work together. The agency handles strategy and the technical side, such as SEO, the Google profile and ads, while the in-house person takes care of daily content and customer communication. That split often gives you the best of both.

How to decide for your business

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Do I have enough work for one marketing specialist’s full salary?
2. Do I need results in the next few months, or can I wait for someone to settle in?
3. Do I need someone in the company every day, or is it enough that the work gets done?

For most small local businesses that are just building visibility on Google, an agency is the faster and cheaper route to first results, without the risk of a hire that may not pay off.

I am happy to look at where your business stands on Google today and tell you honestly whether it pays to start with an agency or to sort out the basics yourself first. Get in touch for a free call.