When it comes to digital marketing, you may be considering seeking help from an external provider. Usually, those who find themselves in this position face the choice of an agency or a freelancer.
It is a question that I hear pretty frequently, but it is impossible to answer generally.
The truth is that opting for one or the other depends on your company or project. There is no right or wrong answer. But to help you make the right decision, below, I highlight the advantages offered by each one.
SEO Agency Advantages
- An agency has a team of professionals ready to help you
- An agency offers you an efficient work structure
- An agency helps you to implement a coherent strategy
- An agency has the necessary resources to manage contingencies
However, it’s a long-term commitment.
SEO Freelancer Advantages
- A freelancer cares for and values their customers
- Freelancers are more flexible and respond better to deadlines
- A freelancer’s work is as good as that of an agency
- Freelancers work as much or more than an agency
So, let’s start by reviewing those advantages that choosing a specialized digital marketing agency gives your business or team.
An Agency Has A Team Of Professionals Ready To Help You
The agency will help you save time and resources that you would have spent on research, comparison, and selection of people and specialists to carry out your project.
Once you have met with them and they better understand your needs in terms of digital marketing, they will be able to select the team members that best fit your project.
Remember that the structure of an agency is made up of a wide variety of profiles (content specialists, social media specialists, designers, SEO, etc.). This allows them to assign projects based on the degree of specialization required.
For example, large-scale projects that require specific knowledge will be left in the hands of veterans with extensive experience in the area. In contrast, those that need much more creativity than experience will be assigned to somewhat more junior and creative members.
An Agency Offers An Efficient Work Structure
Your project will probably need the participation of experts in different areas (social networks, programming and web design, SEO, SEM). The more people involved you have, the more difficult it will be to manage them. You run the risk of suffering an overload of work and having to put aside the other responsibilities of your position.
All these risks are left aside when you decide to work with a digital marketing consulting agency. Its structure is designed so that you will only have to deal with the “project manager” or a Key Account Manager. This person is the agency-client link. His job is to distribute tasks, make sure the project runs smoothly, and update you with information regularly.
In addition, the project manager oversees transmitting your guidelines or guidelines to the team members and will make sure that the deadlines and instructions are respected. It guarantees a very high level of reliability.
An Agency Allows You To Implement A Coherent Strategy
The way a marketing agency works encourages its professionals to consult each other before deciding which strategy will bring the best results to your business. In fact, they usually have frequent meetings to evaluate results and make appropriate decisions.
This way of facing challenges as a team helps to guarantee the coherence of the deployed strategy. Everyone involved is very clear about where they are going, what they must do, and delivery times, which helps maximise service delivery quality.
An Agency Has The Necessary Resources To Manage Contingencies
The work system of good marketing agencies and their experience, employees, and techniques allow them to deal with any failure or unforeseen event throughout your project’s execution.
An agency must define a set of rules and procedures that employees must follow for the project to run smoothly. Software is used to allow any new person who comes to the project to quickly understand where they are, what has been done, what is pending, any obstacles that have arisen, valuable data, and, therefore, resume work that was interrupted unexpectedly.
An Agency Is A Long-Term Commitment
This may be an advantage, as a specialised marketing agency will put everything on the table necessary for a long-term relationship: resources, team, professionals, experience, etc. However, some businesses are reluctant to commit due to limited finances and uncertainty.
This does not happen when you work with independent people. In general, freelancers specialise in a specific subject (SEO, for example). If you need support from a graphic design specialist in your project, you must find another professional and go through the entire hiring and onboarding process.
Advantages Of Working With A Freelancer
Now that we have seen what benefits marketing agencies offer you, we must review why many still prefer to work with freelancers on a piecework basis.
Freelancers Care For And Value Their Customers
We often hear opinions that agree that working with a freelancer tends to carry more risks. For example, before hiring him, it will be challenging for you to assess his level of competence or ensure the level of commitment to your project.
However, we must remember that freelancers promote themselves exclusively through word of mouth. This means that they will always try to be as efficient as possible so that, once the project ends, you are satisfied and willing to recommend them to your trusted groups.
Freelancers Are More Flexible And Respond Better To Deadlines
Working with an agency will require you to allocate a larger budget. Being a consolidated structure, with professionals on board, they must pay costs (rent, salaries, benefits, etc.) from which a freelancer is exempt. For this reason, negotiating with an agency is much more complicated than with an independent professional.
On the other hand, freelancers are fully aware of how much work they can take on and are usually willing to work extra hours, or even nights, to cover all the goals you set for them.
A Freelancer’s Work Is As Good As That Of An Agency
Did you know that many freelancers work as subcontractors for an agency? In other words, there is a great possibility that a freelancer is in charge of the project you entrusted to an agency. That’s why we feel comfortable stating that depending on the freelancer; they may be able to deliver with the same, or better, quality than any agency. And for much less money than agency prices!
Freelancers Work As Much Or More Than An Agency
Many freelance marketers are active entrepreneurs who answer the phone, even late at night.
They often have much longer work hours than employees. They are very industrious people who take their projects seriously and professionally.
In Conclusion: Agency Vs. Freelancing
As you have been able to read throughout this article, there is no right or wrong choice when it comes to the question, agency or freelance? Everything will depend on your needs and budget.
A freelancer tends to be more suitable for new companies or start-ups in the following situations:
- On a budget
- Who needs small scale web marketing tasks completed
- With punctual needs for short periods of time
- With a need to develop a short-term strategy
For the rest of the cases, it is often more successful to resort to a specialized agency. The way of operating, organisation, and long-term commitment are more in line with the aspirations of a larger company.
So, who are you going to work with? If your answer is freelancer, do not hesitate to contact me. We’ll discuss your needs, and I will explain in terms you will understand how I can help.
