Hiring vs. outsourcing your marketing team. It's the ultimate decision every new business owner dreads.

On one hand, having an in-house team means you control everything, from strategy to execution. On the other hand, outsourcing gives you top-tier expertise without the HR nightmares. So, which path should you take?

Let’s skip the fluff, get to the facts, and break it down.

In-House Marketing Team: What’s It Really Going to Cost You?

Building an in-house marketing team seems great at first. You get full control, faster changes, and a team that understands your brand inside and out.

But here’s the catch—it’s not cheap.

Salaries, benefits, office space, software... the list goes on. So, before you get all excited about the perks, ask yourself: can your business really afford the bill, or are you just setting yourself up for a costly mistake?

.

What You’ll Need to Hire (and Pay)

• Marketing Director/Manager: Calls the shots and sets your marketing strategy

• Content Creator/Writer: Blogs, emails, and website content

• Graphic Designer: Visuals for your brand, social media, and more

• SEO Specialist: To make sure you’re found on Google

• Social Media Manager: Manages your brand on platforms like Instagram and Facebook

• Email Marketing Specialist: Crafts email campaigns and newsletters

• Digital Ads Specialist: Runs your paid ad campaigns on platforms like Google and Facebook

Total Annual Cost of an In-House Marketing Team

But wait! Don't forget about benefits, taxes, and marketing tools—this can increase your total costs by an additional 20-30%. So, your final bill could easily exceed $700,000/year.

The Pros & Cons of Going In-House

Pros:

• Control: You get the reins. Full control over your strategy, execution, and overall campaign management. Every decision is made within your marketing team.

• Brand Alignment: Your in-house marketers are living and breathing your company culture. They get your brand voice and can craft strategies that fit like a glove.

• Quick Adjustments: Changes can be made on the fly without waiting for external approval, allowing your marketing to remain agile and responsive.

• Full Transparency: You see everything. All marketing efforts, all results. You have the power to adjust strategies, measure performance, and keep everything aligned across the board.

Cons:

• High Costs: This isn’t a cheap option. Hiring a full team means salaries, benefits, office space, software—yes, it all adds up. For a business that’s just starting out, this can feel like a financial treadmill.

• Time-Consuming: Managing an in-house team is a full-time job in itself. From hiring to handling daily operations, you’ll quickly find yourself buried in tasks. As the owner, you might end up doing everything.

• Limited Expertise: Your team might be solid, but they’re not always experts in every area. SEO, paid ads, data analytics—these might require bringing in outside help. That means more costs, more complexity.

Source: FirstPageSage

• Scalability: As your business grows, your marketing team will need to grow with it. But building an in-house team fast isn’t easy—it requires time, money, and effort.

Considering Virtual Assistants for Your Marketing Team

Not feeling the in-house vibe? Fair enough. Here’s the hack: remote virtual assistants (VAs). These are pros you hire to handle everything from admin to specialized tasks—all while working from a remote location.

VAs are quickly becoming the go-to solution for businesses that want to get more done without blowing through cash. They live and work in regions where labor costs are lower, which means you can save a ton compared to hiring someone full-time in-house.

You’re only paying for the hours they work—no office space, no equipment, no benefits. Just pure productivity for a fraction of the cost.

On average, companies save 55–60% on salary costs by hiring VAs instead of in-house staff. That’s like saving $270,000 every year. Not bad, right?

Total Annual Cost of a Marketing Team of VAs

While hiring a VA can save you a ton of money and make life easier, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Like anything, there are pros and cons, and it’s worth looking at both sides before diving in. 

The Pros & Cons of Hiring VAs

Pros

1. Flexibility: VAs adapt to your workload and schedule, offering part-time or on-demand support. Time zone differences can even become an asset, enabling tasks like customer support or social media engagement to run 24/7.

2. Access to Specialized Skills: VAs are often pros who’ve worked with clients across industries, picking up tricks in social media, SEO, graphic design, and video editing. You can hire exactly what you need without the cost or commitment of full-time employees.

3. Effortless Scalability: As your business grows, you can quickly bring on more VAs to handle the workload. No office space or major staffing investments required—just agile, affordable support.

Cons

1. Communication Challenges: Time zones and remote work can sometimes create miscommunication. Clear instructions and using project management tools can help bridge the gap.

2. Data Security Risks: Sharing sensitive information remotely can be risky without proper safeguards. Secure file-sharing platforms and confidentiality agreements are non-negotiable for peace of mind.

3. Quality Control Issues: VAs working with multiple clients may occasionally miss the mark. Setting clear expectations and conducting regular check-ins can keep quality on point.

Outsourcing to a Marketing Agency: Is It a Better Deal?

Let’s talk about agencies—essentially the “plug-and-play” solution for marketing. You skip the hassle of recruiting and managing a team and instead tap into the expertise of professionals who can get straight to work.

Agency Costs

When you hire a marketing agency, you’re not just buying one-off services—you’re often signing up for a monthly package deal. And those deals? They can range from $1,000 to $10,000 per month, depending on how much firepower you want.

 A basic package might handle SEO and content, but throw in extras like PPC ads, influencer marketing, and deep analytics, and the price tag climbs fast.

But here’s where it gets interesting: some agencies, like Flowpio, offer full-service marketing packages for as little as $150 to $400 a month. Compare that to building an in-house marketing team, which can easily run you over $700,000 a year, and the savings are almost absurd.

We’re talking about paying 93% less and still getting access to an entire team of experts. Basically, it’s like buying a sports car for the price of a bike.

The Pros & Cons of Agencies

Pros:

• Expertise: Agencies come with teams of pros who’ve been around the marketing block—SEO, content, ads, social media, you name it. Their experience means your campaigns run smoother and deliver better results.

• Faster Results: With their ready-made processes and tools, agencies can hit the ground running, often delivering quicker wins than an in-house team still figuring things out.

• More Time for You: Letting the experts handle marketing means you can focus on, well, everything else. Running a business is hard enough without juggling ad campaigns and analytics.

• Cost-Effective: A full in-house team can burn through $700,000 a year, while agencies typically cost $120,000 to $150,000. And with options like Flowpio, you could spend as little as $4,800 annually. That’s like saving enough for a luxury vacation—or three.

Cons:

• Less Control: Handing over the reins means giving up some control. You won’t be involved in every decision, and that can feel like a leap of faith.

• Cultural Disconnect: Agencies don’t live and breathe your brand the way an in-house team might. Sometimes, their work can feel a little “off” or detached from your core vibe.

• Communication Challenges: Back-and-forth emails, waiting for responses—it’s the kind of slow burn that can make you miss the immediacy of an in-house team.

So, What’s the Best Option for Your Business?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right choice depends on your budget, business size, and how much time you have to spare.

• If you’re on a tight budget or have limited time, outsourcing is probably your best bet. You get results without the headache (and wallet-ache) of building and managing an in-house team.

• If you have the resources, and want full control, an in-house team might be worth the investment—just know it comes with its own set of challenges.

At the end of the day, whether you go in-house or outsource, you need to weigh the costs and benefits of each. Marketing isn’t just an expense; it’s an investment. And the right strategy will help you grow faster while saving time and energy in the long run.

If you’re just getting started, don’t jump into hiring a full team. Test the waters. Find what fits your business size and budget. Every dollar you spend should drive growth, so make it count.