Agency or Freelancer - Which Should You Hire for Your Business?

Your business is doing well, but you'd like to give it that extra boost with the assistance of a marketing team or professional. Maybe some website revisions, or social media campaigns. Maybe you'd like to start doing a bit of advertising on social media.

If you’re focused on business operations and looking to hire some assistance to develop your brand equity, digital presence, SEO, etc, should you choose an agency or should you consider hiring a marketing freelancer? Each option has its own pros and cons, and we will discuss both below.

Service

Digital agencies have vetted people with a lot of experience in the industry and they have routine meetings. Freelancers work alone, and their reputation will differ based on a multitude of factors. You can get a great service in both cases, but risks are a bit higher if you work with a freelancer. If you're looking for consistency at the cost of increased turnaround times, an agency may be better suited for your operation. If you're looking for quality balanced with lower turnaround times, quicker revisions, etc. a freelancer may be better suited to you.

Skill levels

Agencies are always double-checking the knowledge levels and experience of their hires. With freelancers, you have to do that on your own. That being said, you can find some of the most talented freelancers at a relatively low price point, and the experience can be game-changing for your marketing budget.

Flexibility

Freelancers tend to have flexible schedules, so they can accommodate online work from remote locations which contributes to their agility. Agencies have less flexibility, however they have a larger team, so that’s something to keep in mind.

Priority

Freelancers tend to take on less clients than agencies, which is indicative of a potentially increased attention to client needs. While agencies have larger, hierarchical staff segments, there is a chance that they may not be able to accommodate a more nuanced relationship with the client. This isn't always a bad thing; if the client prefers to be hands off - this shouldn't be an issue.

Pricing

Usually, freelancers are more affordable than agencies. They don’t demand a full time salary when compared to agency employees. That means you’re usually getting a better deal if you work with a freelancer. In fact, working with a freelancer gives you a much better return on investment in general. While freelancing, overhead costs are substantially lower than that of an agency; office space, utilities, staffing, and general costs typically require agencies to charge more in general for services that a freelancer could provide for less. These factors may be beneficial to a client and their needs

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it’s easy to see that agencies are suitable for larger, more complex projects that require plenty of manpower, over longer timelines. Large corporations stand to benefit the most from a full service branding or marketing agency. The same thing can be said if you have a very strict deadline and an appropriate budget. Conversely, working with a freelancer can offer a personalized, familiar vibe that may feel like you have an in-house marketing guru of your own. Both options are great, you just have to find the right option to suit your needs!

If you are in need of the latter - I do offer a host of valuable freelance graphic / web design / digital marketing solutions for businesses of all sizes. My pricing varies from one-off, per project based to monthly retainer style - fully customized to fit your needs and project scope. Let's chat!