Is it better to hire in-house or outsource your digital marketing in 2025?
With the rising complexity of platforms, constant algorithm changes, and a need for always-on campaigns, more brands are rethinking how they handle their online growth. As competition heats up, many are turning to external partners for more scalable, efficient, and ROI-focused digital marketing services. In this post, we’ll explore the pros and cons of each approach—and why outsourcing to a specialist agency like Absolute Digital Media is becoming the preferred choice for high-growth businesses.
What’s the difference between in-house and agency marketing teams?
In-house teams are employed directly by your business, while agencies offer external expertise and scalability.
At a basic level, the key difference lies in structure:
- In-house team: Employed by your company, working solely on your brand
- Agency: An external partner managing digital channels for multiple clients
But in 2025, the divide is bigger than just where people sit. It’s about capabilities, technology, experience, and speed to adapt.
Companies frequently use a step‑by‑step guide to direct mail to additionally streamline their marketing process and ensure consistency across campaigns. This structured approach helps teams plan, design, and execute mailers efficiently while tracking results for future improvements.
Why are more brands outsourcing to digital agencies in 2025?
Because they get broader expertise, faster results, and better cost-efficiency.
The marketing landscape is too fast-moving for generalists. Today’s success requires:
- Deep specialism across SEO, PPC, paid social, content, CRO and analytics
- Access to enterprise-level tools and insights
- Faster implementation without lengthy hiring processes
- Scalable teams that flex with your needs
Example: A health sector client saw a 109% increase in leads within 3 months after outsourcing PPC and SEO to us—far outpacing their prior in-house performance.
What are the advantages of using a digital marketing agency?
Breadth, flexibility, and ROI.
Here’s what a top-tier agency can offer:
- Multi-disciplinary expertise – From technical SEO to TikTok Ads, all under one roof
- Cost-effective scalability – No need to hire 5+ specialists in-house
- Up-to-date knowledge – Agencies live and breathe industry changes
- Proven frameworks – Tested processes that reduce guesswork and speed up delivery
- Objective perspective – External teams can spot blind spots and challenge assumptions
At Absolute Digital Media, our team includes PPC analysts, CRO specialists, technical SEOs, strategists, designers and copywriters—giving you access to a full-stack growth team without the overheads.
Are there any advantages to in-house teams?
Yes—but they come with trade-offs.
In-house teams can be beneficial for:
- Brand immersion – Full-time staff often know the brand tone and product inside out
- Cross-department collaboration – Easier alignment with sales, product and ops
- Faster internal communication – Direct Slack messages instead of briefings
However, most SMEs and mid-market companies struggle to build in-house teams with the depth of skills needed to cover every marketing channel at a high level. That’s where agencies fill the gap.
What are the common pitfalls of relying solely on in-house marketing?
Limited resources, burnout, and slow adaptation.
We’ve seen businesses hit barriers when:
- One person is managing SEO, PPC, and email – and none of them effectively
- There’s no CRO or analytics specialist to optimise campaigns post-click
- Staff turnover causes knowledge loss and campaign gaps
- Budgets are wasted through platform inexperience or missed updates
Fact: Brands that outsource at least part of their digital marketing strategy are 2.6x more likely to exceed ROI targets (HubSpot, 2025).
How does outsourcing improve campaign performance?
It enables better focus, smarter strategy, and consistent optimisation.
At Absolute Digital Media, we’re constantly iterating on campaigns. By outsourcing to us, clients benefit from:
- Dedicated strategists who review progress weekly
- Real-time optimisations using platform data and machine learning
- Creative refreshes based on CRO testing
- Quarterly strategy workshops to align on goals and budgets
When marketing is someone’s full-time job (not just one of many hats), results follow.
What does a hybrid model look like?
It combines internal brand knowledge with external expertise.
Some brands prefer a hybrid setup—a small in-house team that handles messaging and internal comms, working closely with an agency that manages delivery and optimisation.
Benefits of this approach:
- Strategic alignment with internal priorities
- Stronger brand voice
- Access to specialist execution power from an agency
We regularly collaborate with in-house CMOs or content teams—becoming an extension of their team while driving performance across SEO, paid media and more.
What does working with Absolute Digital Media look like?
It’s strategic, transparent, and results-obsessed.
Here’s how we typically work with brands:
- Discovery and strategy phase – Understand your goals, audience, competitors
- Channel mix planning – Identify where the quickest and most sustainable wins lie
- Execution – Implement campaigns across SEO, PPC, content, digital PR and more
- Measurement – Real-time dashboards and monthly performance calls
- Growth scaling – As results improve, we scale and refine
One client scaled their monthly leads by 3.5x over 6 months with a blended SEO + Paid Media strategy.
How much does outsourcing to an agency cost?
Less than you might think—and often less than hiring in-house.
Let’s say you wanted to build a high-performing in-house team:
- SEO Manager: £45k+
- PPC Specialist: £40k+
- Copywriter: £30k+
- Graphic Designer: £35k+
- Data Analyst: £50k+
That’s over £200k/year before you even factor in tools, training, and benefits.
By comparison, agency retainers can start from a fraction of that—and you gain a full team of specialists, tech stack access, and strategic oversight.
Conclusion: Should you outsource or stay in-house?
In 2025, outsourcing offers scale, specialism, and speed that most in-house teams can’t match.
If your current setup feels like it’s hitting a ceiling—whether that’s performance, strategy, or bandwidth—partnering with an experienced digital agency like Absolute Digital Media could be the smartest move.
Let us help take your growth further.
Ready to explore a better way to scale your marketing?
Get in touch with the team at Absolute Digital Media and discover what an outsourced growth partner can unlock.
Want to see how we work? Explore our services:
SEO Services
PPC Advertising
Digital PR
CRO & Analytics
Written by Ben Austin, CEO of Absolute Digital Media
Helping brands grow smarter, faster, and more profitably through expert digital marketing strategies since 2008.
