5 Reasons ​​to Hire a B2B Inbound Marketing Agency vs. an In-House Team

High-five to you! You know that inbound marketing is the best way to attract, engage, and delight new and existing customers to your B2B company.

You’ve begun crafting your marketing strategy and the budget behind it. But, then a big question hits you: “If I really want to do this right the first time, should I build an in-house marketing team or hire an outside agency?”

Full disclosure: we are a B2B inbound marketing agency that works with companies in complex industries (manufacturing, distribution, industrial contracting, etc.). That fact might make you question how objective this article will be. Yet, when everything is considered, it’s no contest, “team agency” wins.

There are 5 main reasons to hire a B2B inbound marketing agency:

1. Inbound Marketing Expertise
2. A Robust Tech Stack
3. Smaller Learning Curve
4. Greater Flexibility
5. A Dedicated Team

1. Inbound Marketing Expertise

You know that some serious smarts are required to execute an inbound strategy. Smart people like this:

• Marketing strategist
• Project manager
• Content writer
• SEO expert
• Analytics specialist
• Web designer
• Graphics designer
• Video producer
• Paid media specialist
• Social media coordinator

That’s a great list. The problem is that your organization’s budget isn’t large enough to bring this marketing dream team on staff.

While some might argue that hiring a B2B inbound marketing agency is expensive, when compared to the staff actually needed, it’s easy to see why many companies choose to work with an agency.

Plus, these smart folks help your business stay atop industry trends and adjust to evolving consumer behavior in fast-paced environments.

A reputable firm has already invested in finding and hiring an expert team and will charge a fraction of what it costs to add those team members to your payroll.

RELATED: 7 INBOUND MARKETING SKILL SETS YOUR TEAM NEEDS FOR ONGOING SUCCESS 

2. A Robust Tech Stack

Partner with an agency or not, you’ll need to invest in technology. Weidert Group is a certified HubSpot agency partner and can tailor a solution for you. HubSpot invented inbound marketing and offers a full suite of software that serves your entire organization, not just marketing. It’s why we use it and recommend it to our clients.

Beyond HubSpot, we leverage and invest in numerous other digital marketing tools to supplement HubSpot’s robust functionalities:

• Google Analytics
• Google Search Console
• Google Ads
• Semrush
• Lucky Orange
• Databox
• Screaming Frog
• Backlinko
• Answer the Public
• MAXG
• Propensity
• Summari
• Plus, many additional AI-infused tools

A single company won’t likely subscribe to all of these tools, but a reputable B2B inbound marketing agency knows how to use each one, has vetted them for effectiveness, and knows what works best in a given situation.

From analytics software that tracks marketing performance to sophisticated content management systems, an agency has the resources to effectively execute your marketing strategy. This sophistication level is expensive and challenging to replicate in-house.

RELATED: WHY GO HUBSPOT FOR INBOUND SUCCESS?

3. Smaller Learning Curve

Want results fast? Of course you do. An experienced inbound marketing agency doesn’t need to ramp up their team’s operations; they already understand the technology or the inbound methodology.

They’ve seen it work in different situations like yours and can use those insights to benefit your company. When you work with an agency that specializes in your complex B2B industry, they can hit the ground running.

Not only does a B2B inbound marketing agency already have the knowledge, they’re happy to transfer it by teaching and training their clients. The shorter the learning curve, the faster you’ll get results and ROI.

Additional Reading: Choosing B2B Marketing Channels & Formats: Engage Buyers On Their Turf & Terms

4. Greater Flexibility

If there’s one thing we’ve learned during the last few years, it’s that businesses need to be able to pivot quickly. Working with an experienced B2B inbound marketing agency gives you the flexibility to spend more when you need more or pull back when necessary.

An internal team means fixed labor costs, making it hard to scale back your team when business goals change. Plus, adding qualified team members is incredibly tough in today’s tight labor market.

An inbound marketing agency also brings a fresh, unbiased perspective to your marketing strategy, identifying gaps, proposing innovative solutions, and steering your brand toward success.

5. A Dedicated Team

As an experienced inbound marketing consultant, Weidert Group has helped dozens of clients grow through strategic inbound marketing and sales programs. Our partner contacts usually wear many hats, overseeing their sales teams, operations, and even engineering in addition to marketing.

One thing clients appreciate most about partnering with us is that they can focus on the non-marketing functions of their organization while we handle positioning them properly and bringing in sales qualified leads.

Each Weidert Group partner has a dedicated team: inbound marketing consultant, specialist, strategist, and on-staff writer. Plus, others are ready to collaborate to deliver results: web and graphic designers, SEO experts, paid media specialists, and videographers. This multidisciplinary approach results in a holistic and comprehensive execution of your strategy. Hiring in-house marketing staff with expertise is a big leap for many companies.

It costs you nothing to explore the possibilities of hiring a B2B inbound marketing agency. First, become familiar with the inbound methodology by reading this Step-by-Step Guide to Inbound Marketing guide. Then, contact us to see if this is the best move for your company and if our team fits yours.