How In-House Teams Can Work with Marketing Agencies
03.20.20
Why buy what you can build?
That’s the question many businesses are asking as they invest in in-house marketing departments, with promises of lower costs and more efficient operations. And for some businesses, especially larger ones, having an in-house team makes sense given the sheer volume of day-to-day needs. But even those businesses are sure to encounter a situation in which an agency is necessary and even advantageous. Let’s take a look at a few ways that relationship can unfold smoothly.
Pick the Right Agency
Marketing agencies are like people: some you’ll click with, others you won’t. The benefit here is that you get to pick your agency, and ideally you will pick one that brings out the very best in your team. A few tips for picking your partner:
- Review their portfolio critically
- Identify how they’ll fit into your operations and marketing strategy
- Evaluate their culture, personality, process and approach
Plus, with today’s tools and technologies, your perfect agency could be anywhere in the world. At Paradigm, we take advantage of collaboration platforms and teleconferencing to work with our clients—even if we can’t sit down with them face-to-face.
Work as a Team
Tensions may run high when an agency is brought into the mix. Some in-house teams see onboarding a third-party as a threat to their job security, but that simply isn’t the new partner’s mentality. We believe agencies work best when they act as an extension of an in-house team, working toward mutually beneficial goals and exchanging ideas and resources whenever possible.
Trust Each Other’s Expertise
Strong relationships are built on trust. Building trust starts with knowing when to get out of the way. As you work with your new partner, there may be moments where you disagree with their strategies or tactics. Just remember: they’re your partners and you brought in their expertise for a reason. Likewise, your in-house team has insights your agency would appreciate: a detailed knowledge of the industry, previous experience with the company’s marketing initiatives and integrations with other departments.
Communicate Clearly
Open dialogue is always key in the workplace, but it’s even more vital in a client-agency relationship, where a miscommunication could cause a missed deadline or wasted resources. As soon as the relationship begins, agency and in-house teams should work together to standardize a system of communication that keeps both parties informed of open tasks and progress. The system could include weekly status calls, a project management system, email updates and so much more. It all depends on how you want to work together.
Let’s Team Up
Although it seems like a paradox, in-house marketing teams work with marketing agencies all the time. And when everything runs smoothly, it results in a mutually beneficial partnership supported by expert knowledge, strategy and creativity. That’s the relationship we strive to build with each client at Paradigm. Reach out to our strategists today and let’s talk about ways our teams can join forces to meet your goals.
