When to Outsource Your Marketing (and When Not To)
We’re all trying to make the most of our limited resources. We’re doing our best to manage them wisely.
It’s especially true when you’re building a small business.
Outsourcing your marketing is one of the smartest moves you can make as a small business owner. It gives back your precious time, connects you with real expertise, and helps your business grow (when done right).
Some of the toughest decisions you’ll make relate to what you should outsource vs. what you should keep in-house. On one hand, it might seem like a straightforward decision—hand off the responsibility to a professional and free up your time for other priorities.
But on the other, do you have the cash?
And if you do, would your business even be better off with that responsibility on someone else’s plate?
Let’s dig into both questions.
Outsourcing Your Marketing — The ROI Dilemma
Marketing is rightly seen as an investment—something that should generate more revenue than it costs.
But here’s the roadblock: The marketing car requires fuel to take you where you want to go, and that fuel is cash.
The cost of earning attention keeps rising.
➝ Google Ads costs-per-click increase every year.
➝ Search result page formats are in flux.
➝ Social media feeds have been laid to waste by the thought-leader arms race.
In all cases, it’s not enough just to show up.
You can absolutely still have success on any of those channels. But to do so, you need to generate enough data to test and learn.
This is why managing $500 in monthly ad spend can be more challenging—for a professional—than $2,000. With $2,000, you’re generating insights that help refine the campaign. With $500, you’re either sticking with one message (wiser) or taking shots in the dark (unwise).
The key is not to invest what you can’t sustain. Start small and self-managed. As your business grows, consider when you have the budget for additional spend and management fees.
A professional will test different ads and dial in your campaign, reducing waste and improving your return on ad spend (ROAS). They will also appreciate the data you’ve generated from your self-managed campaign. It will give them a head start.
How Long Does It Take to See Results From Google Ads, SEO, and Social Media?
As a VERY general guideline, here is how long it can take to see results from the three channels I mentioned after a consistent investment of time and/or money.
Google Ads: 3 months
Google Organic (SEO): 6 months
Social media: 1-2 years
This is based on my experience working with service providers with a ‘website lead form’ conversion goal. Regarding social media, this is if you’re starting from scratch.
Before increasing your cash or time commitment in any of these channels, consider whether you’d be able to sustain that investment for up to double the amount of time I’ve indicated above if the return wasn’t there. We tend to overestimate what we can do in the short term and underestimate what we can do over time. If you miss a target, you’ll want to ensure you can learn and adapt without having to immediately pull the plug.
When to Hire a Marketing Agency vs. Keeping It In-House
I get asked about this a lot. The truth is, it depends on what kind of marketing you’re talking about.
For foundational stuff like positioning and messaging, handing it off completely can be risky. These are the core elements that connect your business strategy with how you talk to your audience and where you fit in the market. Outsourcing them fully will disconnect you from the insights that should define your brand.
At Sarris Marketing, I like to keep things collaborative. We run campaigns, but we operate more as a marketing consultancy than an agency. I spend a lot of time with the founders on positioning because things simply won’t work as well if they don’t buy in. They need to understand why we would elevate one feature or benefit over another, that the reason is based on market research—including from speaking with their customers and ideal clients—and that it has their competition in mind.
Again, as much as positioning is considered a marketing thing, it leans more toward your short-term business strategy. It should be reflected in the way you talk about what you do, not just in your ads and on your homepage. Please expect to spend time on this even if you outsource. And if you split duties between an agency or consultant and an internal team, ensure your team stays close to the customer insights.
Outsource With Confidence
When deciding whether to outsource your marketing, keep these simple guidelines in mind:
Start small and manage campaigns yourself if your budget is tight. This way, you can gather useful data and learn a bit about what works (or what doesn’t). This will give any pro you hire later a head start.
Bring in a marketing team or consultant when you’re ready to take things to the next level and have the budget to support it.
Keep core strategy work like positioning close to home, or partner closely with a consultant so you stay connected to those essential customer insights.
Outsourcing can make a huge difference for your business, but timing, budget, and knowing which parts to keep in-house are key.
I hope this helps you make smart choices with your marketing dollars.
You’ve got this.
