Hiring an internal marketing team might seem like the logical next step for a growing business, but the truth is, it often costs you more—both in dollars and missed opportunities. From overhead expenses to limited expertise, internal marketing hires can drain your budget and slow growth. Full-service marketing solutions provide a smarter, more cost-effective alternative, offering full-suite outsourced marketing for businesses that need high-impact strategies without the hefty price tag. If you’re serious about scaling, it’s time to rethink your hiring decisions.

The Hidden Costs of an Internal Marketing Team

Many businesses assume hiring an internal team will save money. On the surface, it makes sense: a dedicated team member (or team) solely focused on your brand. But when you break down the actual costs, outsourcing often delivers better results at a fraction of the price.

1. The True Cost of Hiring and Retaining Employees

Hiring an internal marketing professional isn’t just about their salary—it’s about benefits, training, software, and turnover. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’re actually paying for:

Salary: A mid-level marketing manager earns $75,000-$90,000 annually.
Benefits: Health insurance, retirement contributions, and PTO can add another 30-40% to that salary.
Software & Tools: Marketing platforms like HubSpot, SEMrush, and Adobe Suite add thousands to your budget.
Training & Development: Keeping your team up-to-date with trends and tools costs time and money.
Turnover Costs: If an employee leaves, you’re stuck with hiring and onboarding costs all over again.

Outsourcing eliminates these overhead costs, giving you access to a full team of specialists for a fraction of the price.

2. Limited Skill Sets vs. Full-Service Expertise

A single internal hire—or even a small team—can’t cover every aspect of marketing effectively. Marketing today is complex, requiring expertise in areas like SEO, content strategy, paid ads, email marketing, social media, and analytics. Hiring in-house means you either:

Expect one or two people to wear too many hats (which leads to mediocre results), OR
Build a larger team—escalating costs even further.

A full-suite outsourced marketing team brings specialists in every area, ensuring each piece of your marketing strategy is executed by an expert.

3. Scalability & Flexibility: The Key to Growth

When your business grows, so should your marketing efforts. But an in-house team has fixed resources, meaning:

Scaling up requires more hires (which means higher costs).
Trying new strategies is risky because internal teams have limited experience beyond your industry.
You’re locked into a team’s skillset, even when your needs evolve.

With full-service marketing solutions, you get flexibility—you can scale up or down as needed without worrying about hiring, firing, or retraining staff.

a mac computer on a desk with a wallpaper that says "do more" — Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash

4. The Productivity Trap: Are You Really Getting 40 Hours of Work?

Most businesses assume a full-time employee will dedicate 40 hours a week to marketing, but in reality:

Employees spend time in meetings, admin work, and non-essential tasks.
Burnout leads to lower productivity and creative stagnation.
Even your best marketers hit skill ceilings—limiting what they can accomplish.

An outsourced team, however, is 100% focused on execution—no unnecessary meetings, no wasted time. You get strategy and implementation, not just clocked-in hours.

5. Cutting-Edge Strategies Without the Learning Curve

Marketing trends evolve fast. Internal teams spend significant time learning new trends, tools, and platforms—often on your dime. Full-suite outsourced marketing agencies, on the other hand, are always ahead of the curve. They bring fresh, cutting-edge strategies without the lag time or training costs.

Why Outsourcing Your Marketing is the Best Decision for Growth

So, why are so many medium-sized businesses turning to full-service marketing solutions instead of hiring in-house? Because it’s a smarter, more cost-effective way to scale.

Lower overall costs: You get an entire team of experts for less than the cost of one full-time hire.

Better ROI:Experienced agencies deliver high-impact strategies, faster.

More flexibility: Scale your efforts without the stress of hiring or firing.

Faster execution: No training time—just immediate results.

Access to top talent: A full-suite marketing team covers everything from SEO to social media to paid ads.

business owners using laptops while communicating to eachother — Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash

The Bottom Line: Stop Paying More for Less

The biggest mistake businesses make? Assuming an in-house hire is the most cost-effective solution. The truth is, when you account for salaries, benefits, software, and limited expertise, outsourcing is the more strategic, cost-efficient choice.

If you’re ready to ditch the overhead, gain flexibility, and see real marketing results, let’s talk. Best Marketing Co. specializes in full-service marketing solutions designed to help businesses grow smarter.

Let’s chat about your marketing goals. Contact us today and let’s make your marketing work for you—not against you.