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Influencer marketing used to be a niche area that did not have that much effect on the world of marketing as a whole. In the beginning, it was tossed aside as something that could be marketed to influenceable teenagers, and that was it. Now, it is so much more than a supplemental tool. Influencer marketing can be divided into two very different categories:
- In House Influencer Marketing — This is when brands do their influencer marketing within the company. They either use people who are already within the company or hire people permanently to work within their company on influencer marketing.
- Agency Influencer Marketing — This is when influencer marketing for a brand is outsourced to a company who specializes in the area. They often have the more specialized resources, a larger influencer base already available to them, and have had many years of consistent experience.
So, now you understand that there is a difference between in-house marketing and outsourced agency marketing; how do you know which is the best choice for you? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both.
Agency Influencer Marketing:
Pros:
- Everything is Already Established: Tana Radley, a business journalist at Britstudent and Write My X, commented, “An agency who specialises in influencer marketing already will not have to spend the time and effort it takes to research who to use, and what to use them for.” The tools that are needed to analyse results will already be in their possession, and they will already have the experience necessary to be good the first time around.
- They Will Already Have Built-in Relationships: An already established agency brings more than just analytical tools to the table. If they are an experienced or well known agency, they will already have industry connections and relationships with influencers. This will take a lot of the initial research effort down a notch.
Cons:
- They can be Expensive: For baby brands and smaller companies, hiring an outside agency to take care of influencer marketing can seem out of reach. And some of them are expensive, but not all of them. The expense can be a barrier for many firms taking the leap.
- Picking the Wrong Agency: This can all be avoided if you choose a well-known and reputable influencer marketing agency; but for those who don’t do their research, it can cause a lot of hassle. Picking an inexperienced agency can cause communication error, decreased efficiency, and other things you want to avoid.
In-House Influencer Marketing:
Pros:
- A Brand Knows its Audience: No one knows a brand and a brand’s demographic better than the brand itself. Within a company, you should already know what is working for sales and marketing; and it is not hard to apply those same principles to influencer marketing.
- Prioritization of Partnerships: An agency can sometimes worry about the here and now when it comes to hiring influencers for a project, without prioritizing future connection. Many brands prefer this relationship stability, which can be achieved through in house marketing.
Cons:
- It can be Expensive to Find and Hire In-House Influencer Marketing Specialists: Although it seems like we have been putting up with influencers as a society for decades, it has only really become a viable career to enter marketing wise in the last two or three. This means that looking for and finding the right in house marketing specialist can not only be difficult and onerous, it can also be very expensive. Cara Shaw, a business writer at PhD Kingdom and Australia2write, noted, “Because of how important influencer marketing has become to businesses; influencer marketers now know their worth, and will not work for pennies.”
- Not Just Anyone can be an Influencer Marketer: You might be thinking you can just pluck someone out of marketing or human resources to head up your in house influencer marketing team; but I can assure you that it’s not that easy! Many people look at this field and think that anyone could do it; but building influencer relationships and maintaining them is actually not an easy task. So unfortunately, you cannot just pluck someone off the street and expect them to be a stellar influencer marketing specialist.
Now that we have gone over the pros and cons of both in house and agency influencer marketing, it’s time to decide. Which choice really is the better option? There is no correct or straight answer in all honesty. It depends on the size of your business, the function of your day to day work; and how much influencer marketing you need done as a whole. If your whole business relies solely on the efficacy of your influencer marketing scheme, you may want to go with an agency; but if it’s just an addition to your strategies, you might be okay with in-house.
About the Author:
George J. Newton is a business development manager and content writer for Assignment writing services and Dissertation Help. He has a very patient wife of over ten years, who is his biggest supporter. He also contributes his work to Nextcoursework.com.
