Digital Marketer position: shall we in-house or outsource?

The pandemic has accelerated the Fourth Industrial revolution, i.e. “fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres”.

With every business, embracing the digital world, does it mean that every company must have its own in-house digital marketer?

What are the pros and cons of having an in-house digital marketer versus using the services of a digital agency?

Option 1: In-house digital marketer

Pros:

Knows your company and your brand in and out,
Can transfer his/her digital knowledge to the rest of the team.
Gives you his/her full-time attention
Available 100% for you to reach out

Cons:

Almost always more expensive than an external agency.
Might be a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none
Might lack perspective, might be too brand-centered and not enough customer-centered

Option2: external digital agency

Pros:

Access to a full team with each team member bringing his/her own digital expertise
Offers you more creativity as they work in a fast-paced environment and handle other accounts from other line of businesses,
Can offer you industry insights if they had experience with other companies in the same line of businesses you are
Will give you a more objective perspective, more prospects-centered.
Less costly, allowing to have more budget for media buying

Cons:

Might not be as available as an in-house marketer
Might not be as focused on your business as an in-house digital marketer

If your business is operating in a niche market and needs high skills specialized content, then you might need an in-house digital marketer.

If not, a digital agency gives you more value for money – more expertise at a lower cost.

What I would recommend is to try to implement a hybrid solution:

Have someone in-house to be the brand champion, to align the marketing strategy with the business strategy and coordinate and assess all marketing efforts including the digital marketing ones.

Have an external agency to bring their broad expertise, fresh eye, and understanding of the latest digital trends to build campaigns that will drive traffic and convert.