Why Freelancers are Better than Digital Marketing Agencies

In the rapidly evolving world of digital marketing, businesses face a pivotal decision: should they hire freelancers or work with a digital marketing agency? On the surface, agencies seem to have an edge, offering full-scale services with large teams and fancy presentations. However, there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that freelancers may actually offer more benefits in terms of cost-efficiency, flexibility, and personalized attention. In this blog post, we’ll explore why freelancers might be a better fit for your business.

Problem - The Challenges of Choosing Between a Freelancer and an Agency

1. Budget Constraints

For many businesses, especially startups and small businesses, budget is one of the biggest concerns. Agencies often have higher costs due to their overhead expenses—office spaces, staff salaries, and high-end software tools. Their pricing packages usually reflect these added costs, which might not align with the tight budgets of smaller businesses. Even mid-sized businesses feel the pinch when working with an agency, as the need for comprehensive services can quickly drive up costs.

On the other hand, freelancers generally operate on a much leaner model. Without the overheads of a full agency, they can offer more competitive pricing. According to a 2023 survey by Upwork, businesses saved an average of 30-50% when hiring freelancers instead of agencies for similar tasks.

2. Lack of Personalized Attention

Many businesses working with digital marketing agencies often feel that they’re just one of many clients. Agencies, even the good ones, juggle multiple accounts and may not have the time to provide tailored, individual attention to every client. This can lead to generic strategies that don’t align with the unique goals or market of a specific business.

Freelancers, by contrast, tend to work with fewer clients at a time, allowing them to offer a more customized approach. They can dive deep into a client’s needs, develop personalized strategies, and adjust quickly based on the client’s changing goals or market dynamics.

3. Lack of Flexibility in Services

Agencies typically have defined service offerings. If your business needs something outside their standard scope of work, you’re often forced into upsells or separate service contracts. This can make it harder to adapt to changes in the digital landscape or tweak campaigns on the fly.

Freelancers, in contrast, tend to be more flexible. Since they work independently, they can tailor their services to your exact needs. If your business needs a sudden shift in strategy, freelancers are often more agile in responding, helping you stay ahead of market changes.

Agitation - The Impact of These Problems on Your Business

how to hire a digital marketing agency

1. Overspending with Minimal ROI

Imagine you’re a small business owner who needs a digital marketing strategy. You approach an agency and sign up for their standard package—$10,000 for a 3-month campaign. Fast forward, and you find yourself with mediocre results. Maybe the agency used generic templates or didn’t take the time to truly understand your audience. Worse, since their services are non-negotiable, you paid for elements you didn’t need, like video production, SEO audits, or press releases.

A 2019 Clutch study revealed that 37% of small businesses felt their digital marketing agency overcharged for services that didn’t significantly impact their business. This can be frustrating, especially for companies operating on tight budgets. It leaves a bitter aftertaste when you’re forced to spend more with little to show for it.

2. Falling Through the Cracks

Agencies often have several teams working simultaneously—social media managers, content creators, SEO experts, and account managers. While this structure works for large projects, it can result in miscommunication, confusion, and fragmented campaigns.

In fact, 40% of businesses surveyed by HubSpot cited communication breakdowns as their top frustration when working with agencies. Projects get delayed, and you find yourself constantly emailing the agency for updates. Worse, when things go wrong, it’s not always clear who’s accountable. This disconnect can cause your campaigns to fall flat, leading to missed opportunities for growth and revenue.

Freelancers, on the other hand, are personally responsible for their work. Since they manage their own schedules, communication tends to be more direct and immediate. They often work as an extension of your team, giving you more transparency into the progress of your project.

3. Rigid Contracts That Don’t Reflect Changing Needs

Digital marketing evolves rapidly, and your business needs to adapt just as quickly. Agencies often require long-term contracts—6 months or even a year. If market conditions change, you’re stuck in a rigid contract that might not suit your new objectives. For example, you might have started a Google Ads campaign, but then decided that Instagram marketing would be more effective. However, the agency insists on sticking to the original strategy unless you sign a new contract or pay additional fees.

Freelancers, in contrast, offer more flexibility. Their contracts are often shorter-term, allowing you to pivot quickly if you need to change direction. This agility is crucial in a world where digital marketing trends change quickly. For instance, a 2021 Forbes study found that businesses working with freelancers were 45% more likely to adjust their marketing strategies on the go, leading to better long-term results.

Solution - Why Freelancers Are the Better Option

agency vs freelance

1. Cost-Efficiency without Compromising Quality

When it comes to cost, freelancers almost always come out ahead. A freelancer doesn’t have the overhead that a digital marketing agency does. They don’t need to rent expensive office spaces or hire a large team to manage multiple clients. Instead, they offer a more direct, personalized service that focuses on your exact needs.

One example that highlights the cost-efficiency of freelancers comes from Buffer, a social media scheduling tool. When Buffer first started, they hired freelancers to help with content creation and marketing. This decision saved them significant upfront costs, allowing them to build a strong foundation without compromising the quality of their marketing campaigns. Today, Buffer is a multi-million-dollar company, and the decision to work with freelancers played a key role in its growth phase.

2. Customized Strategies That Actually Work

Freelancers offer something that many agencies cannot: a truly personalized approach. Since freelancers often have fewer clients, they can invest the time to understand your business inside and out. They can dig into your brand’s identity, your audience’s behavior, and your market’s trends to craft a strategy that’s truly tailored to you.

For instance, a small eCommerce store in the fashion industry might need an influencer-driven social media strategy. A freelancer specializing in influencer marketing can dive deep into your brand and find influencers that align perfectly with your image. Compare this to a digital marketing agency, where you might get a cookie-cutter approach that involves broad social media ads and generic campaigns.

An example of this is Morning Brew, a successful newsletter for millennial professionals. In the early days, Morning Brew worked with freelancers to build a highly-targeted referral program that turned their readers into ambassadors. The personal attention from freelancers helped Morning Brew grow rapidly, without needing to invest in an expensive agency.

3. More Accountability and Direct Communication

Freelancers are highly accountable because they are their own business. If they don’t perform well, they risk losing you as a client and damaging their reputation in the market. This makes them more dedicated to your project’s success.

A case in point is Tim Soulo, the CMO of Ahrefs, who frequently hires freelancers for content marketing and SEO tasks. Tim cites direct communication and immediate accountability as reasons why he prefers freelancers over agencies. “When I hire a freelancer, I know exactly who’s working on my project, and I can communicate with them directly. With agencies, it’s easy for messages to get lost or for issues to be handed off to multiple people,” he says.

Freelancers also provide more transparency, giving you direct insight into how your campaigns are progressing. They aren’t hidden behind layers of middle management or bureaucracy. You can speak to them anytime, make adjustments, and see real-time progress.

4. Flexibility to Adjust to Market Trends

One of the biggest advantages of freelancers is their ability to adapt to changing market conditions. Digital marketing is never static—what worked six months ago might not work today. Freelancers offer you the flexibility to quickly change strategies as needed without the hassle of negotiating with an agency or revising a long-term contract.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses had to shift their digital marketing strategies quickly. Freelancers helped these companies adjust by offering flexible and immediate services. According to a 2020 McKinsey report, businesses that worked with freelancers were able to pivot their marketing strategies faster than those locked into long-term agency contracts.

5. Niche Expertise and Specialization

Freelancers tend to be experts in specific areas. Whether it’s SEO, PPC, content marketing, or social media, you can find a freelancer who specializes in exactly what you need. This contrasts with agencies that offer broader services, sometimes sacrificing depth for breadth.

An example of this can be seen with Neil Patel Digital, a well-known digital marketing agency. Neil Patel himself often talks about how hiring specialized freelancers for certain tasks, like content creation and backlink outreach, was a more effective approach for smaller companies. Patel argues that while agencies can offer a wide range of services, a specialized freelancer can dive deep into one area and get better results. Hire Me Today Or WhatsApp Me