{"id":1637,"date":"2022-12-18T16:26:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-18T16:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblocksagency.com\/?p=1637"},"modified":"2022-12-21T00:09:54","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T00:09:54","slug":"in-house-marketing-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblocksagency.com\/in-house-marketing-team\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build an In-House Marketing Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In regards to marketing, many business owners have been their own in-house marketing team and because of necessity, they had to figure out how to run it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’ve been online for years, read a few books, and even hired a marketing firm in the past. But for some reason, their marketing isn’t working as well as it should. They’re not getting the results they want and aren\u2019t sure why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, running your marketing in-house is very different from hiring a marketing firm, or being a marketing-based solopreneur. It requires a different skill set, and it’s crucial to have the right team in place to make it work productively and efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we will teach you how to build your marketing team, sort their roles, efficiently assign work, manage staff productivity, and set your employees up for success. We will also walk you through the specific pieces of your marketing to have your team focus on and why each matters to your overall strategy and vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of In-House Marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are many benefits to having an in-house marketing team. An in-house team allows for more creativity, as they are familiar with the company’s product, philosophy, and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-house teams focus 100% on your business, whereas agencies often have multiple clients. In-house marketing can be more cost-effective than hiring an agency and is a great asset to any company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s explore a few benefits of having an in-house marketing team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-House Marketing Allows for Flexible Creativity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, in-house marketing teams allow for more creativity because they’re familiar with the company, brand, and mission. In addition, they work closely with other teams or departments in the company to create a holistic marketing strategy that includes all aspects of the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A company’s employees likely have more detailed knowledge of their products and culture than an agency can provide. It often leads to more effective campaigns that resonate with customers on a deeper level. In-house employees have in-depth knowledge of what’s worked well in the past and can apply that experience and data to future campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, in-house teams focus 100% on your business! Agencies have multiple clients, so it’s hard for them to focus on your marketing only. It can lead to them being spread too thin and not being able to give your business the attention it deserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, an in-house employee provides focused attention solely to your brand. They can help create more seamless and coherent content because they have a firsthand understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

POTENTIAL DANGER<\/strong>: Be careful to hire creative employees if you want creative flexibility. A marketing agency will naturally have creative individuals on their team \u2014 if you want that creativity in-house, you\u2019ll need to make sure you hire for it. Don\u2019t hire a someone to execute marketing tasks with an expectation they will be creative thinkers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-House Marketing is More Cost-Effective (Usually)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In-house marketing can be more cost-effective! If you have highly capable individuals on your in-house marketing team, you might eliminate the expense of an agency without sacrificing the results you\u2019ve come to expect. With strong internal processes and an emphasis on training, you can use internal teams to build up your marketing performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It empowers you to scale up your team and scale down your team as needed, leaning on the processes you use rather than the people you hire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you have a high sales volume during the holiday season, you may need to hire more people for your in-house team. When things slow down, you may decide to scale back on some of those employees and have them work on other projects or tasks within the company until they’re needed again in October or November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A clear marketing playbook with quality training materials allows you to do this as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agency relationships can work well for short or long-term periods \u2014 but there eventually comes a time when you will need to change and evolve as a company; the contracts and services with that agency may not evolve with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With an in-house team, you can change at any time. All you need is strong internal marketing leadership. Hiring a qualified agency is not always the expensive option \u2013 the benefit of the agency is you typically get highly specialized skills which usually translates into strong results produced quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An agency makes sense for many companies that cannot afford to hire highly specialized individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

POTENTIAL DANGER<\/strong>: The cost effectiveness of in-house marketing comes when you can hire lower salaried individuals to perform high capacity tasks. This means you will need strong marketing management skills from whoever is in charge. They must possess the ability to cast vision, create structure, and motivate workers. If you do not have the structure and leadership, it could be more cost-effective to hire an agency who can perform the needed functions at a higher cost than a single employee but at a lower rate than a collection of employees without leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-House Teams Aid in Client Retention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In-house teams help build long-term relationships with clients. If you work directly with another company, it’s harder for them to drop you if something goes wrong or they feel like the relationship isn’t working well for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-house marketers can reach out to customers in a personal way that is often lost when working with an agency. If a customer has a question about your product or service, they can directly reach out to you through social media or email. It provides an opportunity to build relationships with your target audience and helps them become advocates for your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, in-house teams have the potential to build strong relationships internally and externally. This isn\u2019t a given, but it is more likely to happen with an internal team.POTENTIAL DANGER<\/strong>: Be clear on how you anticipate your marketing staff interacting with customers. If your marketing staff will be customer facing, you want them to be strong communicators and empathetic. If your marketing staff will not be interacting with customers, you may be able to focus more on the tactical skills of marketing, rather than the emotional side of customer support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Efficiency Is Increased When Working In-House<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In-house marketing is more efficient! With an in-house team, you can work directly with your employees to develop the most effective strategies and tactics. It also means you don\u2019t have to wait on feedback from an agency before making decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-house teams are better at implementing real-time changes and adjustments. You know what works well for your company, so you can quickly change your strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A well-run in-house marketing team can be a huge asset to any business. They can help to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to marketing, a company\u2019s success is dependent on how well it can promote itself. The best way to achieve this is by hiring an in-house team of marketers who can execute all aspects of a campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

POTENTIAL DANGER<\/strong>: In-house staff can become more relaxed over time and not maintain the same sense of urgency an agency might have. The potential for increased efficiency is there, but you must have great systems and strong leadership to make sure there is always work to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Are Investing In Your Team, Not Someone Else\u2019s Team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you decide to hire marketing help \u2014 whether that be marketing strategies, administrators, or marketing specialists \u2014 you are investing in your team and your business. Any training you put your team through benefits your company directly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate goal is not to build your team, it is to fulfill your mission and remain profitable. If you\u2019re prepared to invest the resources in your team, you can begin to build a marketing team you can influence and control in a way that may be preferable to working with an agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are plenty of agency relationships that will work in the short and long term. When you find an agency that goes the extra mile, performs on time, delivers results, and works well with your team, don\u2019t let them go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what we call a 2-way agency relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when you\u2019re in a 1-way agency relationship, the money that you spend with that agency is ultimately investing in their team and resources and not your own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

POTENTIAL DANGER<\/strong>: If you hope to retain your team, you\u2019ll need to make investments in them. With an agency, you pay a rate for specific services and it\u2019s on the agency to hire, manage, and retain talent. When you hire in-house, it will be your responsibility to do those same things. Be prepared to invest in the individuals because that\u2019s what it will take to realize the full potential of the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Different Areas of Marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Marketing is all about creating awareness for your product or service. You need to make sure your target market knows your product exists and it\u2019s the best option for their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to build a strong team, you\u2019ll need to focus on several main areas of your marketing plan in order to hire a staff with enough bandwidth to execute your clearly defined marketing initiatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the essential pieces of a strong marketing strategy and successful marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Proven Product and Passionate Industry Knowledge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most important thing you can do for your business marketing is to have a proven product you know can make money. If you were asked the question, \u201cWhat can I give you money for right now?\u201d you must have a clear and definitive answer \u2014 as well as a specific number. This clarity not only makes it apparent to the customer what you do and how much it costs, but it also makes it clear to your team what they are meant to promote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second most important thing is to have a strong knowledge about your industry. Your knowledge is the main fuel for developing your product offerings and then deriving marketing campaigns that are relevant to the professionals in your industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cYou have a proven product you can market with confidence knowing it will sell \u2014 because it already has. You\u2019re passionate about your industry which means you know how your product can help. Of course, you must have knowledge as well.\u201d<\/p>\nDave Shrein, Founder of The Blocks Agency<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The more your team knows about your product and industry, the more effective they will be at crafting individual marketing campaigns to promote the products and services you offer. If they know how the product works, what it does, how it helps people, why it’s the best solution to a problem or need, and why it’s better than all other options available in the marketplace, they can talk about it with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they don’t know anything about these things (or worse only know what they’ve heard from others), they won’t be able to sell anything effectively. They don’t believe in what they’re selling enough to think anyone else would buy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why it\u2019s important that you also have passion for your industry. Someone may have all the knowledge in the world but without passion it will be hard to convey that knowledge. Passion for the work and the people impacted means that it won\u2019t be hard to start talking about the benefits of the product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more you talk, the more your team can brainstorm what to create for your marketing content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your marketing team will be your content creators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may not see your team as \u2018creators\u2019 like the people you see on YouTube, but you should. Moreover, they must be equipped to create content like influencers do to adequately capture attention and educate potential customers. It\u2019s up to you to hire the right people and make sure they have strong leadership to sell your product with knowledge and passion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly Defined Branding and Aesthetics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Successful marketing delivers a consistent message about your company and its products or services. It’s about creating an experience for customers that makes them want to buy from you again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear visual branding is important for successful marketing. Pick a color scheme, a logo, and a visual overview of your brand and products, and stick with them! If you constantly change your look<\/em>, customers will get confused and can even begin doubting your legitimacy as a brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your aesthetics make a big difference in how your company and product are thought of. If you have a clear sense of what your visual brand should look like, it will then be easier to communicate that visual identity in everything you do: website design, social media posts, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t have a designer on staff or don’t feel confident doing it yourself, hire someone who can do the job well — especially if it’s an area where you struggle to execute.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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