There is a way to build in-house marketing capability without losing brand momentum – and yes, that’s coming from the founder of a marketing agency.
Wait, what? An agency advocating for internal teams?
You read it right. I understand the value of an in-house marketing team. As a business owner, I also know how important it is to get value for money – especially now.
So keep reading. Because building internal capability without stalling brand momentum can be a wild ride.
What’s the real reason businesses want to bring their marketing resource in-house? In my experience, it’s to gain the perceived control of their marketing initiatives and have the resource at their fingertips to activate brand marketing activities quickly.
And yes, there’s also the elephant in the room. Hiring an in-house marketing resource and building up an internal brand marketing team is more cost-effective for your business’s bottom line in the long run. Or is it? Any agency worth its salt knows the value of becoming a seamless part of its client’s team, creating a meaningful long-term partnership.
Ready to bring marketing in-house? If it’s right for your business, it’s an exciting time in the growth of your operations, but let’s take a quick reality check. Leadership teams often underestimate how much structure and clarity are needed for the shift to work. Building internal capability takes time, and your brand can’t afford to wait. You still need to ensure your brand shows up, performs, and gets results.
When growth creates room to expand your marketing resource, bringing it in-house is often the go-to move. But it doesn’t always go smoothly. Common pitfalls include unclear ownership, clashing expectations, siloed skill sets, and pressure to “do it all” before the basics are even in place. These are the traps that stall internal teams.
Hybrid models, where your internal resource is given experienced support and mentoring in an external capacity, are a great way to avoid the traps when building your team.
To build a successful internal marketing team, start small and take it step by step.
Internal marketing teams succeed not because they’re internal, but because they’re well-led, well-supported, and have permission to stay focused. That starts at the top.
As marketing leaders, we need to back ourselves, but be realistic about what good capability building looks like. It’s about clarity, rhythm and accountability. Start slow, implement the structure, and never expand at the expense of your brand.