The Smart Brand’s Guide: When to Hire In-House vs. When to outsource

“Should we hire a marketing team member?” “Or would it be smarter to bring in a social media marketing agency?”

This is the question almost every brand owner, CEO, and marketing director has to face. Some try to save costs and end up spread too thin, others spend heavily on outsourcing yet still feel unsatisfied. The real problem isn’t what you did, it’s making the wrong choice at the wrong stage.

So, how can your brand stay both professional and efficient on social media? Today, let’s break down the pros and cons of each option, and uncover which approach truly fits your stage of growth.

For Small Teams in Survival Mode: Agency First

If your annual revenue is under RMB 10M and your team has fewer than 20 people, your biggest challenges are:

Limited budget, limited team capacity and the need to quickly validate market response.

A social media marketing agency comes with built-in execution power. Once you align on needs, they can handle the full process, from ideation and copywriting to visuals, ad campaigns, data analysis, and community management. This means shorter ramp-up times and lower trial-and-error costs.

By contrast, hiring in-house often requires long training cycles and, if the timing is off, you risk missing market opportunities. And when resources are limited, one person often wears too many hats, leading to burnout and inefficiency.

How to break through survival mode?

If your yearly marketing budget is under RMB 500K, start with an agency.

Focus on rapid growth, product-market fit, and ROI validation.

Once the business stabilizes, bring in key in-house hires to build long-term brand equity.

For Larger Companies in Growth Mode: Control Matters

When your team grows beyond 50 people and revenue is steady, marketing becomes less about survival and more about brand equity, customer experience, and long-term strategy.

That’s where in-house teams shine:

• Brand Immersion: Full-time staff live and breathe your product, culture, and customer profiles—avoiding the “slightly off” tone that agencies sometimes struggle with.

• Data Ownership: All user insights, ad performance, and market learnings stay within your company, building a foundation for future decisions.

• Faster Response: From major campaigns to crisis comms, an internal team can react immediately.

  
  

💡Best practice:

• Build a 5–20 person core marketing team (content, ads, data, design).

• Use external agencies for high-impact projects (viral campaigns, short-form video, or overseas localization).

Keep key data, brand assets, and customer insights in-house.

The Smart Balance: Why Not Both?

Many successful brands don’t choose either-or. Instead, they combine the strengths of both:

• In-house team: strategy, brand building, everyday content, long-term campaigns.

• Agency: fresh creative ideas, short-term breakthroughs, specialized projects.

  
  

Quick Self-Test: Which Fits Your Brand?

Ask yourself:

1. Is your need short-term or long-term? Short-term projects → Outsource.

2. Is your budget limited or abundant? Limited budget → Outsource for bundled expertise.

3. Do you need a mix of skills or just one? If you want copywriting, design, ads, AND analytics all at once → outsource. 😉

4. Does your branded voice need deep, nuanced control? If yes, build in-house team.

5. Are you willing to invest 3–6 month training for a new hire? If not, outsource.

Is your brand agile enough to keep up?

Smart brand leaders know: different stages call for different strategies. Outsourcing helps you scale quickly and capture attention, while in-house teams preserve brand value for the long run.

At Savor Multimedia, we’ve partnered with 60+ brands to successfully grow their presence in the Chinese market.

👉 Now, it’s your turn to take the next step. Leave a comment on below with your contact, Book a 30-minute free consultation session with us!