Choosing between in-house, agency, or a hybrid approach isn’t about control — it’s about capability, scale, and risk. This guide helps small businesses decide which model fits their growth stage and internal capacity.
Quick take
- In-house works when you have time, expertise, and buying leverage — and you’re mostly running straightforward digital.
- Outsourcing helps when you’re adding TV, radio, outdoor, BVOD or publishing, or when you need a commercially clear plan with real buying/coordination.
- The best choice is often hybrid: keep ownership in-house, outsource planning/buying/QA/reporting where specialist capability and market access matter.
What ‘in-house’ actually means
In-house can mean: one marketer managing suppliers, or a small team running planning, buying, reporting and optimisation internally.
The risk isn’t ‘in-house vs agency’. It’s doing specialist work without the time, data, or buying access to do it well.
When in-house makes sense
- You’re mostly running a small number of channels with clear levers (e.g., search + paid social).
- You have strong internal marketing capability and a clear measurement setup.
- You can respond quickly (landing pages, offers, creative tweaks) without waiting on external teams.
- Your spend level doesn’t require complex negotiations or multi-market / channel coordination.
When to outsource media planning and buying
- You’re expanding into mass media (TV, radio, outdoor, BVOD, publishing) and need correct weighting and market selection.
- You want to receive better media rates and value.
- You need coordination across multiple publishers and deadlines (specs, dispatch, confirmations, QA).
- You want commercial clarity (media spend vs services) and protection from scope creep and hidden fees.
- You need reporting that answers: what happened, what we learned, what we’re doing next — not just dashboards.
A simple decision checklist
- Do we know our trading areas and priority markets?
- Can we define minimum viable weight for the channels we’re considering?
- Do we have capacity to manage specs, dispatch, and QA across suppliers?
- Can we measure uplift (not just last-click)?
- Can we compare proposals with a clean cost breakdown (media vs services vs other)?
How to outsource without losing control
- Keep ownership of strategy decisions internally (goal, markets, message).
- Ask for plain-English scopes and included/excluded lists.
- Ensure you have access to data and learnings; document what’s working month to month.
- Use a consistent review cadence and a small set of KPIs tied to the campaign job.
Recommended Further Reading
What Does a Media Buying Agency Do? A Plain-English Guide for Small Business
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Media Buying Agency (Small Business Checklist)
Agency Management Fees vs Media Spend: What You’re Really Paying For
FAQS
Do agencies make sense for small budgets?
They can, if the scope is clear and the plan is built for frequency rather than being spread too thin.
Should we outsource everything?
Not necessarily — many small businesses win with a hybrid model where the business owns the story and the agency executes specialist buying/coordination.
If you want to decide between in-house, agency, or hybrid — based on your growth goals and capacity — get in touch, our team are here to help. Get in Touch