Agency or in-house employee for social media: which should you choose?

An in-house employee makes sense when social media requires a daily presence within your company and you have enough ongoing work, budget and support for the role. An agency is suitable when you need a range of skills and a clearly defined external team. A hybrid model suits businesses that want to keep business knowledge and coordination in-house while assigning strategy, production or advertising to specialists. Base your decision on the actual tasks, required availability and total cost, including the time you will spend managing the work.

Define the work first, then decide who will do it

“Social media management” can include planning, writing, photography, filming, editing, publishing, responding to users, advertising and analysis. Before hiring or requesting a proposal, list which of these you need.

For each task, record its frequency, the expertise required and whether it needs to be done on-site. Add who will provide information and approve materials.

This list will help you determine whether you have enough work for an ongoing in-house role, need occasional specialist support or require a combination. It is equally important to assess whether someone can set priorities and monitor the quality of the work.

When does hiring an in-house social media employee make sense?

An in-house employee can be a good choice when content depends on daily activities, products, employees and a quick exchange of information within the company.

The advantage is proximity to the business. The person can follow customer questions, speak with sales and spot content opportunities throughout the working day. That understanding still needs to be developed through onboarding, access to information and clear goals.

Hiring makes more sense when there is a steady workload and an opportunity for professional development. Expecting one person to handle strategy, design, video, advertising and customer support equally well is unrealistic without appropriate support.

Define the primary role before hiring. Are you looking for someone to handle content and communication or a campaign specialist? Plan support for the remaining tasks.

When is an agency a better fit?

An agency may suit a business that needs several areas of expertise but does not need or cannot develop each one internally. This may involve bringing together content planning, design, production, advertising and reporting.

The benefit depends on the specific team and agreed scope. Check who will work on the project, what is included, how available the team will be and how cover is arranged. The label “agency” alone does not guarantee a broad skill set or continuity.

An external team also needs to understand your business. You will need to provide information, access and feedback. Working with an agency therefore still requires your involvement and oversight.

If you are considering this model, the overview of Social Wizard’s social media marketing services can help you define the services you need.

When should you combine an in-house employee and an agency?

A hybrid model divides responsibilities between an internal employee and an external team according to their roles and capacity.

The internal employee can gather information, coordinate approvals and connect marketing with sales. The agency can take responsibility for strategy, content development, more complex production or advertising management.

This model makes sense when you already have someone who understands the business but lacks the time or skills to handle every task. It can also suit a company gradually building its in-house marketing function.

The main requirement is a clear division of work. If both sides expect the other to prepare copy, check information or respond to a user, gaps appear. Assign one responsible person and a deadline to each task.

Comparing the models across key criteria

Criterion	In-house employee	Agency	Hybrid model
Availability	Within working hours and other responsibilities; can be present on-site.	According to the agreed scope, communication channels and deadlines.	Internal presence with agreed external support.
Business knowledge	Develops through daily work and access to colleagues.	Requires initial onboarding and a regular flow of information.	The internal employee provides business context to the external team.
Range of skills	Depends on the person’s experience and the support they receive.	Depends on the specialists actually involved in the project.	Expertise is shared between the internal employee and the agency.
Production	Depends on the employee’s skills, equipment and time.	May include a production team or a separately commissioned service.	Simpler materials are created internally; more complex work is assigned as agreed.
Continuity	Cover is needed during absences or after departure.	Check cover arrangements and work documentation.	Both sides of the process need to be documented.
Management	Requires onboarding, priorities, feedback and professional development.	Requires a clear brief, coordination and monitoring of agreed work.	Requires someone to manage the shared plan.

How do you turn the table into a decision?

Identify the criteria essential to getting the work done. If daily on-site filming is crucial, assess the need for an internal presence. If you need several specialist tasks, explore external support.

Do not simply count advantages without considering their importance to your business. The model should meet your essential needs and be feasible within your budget.

How should you compare total costs?

Comparing a salary with an agency fee is not enough because they may cover different work.

For an in-house employee, account for the total employment cost, recruitment and onboarding, tools, equipment, training and the manager’s time. Add any external production or specialist support you will still need.

For an agency, check the fee, separately charged production, advertising management, additional tasks and internal coordination time. Show ad spend separately in every model.

With a hybrid approach, check whether you are paying twice for the same activities or leaving any tasks uncovered. For example, copywriting may be included in the agency’s proposal while the internal employee is responsible for supplying technical information.

If you need occasional shoots, consider separate photography and video production services rather than expanding the entire role or monthly package.

Three hypothetical business scenarios

The following examples help illustrate how to assess different working models. They are not Social Wizard projects or results.

1. A local shop with frequent new arrivals

The shop receives products daily, and creating content requires a presence in the store. There are enough ongoing tasks for someone to prepare simple materials and respond to customers.

Possible choice: an in-house employee, with occasional external support for campaigns or more demanding shoots. Before hiring, the company should check whether it can provide management and cover during absences.

2. A small manufacturing company without a marketing team

The company needs content, design, video and campaigns but does not have enough work for several in-house specialists. The director can provide information and approvals.

Possible choice: an agency with a clearly defined scope. Effective delivery will also depend on the availability of knowledgeable contacts within the company.

3. A growing company with a marketing coordinator

The coordinator understands the offering and sales process, but preparing content and campaigns takes time away from other priorities.

Possible choice: a hybrid model. The coordinator manages information and approvals while the agency handles agreed specialist tasks. The calendar, deadlines and responsibility for results need to be aligned.

Which mistakes should you avoid?

A common mistake is hiring someone without a clear role or engaging an agency without an internal point of contact. Both situations lack proper management.

Avoid expecting constant availability without agreed cover. Document account access, materials, decisions and procedures so the work does not depend on one person.

Before changing the model, identify the cause of the problem. If approvals are delayed or goals keep changing, a new provider alone will not fix the process.

Additional questions

Does the in-house employee need to work full-time?

Not necessarily. Adapt the scope of the role to the actual tasks and required availability. If the person has other responsibilities, clearly define how much time is allocated to social media.

Can we hire an agency just for strategy?

You can request a standalone project. Agree that the deliverables will include guidance your team can implement and a process for transferring knowledge.

Who should approve content?

Appoint one person to gather internal feedback and give final approval. Complete any specialist checks before that stage.

When should we reconsider the chosen model?

When the scope of work, channels, markets or available people change. Also check whether coordination is taking more time than planned.

If you are considering an agency or hybrid approach, prepare a list of tasks, your internal capacity and the availability you expect. This will give you a basis for discussing with Social Wizard which activities make sense to assign to an external team.