Hire In-House Marketing or Outsource? That is the Question for 2025

As we assist organizations in planning their marketing strategies for 2025, we find this question coming up over and over again – should I expand my marketing team in-house this year or hire a fractional marketing team? 

Fractional marketing is a strategic approach where businesses hire marketing professionals on a part-time or project basis, allowing them to access specialized skills without the financial commitment of a full-time hire. 

By outsourcing specific marketing tasks—such as social media management, content creation, or digital advertising—companies can achieve flexibility, cost savings, and scalability in their marketing efforts.

But is fractional marketing for you? We thought it would be handy to outline some of the key benefits and make a cost comparison to help illustrate why fractional marketing might be the better choice for many businesses.

Cost-Effectiveness

Hiring full-time employees involves significant expenses beyond salaries, including benefits, office space, equipment, and training. Fractional marketing allows businesses to pay only for the time and expertise they need, and this can significantly reduce these costs.

For example, companies can save 30% to 50% by using a fractional marketing team instead of hiring full-time marketers. A business with a $100,000 annual marketing budget could save $30,000 to $50,000 by opting for fractional services instead of hiring a full-time marketer.

Flexibility and Scalability

Fractional marketers can scale their involvement up or down based on your business needs. This adaptability ensures that you can adjust your marketing efforts without the long-term commitment that full-time hires bring.

Run a seasonal business? Fractional marketing allows you to easily increase or decrease your marketing activities during peak or slow periods, ensuring efficient use of your resources.

Access to Specialized Expertise

Jester’s fractional marketing team consists of specialists in a wide variety of marketing areas, such as SEO, video production, content marketing, social media, and PPC advertising. This means that every aspect of your organization’s marketing strategy is handled by an expert. There is much less ramp-up time and your fractional team can hit the ground running much more quickly. This speed translates into quicker results and a more agile response to market opportunities.

With more than 20 years of marketing experience across a wide variety of public, private and not-for-profit sectors, working with Jester will provide you with access to senior-level expertise without the financial burden of a full-time hire. This is particularly beneficial if you are a small to medium-sized organization that needs top-tier talent but cannot afford it on a full-time basis.

Strategic Insights and Innovation

Looking for a fresh perspective? Fractional marketers bring diverse insights from working across different industries and markets, helping businesses innovate and stay competitive. This way, you can focus more on core business activities while leveraging strategic insights from seasoned marketers to drive growth.

Comparison – Fractional Marketing vs. In-House Marketing 

What Do Fractional Marketers Help With? 

So, you’re considering hiring a fractional marketing team in 2025. How can we really help? Here are some key activities that fractional marketers like Jester can undertake:

Marketing Strategy Development

We can conduct thorough market research to identify trends, opportunities, and target audiences, then work with you to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy aligned with your business goals and industry landscape. We’ll help you refine or even redesign your brand voice and visual identity to differentiate you from your competitors and find the best ways to truly resonate with your target audiences.

Marketing Campaign Execution

We design and implement content strategies that engage and convert audiences across various online and offline platforms. We can expertly execute your campaigns in areas like SEO, social media, email marketing, and paid advertising, ensuring a cohesive message is delivered across channels. And of course, we will monitor your campaign performance on an ongoing basis through data analysis, adjusting strategies as necessary to maximize your return on investment over time. 

Team Leadership and Collaboration

We have solid leadership and training skills and will work with your existing in-house teams to provide guidance and support to enhance their skills and performance. We collaborate with sales, product development, and finance teams to align marketing strategies with overall business objectives.

Specialized Skills

We have specialized expertise in a number of areas, including data analysis, customer insights, and specific marketing channels (e.g., influencer marketing or PPC) that may not be available in-house. We are also able to provide targeted assistance for specific projects or campaigns without the need for long-term commitments.

Budget Management

As project managers, we can efficiently manage marketing budgets, ensuring optimal use of resources across various initiatives over a few months or a few years. We have the industry experience to identify cost-saving marketing solutions in a variety of areas. 

The Bottom Line

When you work with a fractional marketing team like Jester, you are aligning with experienced marketers who will serve as not only partners but as valuable assets for your business, without the overhead costs associated with full-time hires. Our ability to provide strategic insights, execute campaigns, mentor teams, and offer specialized skills makes Jester an attractive option for companies of all sizes seeking growth and innovation in their marketing strategies.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you level up your marketing efforts in 2025.