If you’ve made the decision to hire an in-house marketing employee alongside your marketing agency, let’s make the most of that shared relationship! There can be definite challenges to overcome when hiring separate parties that work towards one cause, but as long as there are open lines of communication, a clear definition of power, and a true willingness to work together, the two can work in great harmony! Here’s how to set your teams up for success:

What to Avoid:

• Unknown decision-maker – If the shop’s point-of-contact with the marketing agency fluctuates, or if it’s unclear who holds the power to make decisions or approvals (the shop owner vs the marketing employee), the agency can really struggle to move forward. Sometimes the agency even becomes the “go-between” for the shop owner and employee!
• Marketing employee overrides – If the marketing employee becomes the key or sole decision-maker, they may start to override recommendations or directions from the marketing agency. While the employee represents the shop’s decisions, it can significantly hinder the success of marketing campaigns if the agency’s input is overridden or ignored.
• Efforts overlap or clash – If the employee and the agency are working on conflicting items, it can significantly derail both parties’ efforts! There is a huge need for open communication to prevent any overlap that might affect progress of overall marketing campaigns. (For example, never have both sides running pay-per-click ads at one time!)

What to Target:

• Marketing agency leads the charge – Because of the huge depth and breadth of knowledge that agencies have, they should be leading the way on all of your marketing efforts! You wouldn’t climb Mount Everest without a guide, and you wouldn’t run marketing campaigns without clear and intelligent direction.
• Clear and open communication – Think of the agency like traffic police at a busy intersection – they have to coordinate everyone’s efforts to ensure a seamless flow of vehicles without causing accidents. This is why communication between the shop owner, marketing employee, and all agency teams is imperative to your success.
• Employee amplifies Agency efforts – When it comes down to the work that needs to be done, the biggest benefit an employee adds is being able to join in accomplishing tasks that the agency sets forth. Perfect examples include working on Google My Business and Social Media page management, shifting shop efforts towards more online reviews to help SEO, etc. Creating engaging in-house social media is also an outstanding amplification of agency work to boost your traffic!

No matter what goals your shop has for growth, there’s no doubt that marketing can help you achieve them. There is a huge opportunity in having someone on the inside and outside of your shop because both perspectives are extremely valuable! Take these notes into consideration as you work towards a great working relationship with your marketing teams.