Table of Contents
[toc headings="h2" title="Table of Contents"] It’s hard to overstate the importance of digital marketing for businesses. The Gartner Future of Sales 2025 report indicates that 80% of B2B interactions now take place on digital channels, making a strong digital marketing strategy as critical for attracting buyers and clients as it is for B2C brands engaging with customers. This new digital-first landscape has many business leaders ramping up their digital marketing recruitment. Just because marketing is important, though, that doesn’t always mean that hiring full-time employees is the best choice. Particularly for small businesses, the question of whether to hire freelance or in-house marketers can be challenging to answer. Choosing the right path comes down to assessing your current team, resources, and long-term plans.
What is the difference between using in-house or freelance digital marketing talent?
The first step to choosing between a freelance vs. in-house digital marketer is to understand what defines each type of worker. An in-house digital marketer is someone who is employed by your company, typically on a full-time basis. Typically, employees are hired under an open-ended agreement with no predetermined end date. They agree to work a specified number of hours per week for the employer, often with a designated schedule or mandated work location, in exchange for compensation that typically includes a benefits package as well as a salary or hourly rate. Freelancers also often sign a contract with their clients, but on a short-term or per-project basis rather than an ongoing agreement, with compensation agreed upon at the start of each assignment. While many freelancers do work with the same client for multiple projects, they are under no obligation to continue providing work after their project contract terms have been met. They also frequently work with multiple clients at the same time, and have full autonomy over when and where they work. From a business owner’s standpoint, there are a few key practical differences between an in-house marketing team vs. freelancer marketers. Let’s take a closer look at the top three: how they’re paid, how much control the business has over them, and how they fit into the company culture.
Cost comparison: Freelance vs. in-house marketing
One major difference between employees and freelancers is how they’re compensated. With an employee, the business doesn’t only pay their salary or hourly rate. The business also automatically withholds their income taxes and pays for things like unemployment tax and social security tax on their behalf. In addition, employers are required to provide Workers’ Compensation insurance and in some states are legally mandated to also offer health insurance coverage. They may also provide additional benefits like retirement plans or paid vacation time, which are considered part of the employee’s total compensation. The compensation for freelancers is much simpler. Freelancers handle their own taxes, for one thing. They also typically do not receive benefits on top of their pay, and in most cases are not required to be covered by a Workers’ Compensation policy. While a freelancer will often charge more per hour than a full-time employee in base pay, this often balances out against the additional compensation that employees receive and the other things employers pay for on their behalf. The initial costs of hiring a freelancer are often lower, as well. Usually, the search for a freelancer will be shorter and doesn’t require the kind of advertising or outreach that is often involved in marketing recruitment. The interview process also tends to be more streamlined, focused entirely on skills and experience without as much need for behavioral interviews to identify cultural fit. Freelancers can also start their projects as soon as they receive their contract, without the need for extensive onboarding and training that an employee typically receives, another factor making them more cost-effective.
Degree of autonomy
While some employees have more flexibility than others, the last few years have taught us these aren’t guaranteed. Unless that flexibility is written into the employment contract, the employer is legally granted control over where and when an employee works. Employers can also dictate which tasks an employee takes on, the tools or processes they use to complete them, and how they allocate the time during their work day. The opposite is true with freelancers. Legally, a business that hires freelancers cannot dictate where, when, or how they work. In fact, if it is shown that an organization limited the autonomy of freelancers or contractors, they can face hefty fines for misclassifying these workers who should have been considered employees. A freelancer may agree to work in a designated space or at specified times, but that decision-making authority is in the freelancer’s hands. The employer pays for the results, and it is up to the freelancer how they arrive there.
Loyalty and culture
Most digital marketing employees only work for a single company at a time. While some may freelance on the side or work two jobs, these situations tend to be the exception. The opposite is true for freelancers. The majority of freelancers work with multiple clients at any given time, devoting a portion of their weekly work hours to each one. The length of the relationship between a freelancer and their clients also varies significantly more than the typical employer-employee relationship. Some freelancers do have long-term clients that they work with under an open-ended agreement. In other cases, though, they may only work with a given company for the length of a single campaign or project. When that project is complete, a new contract will need to be signed if the company wants to keep working with that freelancer, and the freelancer has full authority to either accept or refuse the offer. Technically, in any state with at-will employment, an employee can choose to leave a company (or a company can terminate an employee) at any time, as well. The difference comes down to intent. In most cases, employees are hired with the intent of an open-ended, long-term relationship. While there are situations where a freelancer has a long-term relationship with a company, and gets to know their culture, mission, and identity over the course of that work, this is not expected in most freelancer relationships the same way that it is with an employee. Employers also have more rights to demand loyalty from their employees than they do from freelancers. Documents like noncompete agreements are much more common for employees, and are often not enforceable to the same extent with freelance talent, even if a business does ask for them to sign one.
Advantages of freelance digital marketing talent
There are several benefits of hiring a freelance digital marketer. They’re often more cost-effective, for one thing. Since they typically work on a project basis or at an hourly rate, it’s easier to control your marketing talent budget. They also typically cost less overall than in-house talent since they don’t receive benefits like health insurance coverage or PTO. The flexibility of freelance talent can be another advantage. You can bring freelance marketers onto the team for a specific campaign and not worry about whether there will be enough work for them in the future. You can also gain the benefits of marketing professionals with high-level, specialized expertise that you don’t need all the time, without needing to commit internal resources to training marketing team members in those skills. Diverse skill sets aren’t the only way freelancers can enhance your marketing strategies. They also bring a fresh voice and an outside perspective. Freelancers often work with various businesses across multiple industries, giving them a sense for what works well to attract different types of customers. By bringing insights from other sectors to your team, you can often develop more innovative and effective campaigns with a freelancer’s help.
Advantages of an in-house digital marketer
The most significant advantage of in-house digital marketing vs. freelance talent is that an in-house team is fully integrated into your organization. They’re steeped in the culture and values, understanding your day-to-day operations and the needs of your customers better than a freelancer. This enables them to develop and maintain a more consistent brand voice, as well as to align marketing strategies more closely with your company goals and the expectations of your audience. That team integration also makes hiring a digital marketer in-house better for collaboration. Often, an in-house team will work directly with other departments like product development or sales. Since they only work for you, they are more accessible for meetings or brainstorming sessions, making it easier to align marketing with other functions in the business. The accessibility of in-house marketers makes them more responsive overall than freelancers. They’re better able to accommodate urgent marketing needs or last-minute adjustments to campaigns, and can usually deliver content, reports, or other deliverables on a tighter turnaround. Along with this, you have more direct oversight, able to see their work in progress and make quick adjustments as needed.
Key factors to consider when choosing between freelance and in-house talent
As you saw in the previous section, there are advantages to both in-house and freelance marketing teams. This begs the question of how to choose between a freelance and in-house digital marketer for your business. Here are some of the key factors that are likely to influence your decision.
Business size
Freelancers are often the best option for small businesses, allowing them to make the most of limited resources or marketing budgets. There’s also the simple fact that a small business may not have a need for a full-time marketing employee, particularly one with niche skills that command a higher salary. Making use of freelancers gives small businesses access to high-level expertise that they otherwise may not be able to afford or justify. The collaboration and consistency of an in-house marketer can be an advantage for medium-sized businesses. While they can still benefit from the flexibility and specialized expertise of freelancers, an in-house marketer’s understanding of the company brand can be a definite asset. Large businesses frequently employ in-house teams that include marketing professionals with various specializations. While some large businesses may still make use of freelance talent, this will typically be as a supplement to their existing in-house team when they have a campaign or project that requires specific expertise like advanced analytics or influencer marketing.
Budget
For companies that have a small marketing budget, freelancers are often the best way to make the most of it. A freelancer can be hired for specific tasks or campaigns as needed, allowing the company more control over their marketing spend. When the company has a larger marketing budget, investing in an in-house employee is often a smart move. This provides the brand with a consistent approach to content creation and messaging, allowing for more control and oversight over their marketing strategy and more in-depth refinement of campaigns over time to improve their efficacy.
Marketing goals
If your goal is to develop a brand with a consistent long-term message and presence, then an in-house marketer is going to be the best choice. They have the time, resources, and extended experience with your company to deliver this kind of consistent message across various campaigns and platforms, helping to cultivate deeper relationships with your audience. On the other hand, if you’re launching a short-term campaign or one focused on a specific project, then a freelancer can be a better option. This is especially the case when that short-term project requires specialized expertise that you don’t need on a recurring basis.
Growth goals
For organizations whose goal is sustainable, long-term growth, an in-house marketing presence is essential. Brand building is a long-term process that requires deep knowledge of both the market and the company’s culture and values. That kind of expertise is where an in-house marketer thrives. Companies that aim for rapid growth often benefit from having an in-house marketing team, as well. Growth-focused companies require consistent, cohesive marketing efforts across regions and channels. An in-house team can also better manage the complexities of scaling, better able to analyze data to inform decisions and engage with customers throughout the process. On the other hand, a freelancer can be valuable when a company is undergoing targeted expansion, such as when they’re entering a new market or launching a new product. In these cases, the ramping up of marketing efforts is likely to have an expiration date and return to more normal levels after. This is exactly the situation where adding a freelancer to your team can give you the flexibility to accommodate a larger marketing workload in the short-term, without requiring a long-term commitment. Freelancers can also be the better choice for companies focused on short-term revenue or sales growth, especially in competitive industries. A freelancer is ideal for providing the kind of high-impact, short-term solutions these growth goals require.
Seasonality
One of the key advantages of freelance talent is its scalability, and this makes them the ideal solution for businesses with seasonal operations or sales spikes. In some cases, you may only need to hire a freelancer in advance of peak seasons. For other businesses, it can be better to use freelance talent year-round but assign them extra work during these busier periods. In either case, the flexibility of a freelance marketer is an advantage for companies with seasonal fluctuations in their marketing needs.
The best digital marketing talent approach
There are pros and cons of freelance digital marketers just like there are for in-house marketing employees. In some cases, the best digital marketing option for businesses won’t be choosing one or the other, but instead taking a hybrid approach. For instance, you may hire a small full-time digital marketing team, supplemented by freelancers during high-growth periods, or as a way to add specialized skills. The bottom line is that there are a lot of options for businesses when they need to expand their digital marketing team. By taking a strategic approach to marketing talent, and considering the factors mentioned in this article when deciding what type to bring on to your team, you can optimize your marketing team to best meet your organization’s needs.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of digital marketing for businesses. The Gartner Future of Sales 2025 report indicates that 80% of B2B interactions now take place on digital channels, making a strong digital marketing strategy as critical for attracting buyers and clients as it is for B2C brands engaging with customers.
This new digital-first landscape has many business leaders ramping up their digital marketing recruitment. Just because marketing is important, though, that doesn’t always mean that hiring full-time employees is the best choice. Particularly for small businesses, the question of whether to hire freelance or in-house marketers can be challenging to answer. Choosing the right path comes down to assessing your current team, resources, and long-term plans.
What is the difference between using in-house or freelance digital marketing talent?
The first step to choosing between a freelance vs. in-house digital marketer is to understand what defines each type of worker. An in-house digital marketer is someone who is employed by your company, typically on a full-time basis. Typically, employees are hired under an open-ended agreement with no predetermined end date. They agree to work a specified number of hours per week for the employer, often with a designated schedule or mandated work location, in exchange for compensation that typically includes a benefits package as well as a salary or hourly rate.
Freelancers also often sign a contract with their clients, but on a short-term or per-project basis rather than an ongoing agreement, with compensation agreed upon at the start of each assignment. While many freelancers do work with the same client for multiple projects, they are under no obligation to continue providing work after their project contract terms have been met. They also frequently work with multiple clients at the same time, and have full autonomy over when and where they work.
From a business owner’s standpoint, there are a few key practical differences between an in-house marketing team vs. freelancer marketers. Let’s take a closer look at the top three: how they’re paid, how much control the business has over them, and how they fit into the company culture.
Cost comparison: Freelance vs. in-house marketing
One major difference between employees and freelancers is how they’re compensated. With an employee, the business doesn’t only pay their salary or hourly rate. The business also automatically withholds their income taxes and pays for things like unemployment tax and social security tax on their behalf. In addition, employers are required to provide Workers’ Compensation insurance and in some states are legally mandated to also offer health insurance coverage. They may also provide additional benefits like retirement plans or paid vacation time, which are considered part of the employee’s total compensation.
The compensation for freelancers is much simpler. Freelancers handle their own taxes, for one thing. They also typically do not receive benefits on top of their pay, and in most cases are not required to be covered by a Workers’ Compensation policy. While a freelancer will often charge more per hour than a full-time employee in base pay, this often balances out against the additional compensation that employees receive and the other things employers pay for on their behalf.
The initial costs of hiring a freelancer are often lower, as well. Usually, the search for a freelancer will be shorter and doesn’t require the kind of advertising or outreach that is often involved in marketing recruitment. The interview process also tends to be more streamlined, focused entirely on skills and experience without as much need for behavioral interviews to identify cultural fit. Freelancers can also start their projects as soon as they receive their contract, without the need for extensive onboarding and training that an employee typically receives, another factor making them more cost-effective.
Degree of autonomy
While some employees have more flexibility than others, the last few years have taught us these aren’t guaranteed. Unless that flexibility is written into the employment contract, the employer is legally granted control over where and when an employee works. Employers can also dictate which tasks an employee takes on, the tools or processes they use to complete them, and how they allocate the time during their work day.
The opposite is true with freelancers. Legally, a business that hires freelancers cannot dictate where, when, or how they work. In fact, if it is shown that an organization limited the autonomy of freelancers or contractors, they can face hefty fines for misclassifying these workers who should have been considered employees. A freelancer may agree to work in a designated space or at specified times, but that decision-making authority is in the freelancer’s hands. The employer pays for the results, and it is up to the freelancer how they arrive there.
Loyalty and culture
Most digital marketing employees only work for a single company at a time. While some may freelance on the side or work two jobs, these situations tend to be the exception. The opposite is true for freelancers. The majority of freelancers work with multiple clients at any given time, devoting a portion of their weekly work hours to each one.
The length of the relationship between a freelancer and their clients also varies significantly more than the typical employer-employee relationship. Some freelancers do have long-term clients that they work with under an open-ended agreement. In other cases, though, they may only work with a given company for the length of a single campaign or project. When that project is complete, a new contract will need to be signed if the company wants to keep working with that freelancer, and the freelancer has full authority to either accept or refuse the offer.
Technically, in any state with at-will employment, an employee can choose to leave a company (or a company can terminate an employee) at any time, as well. The difference comes down to intent. In most cases, employees are hired with the intent of an open-ended, long-term relationship. While there are situations where a freelancer has a long-term relationship with a company, and gets to know their culture, mission, and identity over the course of that work, this is not expected in most freelancer relationships the same way that it is with an employee.
Employers also have more rights to demand loyalty from their employees than they do from freelancers. Documents like noncompete agreements are much more common for employees, and are often not enforceable to the same extent with freelance talent, even if a business does ask for them to sign one.
Advantages of freelance digital marketing talent
There are several benefits of hiring a freelance digital marketer. They’re often more cost-effective, for one thing. Since they typically work on a project basis or at an hourly rate, it’s easier to control your marketing talent budget. They also typically cost less overall than in-house talent since they don’t receive benefits like health insurance coverage or PTO.
The flexibility of freelance talent can be another advantage. You can bring freelance marketers onto the team for a specific campaign and not worry about whether there will be enough work for them in the future. You can also gain the benefits of marketing professionals with high-level, specialized expertise that you don’t need all the time, without needing to commit internal resources to training marketing team members in those skills.
Diverse skill sets aren’t the only way freelancers can enhance your marketing strategies. They also bring a fresh voice and an outside perspective. Freelancers often work with various businesses across multiple industries, giving them a sense for what works well to attract different types of customers. By bringing insights from other sectors to your team, you can often develop more innovative and effective campaigns with a freelancer’s help.
Advantages of an in-house digital marketer
The most significant advantage of in-house digital marketing vs. freelance talent is that an in-house team is fully integrated into your organization. They’re steeped in the culture and values, understanding your day-to-day operations and the needs of your customers better than a freelancer. This enables them to develop and maintain a more consistent brand voice, as well as to align marketing strategies more closely with your company goals and the expectations of your audience.
That team integration also makes hiring a digital marketer in-house better for collaboration. Often, an in-house team will work directly with other departments like product development or sales. Since they only work for you, they are more accessible for meetings or brainstorming sessions, making it easier to align marketing with other functions in the business.
The accessibility of in-house marketers makes them more responsive overall than freelancers. They’re better able to accommodate urgent marketing needs or last-minute adjustments to campaigns, and can usually deliver content, reports, or other deliverables on a tighter turnaround. Along with this, you have more direct oversight, able to see their work in progress and make quick adjustments as needed.
Key factors to consider when choosing between freelance and in-house talent
As you saw in the previous section, there are advantages to both in-house and freelance marketing teams. This begs the question of how to choose between a freelance and in-house digital marketer for your business. Here are some of the key factors that are likely to influence your decision.
Business size
Freelancers are often the best option for small businesses, allowing them to make the most of limited resources or marketing budgets. There’s also the simple fact that a small business may not have a need for a full-time marketing employee, particularly one with niche skills that command a higher salary. Making use of freelancers gives small businesses access to high-level expertise that they otherwise may not be able to afford or justify.
The collaboration and consistency of an in-house marketer can be an advantage for medium-sized businesses. While they can still benefit from the flexibility and specialized expertise of freelancers, an in-house marketer’s understanding of the company brand can be a definite asset.
Large businesses frequently employ in-house teams that include marketing professionals with various specializations. While some large businesses may still make use of freelance talent, this will typically be as a supplement to their existing in-house team when they have a campaign or project that requires specific expertise like advanced analytics or influencer marketing.
Budget
For companies that have a small marketing budget, freelancers are often the best way to make the most of it. A freelancer can be hired for specific tasks or campaigns as needed, allowing the company more control over their marketing spend.
When the company has a larger marketing budget, investing in an in-house employee is often a smart move. This provides the brand with a consistent approach to content creation and messaging, allowing for more control and oversight over their marketing strategy and more in-depth refinement of campaigns over time to improve their efficacy.
Marketing goals
If your goal is to develop a brand with a consistent long-term message and presence, then an in-house marketer is going to be the best choice. They have the time, resources, and extended experience with your company to deliver this kind of consistent message across various campaigns and platforms, helping to cultivate deeper relationships with your audience.
On the other hand, if you’re launching a short-term campaign or one focused on a specific project, then a freelancer can be a better option. This is especially the case when that short-term project requires specialized expertise that you don’t need on a recurring basis.
Growth goals
For organizations whose goal is sustainable, long-term growth, an in-house marketing presence is essential. Brand building is a long-term process that requires deep knowledge of both the market and the company’s culture and values. That kind of expertise is where an in-house marketer thrives.
Companies that aim for rapid growth often benefit from having an in-house marketing team, as well. Growth-focused companies require consistent, cohesive marketing efforts across regions and channels. An in-house team can also better manage the complexities of scaling, better able to analyze data to inform decisions and engage with customers throughout the process.
On the other hand, a freelancer can be valuable when a company is undergoing targeted expansion, such as when they’re entering a new market or launching a new product. In these cases, the ramping up of marketing efforts is likely to have an expiration date and return to more normal levels after. This is exactly the situation where adding a freelancer to your team can give you the flexibility to accommodate a larger marketing workload in the short-term, without requiring a long-term commitment.
Freelancers can also be the better choice for companies focused on short-term revenue or sales growth, especially in competitive industries. A freelancer is ideal for providing the kind of high-impact, short-term solutions these growth goals require.
Seasonality
One of the key advantages of freelance talent is its scalability, and this makes them the ideal solution for businesses with seasonal operations or sales spikes. In some cases, you may only need to hire a freelancer in advance of peak seasons. For other businesses, it can be better to use freelance talent year-round but assign them extra work during these busier periods. In either case, the flexibility of a freelance marketer is an advantage for companies with seasonal fluctuations in their marketing needs.
The best digital marketing talent approach
There are pros and cons of freelance digital marketers just like there are for in-house marketing employees. In some cases, the best digital marketing option for businesses won’t be choosing one or the other, but instead taking a hybrid approach. For instance, you may hire a small full-time digital marketing team, supplemented by freelancers during high-growth periods, or as a way to add specialized skills.
The bottom line is that there are a lot of options for businesses when they need to expand their digital marketing team. By taking a strategic approach to marketing talent, and considering the factors mentioned in this article when deciding what type to bring on to your team, you can optimize your marketing team to best meet your organization’s needs.