Freelance HubSpot Consultant vs. Digital Marketing Agencies: Which One Should You Choose?

In this day and age, it’s hard for businesses to compete without a strong online presence. And using a marketing automation tool like HubSpot means you’re looking to leverage that investment. However, not everyone has the skills or the tools necessary to increase organic traffic, generate more leads, or boost their conversions. 

That’s where hiring a marketing specialist comes into play. 

There’s no doubt that turning to pros increases your chances of launching a successful campaign. The question is, who should you hire: a freelance HubSpot consultant or go with an agency?

If you have HubSpot and having trouble making this decision, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of each option for different aspects of their marketing services. After reading, you should be able to decide with more confidence which of the two suits you best. 

Skill Level

A good place to start this comparison is with the skill and experience of freelancers and agencies. 

Freelancer

Most freelancers don’t start out their careers on their own. More often than not, they experienced working for a company where they had the opportunity to hone their skills. 

Once they have become well-rounded individuals with a wide range of expertise, they decide to become freelancers and start taking clients on directly. 

The good thing about this scenario is that most freelancers try to expand their skill sets before leaving their companies. That is why some of them are not just good with marketing but other business processes as well, like sales and operations. As a result, it’s not uncommon to find a freelancer that has experience with tools like Hubspot as well. 

Agency

An agency consists of a group of people with different specialties. So in terms of skill set, they won’t be far behind compared to freelancers. 

However, these organizations are structured in such a way that a lot of layers exist between them and their clients. It means there are several points where something could go wrong, like an inconsistent interpretation of your vision or goals.   

Verdict

Freelancers are slightly ahead in this department, although not by much.

Quality of Service

If you’re going to pay someone to do a job for you, it’s only natural to consider the quality of their services. 

Freelancer

Freelancers work alone, so everything that happens during a project or campaign is their responsibility. Their reputation means everything to them, as it will play a big part in their success or failure in the industry. 

That is why freelancers go to great lengths to make sure that their clients are satisfied. They understand that the only way to get more customers in the future is for the current ones to be happy with their service. 

Agency

Marketing agencies often have a lot of overhead costs in maintaining their operations. To remain profitable, they have to take on as many clients as they can, which means that they have a high turnover rate. 

In this situation, it’s likely that some customers will fall through the cracks, leaving their marketing needs unmet. 

Verdict

There is more at stake for freelancers, so they go out of their way to provide a better service. 

Flexibility

A good HubSpot marketing specialist can adapt to your changing needs and business goals. If you’re shopping around for one, you need someone who is flexible. 

Freelancer

A freelancer doesn’t have to stick to a nine-to-five schedule. But on the other hand, they aren’t restricted by too much structure either. 

This offers many advantages to potential clients. 

For one, if you have an urgent issue during the weekend or off hours of the day, you won’t have any problems reaching a freelancer. Of course, they might charge you a small fee for the extra service, but you’ll find that it’s worth it, especially if you’re facing major issues with your marketing efforts. 

Agency

With an agency, the working schedule is predictable. This is a good thing because you can base your business around it. However, agencies often have meetings, both internally and with other clients, so your marketer might be unavailable sometimes.  

Verdict

A freelancer offers more flexibility and can quickly adapt to your situation.

Accessibility

When launching a marketing campaign, you would want the person in your corner to be accessible. 

Freelancer

A freelancer has fewer clients than an agency, so you will always have a direct line to them. This makes it easier to communicate and talk about issues that might come up as you put together and launch a campaign.  

Agency

As mentioned before, agencies have many layers, from project managers and account managers to marketers. As a result, it can get cumbersome sometimes to have to talk to many different people and collaborate on a project. 

Verdict

Freelancers are easier to contact and are more responsive to your calls or messages.  

Find the Right Partner for Your Marketing Journey: Takeaway

If you’re serious about taking your business to the next level, hiring a freelancer is the safer bet. 

A marketing agency has more resources and manpower, which means that they potentially have a lot to offer. If you’re lucky, you will be able to find a company that can meet all your needs for the right price. 

However, many of them have to take on more clients than they can handle, which affects the quality of their services. Also, they have the tendency to blindly follow what their clients say without offering their own recommendations. 

On the flip side, a freelancer can be just as skilled. At the same time, they have the freedom to focus on your needs. At the end of the day, they are in a better position to provide excellent marketing services.