Every small business needs marketing, but not every business owner wants to — or should — do it themselves. The question is who should take it on: you, a freelancer, an agency or a mix of all three?
There is no single right answer. Here is an honest comparison to help you decide.
Option 1: Do it yourself
Pros:
- Lowest direct cost.
- Nobody knows your business better than you.
- Authentic voice and personal connection.
- Full control.
Cons:
- Time — often far more than expected.
- A steep learning curve: platforms, algorithms and tools change constantly.
- Inconsistency when the business gets busy, which is exactly when marketing tends to stop.
- Blind spots: it is hard to see your own business objectively.
Best for: new businesses with very limited budgets, or owners who genuinely enjoy marketing and have the time.
Option 2: Hire a freelancer
Pros:
- Usually cheaper than an agency.
- Direct relationship with the person doing the work.
- Specialist skills, such as a dedicated copywriter or social media manager.
Cons:
- Usually one skill set: a great designer may not be a great SEO specialist.
- Capacity limits and holiday cover.
- You may need several freelancers for different tasks, and you then become the project manager.
Best for: specific, well-defined tasks — a logo, a set of blog posts, a social media package.
Option 3: Work with an agency
Pros:
- A range of skills under one roof: strategy, design, content, web development, advertising.
- Joined-up thinking across channels.
- Reliability and continuity.
- Experience from working with many businesses.
Cons:
- Usually higher cost than freelancers.
- Some agencies lock clients into long contracts.
- At larger agencies, small clients can feel like a low priority.
Best for: businesses that want a coordinated marketing strategy without managing several suppliers.
Option 4: A hybrid approach
Many small businesses get the best results by combining approaches:
- You handle what you do best: personal stories, customer relationships, on-the-spot photos and videos.
- Professionals handle strategy, website, advertising, content production and technical tasks.
For example, you might send your agency photos from jobs each week, and they turn them into polished posts, blog content and ads.
How to decide
Ask yourself:
- What is your time worth? If your hourly rate is €50 and you spend ten hours a week on marketing, that is €500 of your time every week.
- What results are you getting now? If DIY marketing is not producing enquiries, the cost of continuing may be higher than you think.
- What skills do you need? One task or many?
- How much coordination can you handle?
- What is your budget? See our guide to how much to spend on marketing.
What to look for in a marketing partner
- Transparency: clear pricing and reporting, no hidden fees.
- Flexibility: no unnecessary long-term lock-ins.
- Relevant experience: do they understand your market and audience?
- Results focus: do they talk about enquiries and revenue, or just likes and followers? See measuring what matters.
- Communication: will you deal with a real person who responds?
- Honesty: will they tell you when something is not worth doing?
Our approach
Sol Mar Marketing sits in a sweet spot: agency-level skills — social media, blogs, video, websites, webshops and web applications — with the personal service of a small team. We work on agreed hours with no long tie-ins and no surprise invoices. Read more about us or get in touch to talk about what would work for your business.
