Agency vs client-side marketing: which side is for you?

Flexibility

Client-side: Working hours tend to be closer to the 9 to 5, however this will vary depending on the industry of your employer and what projects you are working on. If part of your role involves organising events, your hours will vary even more.

Agency: New developments relevant to your job occur throughout the clock, which means you may have to bid farewell to rigid 9-5 work when you have deadlines to hit. Agencies are however keener to ensure their employees don’t overwork themselves, which means you your wellbeing is going to be a high priority.

Salaries

Client-side: It’s possible that you will be offered a slightly bigger salary when you work in house on the client-side. You may also receive considerable benefits when directly employed by the company. However, agencies are now reacting to this by making their own pay and benefits more generous and lucrative.

Agency: Although your salary to start with may not be as high as client-side, your work will be more varied when you work for an agency. You will produce content for a wide range of clients, whilst your portfolio becomes more and more diverse. If you work directly for a client, you will normally focus on one industry and become an expert in your particular field.

Your responsibilities

Client-side: Those that work on the client-side are normally expected to come up with exciting and new ideas on a regular basis. You may need to ensure internal relationships continue to remain positive, and you will need to work and negotiate with multiple agencies.

Agency: When you work on the agency side, your responsibilities will be to please your client’s needs and achieve the goals set out in set deadlines. The role can me more demanding as you are likely going to be working on a number of projects for multiple clients. You will need to maintain good relationships with a number of clients and develop an exceptional ability to multitask effectively.

Career opportunities

Client-side: Opportunities to progress will vary depending on the size of the company and marketing team. You may be joining a large team with a well-defined career plan set out for you, or you could be the first ever marketer to join the business and therefore will be setting out your own career path.

Agency: You can make swift progress on the agency side, moving onto bigger and better roles in a relatively short time frame if you have the skill, experience and determination. Working environments in both areas are becoming more laidback and less ‘corporate’, with facilities including games tables and consoles increasingly common.