Real talk –
 
You know you need world-class marketing support to produce the kind of content that will help new customers feel comfortable making a purchase.
 
Aviation products and services aren’t impulse buys. It takes a lot of high-quality content and conversations to get to the point of purchase.
 
And all that takes time and skill.
 
But many companies are hesitating to add headcount right now.
 
What’s the best way to get what you want without tying yourself into a lot of inflexible expense?
 
It may be to leverage the team you already have, but add some supplemental lift from an agency that specializes in aviation marketing.
 
You can get a flexible agreement, have a diverse array of experts at the ready to assist.
 
And you save on payroll, recruiting, training, buying computers, buying software, and providing IT services for another employee.
 
Contact us for a free consultation to see if working with ABCI might be an ideal solution for you! – 702-987-1679
 

Agency or Employee? Which Is Better for Aviation Marketing?

When aviation companies look to strengthen their marketing efforts, one question comes up again and again: Should we hire an internal employee or work with an external agency? It’s a fair question—and one with profound implications for your return on investment, efficiency, and long-term success.

Whether you run an MRO, charter operation, aviation tech firm, or aircraft brokerage, your marketing team is responsible for crafting the image your customers see. The stakes are high. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of each option and explain why—more often than not—the best answer is both.

The Case for Hiring an Internal Marketing Employee

Hiring someone in-house comes with a lot of surface-level appeal, especially for aviation companies that value close-knit teams and in-person collaboration. An internal marketing employee is:

✅ Available On-Site

An internal hire is immediately accessible for impromptu meetings, capturing behind-the-scenes photos at company events, or stepping in when opportunities pop up unexpectedly. If you need someone to shoot a quick video of a delivery celebration on the ramp, they’re there.

✅ Embedded in Company Culture

Employees who work inside your hangar or office every day absorb your mission, values, and culture. This often means a faster onboarding to your unique voice and messaging.

✅ Dedicated to Your Brand

Unlike an agency that may split time across clients, an internal marketer is focused solely on your business objectives, product knowledge, and customer relationships.

However, this approach also carries hidden costs and limitations:

❌ Limited Skill Set

Even the most talented marketer can’t do it all. Graphic design, email marketing, SEO, trade show logistics, video editing, branding, website maintenance—it’s unlikely one person can perform all of these functions at a professional level.

❌ You Provide the Tools & Training

An in-house hire needs software, systems, training, and IT support. That includes subscriptions to SEO platforms like SEMRush, marketing automation tools, CRMs, and more that can cost hundreds (or thousands) of dollars a month.

❌ No Flexibility in Downtimes

A salaried employee is a fixed cost, even when you’re between product launches or during slow seasons.

The Case for Hiring an Aviation Marketing Agency

A specialized marketing agency like ABCI can bring fresh perspective, scalable support, and a wide variety of skills to your business. Here’s what makes aviation agencies particularly valuable:

✅ Diversity of Expertise

You get a team of professionals—copywriters, graphic designers, digital ad specialists, SEO pros, and aviation insiders. They know the nuances of ADS-B compliance, charter certifications, STCs, hangar operations, and AOG scenarios because they’ve worked with dozens of aviation clients.

✅ Scalable Services

Agencies offer flexible service levels that can scale up or down depending on your needs. Launching a new product? Ramp up. Taking a break during Q4? Scale back—with no HR drama.

✅ Cost Efficiency

Agencies offer economies of scale. Instead of hiring multiple specialists full-time, you get fractional access to high-level talent and tools at a predictable monthly rate—without paying for downtime, benefits, or overhead.

✅ Tools & Systems Included

Agencies arrive “ready to work.” At ABCI, for example, we bring our own project management tools, marketing software, and workflows so you don’t have to invest in reinventing the wheel.

✅ Outside Perspective

Agencies bring insight from working across the industry. They can show you what’s working (and what’s not) for others in your space, and recommend tested strategies rather than trial-and-error guesswork.

That said, agencies aren’t perfect either.

❌ May Not Be On-Site

Unless you’re working with a local firm or paying travel expenses, most agency work happens virtually. While that’s fine for most tasks, it limits spontaneous video shoots or real-time event coverage.

❌ Not Immersed in Daily Operations

Agencies need time to get up to speed on your internal procedures, team dynamics, and workflows. They won’t overhear sales calls or hang out at the water cooler.

The Best of Both Worlds: An Internal Point-Person + Agency Team

The ideal solution? Hire both. Not a full internal marketing department—but a point-person who works in tandem with your agency.

This hybrid approach gives you the best of both worlds:

🌐 Strategic and Tactical Excellence

Your internal point-person understands your daily ops, aircraft schedules, and sales priorities. The agency adds strategic oversight, marketing horsepower, and execution.

⚙️ Seamless Coordination

Your internal contact can gather internal approvals, access files, coordinate events, and communicate directly with internal stakeholders. Meanwhile, your agency handles deliverables like social media, email campaigns, graphics, and reports.

📈 Maximum ROI

With a lean internal team and an expert external partner, you avoid the inefficiency of hiring a full team or the blind spots of working in isolation.

At ABCI, we often train and support an internal marketing coordinator on the client’s team. This allows them to handle time-sensitive or in-person tasks while we manage broader marketing campaigns, digital systems, and performance analytics.

Examples of How It Works in Aviation

Here are a few examples from real aviation clients (anonymized for confidentiality):

✈️ Charter Operator

  • Internal Role: Schedules aircraft and coordinates with pilots; takes real-time photos and videos on the ramp.

  • Agency Role: Designs social media graphics, runs paid ad campaigns targeting local clientele, writes copy for seasonal promotions, and sets up analytics dashboards.

🛠️ MRO Facility

  • Internal Role: Interfaces with technicians and captures before/after shots of aircraft in maintenance.

  • Agency Role: Creates blog content on ADS-B upgrades and corrosion control, sends email newsletters, manages SEO and trade show prep.

📊 Aviation Software Company

  • Internal Role: Answers questions from sales, product, and customer service teams.

  • Agency Role: Develops long-form content for LinkedIn, coordinates webinar promotions, handles lead nurturing emails, and produces explainer videos.

What to Consider When Choosing Your Path

If you’re still unsure which direction to go, here are key questions to guide your decision:

1.

What Is Your Marketing Goal?

Are you trying to drive leads for a charter service? Educate the market about a new software tool? Prepare for a trade show? The complexity of your goals often determines the team structure you need.

2.

What Is Your Budget?

Hiring and training an internal employee (plus software, benefits, and tools) typically exceeds $80,000 annually. A full-service agency may cost less and offer a broader range of services. On the flip side, a junior internal hire can be a good investment—if paired with agency support.

3.

What Skills Do You Already Have?

If your CEO has strong writing skills and your admin can manage email newsletters, maybe you only need partial agency support. But if your team has no design, copywriting, or technical marketing expertise, you’ll need an external partner.

4.

Do You Need In-Person Support?

If capturing video footage of your facility is a top priority, you’ll need someone on-site. That may mean hiring a part-time content creator or working with a local freelancer alongside your agency.

How ABCI Helps Aviation Companies Find the Right Balance

At ABCI, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all marketing. We customize our support based on your team structure, goals, and growth stage.

Some of our clients have no internal marketing staff—we handle everything. Others have a junior marketer on staff who we train, support, and supplement with strategy, design, analytics, and execution.

We also offer:

  • Flexible monthly retainers

  • 30-day notice for scaling services up or down

  • All the tools, training, and systems you need—no setup headaches

And because we specialize exclusively in aviation marketing, we speak your language—no need to explain the difference between an FAR Part 91 and Part 135 certificate.

Final Thoughts

When choosing between an aviation marketing agency and an internal hire, the best solution isn’t either/or—it’s both. An internal point-person paired with an experienced aviation marketing agency can unlock the efficiency, creativity, and results your business needs to thrive.

Whether you’re flying jets, fixing engines, or building aviation tech, your marketing team should work as smoothly and powerfully as the aircraft you support.

Need help finding the right balance? Let’s talk. Contact ABCI for a consultation.