The math
A decent in-house marketer in Houston runs $65K-$95K base, plus benefits and tools. Full-loaded cost: ~$90K-$130K/year. That is $7,500-$11,000/month before they produce a single campaign.
A mid-tier agency engagement runs $2,500-$8,000/month with output starting in week two.
For businesses under $2M revenue, the math favors the agency on cost alone. Over $3M, the math shifts toward in-house IF you can keep them busy.
What you get differently
In-house wins on: institutional memory, real-time pivots, owning the brand voice end-to-end, deeper product knowledge over time.
Agency wins on: breadth of pattern-matching across clients, no ramp time, no benefits/management overhead, easier to scale up or down month-to-month.
Where BayouEdge fits
We work with Houston businesses that are either too small to justify an in-house hire ($5M and under) or businesses that want a specialist running one slice (local SEO, automation) while the in-house team owns brand and content.
We do not fit businesses with $10M+ marketing budgets that need a full department.
The hybrid that often wins
For most Houston small businesses we see, the winning move is one part-time in-house marketing coordinator ($30K-$50K) plus BayouEdge running the technical pillars (SEO, automation, reporting). The coordinator owns brand and content; we own the systems.
What to do next
Call James at 832-338-2926. Twenty minutes is usually enough to know which side of the line your business falls on.
Frequently asked questions
At what revenue does in-house make sense?
Roughly $3M revenue is the inflection point for most Houston service businesses. Below that, agency is cheaper. Above that, in-house can pencil if you have enough work to keep them productive.
Why not just hire a marketing freelancer?
Freelancers work for narrow projects. Ongoing marketing requires systems, accountability, and continuity that freelancers struggle to provide at the agency price point.
Can BayouEdge work alongside an in-house marketer?
Yes — that hybrid is one of our most common engagements. Your in-house person owns brand and content; we own the technical pillars (SEO, automation, reporting).
What is the typical engagement length?
Month-to-month, no contracts. Average BayouEdge client stays 18-24 months. We have to earn renewal every month.