In-house media buyer, agency or freelancer at our spend?
By Dan BartleyUpdated 3 minute read
The short answer
A freelancer suits a simple account at modest spend, an agency suits growing spend that needs cover and process, and an in-house buyer pays off once spend is high and steady enough to carry a salary, 12% super and tools. Whichever you pick, decide separately who makes the creative, because buying and making ads are different jobs.
How do an in-house buyer, an agency and a freelancer compare?
Each trades cost against cover and depth in a different way. The table sets out where each one fits and what usually goes wrong.
| Option | Best fit | Cost to plan for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance media buyer | One market, one or two campaigns, modest spend | A monthly fee or day rate | One person: holidays, illness and capacity |
| Agency | Growing spend, several channels, a need for process and cover | A monthly fee or a share of spend, plus creative if it is not included | A junior running your account day to day, and creative left to you |
| In-house buyer | High, steady spend and a senior person to manage them | Salary, superannuation, tools, recruitment and management time | A wrong hire, and a single point of failure |
What does an in-house media buyer really cost?
More than the salary. An Australian employer pays the super guarantee on top, now 12% and paid each payday since Payday Super started on 1 July 2026, plus leave, tools, recruitment and the time someone senior spends managing them.
An in-house buyer also needs a creative supply. Without one, the hire spends their weeks rationing old ads, and the account plateaus at the level the existing creative can hold.
When does bringing Meta ads in-house make sense?
When spend is high and steady, Meta is your main channel, and you have someone senior enough to manage a specialist. Below that point, the same money usually buys more experience from an agency or a freelancer.
In-house also suits brands that change offers, stock or launches weekly, because the buyer sits next to the decisions. If your calendar is steady, that advantage matters less.
Where does creative fit with each option?
Separately, in all three. Whichever buyer you choose, someone has to supply new concepts every month, and the results have to get back to them quickly enough to shape the next batch.
An in-house buyer with an external creative partner is a common and sound setup. So is an agency that makes the creative itself, as long as the scope says how many new concepts arrive each month.
Can we combine in-house and external help?
Yes, and the common combinations work well: an in-house marketer who owns strategy with an external buyer, or an in-house buyer with an external creative partner. Write down who sets budgets, who writes briefs and who owns the ad account.
| Job | In-house marketer, external buyer | In-house buyer, external creative |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy, offers and calendar | In-house | In-house |
| Budgets, structure and testing | External buyer | In-house buyer |
| Briefs for new ads | Both, from the results | In-house buyer |
| Making the ads | Whoever the scope names | External creative partner |
| Owning the ad account | The brand | The brand |
What should we ask before we choose?
Ask the questions that expose cover, depth and creative supply. The answers usually make the choice for you.
- Who works on the account day to day, and who covers them when they are away?
- How many new concepts will reach the account each month, and who makes them?
- What target will results be judged against: platform ROAS, MER or new-customer CAC?
- Who owns the ad account, pixel and business portfolio?
- What does it cost to change course in three months?
Other questions people ask about this
Is a freelancer riskier than an agency?
The risk is different, not larger. A good freelancer puts a senior person on your account; the trade-off is cover when they are away, so agree how holidays and handover work.
Who should own the ad account if we switch between these?
You, in every case. Keep the ad account, pixel and business portfolio in your own Meta business portfolio and give each buyer partner access, so a change of buyer never means a change of account.
Should an in-house buyer also make the creative?
Only at low volume. Once the account needs many new concepts a month, the buyer's time is better spent reading results and writing briefs than designing.
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