The options side by side
| In-house team | Freelancers | Traditional agency | DIY tools | Done-for-you (LucidSocial) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who makes the content | Your hires | Several individuals | Agency team | You | Our team and studio |
| Your time each week | High, you manage | High, you coordinate | Medium | Highest, you do it all | Low, you approve |
| What guides the work | Your team's judgement | Each freelancer's style | Creative direction | Your own guesses | LucidGraph data on what sells |
| Formats covered | Depends on hires | Depends on who you find | Usually several | Whatever you can make | Real, hybrid, AI and avatar |
| Scaling to new platforms or markets | More hires | More freelancers | New scope | More of your time | Built in, including dubbing |
When an in-house team makes sense
If content is your product, or you need someone in the building every day, hiring makes sense. Budget for strategy, editing, filming and design, plus the tools and the time to manage them.
When freelancers make sense
Freelancers work well for one-off projects or a single format. At daily volume across several platforms, coordinating them becomes a job in itself.
When a traditional agency makes sense
Agencies are strong on campaigns and brand moments. For always-on short-form, ask how they decide what to make and how quickly they turn winners into more content.
When DIY scheduling tools make sense
Scheduling tools are great once you have the content. They do not make it, test it or decide what to make next.
When done-for-you makes sense
When you need consistent, on-brand content every day, want decisions based on what is already selling in your category, and want your time back. That is the gap LucidSocial was built for.
Questions
- Is done-for-you cheaper than hiring?
- For most established e-commerce brands it costs less than a full-time content hire, with a whole team and studio behind it. LucidSocial plans start at $2,500 a month.
- How do we start?
- Book a free strategy call. We look at your category with LucidGraph, agree the plan and the platforms, and your Brand DNA is set within the first two weeks.