Compare your options

How to choose between DIY, a big agency and True Noise

There is no universal right answer. The useful question is which option fits your budget, time, risk and stage right now.

DIY, big agency and True Noise compared
Decision point	Do it yourself	Big agency	True Noise
Cost shape	Lowest cash cost, highest time cost. Works when the founder or team can stay close to the work.	Higher retainers and production budgets, usually built around a wider delivery team.	Monthly plans from £350/month plus scoped project work; smaller than a national-agency retainer.
Speed to start	Fastest if you already know what to do. Slower when the work needs research, setup or specialist tools.	Often slower to onboard because strategy, account setup and approvals involve more people.	Lean onboarding. We start with the highest-value work, then widen the scope only when useful.
Who does the work	You do, or someone already on the team. You keep context, but the same people carry the workload.	Access to specialists and production depth, though day-to-day work may be handled by juniors.	Small senior team. The people shaping the advice are close to the delivery and the reporting.
Lock-in / contract	No supplier contract. You are only tied to the tools, platforms and habits you choose.	Can suit bigger budgets that need reserved capacity, but contracts are often longer.	Rolling monthly, 30 days’ notice on plans. Project work is estimated and agreed before it starts.
Breadth vs depth	Broad control across everything, with depth limited by available time and confidence.	Best breadth: media, creative, research, PR and production can sit under one roof.	Focused depth for small teams: websites, search, email, listings, AI workflows and the security basics.
Reporting / visibility	Full access if your tracking is clean, but nobody external is forcing the numbers into a regular rhythm.	Usually polished reporting, with more distance between the report and the people doing the work.	Live task and time visibility in the client portal, plus a consolidated monthly report.
Best for	Very small budgets, early learning, founder-led brands and teams that need direct control.	National campaigns, multiple markets, heavy media spend and complex stakeholder management.	Small businesses that want senior hands-on help without hiring a full marketing team.

Do it yourself

Cost shape: Lowest cash cost, highest time cost. Works when the founder or team can stay close to the work.
Speed to start: Fastest if you already know what to do. Slower when the work needs research, setup or specialist tools.
Who does the work: You do, or someone already on the team. You keep context, but the same people carry the workload.
Lock-in / contract: No supplier contract. You are only tied to the tools, platforms and habits you choose.
Breadth vs depth: Broad control across everything, with depth limited by available time and confidence.
Reporting / visibility: Full access if your tracking is clean, but nobody external is forcing the numbers into a regular rhythm.
Best for: Very small budgets, early learning, founder-led brands and teams that need direct control.

Big agency

Cost shape: Higher retainers and production budgets, usually built around a wider delivery team.
Speed to start: Often slower to onboard because strategy, account setup and approvals involve more people.
Who does the work: Access to specialists and production depth, though day-to-day work may be handled by juniors.
Lock-in / contract: Can suit bigger budgets that need reserved capacity, but contracts are often longer.
Breadth vs depth: Best breadth: media, creative, research, PR and production can sit under one roof.
Reporting / visibility: Usually polished reporting, with more distance between the report and the people doing the work.
Best for: National campaigns, multiple markets, heavy media spend and complex stakeholder management.

True Noise

Cost shape: Monthly plans from £350/month plus scoped project work; smaller than a national-agency retainer.
Speed to start: Lean onboarding. We start with the highest-value work, then widen the scope only when useful.
Who does the work: Small senior team. The people shaping the advice are close to the delivery and the reporting.
Lock-in / contract: Rolling monthly, 30 days’ notice on plans. Project work is estimated and agreed before it starts.
Breadth vs depth: Focused depth for small teams: websites, search, email, listings, AI workflows and the security basics.
Reporting / visibility: Live task and time visibility in the client portal, plus a consolidated monthly report.
Best for: Small businesses that want senior hands-on help without hiring a full marketing team.

When you probably do not need us

The honest cases for choosing DIY or a bigger agency

You have more time than budget, and the work is still about learning what your customers respond to.

You already have a capable in-house marketer who needs tools, not another supplier.

You are planning national media, PR, broadcast creative or multi-market campaigns with heavy approval layers.

You need a single agency to cover every specialist discipline at enterprise scale.

When we are the right call

Where a small senior team earns its keep

You know marketing matters, but you need someone senior to turn it into shipped work each month.

Your website, listings, email, SEO and reporting are connected problems rather than separate supplier briefs.

You want plain task visibility, practical numbers and the freedom to stop with 30 days’ notice.

You need AI and automation used carefully in delivery, not sold as theatre.

FAQ

Questions, answered plainly

Is this page saying DIY is bad?

No. DIY is often the right first step. It keeps you close to customers and protects cash while you learn what works.

When would a bigger agency be better?

When the work needs national reach, large creative production, media buying scale or several specialist teams working at once.

How should I compare the cost?

Compare the cash cost, the management time, the contract risk and the speed to useful work. The cheapest option is not always the lowest total cost.

Still comparing?

Start with the numbers, then look at the work. If the fit is wrong, we will say so.

Start a conversation See pricing Explore services