Marketing Agency Pricing Calculator
Estimate marketing agency retainer costs based on services needed, ad spend, content volume, and company size.
Service Breakdown
Estimated Monthly Retainer
$275/mo discount for 6-month commitment
Agency Fees (6 months)
$31,200
Ad Spend (6 months)
$60,000
Total Investment
$91,200
Estimates based on industry averages. Actual pricing varies by agency expertise, location, and scope. Most agencies require minimum 3-month commitments.
How to Use This Calculator
Select the marketing services you need - SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing, email, and/or branding strategy.
If you selected PPC, enter your monthly ad spend budget. Management fees are typically 10-20% of spend.
If you selected content marketing, choose your content volume (blog posts per month) to adjust pricing.
Select your company size and preferred contract length. Longer commitments often include discounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a marketing agency charge per month?
Marketing agency retainers typically range from $2,500-$25,000+ per month depending on services. SEO-only engagements start around $1,500-$3,000/month, while full-service digital marketing (SEO, PPC, social, content) runs $5,000-$15,000/month for SMBs and $15,000-$50,000+ for mid-market companies.
What is a typical PPC management fee?
PPC management fees are typically 15-20% of ad spend for budgets under $10,000/month, 10-15% for $10,000-$50,000, and 8-10% for $50,000+. Most agencies have a minimum management fee of $500-$1,000/month regardless of spend. This covers strategy, optimization, reporting, and ongoing management.
What should be included in a marketing retainer?
A comprehensive marketing retainer should include: strategic planning and counsel, monthly reporting and analytics, regular optimization work, creative/content production (amount varies by budget), and dedicated account management. Clarify exactly what deliverables are included before signing.
How much does SEO cost from an agency?
SEO services typically cost $1,500-$5,000/month for local SEO, $3,000-$10,000/month for national SEO, and $5,000-$20,000+/month for enterprise or highly competitive industries. This includes technical SEO, content optimization, link building, and monthly reporting.
Is it worth hiring a marketing agency vs in-house?
Agencies provide diverse expertise, established tools/processes, and flexibility without HR overhead. A full marketing team in-house (manager, content, paid media, design) costs $300,000-$500,000+/year. An agency at $10,000-$20,000/month ($120,000-$240,000/year) provides similar capabilities more cost-effectively for most SMBs.
How long does it take to see results from a marketing agency?
Timeline varies by channel: PPC can show results within 2-4 weeks, social media engagement within 1-2 months, SEO typically takes 4-6 months for meaningful ranking improvements, and content marketing builds momentum over 6-12 months. Set realistic expectations based on your channel mix.
What contract length should I expect?
Most agencies require 3-6 month minimum commitments. Month-to-month is rare and typically comes with premium pricing. Annual contracts often include 5-10% discounts. For SEO and content marketing, longer commitments make sense since results compound over time.
Why Use This Calculator
- Calculate costs for multiple marketing services at once
- See how ad spend affects total investment
- Understand management fee structures
- Compare pricing by company size and contract length
- Get a detailed breakdown by service area
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