How Much Does Marketing Agency Cost? Hourly vs. Packaged

The startup or small business management team must understand marketing agency costs.

Learn how much a marketing agency costs. Hourly vs. Packaged

Our Denver digital marketing agency billing at Matrix Marketing Group has been disruptive.

However, we have yet to settle on one pricing model. Our clients drive it. But the most popular model in our annual programs by far.

We price our services on how you want them to be priced.

Let’s find out why.

You just landed your dream marketing director job and have been tasked with a big project to drive more leads for your sales team. 

You might have some marketing staff, but what the marketing team has been doing is not working. Your web traffic has been flat, and you’re not getting many leads from the website.

You could do some growth hacking and figure it out yourself. Or you could search for a digital marketing agency that can help you get your business objective much quicker and cheaper.

If you go the outsourcing marketing route, you should go slow and make the right selection.

Hiring a digital marketing agency is a big deal. You must make sure they can help you with your problem.

As a professional ski instructor, luck me, right? You bet. So, when I see another instructor who could help their student achieve their goal differently, I’ll tell them in the locker room.

Because if you miss the correct skiing fundamentals, your progress will be hindered in the beginning. Have you ever tried to break a bad habit? 

Do you golf? Any bad habits?

Because, like in skiing, if your digital marketing agency takes you down the road for 12 months, they better get it right. If the front end of the marketing program is not done correctly, you will experience waste throughout the whole process. Try to avoid that.

The marketing agency billing structure should allow for addressing your problem.

Sure, everyone wants a quick home run, but most marketing takes time. You must develop products customers want and the right messaging to drive a business or sales response. 

You need a marketing firm that understands your revenue model and customers, maps out the buyer’s journey, and activates lead generation campaigns. Easy right? Okay, I’ll bite. Tell me at @gschildge

Think about 10 personas and 18 different buyers’ journeys. So now you have to map the sales cycle, gate the sales process, add metrics, test with live content, look over the data, analyze it, and adapt until you are ready to scale.

You need about 1,000 responses for anything to be statistically significant. When was the last time you ran a multi-channel, multi-variant test? What were the results?

Although many of our clients want us to build them hourly, these are small projects, and the more common model is a monthly fee that lasts for 12 months or more.

When I was on the other side of the desk, I recall hiring traditional marketing agencies in traditional PR firms. They would charge me a flat rate of over $195 per hour and bill me in quarter-hour increments. 

So, the flat rate I paid was the same hourly rate for all the personnel, from junior to senior. I’m sure they went through some cost analysis to come up with this blended rate of $225 an hour, but I’ll tell you, when I asked for reports, they always seemed to scramble.

I worked with some PR agencies and used a tiered rate model billing system. So, if I was talking to the senior person of the organization, I might pay $350 an hour, or if I’m paying somebody to write a press release maybe paying them about $200 an hour.

The marketing firm tracks their hours and what they are doing. If not, the model breaks down quickly. 

Marketing people work in an environment where there are a lot of interruptions. Therefore, tracking time is sometimes not the most important to them. I call this the unintended lie. It may or may not be intentional. So why risk it? You don’t have to.

The cost of a marketing agency can vary greatly depending on many factors, including the size and experience of the agency, the specific services it offers, and the agency’s location. However, marketing agencies can generally cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars monthly. An agency with AI is of more value in governance and affordability.

Here are some of the factors that can affect the cost of a marketing agency:

• Size and experience: Larger and more experienced agencies typically charge more than smaller and less experienced agencies.
• Specific services: An agency’s specific services can also affect the cost. For example, an agency that offers a full range of marketing services, such as social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, will typically charge more than an agency that only offers a few specific services.
• Location: The location of the agency can also affect the cost. Agencies located in major cities typically charge more than agencies located in smaller towns or rural areas.

Here are some examples of the average cost of different marketing services:

• Social media marketing: $5,000-18,000 per month
• SEO: $4,000-12,000 per month
• PPC advertising: $5,000-100,000 per month
• Content marketing: $5,000-20,000 per month
• Email marketing: $4,500-19,000 per month

It is important to note that these are just average costs, and the actual cost of a marketing agency can vary greatly depending on the factors mentioned above. It is always best to get quotes from several agencies before deciding.

When choosing a marketing agency, it is important to consider the following factors:

• The agency’s experience and expertise: Make sure the agency has experience in the specific marketing services you need.
• The agency’s track record: Ask the agency for references and testimonials from past clients.
• The agency’s communication style: Make sure you are comfortable with how the agency communicates with you.
• The agency’s pricing: Make sure you are comfortable with the agency’s pricing.

Choosing the right marketing agency can be a big decision. By carefully considering the abovementioned factors, you can find an agency to help you achieve your marketing goals.

Weigh Your Options with Marketing Firm Cost

Many marketing agencies bill clients using an outdated method that rewards ineffectual behavior. Traditional billable hours are flawed; the agency and the client suffer because of this substandard billing. 

Moving towards a progressive, flat fee billing method results in positive changes for the agency and its clients.

Traditional Marketing Agency Billing

Traditional marketing agencies bill using an hourly rate. The rate might be a blended rate at $250 per hour or a tiered hourly rate.

The rate varies based on which of the marketing agency’s employees is servicing the client’s account, resulting in a tiered rate system. 

This tiered-rate system is priced based on the agency’s cost. The agency calculates the costs associated with a particular job and then adds a suitable markup.

Problems with Traditional Marketing Agency Cost Structures

Traditional billable hours are flawed because of several issues. The first problem is that it overlooks inefficiency and can even promote unproductive, intentional or unintentional work behavior.

It does not motivate marketing agency employees to minimize distractions, maintain accurate time tracking, or adhere to cost-effective work habits. Clients should not have to worry about the efficiency of their marketing agency’s employees.

The second reason traditional billable hours are flawed is that conventional billing is unpredictable. Clients are provided an estimate that can vary based on how much labor they associate with the task. 

Clients may be dissatisfied when their bill is significantly more than estimated.

A final complication is that traditional billing is lacking in transparency. Clients know they are billed by the hour but do not understand what work is performed for their account. Non-transparent billing can lead to trust issues between the client and the marketing agency.

A New Marketing Agency Fee Structure

There is a new model that is predictable and transparent. The billing method is a consistent monthly rate (or subscription), eliminating several issues associated with conventional billing. 

Matrix Marketing Group uses this approach based on the value we provide to the client rather than on associated costs. To do so, we charge a flat rate that includes many marketing tasks that we feel can offer significant lasting value for our clients. 

Benefits from effective marketing techniques are realized over time rather than all at once.

There are tiered billing models suitable for different-sized businesses and are aligned with the company’s growth goals. The entry-level package is ideal for small businesses with a limited marketing budget. 

The mid-level package is attractive for small to mid-sized businesses wanting to grow. The final package is appealing to businesses striving for ambitious revenue growth.

That said, the digital marketing agency still must adhere to a tight project schedule. And make sure you add metrics to your project.

Why do Marketing Package Billing Methods Make Sense?

The fixed-price billing method is transparent. Clients know what their rate includes and what services they can expect. They do not have to concern themselves with scope creep or pay additional hours for the marketing agency to complete a task. 

The hybrid marketing agency billing models are all-inclusive.

Also, clients don’t have to worry about a fluctuating billable rate if it requires a more specialized staff member. Regardless of who works on their account, they get the expected product at the same rate.

Billing based on value gives clients predictability. Traditional billable hours are flawed in part due to their variability. Predictability is vital for small or new businesses with a limited marketing budget. 

The company’s marketing package is the rate they pay for the agency’s services. No last-minute surprises may cause the client to rethink working with the agency.

With fixed monthly costs, efficiency and strong work habits are encouraged. The firm bills the same, regardless of how many hours a project requires. This eliminates any incentive to work at a less than-timely rate. 

Employees with superb work behavior are not punished under our model. They bill the same amount as an employee who takes twice as long to accomplish a task.

If you are an agency reading this, get this problem corrected quickly. We use many training elements, but the staff loves guided micro-learning modules. Trust me, it works, making the certification process a snap. 

Traditional billable hours are flawed; this outdated model can drive clients away. 

Matrix Marketing Group’s progressive billing system makes our marketing services more affordable, drawing in more clients. 

Clients understand the billing method and are more satisfied with our digital marketing services. After all, do you care how the donut is made? Or do you want a donut?

We focus on what value our marketing services add by using flat-fee pricing that applauds an efficient work environment.

The digital marketing landscape is changing quickly. A training program is essential to keep your staff up-to-date with micro-training, webinars, conferences, and more.

Wrap-up on Marketing Agency Cost and Service Programs

The cost of a marketing agency may not be cheap, but can pay off hugely. Hiring a full-time marketing staff is even more expensive.

Marketing agency billing must align with what must be done to meet client expectations.

If you engage with a digital marketing agency, you should bet some quick wins within a month, but the real leads start to flow around month six, and around nine to twelve, marketing becomes free.

As we say in the ski business, go with the PRO!

Are you serious about considering outsourcing some of your marketing? 

Check out our white paper to help you build your business case.

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