How Much Does Digital Marketing Cost
The boring intro
Trying to get more leads, but not sure how much digital marketers are charging these days? Yeah… you’re not alone.
We all know that if you want to grow, you’ve got to invest. You can’t scale on wishful thinking alone.
But the big question is: how much you gotta invest?
Is it going to break the bank? Are we talking an arm, a leg—or both? And is there any way to get solid digital marketing without torching your entire budget?
Let’s break it down and take a real look at what digital marketers are charging today and more importantly what you should be doing to get the best bang outta your buck!
So, how much should digital marketing costs?
Asking how much digital marketing services cost is like asking a contractor, “How much to build my dream house?” You’ll get a dozen different bids, all wildly different—for the same project.
Why?
Because digital marketing isn’t cookie-cutter solution. There are so many moving parts—SEO, content, ads, website design, funnels, email sequences, follow-ups, retargeting… the list goes on and on and on.
And each agency has their own way of doing things, their own systems, tools, and strategies.
But here’s the kicker: Unlike buying a physical product, where you know exactly what you're getting—digital marketing is buying a promise. A maybe. A "we'll try our best."
There’s no guaranteed outcome. And let’s be real — this industry is filled with broken promises.
That’s why so many small business owners end up jaded. They invest in marketing hoping for growth… and instead walk away feeling scammed, confused, and burned.
Now, of course, there are good marketers out there.
cough cough …ME.
But seriously—here’s the point I’m trying to make: Instead of obsessing over “how much does digital marketing cost,” you should really be asking: “How are the good marketers doing it?”
What are the ones with real results actually offering? How do they structure things? What’s their process?
But before even that, there’s a more important question to answer: “What is the realistic goal I’m trying to achieve?”
Because if you don’t have that figured out, you’re walking into the wild west.
That’s when marketers start throwing all kinds of tactics and shiny things at you—
“You need SEO!”
“No, you need Facebook ads!”
“Wait, what about a funnel?”
Here’s something you need to understand: Marketers are also professional salespeople. Or maybe more accurately... slick salespeople.
A lot of marketing agencies have entire rooms full of trained closers—ready to sell you the next “game-changing” package that’s supposedly going to turn your business into the next big success story.
And you know what?
They’re really good at making you believe it.
Just stop and think for a second: If every digital marketer out there had a proven, winning strategy Wouldn’t every business be thriving right now? Wouldn’t leads be flowing like water?
Let’s be real—if I told you there was a slot machine you could throw money into and win every time, everyone would be lined up at that machine, walking away rich.
But that’s not reality. The truth is, a lot of marketers are selling hope. They're selling dreams. And many of them? Aren’t delivering.
Because if they were… We’d all be rolling in leads—and none of us would be having this conversation.
That's why you need a goal. Without a goal you have no direction and destination. With out a goal you are flow where the wind blows. But with a goal, you have a solid understanding of what you want.
Once you know what you want, you can ask the right question:
“How will you, Mr. or Ms. Digital Marketer, help me achieve this?”
That flips the power dynamic. Now you’re in control. You’re not buying hype—you’re hiring a strategy to hit your outcome.
Alright—now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a look at what digital marketers are actually charging out here.
What Are Digital Marketers Pricing Today?
Here are all the different type of packages that digital marketers can sell today and their average pricing. I asked chat GPT to do this for me, and you could have done so too. But I'm sure you're not here to really see what digital marketer are charging, but to see how you can achieve your goals and how to find the right digital marketer to help you.
1. SEO Packages
Includes:
On-page SEO (meta tags, header structure, internal linking)
Off-page SEO (backlink building)
Keyword research
Local SEO (Google Business Profile, citations)
Technical SEO audit
Monthly reporting
Average Pricing:
Basic: $300–$700/month
Standard: $800–$1,500/month
Advanced/Enterprise: $2,000–$5,000+/month
2. Social Media Marketing (SMM) Bundles
Includes:
Content creation (graphics, captions, hashtags)
Posting to platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.)
Engagement (comments, DMs)
Social media strategy and calendar
Paid ad management (sometimes separate)
Average Pricing:
Basic (2–3 platforms, 8–12 posts/month): $300–$700/month
Full Management + Strategy: $1,000–$3,000/month
With Ad Spend Management: $1,500–$5,000+/month
3. PPC (Google/Facebook Ads) Management Bundles
Includes:
Campaign setup and strategy
Ad copywriting and creative
Landing page optimization
A/B testing
Monthly reporting
Average Pricing:
Freelancers/Small Agencies: $500–$1,500/month
Mid-Level Agencies: $1,500–$5,000/month
Enterprise-level (High Ad Spend): 10–20% of ad spend (minimum fees often $2,000–$5,000)
4. Content Marketing Bundles
Includes:
Blog writing (SEO-optimized)
Email newsletters
Lead magnets (eBooks, PDFs)
Content strategy
Average Pricing:
Basic (2–4 blog posts/month): $500–$1,000/month
Full Strategy + Execution: $1,500–$4,000/month
5. Website + Funnel Creation Bundles
Includes:
Website or landing page design
Sales funnels
Copywriting
SEO setup
CRM integration
Optional: Chatbot, automation, email flows
Average Pricing:
Basic Website (5 pages): $1,000–$2,500 (one-time)
Website + Funnels + Automation: $2,000–$10,000 (one-time)
Subscription-Based (like yours): $500–$2,000/month with setup fee
6. Email Marketing & Automation Bundles
Includes:
Email sequence setup (welcome series, abandoned cart, etc.)
Newsletter campaigns
List segmentation
Platform setup (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, etc.)
Average Pricing:
Setup + 2-4 campaigns/month: $500–$1,500/month
With automation and flows: $1,000–$3,000+/month
7. All-in-One Digital Marketing Retainers
Includes:
SEO + SMM + PPC + Email + Strategy
Often includes reporting dashboard and full funnel management
Average Pricing:
Small Biz Package: $2,000–$5,000/month
Mid-size Company: $5,000–$15,000/month
High-End/Enterprise: $15,000–$50,000+/month
Add-On Services (Sometimes Bundled):
Branding / logo design ($500–$3,000 one-time)
Video editing ($300–$1,500/month or per project)
AI chatbot or CRM integration ($500–$3,000 setup + monthly)
Reputation management ($500–$2,000/month)
Dang. I don't know if you see it but there are so many marketing packages out there to choose from.
So here’s the interesting question: Which and how many of these packages will you need to get the results you want?
Let’s say you want three different services—like web design, SEO, and email marketing. Are these marketers going to charge you individually for each one? Or will they actually build you a custom package that makes sense for your needs?
Because honestly, custom just makes more sense. Everything in marketing is connected.
A solid website needs SEO. Your SEO traffic should be captured and nurtured—hello, email marketing.
It’s all part of the same machine.
So why break it up and overcharge for every little piece?
If you’re serious about results, a smart, bundled package tailored to your goals is hands down the best move.
How Should You Shop For Digital Marketing Services?
Alright, remember when I said you have to start with a realistic goal?
Good.
Now let's get deep.
Because here’s the deal: The best way to hit a target… is to aim directly at it.
Your goal is that target.
And every marketing move you make should be driving straight toward it.
But here’s the key: your goal has to be realistic.
It can’t be some massive, moonshot dream like “I want to double my business in 30 days with a $500 budget.”
Not even the best marketer in the world can pull that off.
Growth isn’t magic—it’s momentum. Step by step. Strategy by strategy.
Set a clear, achievable goal that moves you forward.
Not too small that it feels like you’re throwing money into a black hole...
But not so big that it’s completely out of reach.
A lot of businesses get stuck here.
They spend thousands on marketing—only to feel like they’re just barely breaking even.
They win a little, but not enough to feel like it was worth the cost.
That’s when frustration kicks in. That’s when people start saying “marketing doesn’t work.”
But the truth is—it does work. You just need the right goals and the right strategy to match.
So when you’re buying a digital marketing package, it shouldn’t be some generic, one-size-fits-all deal.
It should be built around your goal. Period.
Now ask yourself: What’s the best way to hit that goal? Is it running Google Ads for a month or two?
Cool—how much will that cost? And what’s the realistic return?
Or maybe it’s playing the long game—investing in local SEO and organic visibility.
Slower? Sure.
But maybe that’s what sets you up for sustainable growth.
The point is: your strategy needs to match your goal.
Otherwise, you’re just throwing money at tactics and hoping something sticks.
How Do I Price My Services
Simple.
You give me your goal.
Tell me exactly how many leads you want—per month, per quarter—whatever your target is. Be specific.
From there, I reverse-engineer a strategy built to hit that number.
I’ll show you exactly how your website will look.
I’ll tell you how many pages it needs, what content goes where, and why.
I’ll lay out the email marketing plan—what the drip sequence looks like, how many emails go out, and what each one is designed to do.
And here’s the part most marketers don’t talk about:
I track everything.
You’ll get clear, detailed reports showing what’s working, what needs adjusting, and where every lead is coming from.
No guessing. No fluff. Just results you can see.
Everything is custom, everything is goal-driven—and you’ll always know where your investment is going.
And, the cliff notes of all this
You're speaking directly to business owners—especially those selling high-ticket services—who are tired of marketing fluff, empty promises, and lead generation that goes nowhere. Your message is clear: most digital marketing is overpriced, overhyped, and underdelivers.
You break down the reality that marketing today isn’t like it used to be. Old-school lead gen—flyers, directories, TV ads, word of mouth—is fading fast. Digital is the future, but even that’s full of noise. Marketers are often just slick salespeople, selling hope without strategy or accountability.
Your solution?
Goal-first marketing. You don’t just sell services—you build custom strategies around specific, realistic goals. You ask your clients exactly how many leads they want, then reverse-engineer the tools and tactics needed to hit that number. Whether it’s web design, SEO, or email marketing, everything you offer is intentional, connected, and built for results.
At the end of the day, your message is this:
Stop asking "how much does marketing cost?"
Start asking, "how are the right marketers helping businesses actually grow?"
My time to shine!
Do you want a custom marketing package? Don't want a digital marketer that just charges you randomly for whatever package they think you need? Get in touch with me here: the best marketing agency you will hire. 😅😅😅
