Hey there,

Are you thinking of hiring a digital marketing retainer to boost your business?

Wondering how it works and its benefits?

Or maybe you’re just curious about this whole concept.

No worries, I’ll explain it all!

• Table of contents-
• What is a Retainer in Digital Marketing?
• Example
• How Does It Work?
• Benefits
• Drawbacks
• Case Study
• Retainer Fee
• Monthly retainer vs. One-time
• Is It right for your business?
• Conclusion
• FAQs

In this blog, I’ll break down the digital marketing retainership in simple terms.

I’ll cover what it is, how it differs from one-time projects, and the value it brings. Discover how a retainer can save you time, energy, and money while providing a better ROI. By the end, you’ll know if a marketing retainer is right for your business.

Let’s dive in!

What is a Retainer in Digital Marketing?

A digital marketing retainer is a long-term agreement between your business and a skilled marketing professional (or agency).

This expert will handle your online marketing efforts continuously for a pre-decided period of time.

For instance, you can hire a marketer offering a comprehensive marketing package for a 6-month period, paying $2000 each month. They will manage everything from websites to social media and ads.

Another example is hiring a social media manager to handle all aspects of your social media presence.

Essentially, this professional will work as an extension of your team. 

A marketing retainer is like an all-in-one package offered by marketing agencies or consultants to help with digital marketing. It can include a selection of ongoing services like strategy development, social media management, SEO, PPC advertising, and analytics.

But here’s the cool thing: it’s not just limited to all-in-one packages. You can also have a Digital Marketing Retainer specifically tailored to just one service. For example, if you only need SEO help, you can have an SEO on retainer. Or if you want to focus on social media, you can have social media management on retainer. It’s all about flexibility and choosing what suits your business’s specific needs and budget. So, you get the exact services you need without any unnecessary extras.

This type of arrangement is often an excellent option for businesses that need ongoing marketing support but lack the time or expertise to manage their campaigns themselves. 

Example of a Digital Marketing Monthly Retainer

Picture this-

As a dermatologist, you hire a marketer on a retainer basis for a 9-month agreement.

With the expert handling all the marketing tasks, you can now devote your time to taking care of patients, without worrying about managing social media account, website queries and all such online stuff.

With the weight of marketing tasks lifted off your shoulders, you are fully focused on what you do best. That is to treat your patients.

Meanwhile, the marketer, with right skills, diligently works behind the scenes to enhance your online presence and attract more potential clients.

During the 9-month retainer agreement, the marketer implements a comprehensive strategy tailored to your clinic’s unique needs. 

They optimize your website to rank higher in relevant skincare searches on Google, making it easier for people to find and connect with you.

They also handle your social media accounts, posting interesting and helpful content that educates and entertains your followers who are interested in skincare. They engage with your followers in a friendly and timely manner, building a strong bond with them.

Moreover, the marketing expert uses online ads to find people who may need your skincare services, making sure your money is well-spent and you get good results.

They also send newsletters to your current clients with helpful skincare tips and special deals. 

This keeps your clients happy and coming back for more, and they might even tell their friends about you!

As time goes by, you start seeing some amazing stuff happening with the digital marketing retainer. Your website gets loads more visitors, and more people book appointments with you. Your social media presence just takes off, and now you have a bunch of people following you and loving what you share about skincare!

People see you as the go-to expert in skincare, and that’s why more local patients come to you for help.

You have seen a significant increase in new clients, and your regulars are sticking around.

You are so pleased with the results of these monthly services that you decide to continue working with the marketer and renew your contract. Who wouldn’t?

How Does It Work? What’s the Process?

1. When you decide to work with a digital marketing retainer, the process typically starts with a discovery call. The marketer and you will have a discussion on business goals, target audience, your pain points and marketing needs. 
2. They’ll develop a customized proposal and share how they can help.
3. Once you decide to work with each other, they will share the action plan and all the tasks they are going to perform each week and each month.
4. Once the plan is in place, the retainer team will start implementing the agreed-upon strategies. 
5. They’ll regularly communicate with you to keep you informed about progress and any necessary adjustments. 

The focus is on achieving long-term growth and results by consistently optimizing your marketing efforts.

The benefits of using a digital marketing retainer

1. Peace of mind: When you have a digital marketing retainer, you can rest assured that your marketing is in good hands. Also read – 5 Reasons Why Outsourcing Your Digital Marketing Makes Sense. You won’t have to worry about coming up with new ideas, managing campaigns, or tracking results. Your focus can remain fully on the core business operations, while the marketer takes responsibility for delivering marketing results.
2. More Clients: By continuously engaging with the target audience through various channels, a business can attract and retain a larger customer base. Regularly reaching out to potential customers keeps the brand top of mind and enhances customer loyalty.
3. More Conversions: Consistent efforts allow businesses to fine-tune their marketing approach based on real-time data and customer feedback. This leads to more effective campaigns and optimized conversion rates, converting leads into paying customers.
4. Low Cost Per Clicks: As a result of ongoing optimization, campaigns become more relevant and targeted. This relevance often translates to higher click-through rates (CTR) and lower CPC, making Ads (facebook ads, instagram ads, google ads, etc.) more cost-efficient.
5. Low Cost to Convert a Customer: With consistent marketing efforts, businesses build brand recognition and trust over time. This trust reduces the cost to convert a customer, as prospects are more likely to engage and transact with a familiar and reliable brand.
6. Improved Rankings: Continuous SEO efforts lead to improved organic search rankings. As a website gains authority and visibility, it attracts more organic traffic, reducing the need for paid advertising in the long run.
7. Greater Long-Term Value: A retainer ensures a steady stream of marketing activities, leading to long-term success and growth. Businesses that invest in consistent marketing efforts build a solid foundation for sustained success in their industry.
8. Guaranteed Availability: With a retainer-based strategy, you gain a dedicated marketer who treats your business as their own. They provide unwavering support, quick issue resolution, and a passion for your success, all at a fraction of the cost of an in-house team.

The drawbacks of using a digital marketing retainer

Fixed Commitment: Signing a retainer contract means committing to a fixed duration of services, which may not align with your business’s fluctuating needs or budget.

Initial Cost: While a retainer can be cost-effective in the long run, the higher upfront investment might pose a financial challenge for businesses with limited budgets.

Scope Limitations: Retainers often come with predefined services, potentially leaving out critical aspects of your evolving marketing needs. Expanding the scope within a retainer agreement might lead to extra costs or require separate negotiations.

Real Life Success Story with Retainer Services

To better understand the impact of a marketing retainer, let’s consider a real-life success story with “menPsyche.” As the dedicated SEO expert for “menPsyche,” I collaborated closely with them, providing comprehensive online assistance. Within just 6 months, we achieved astounding results. Their domain authority, which started from zero, soared to an impressive 21. Through a well-crafted SEO strategy, we secured rankings on Google for 15 relevant keywords, gaining increased visibility and organic traffic. Their posts have garnered over 300+ social shares.

Additionally, our efforts in the “men blogs” niche garnered the attention of veteran fellow bloggers who mentioned “menPsyche” in their blogs, providing valuable exposure for free.

One of the key factors contributing to this remarkable success was the digital marketing retainer they opted for. The retainer, not only focused on SEO but also included website design, social media strategy, and overall online management. By bundling these services under a single retainer, “menPsyche” enjoyed enhanced cost-effectiveness, getting multiple services at a fixed monthly cost. This approach allowed us to benefit from a holistic and cohesive marketing strategy, with expert guidance and support every step of the way. As a result, “menPsyche” witnessed exponential growth, established a prominent online presence, and emerged as a leading force in the “men blogs” niche.

Digital Marketing Retainer Fee

The digital marketing retainer fee can differ depending on what you need and how big your business is. 

Make sure to work with someone upfront about the cost and who can give you real value. If you’re interested, reach out to get custom price package.

Digital marketing monthly retainer vs. One-Time Project

When it comes to digital marketing services, clients often have two options: a monthly retainer or a one-time project. Each option has its own advantages and is suitable for different scenarios. Let’s explore the differences between the two:

Aspect	Monthly Retainer	One-Time Project
Duration	Ongoing agreement	Single, fixed scope of work
Payment	Recurring monthly fee	One-time upfront payment
Scope of Work	Continuous support and services	Specific, isolated task
Services	Diverse, ongoing marketing efforts	Task-based (e.g., website design, social media campaign)
Advantages	Consistent progress & improvements	Cost-effective for short-term goals
Relationship	Closer working relationship	Transactional interaction
Suitable For	Long-term marketing needs	Short-term, project-specific goals
Flexibility	Easily adaptable over time	Fixed and limited scope
Budget	Ongoing cost	Upfront, single payment

How to decide if a digital marketing retainer is right for your business

Ask yourself-

1. What are your marketing goals?

Example: Our main marketing goals are to increase brand awareness and drive more traffic to our website. We’ve been looking to expand our online presence and reach a larger audience.

2. How much can you afford to spend on marketing?

Example: We have a monthly budget of $2,000 set aside for marketing activities. It’s a considerable amount for us, but we want to invest wisely to see tangible results.

3. Do you have the time to manage your own marketing campaigns?

Example: Honestly, we can’t do it on our own because we’re too busy with other stuff. And marketing is just one more thing on our plate. 

4. Write any other pain points

Example: It’s tough to give it the attention it needs. And even if we do, we are not getting any output.  Everything we have tried with our little knowledge so far has given us nothing. It’s frustrating.

Once you think about all these things, you’ll probably figure out if a retainer works for you or not. 

But regardless, make sure to reach out to an expert. Share your problems. Ask for their suggestions. And then make a decision. 

Conclusion

Congratulations on reaching the end of this guide! I want to acknowledge the challenges you’ve been facing with your marketing efforts. It’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed, and getting results through digital marketing is not as easy as it may seem.

I hope this guide has provided clarity on what a retainer in digital marketing is and whether you might need it in the future. The great thing is that a digital marketing retainer is designed to ease those pain points and make your life simpler.

However, it’s crucial not to forget that finding the right retainer partner can make all the difference. One bad experience can hold you back from hiring someone again. So, take your time to consider all factors before making a decision.

For your marketing needs, I’d love to work with you. Feel free to reach out.

Frequently Asked Questions