I’m glad you asked. As you can imagine, it’s a difficult question to answer, because it depends! However, I’m happy to shed some light on the factors that cause the price to vary, because of course, pricing is an important piece of information that any business owner would want in order to make an educated decision. The following information should give you a ballpark idea of what to expect.
“Marketing” as a service term is extremely broad. It could mean graphic design of a brochure, or it could mean a mass media advertising campaign. My philosophy, and the Zeal process, is to always start with an evaluation and a Zealous Marketing Strategy™. That cost is guaranteed. What it costs going forward will be dependent on what it takes to execute that strategy.
If there’s a product or service you’d like pricing on that I don’t cover here, please reach out. I’ll be happy to respond and even add it to this page.
Marketing Strategy
Development of a strategy is the key to spending your marketing budget efficiently. As a business owner, the options are endless. How are you supposed to know what works? I provide a detailed strategy, which includes identifying goals, objectives, areas for development with recommendations, digital strategies, advertising, customer service initiatives, grassroots efforts, market research, competitor research, etc. My Zealous Marketing Strategy™ is typically 15-20 pages long.
Zealous Marketing Strategy™ design $1,500 – $3,000
This is a one-time project fee that depends on the complexity of the plan, number of service lines, number of locations, etc. The price is based on the estimated number of consulting hours.
Logo Design & Branding Services
Graphic design services are quoted based on the estimated number of hours to complete the project, multiplied by the freelancer’s hourly fee. I outsource my graphic design work to local freelancers, who are extremely talented and also cost efficient (low overhead).
Some clients I work with need a brand overhaul, while others just need to expand on what they’re already using with digital or print marketing. With that being said, every business needs some graphic design work, because consistency of brand execution is essential.
The following ranges can give you an idea of the cost for branding services:
Logo & Brand Guidelines $500 – $1,500
Project estimates are always provided with the scope of services and proposal before work begins.
Website Development
Having an attractive, easy-to-use, mobile responsive website is a necessity. Consumers do their research online, and your website is very often your first impression. As they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression!
Your brand should be extended through your website in both design and messaging. Additionally, the text on your website is used for search engines to produce organic search results, as well as educate people. What that means is the amount of text, the way it is written, and the way it is arranged is important.
Some websites need a little enhancement, while others need to be scrapped and started over. Depending on the scope of the project, it will require a team of freelance professionals. The team members that could be involved in the project are website design and production, photography, copy writing, graphic design and project management.
I combine all individual fees into one project fee to present to the client. The following projects with ranges will give you an idea of what to expect for website projects:
Copy Writing per page $50 – $100
Website Enhancement $500 – $2,500
Full Website Development $2,000 – $10,000
I will recommend the scope of the website development project within the full scope of the Zeal Marketing proposal.
Creative Projects
Most of the clients I work with require creative projects of some sort. Creative projects could be defined as the production of anything needed to execute the strategic plan.
Creative services are quoted based on the estimated number of hours to complete the project, multiplied by the freelancer’s hourly fee. I outsource my video production and copy writing work to local freelancers, who are extremely talented and also cost efficient (low overhead).
Every business needs some creative project work to execute the strategies outlined in the strategic plan. Extending the same look or campaign over multiple pieces ends up costing less per piece, because the hard work of the concept development and messaging only has to happen once.
Video Production
Like anything else, the scope of the video product can vary drastically. Some factors that impact the price are: production quality, intensity of pre-production process, script writing, length of final product, intended use, hired talent fees, editing time, and number of production days.
I produce any of the following types of videos for my clients:
- YouTube, social media videos (length 1-3 minutes)
- Website content videos (length 1-3 minutes)
- TV commercial (:30 seconds)
- Branding video (length varies)
The intended use and desired quality of the video will determine what freelancers we need to complete the project.
Print Materials
Print materials could include brochures, rack cards, posters, post cards, invitations, etc. Typically, marketing collateral production requires project management, graphic design, and copy writing work.
The factors that may impact the price of print products include: concept development process, size of the piece, length (number of pages), number of pieces included in the scope, quantity of pieces to be printed, quality of pieces (type of paper, how it is printed), and postage costs.
Digital Creative
Creative projects could also include digital creative, like email templates, social media graphics, online ads, etc. Most of these projects will require graphic design and potentially copy writing.
Advertising
Some Zealous Marketing Strategies™ will include advertising to increase brand awareness or promote special offers. There are a lot of options for advertising, but typically my recommendation is a layered approach, which means using more than one type of media.
Advertising comes in the form of traditional mass media advertising and online advertising. The cost of advertising depends on how large the target audience is and how frequently the ads need to run to be effective.
Traditional Advertising
- Television
- Radio
- Billboard
- Direct Mail
Digital Advertising
- Social Media – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
- Pay Per Click (Search Engine Marketing)
- Retargeting
- Display Ads
Traditional Advertising Budget $2,000 – $20,000/month
Digital Advertising Budget $50 – $5,000/month
Digital advertising is cheaper than traditional advertising and can be more targeted. Traditional advertising can be more cost efficient when you need to hit a large audience.
While it might be enticing to buy whatever the local media rep is offering, I highly recommend having a strategy outlined first. The strategy may in fact include that particular media! A marketing strategy will ensure that your budget is used efficiently and that it is working effectively to achieve your goals. I have relationships with local media reps and will work them to ensure everyone wins.
Ongoing Content Development
Continuously developing good content for your website is essential. Not only does it portray your brand as honest and relatable, it also promotes your website in organic search engine results. Content can exist in the form of blog posts, video, and/or web page content.
Content Development $200 – $1,000/month
Typically, I would offer content development as part of a monthly management fee. The cost would be based on the number of blog posts or videos produced per month.
Ongoing Marketing Management
Marketing management is an optional Zeal consulting service. Typically, clients retain Zeal to execute the Zealous Marketing Strategy™. Small businesses often need the manpower of a consultant to relieve their staff. Other times, my expertise makes a necessity to keep me on the team.
The cost of a monthly marketing retainer depends on the scope of the work involved. I base my retainer prices on my estimated hours per month, plus the hours of any freelancers providing ongoing work.
Marketing Management Fee $500 – $5,000/month
Ongoing services can include the following and will be outlined in each prospective client’s proposal for marketing services:
- Brand Oversight
- Project Management
- Freelancer Management
- Implementation of Strategic Initiatives
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Training
- Social Media Oversight
- Social Media Management
- Advertising Management
- Video Production
- Content Development
- Website Maintenance
- Special Event Planning (could require additional fee depending on the scope)
- Weekly Status Updates
- Monthly Meetings
Reach Out for a Project Quote!
In order to provide an accurate price quote for a project, I will need to fully understand the scope of work. If you are interested in learning more about a specific project, I invite you to reach out!