If you’re in the process of choosing a marketing agency or consultant, you will eventually need to enter into a marketing fee agreement. Typically, you either pay a monthly retainer fee or a project-by-project fee. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each should help you decide what suits you best.

A quick guide to the marketing retainer:

1. What is a marketing retainer?
2. How does a marketing retainer agreement work?
3. The benefits to both parties of a marketing retainer
   
   

A quick guide to paying with a project-by-project fee

1. What is a marketing project-by-project fee?
2. How does a marketing project-by-project fee work?
3. The benefits of using a marketing project-by-project fee
   
   

Choosing the fee that suits you best

The type of marketing fee you decide on (retainer vs. project) will depend on what you need to accomplish. Let’s look at some key points to help you determine which might be best for your business.

Three reasons to choose a marketing retainer:

If you meet one of the following three criteria, you should consider entering a marketing agency retainer agreement.

1. You require a broad range of services.
2. Your timeline is longer than six months
3. You need your work prioritised
   
   

Two reasons to choose a project-by-project fee:

The following two criteria may indicate that you should opt for a project fee.

1. This is a one-time project
2. You require short-term deliverables
   
   

The best decisions are usually made when you have all the facts, so I hope you’ll find this useful when deciding what to do.