Ways to work together
An external senior marketer for your business
Strategy, execution and team leadership in an agreed monthly scope. Without the cost of an in-house hire and without lock-in.
When a retainer makes sense
It makes sense if
- marketing runs, but nobody watches whether it brings money,
- you have a junior team or an agency and they lack senior direction,
- you do not want to pay a senior marketer full time,
- you want the numbers watched continuously, not once a year at budgeting.
Probably not if
- you need a one-off deliverable with a deadline. That is a project.
- you are only looking for hands to produce banners and posts without being able to move the direction.
- you want me to take responsibility for sales and the sales team.
A retainer is not a subscription to hours. It is an agreement that someone looks after the direction of your marketing continuously, and that it shows in the numbers. When needed, execution can be added, more below.
What a retainer solves
Depending on what your marketing should change. Behind every number is a long-term engagement.
01 · Earn more
Continuously looking for the next source of growth. New segments, offer, price and channels that get tested and evaluated, not guessed.
From a real engagement
Garden design: from a one-person business to a company booked a year ahead. Eighth year of 30 %+ growth.
02 · Waste less
Someone who asks month after month what actually earned. Campaigns, channels and budget tuned against the numbers.
From a real engagement
Business services: a loss-making division turned to +62 % profitability year over year.
03 · Move faster
The team stops waiting for decisions. Briefs are clear, priorities named and the agency knows what to do.
From a real engagement
Tools for craftsmen: online revenue +48 %, brand search +86 % year over year.
In a long-term engagement the acquisition system is not built all at once. We take it part by part, from acquisition through follow-up to loyalty, and open the next one only once the previous one works.
What a retainer includes
Includes
- A monthly scope agreed up front, in topics and in time
- Continuous tracking of the numbers and evaluating what brings money
- Briefing and leading the work of your team or agency
- A regular call where we go through what is happening and what is next
- Availability between calls for quick questions
- Ongoing corrections to campaigns and offer based on results
Not in the base scope
- Campaign management and media buying. Can be added, see below.
- SEO and content execution. Can be added too.
- Day-to-day production of creative, copy and video
- Responsibility for the sales team and closing deals
- Unlimited availability. The scope is agreed and it holds.
What can be added
The base retainer is senior direction. When you also need hands, I have people.
Performance campaign management
Setup, launch and ongoing optimisation of campaigns including media buying. I do this with two external colleagues I have worked with for years.
SEO and content
Technical SEO, content strategy and running it. We do exactly this today for domestic and international e-shops.
E-commerce growth
Campaigns, feeds, measurement and conversion optimisation for e-shops, including work across foreign markets.
Execution is priced separately, by scope and media budget. It is not a condition of working together. If you already have an agency doing it well, I let them do it and give them a better brief.
How it works
- 01
A no-strings call
30 minutes
You say where it hurts. I say whether I am the right fit and what I would do first.
- 02
Scope proposal
within three working days
You get in writing what I cover monthly, how often we talk and what it costs.
- 03
First month
right after we agree
I get to know the numbers, the people and what runs. The first corrections usually land in this month already.
- 04
Then month by month
no lock-in
A regular rhythm of calls and evaluation. The scope can go up or down depending on what is needed.
Price
from €450 / month
- Based on the agreed monthly scope. We confirm the price before we start.
- Invoiced monthly in arrears.
- No lock-in. We agree the notice period up front, a month is usually enough.
- You never pay twice. The consultation fee is credited against your first month.
- Prices are exclusive of VAT.
What people ask about retainers
01How much time is in it monthly?
We agree the scope up front so we both know where we stand. At the entry level it is room for a regular call, watching the numbers and ongoing corrections. When more is needed, we raise the scope for that month and then go back.
02How quickly can I stop?
There is no lock-in. We agree the notice period up front so neither of us ends up in a corner, a month is usually enough. I do not want a client who stays out of obligation.
03Will you replace our in-house marketer?
The senior part, yes. Direction, priorities, evaluation and briefs. Day-to-day operations and production, no, that has to sit with someone on your side or an agency. For companies of this size it usually works out cheaper and better this way.
04Do you work with our agency too?
Yes, and it usually helps the agency. They get a clearer brief and a measurable goal. I do not step on their toes and I am not trying to replace them.
05What if there is nothing to solve in a given month?
I will say so and we will not invent work to fill an invoice. Either we scale the scope down for that month, or we use it on something that keeps getting postponed.
Contact
Let us go through what the retainer should cover
Tell me what runs today and where it grinds. I reply within 24 hours with a proposed slot.