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FLEXIBLE MONTHLY MARKETING SUPPORT
A marketing team ready for what your business needs next
Some businesses need more than one marketing service, and those needs do not stay the same every month. A Makin' It Marketing retainer gives your business a reserved number of hours with our team that can be used across strategy, content, social media, websites, email, paid advertising, reporting and other active priorities.
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You gain ongoing access to the people needed to plan the work, create it, manage it and keep projects moving, without adding several full-time marketing roles to your internal team.
How a Marketing Retainer Works
One monthly retainer, built around your priorities
Your retainer reserves a set number of marketing hours each month. At the beginning of the engagement, we identify the areas where your business needs the most support and recommend an hour level that gives our team enough time to handle those priorities well.
From there, we plan the month together. Your hours can support recurring responsibilities and new requests, so the mix of work can shift as campaigns launch, seasons change, opportunities come up or a different area of the business needs more attention
Reserved monthly capacity
A set number of hours is held for your business so our team has planned time to support the work throughout the month.
Clear prioritization
We organize requests around deadlines, business value, active campaigns and the hours available instead of treating every request as a separate project.
Strategy and execution together
The same team helping shape the direction can also write, design, publish, update, coordinate and report on the work.
Flexible use of hours
One month may focus heavily on a campaign, website or content push. Another may require more social media, email, paid advertising, reporting or vendor coordination.
A retainer sized for the business
Smaller retainers stay focused on a defined set of priorities. Larger retainers allow our team to manage more channels, projects and ongoing execution at the same time.
What Your Retainer Can Cover
Marketing support that can shift with the business
We build each retainer around the work your business needs, the capacity of your internal team and the areas where Makin' It Marketing can provide the most value. Retainer hours may be used across the following services:
Marketing Strategy & Leadership
Ongoing strategic direction, campaign planning, audience research, channel recommendations, priority setting, marketing roadmaps, consultation and senior-level oversight.
Project & Vendor Coordination
Keeping marketing projects organized, communicating with internal teams and approved vendors, reviewing deliverables, managing timelines and helping the moving pieces stay aligned.
Social Media & Community Management
Content calendars, caption writing, graphic design, short-form video editing, scheduling, publishing, comment and message monitoring, review support and performance insights.
Content & Creative Support
Campaign concepts, copywriting, promotional graphics, branded materials, video editing, scripts, shot lists, content shoot planning and coordination with photographers or videographers.
Website & Digital Support
Website updates, landing pages, service or campaign content, routine maintenance, conversion-focused recommendations, basic SEO improvements and coordination with web developers when needed.
Email & Customer Communications
Newsletter planning, campaign copy and design, email scheduling, audience organization, automated follow-up, performance review and coordination within the business's email platform.
Paid Advertising
Google Ads and Meta Ads strategy, campaign setup, ad copy and creative, targeting recommendations, monitoring, optimization and reporting. Advertising spend is separate from retainer hours.
SEO, Reputation & Search Visibility
SEO reviews, keyword direction, blog recommendations, Google Business Profile updates, review monitoring, response support and recommendations to strengthen online visibility.
Analytics & Reporting
Monthly reporting, campaign analysis, website and channel performance review, KPI tracking, recommendations and continued strategy based on what the data shows.
AI & Internal Marketing Support
Practical guidance on using AI within the marketing process, repeatable workflows, prompt development, team training and recommendations on where automation can save time without weakening the brand.
WHAT BUSINESSES a Retainer Is Best For
Built for businesses with ongoing, changing marketing needs
A marketing retainer is a strong fit for a business that needs consistent support across several areas or wants experienced marketers working alongside an internal team. It is especially useful when priorities change throughout the year and a rigid list of the same deliverables every month would limit the work that matters most.
A RETAINER MAY BE A GOOD FIT IF YOUR BUSINESS
Needs help across several marketing channels instead of one stand-alone service
Has an internal team that needs strategy, creative, execution or project management support
Has regular campaigns, launches, events, promotions or seasonal priorities
Works with several vendors and needs someone to keep the marketing aligned
Needs reliable monthly capacity for website, content, email, advertising and other requests
Wants senior marketing direction without hiring every role in-house
Has outgrown one-off requests and needs a more organized ongoing process
Our Process
Our marketing retainer process
Discovery & Current Marketing Review
We learn about the business, goals, audiences, internal resources, vendors, active channels, current challenges and the work already planned for the next several months.
Retainer Recommendation
We identify the areas where our team can provide the most value and recommend a monthly hour level based on the amount of strategy, execution and coordination the business needs.
Onboarding & Access
You introduce the key people involved, provide access to the approved platforms and share brand guidelines, calendars, files, past reporting and other information needed to begin.
Initial Priorities & Workflow Setup
Together, we establish the first priorities, communication process, approval steps, meeting schedule and project management system so requests have a clear place to go.
Monthly Planning
We review upcoming campaigns, deadlines, opportunities and recurring responsibilities, then allocate time to the work that should move forward that month.
Strategy, Execution & Coordination
Our team completes the approved work, manages the details, collaborates with your staff and vendors, and keeps you updated as projects move through review and launch.
Review & Approval
Your team reviews the materials that represent the business, confirms important details and provides feedback within the agreed approval process.
Reporting &
Continued Prioritization
We review completed work and relevant performance, identify what needs attention next and adjust the upcoming priorities based on results and changes within the business.
What We Need From Clients
A collaborative process without adding more work to your team
We take on the strategy, execution and coordination included in the retainer, while your team provides the business context and approvals we need to represent the company accurately. We ask clients to:
Designate a primary point of contact who can confirm priorities and approvals
Provide access to the approved marketing platforms, website, analytics and shared files
Share brand guidelines, existing assets, calendars, offers and accurate business information
Keep us updated on deadlines, internal changes, events, launches and new priorities
Review materials and provide clear feedback within the agreed timeline
Share sales, lead quality or operational feedback that helps us understand marketing performance
Approve any advertising spend, travel, software, production or third-party vendor costs before they are incurred
Once the workflow is established, requests stay organized and your team remains involved in the decisions without being responsible for carrying out every marketing task.
Benefits of a Marketing Retainer
What your business gains from ongoing marketing support
Access to a Full Marketing Team
Your business has support across strategy, copywriting, design, content, websites, advertising, reporting and project management instead of relying on one person to cover every skill.
More Flexibility From Month to Month
Hours can be directed toward the priorities that matter now, giving the business room to respond to new campaigns, deadlines and opportunities.
Stronger Coordination Across Channels
Social media, email, website content, paid ads and campaign materials can work from the same strategy instead of being planned separately.
Fewer Projects Stalling Internally
There is a team responsible for moving approved work forward, following up on needed information and coordinating the people involved.
Stronger Coordination Across Channels
You receive experienced direction and a team that can complete the day-to-day work required to bring that direction to life.
Better Use of Internal Resources
Your employees can stay focused on the parts of the business only they can handle while still contributing the information and approvals marketing needs.
Consistent Progress
Reserved monthly capacity creates a reliable rhythm for planning, completing and reviewing marketing work instead of starting over with a new quote for every request.
FAQs
Marketing retainer FAQS
A service package is built around a defined recurring service, such as social media management or email marketing. A retainer reserves a set number of hours that can be used across several approved marketing priorities. Both provide ongoing support, but the retainer gives a business more flexibility when the type of work changes from month to month.
We recommend an hour level after reviewing your current marketing, goals, internal resources, active channels and expected volume of work. A focused retainer can support selected priorities, while a larger retainer allows our team to manage more channels, campaigns and projects at the same time.
No. The advertising budget is paid directly to Google, Meta or the applicable platform. Our management fee covers the strategy, setup, creative and copy support, monitoring, optimization and reporting described in your scope.
Yes. We can support an owner or leadership team directly, work alongside internal marketing staff, and coordinate with approved designers, developers, photographers, videographers, media partners and other vendors already involved.
We track the time used across strategy, meetings, project management, writing, design, platform work, reporting and other approved tasks. We also communicate about priorities and available capacity so the business understands how the retainer is being used.
We will discuss the added request, timeline and hours before completing work beyond the agreed monthly capacity. The business can approve additional hourly work or decide which existing priorities should move to a later date.
Advertising spend, travel expenses, third-party software, paid assets, printing, professional production and outside vendor fees are separate unless the written scope says otherwise. Larger projects such as a full website build may also receive a separate proposal.
Yes. On-site time can be used for content creation, strategy sessions, workshops, campaign support, team training or vendor coordination. Travel expenses and the way on-site hours are applied will be outlined in the client's scope.
Monthly hours are reserved for that month and do not roll over. We plan priorities in advance and stay in communication throughout the month so the available time is directed toward useful, approved work.
Retainers are custom quoted based on the number of monthly hours and the level of support the business needs. After the discovery process, we provide a recommended structure and clear scope for review.
Connect with us
Build the marketing support
your business actually needs
Tell us what your team is currently managing, where projects keep getting stuck and which marketing priorities need consistent attention. We will recommend a monthly retainer that gives your business the right balance of strategic direction, execution and flexibility.
You will have a team ready to plan the work, carry it out and help your marketing keep pace with the business.
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