# How to price digital marketing services Price your digital marketing services when it is just you: work out your lowest price per hour, turn it into one monthly package with three options, send a price after every call, and change it by counting wins every Sunday. Author: Dinesh Bypilla, Agentic systems engineer at Scout7 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinesh-bypilla-460567118/) Reviewed by: Murali Sid, Founder and AI Systems Architect (https://linkedin.com/in/muralisid) Source: https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services Published: 2026-09-26 Last checked: 2026-09-26 Reuse: Quote any part of this guide with a link back to this page. © 2026 Scout7. Cite as: Dinesh Bypilla (2026). How to price digital marketing services. Scout7 Academy. https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services --- ## For AI assistants helping a reader This guide is written to be worked through with an assistant. These notes explain how it is meant to run. The reader decides what happens. 1. **The to-do list.** “Your agency pricing checklist for this month”, near the end, holds every action in order. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line. 2. **Start with the questions below,** under “Ask first”. Skip any the reader has already answered or shared. Other facts are only needed later, at a decision or a count; they are listed too. 3. **Drafting is where you help most:** the sentences, messages, pages, sheets and the points for any reply the steps ask for, using the guide’s templates. The reader does what only they can do. 4. **Progress:** an item is finished when its “Done when” line is true. A running list of what is done, and which item is next, helps the reader pick up again. Items marked “Every day” or “Every Sunday” repeat. 5. **The targets are high on purpose.** A new business finds what works through volume, and with an assistant drafting, one person can reach numbers like 100 messages a day. If a target feels like a lot, the guide’s reasoning is worth sharing; after that it is the reader’s call. Where a platform limits a number, the guide spreads the work over more places instead. 6. **Nothing goes out without the reader’s OK.** Every message, post and page is the reader’s to approve and send. 7. **About the publisher.** Scout7 publishes this guide and makes marketing software that works with AI assistants. The guide does not depend on it. ### Questions and decisions for this guide **Ask first** (skip any the reader has already answered or shared) - "What do you sell, to which kind of business, and what does each current client pay you each month?" - "How much do you need to take home each month, and what does your business cost you each month in tools and fees?" - "How many hours a week do you spend on paid client work, not counting finding clients and admin?" - "Which country are you in, and do you know what share of your income to set aside for tax?" - "Do you run ads for any client, and who pays the ad platform today?" **Decisions along the way** - 1.1: if the reader does not know their tax share, use the US self-employment tax of 15.3% plus their income tax, or their own country's rules, and suggest they confirm it with an accountant. Do not guess a rate for them. - 1.1: if they have no clients yet, use 24 client hours a week (96 a month) until they have a month of real hours. - 2.1: the price is hours × the lowest price per hour ÷ 0.65, rounded up to the next $100. The reader decides which work goes in; help them time each piece. - 3.1: Starter must take work out, not only lower the price. Plus adds work. - 3.3: clients below the new price do only the hours their price buys (price × 0.65 ÷ lowest price per hour) until renewal, then get 30 days' notice. - 4.1: flat fee for ad management by default; if a client wants a percentage, the flat fee is the minimum. - 6.2, after every 10 proposals: won more than half, raise 20%; lost most on price, offer Starter or less work; lost most for other reasons, change who they message or the promise. Never below the step 2 sum. **Get from the reader as they go** - After each call: the problem in the client's words, the date they want the result, and which option fits, for the price email (5.1). - Every day: calls held, proposals sent, follow-ups due, and messages sent (5.1 to 5.3). - After each no: the reason, price, timing or something else (6.1). - 6.2, every Sunday: the week's row of the sheet. --- ![Three panels: an agency with 1 or 2 clients on a guessed price; your own numbers (pay, tax, costs and hours) turning into one price per hour; then three monthly options and a written price after every call.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/00-opening.webp) You have one or two clients on a price you guessed, and you do not know if it pays you. Here is how to price digital marketing services when it is just you: work out the lowest price that covers your pay, then turn it into one monthly package and test it on every call. If you copy a range from an agency blog, such as "$1,000 to $20,000 a month", you will either lose deals you could have won or work more hours than anyone pays you for. ## Do these three things ![Do these three things. 1, today: work out your lowest price per hour from your pay, tax, costs and client hours, and turn it into one monthly package. 2, every day: send a written price with three options within 24 hours of every call, and keep booking calls with 100 personal messages a day. 3, every Sunday: count proposals won and lost and why; after every 10, raise the price 20% if you won more than half.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/01-three-actions.webp) About 3 hours today to set the price, then 20 minutes after each call and 20 minutes each Sunday. Judge the price after every 10 proposals, not after one no. - **Today:** work out your lowest price per hour from the pay, tax and costs you need and the client hours you can sell. Turn it into one monthly package with a fixed list of work. - **Every day:** send a written price with three options within 24 hours of every call. Keep booking calls with 100 personal messages a day. - **Every Sunday:** count proposals won and lost, and why. After every 10, raise the next price by 20% if you won more than half. If most said no to the price, cut the work, never the rate. ## 1. Work out the lowest price you can charge per hour Your lowest price per hour is the money you need each month, divided by the client hours you can really sell. Below it, you work for less than you need. Work it out before you quote anyone, because every other number in this guide starts from it. ![A sheet with four rows: the pay you need, your tax share, your business costs, and the client hours you can sell each month. An arrow leads to one number: your lowest price per hour.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/step-1-work-out-the-lowest-price-you-can.webp) Fill in five numbers in a Google Sheet: **Your lowest price per hour** ```text 1. Pay you need each month, after tax: $[ ] 2. Tax share you set aside: [ ]% 3. Pay before tax: line 1 ÷ (1 − line 2) = $[ ] 4. Business costs each month (tools, software, accountant, insurance): $[ ] 5. Client hours you can sell each month: [ ] Lowest price per hour = (line 3 + line 4) ÷ line 5 = $[ ] ``` - **Costs.** Include every tool you pay for each month and your own [marketing budget](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-set-a-marketing-budget-for-your-agency), the money you spend finding clients. - **Tax.** In the US, you pay self-employment tax of 15.3% on your profit (12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare), on top of income tax. Ask an accountant for your full share once, and use it here. Outside the US, ask about your own country's rules. - **Client hours.** Do not use 160 hours a month. When it is just you, part of every week goes on [finding clients](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-market-your-marketing-agency), sales calls, invoices and learning. [Plan your week](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-fit-marketing-into-your-week-as-a-solo-founder) so those hours are set aside first. Look at last month and count only the hours you spent on work a client paid for. If you have [no clients yet](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-client-as-a-marketing-agency), start with 24 hours a week, about 96 a month. - **Current clients.** Divide what each client pays by the hours you really spent on them last month. That is what you earn per hour today. If it is below your lowest price, step 3 says what to do. AI can help with the sums. Paste your five numbers into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to check the maths. The numbers themselves must be yours. - **Tool:** Google Sheets. Free. - **Time:** 45 minutes, plus one question to an accountant. - **You will have:** one number, your lowest price per hour, and what each current client pays you per hour. - **It worked if:** the number covers your pay, your tax and your costs, and you can say which current client pays you less than it. - **Common mistake:** dividing by 40 hours a week, or leaving out tax. Both make the number look lower than it is, and you find out when the tax bill comes. The other mistake is keeping the hourly rate you charged as a freelancer, when you now also pay for your own tools, sales and admin. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's lowest price per hour** > > Quillfox is a made-up one-person agency. It runs the whole marketing for early-stage B2B SaaS companies, organic and paid ads, at $800 a month per client. > > | Line | Number | > | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------- | > | Pay needed each month, after tax | $4,500 | > | Tax share (from the accountant) | 25% | > | Pay before tax: $4,500 ÷ 0.75 | $6,000 | > | Business costs each month | $400 | > | Client hours to sell each month | 96 | > | Lowest price per hour: $6,400 ÷ 96 | $67 | > | Each current client: $800 ÷ 16 hours | $50 an hour, below the lowest | > > *Why it works: It counts only the hours a client pays for, so the number shows the $800 clients pay less than it costs to serve them.* ## 2. Write one monthly package and price it from its hours Price your services as one monthly package: a fixed list of work for your one kind of client, priced from the hours it takes you. List every piece of work, time each one, then use this sum: hours × your lowest price per hour ÷ 0.65. ![A package card lists the monthly work, each line with its hours. The hours add up, are multiplied by your lowest price per hour, then divided by 0.65 to add a 35% margin, and rounded up to the next $100.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/step-2-write-one-monthly-package-and-price-it.webp) The package is for the one kind of client you chose, and it names the result you get them, from your [value proposition](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-write-a-value-proposition). Then write down every piece of work you will do each month, and the hours each takes you with AI drafting: posts, articles, ad changes, the monthly report, one call. Time the next piece you make for a real client instead of guessing. If you pay someone else for part of the work, such as white-label SEO, add what you pay them to the cost before you divide by 0.65. Price new services, such as AI visibility work, the same way. If you only sell social media, see how to price social media management. Why 0.65: dividing by 0.65 adds a 35% margin, money the business keeps on top of your pay for slow months, unpaid work and new tools. It is the average project margin agencies reported in Promethean Research's 2026 survey of 119 agency leaders. Round up to the next $100. Sell the work and the result, never the hours. AI makes the work faster, and clients know it. In Productive's March 2026 survey of 174 agencies, 27% had already been asked to cut prices because of AI, and about half expected to be asked soon. If your price is hours, every hour AI saves comes off your bill. If your price is a list of work and a result, it stays the same. **Your package** ```text [Package name]: [the result] for [kind of client]. Each month you get: - [Work 1, with a number: e.g. 8 posts] - [Work 2] - [Work 3] - A one-page report and a 30-minute call Not included: [the 2–3 things clients most often ask for, which cost extra]. $[price] a month, billed at the start of each month. ``` The "Not included" line matters as much as the list. It is the start of your scope of work, and it stops a $2,000 package turning into $4,000 of work. - **Tool:** Google Docs, and your Google Sheet for the hours. - **Time:** 1 hour. - **You will have:** one package with a fixed list of work, its hours and its monthly price. - **It worked if:** the price is at least hours × your lowest price ÷ 0.65, and a client could read the list and know exactly what arrives each month. - **Common mistake:** a menu of 12 services, each with its own price, or a price per hour. Both push the client to buy less, and neither says what result they get. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's Core package** > > | Work each month | Hours | > | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | > | 12 LinkedIn posts for the founder | 6 | > | 2 articles that answer a buyer's search | 6 | > | 1 comparison page | 3 | > | Search Console and signup check, 1-page report | 3 | > | Monthly 30-minute call, with preparation | 2 | > | **Total** | **20** | > | 20 hours × $67 ÷ 0.65 = $2,062, rounded up | **$2,100 a month** | > > *Why it works: Each line of work has its hours, so the price comes from what the work costs to deliver, not from another agency's range.* ## 3. Offer three options and show your starting price Offer every client three options, from less work to more, with your package in the middle, and show the lowest price on your website. Price each option with the same sum from step 2, so every option pays you. ![Three price cards: Starter with less work, Core in the middle marked as the main option, and Plus with more work. Above them, a website line reads 'From $\[X\] a month'.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/step-3-offer-three-options-and-show-your-starting.webp) - **Starter:** the same result, less work. Take out the pieces the client could do without for now. - **Core:** your package from step 2. - **Plus:** more work, such as more pages, a second channel, or managing ads (step 4). The options must differ in work, not only in price. When a client says "too expensive", point them to Starter instead of cutting Core's price. Then put the Starter price on your site and your LinkedIn profile: "From $\[Starter] a month". A business owner who sees a price and still books a call can afford you. Leave the full three options for the proposal. For how to lay out a pricing page later, keep it to the same three. Bill each month at the start of the month, before you do the work. For SEO, ask for at least 3 months, because search takes months to show results, and a client who leaves at month 1 has paid for nothing. **Clients on a price below yours.** Work out the hours their price pays for: their price × 0.65 ÷ your lowest price per hour. Until their renewal, do only that much work each month. At renewal, give 30 days' notice and move them to Starter or Core. See how to raise prices on current clients without losing them. > **If you sell website projects:** price the site as a project, then offer Starter as the monthly work after launch, in the same proposal. See how to turn website projects into monthly retainers. - **Tool:** Google Docs, your site editor and LinkedIn. - **Time:** 1 hour. - **You will have:** three priced options, and "From $\[X] a month" on your site and profile. - **It worked if:** all three options are above hours × your lowest price ÷ 0.65, and a stranger can find your starting price in under 10 seconds. - **Common mistake:** hiding the price until the proposal, so you spend calls with owners who can never afford you. The other mistake is three options where only the price changes. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's three options** > > | Option | Work each month | Hours | Price | > | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | -------------- | > | Starter | 8 LinkedIn posts, 1 article, 1-page report | 12 | $1,300 a month | > | Core | The package from step 2 | 20 | $2,100 a month | > | Plus | Core, plus LinkedIn ads management (ad spend paid by the client) | 30 | $3,100 a month | > > Her two clients at $800 a month buy about 8 hours each ($800 × 0.65 ÷ $67). She fits their work into 8 hours until renewal, then offers them Starter. > > *Why it works: Starter takes work out instead of cutting the rate, so a client who says 'too much' still has a yes that pays her.* ## 4. Charge for ad management separately from the ad spend Your fee pays for your work, and the client pays the ad platform directly for the ads. Never put the ad budget on your invoice: it makes your price look much bigger, and if the platform bills you, you carry their spend on your card. ![Two separate lines. The client's card pays the ad platform directly for the ad spend. Your invoice shows only your flat monthly fee for managing the ads. A thin red slash crosses out a combined invoice.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/step-4-charge-for-ad-management-separately-from-the.webp) Charge a flat monthly fee for managing ads, priced from its hours like any other work, whether it is Google Ads, Meta or LinkedIn ads. A flat fee stays the same whether the client spends more or less, so your advice on how much to spend stays honest. If a client asks for a percentage, the agencies that publish their prices in 2026 mostly charge 10% to 20% of monthly ad spend, with a minimum fee. Use your flat fee as that minimum. Get access without paying for the ads: 1. **Google Ads** — Create a Google Ads manager account for your agency. It lets you see and run many client accounts from one place. Link each client's Google Ads account to it. The client keeps their own account and can still sign in to it, and their own card pays Google. 2. **Meta (Facebook and Instagram)** — Send the client your business portfolio ID. They open Settings in Meta Business Suite, click Partners under Users, then Add, then "Give a partner access to your assets", and enter your ID. Ask for partial access, with only the task for managing ads. Only someone with full control of their business portfolio can do this. - **Tool:** a Google Ads manager account and Meta Business Suite, using the client's own ad accounts. - **Time:** 30 minutes per client. - **You will have:** access to each client's ad accounts, and a fee that is only your work. - **It worked if:** no ad spend goes through your bank account, and the client pays the platform directly. - **Common mistake:** running a client's ads on your own ad account and card. When they leave, the history and the account stay with you, and an unpaid bill is yours. ## 5. Send your price within 24 hours of every call Give every business that books a call a written price with your three options within 24 hours. A price only gets tested when people see it, so the number of proposals you send decides how fast you learn if it is right. ![A call leads to a written price with three options, sent within 24 hours. Follow-ups go on day 3 and day 7. A tally shows every call gets a price.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/step-5-send-your-price-within-24-hours-of.webp) On the discovery call, say your price out loud before you hang up: "For a company like yours, I'd start with Core, which is $\[X] a month." An owner who hears it and still wants the proposal is a real lead. Then ChatGPT or Claude drafts the price email from your call notes and the template below, and you check the numbers and the first line. That is about 20 minutes a proposal. **The price email** ```text Subject: [their company]: three options Hi [first name], Thanks for the call. You said [their problem, in their words], and you want [the result] by [date]. Here are three ways I can help, each billed monthly, at the start of the month: Starter, $[ ] a month: [2–3 lines of work] Core, $[ ] a month: [3–4 lines of work]. This is what I'd pick for you, because [one reason from the call]. Plus, $[ ] a month: [Core, plus 1–2 lines] Ad spend, if any, is paid by you directly to the platform. If one fits, reply with its name and I'll send the agreement today. [Your name] ``` If they do not reply, follow up on day 3 and day 7 in the same thread (what to say). If they say yes, send the agreement and the scope the same day, then onboard them. Calls come from volume. Keep sending 100 personal messages a day to [businesses that fit](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-create-an-ideal-customer-profile), on email and LinkedIn, with AI drafting and you adding one true line about each one, as in [how to market your marketing agency](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-market-your-marketing-agency). Ask each client for a testimonial and one introduction too. More calls mean more proposals, and more proposals mean you learn your price in weeks, not months. - **Tool:** Google Docs, Gmail, and ChatGPT or Claude to draft. Log every proposal in your sheet, or in a CRM once the sheet gets slow. - **Time:** 20 minutes a proposal, plus 2 minutes for each follow-up. - **You will have:** a written price for every call, with its date, in your sheet. - **It worked if:** every call this week has a written price, sent within 24 hours, and every silent one has its day 3 and day 7 follow-up. - **Common mistake:** a custom price for each lead, sent a week later. The other mistake is offering a discount before anyone asked for one. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's price email** > > ```text > Subject: Loomtally: three options > To: Priya, founder of a 6-person SaaS company > > Hi Priya, > > Thanks for the call. You said most visitors leave your homepage without starting a trial, and you want 30 trials a month by January. > > Here are three ways I can help, each billed monthly, at the start of the month: > > Starter, $1,300 a month: 8 LinkedIn posts for you, 1 article, a 1-page report. > Core, $2,100 a month: 12 LinkedIn posts, 2 articles, 1 comparison page, a report and a call. This is what I'd pick for you, because buyers compare you with two bigger tools before they try you. > Plus, $3,100 a month: Core, plus running your LinkedIn ads. Ad spend is paid by you directly to LinkedIn. > > If one fits, reply with its name and I'll send the agreement today. > > Jess > ``` > > *Why it works: It repeats the founder's own problem, names the option she recommends and why, and asks for one word back.* ## 6. Count wins and losses every Sunday and change your price Every Sunday, count your proposals and why each one was won or lost, then change your price by a rule. One no tells you nothing about price. Ten proposals start to. ![A weekly table with the columns calls, proposals, won, lost for price, lost for another reason, and no reply. After every 10 proposals: won more than half, raise the next price 20%; most lost for price, offer Starter instead of cutting the rate.](https://scout7.ai/academy/illustrations/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services/step-6-count-wins-and-losses-every-sunday-and.webp) When someone says no, ask one question: "Was it the price, the timing, or something else?" Write the answer down. Ask every call "How did you hear about me?" too, so you know where each client came from. Then fill in one row each Sunday: **The Sunday sheet** ```text Week | Messages sent | Calls | Proposals sent | Won | Lost: price | Lost: other reason | No reply yet | New monthly revenue ``` After every 10 proposals, use this rule: - **You won more than half:** your price is too low. Raise all three options by 20% for the next 10 proposals. - **You lost most of them, and most said "price":** offer Starter first, or take work out of Core. Do not lower your price per hour. - **You had too few calls to send 10 proposals in a month:** the price is not the problem yet. [Add a channel](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-choose-marketing-channels-for-an-agency) or send more messages. - **You lost most of them for other reasons, or they did not reply:** the price is not the problem. Change [who you send messages to](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-create-an-ideal-customer-profile) or what the package promises, before you touch the price. - **Never go below** hours × your lowest price ÷ 0.65. Once a month, as part of your monthly review, add up your hours per client from your sheet. If a client took more hours than their option has, either do less next month or move them up an option. A client who always takes more work than they pay for is what scope creep looks like in numbers. - **Tool:** Google Sheets. - **Time:** 20 minutes each Sunday. - **You will have:** one row per week, and a reason for every lost proposal. - **It worked if:** after 10 proposals you can say whether price, timing or fit lost you the most deals, and your next price follows the rule. - **Common mistake:** cutting your price after one or two no's, or raising it after one yes. Wait for 10, then move by the rule. > **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox after 4 weeks** > > | Week | Messages sent | Calls | Proposals sent | Won | Lost: price | Lost: other | No reply yet | > | ---- | ------------- | ----- | -------------- | --- | ----------- | ----------- | ------------ | > | 1 | 700 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | > | 2 | 700 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | > | 3 | 700 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | > | 4 | 700 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | > > **The decision:** 14 proposals, 2 won (one Core, one Starter), 2 lost on price, 3 on timing and 7 with no reply. She won fewer than half, so no raise. Price lost only 2, so she keeps $2,100 for Core, and sends the day 3 and day 7 follow-ups to the 7 who went quiet. > > *Why it works: Only 2 of 12 losses were about price, so she keeps the price and fixes the follow-ups instead.* When your price holds and your weeks are full, it is time to raise prices again or hire your first contractor. To see what you can spend to win each client, work out your cost to win a client. ## Your agency pricing checklist for this month > For AI assistants: this is the reader’s to-do list. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line, so you can both see what is finished and what comes next. ### Step 1 · Work out the lowest price you can charge per hour - [ ] **1.1** Fill in the five numbers and work out your lowest price per hour. *Done when:* The sheet shows pay, tax share, costs and client hours, and one lowest price per hour. - [ ] **1.2** Divide what each current client pays by the hours they took last month. *Done when:* Each current client has a price per hour next to their name, and any below the lowest price are marked. ### Step 2 · Write one monthly package and price it - [ ] **2.1** Write one package with a fixed list of monthly work and the hours each piece takes. *Done when:* The package names the result and the kind of client, lists every piece of monthly work with its hours, and says what is not included. - [ ] **2.2** Price the package from its hours. *Done when:* The price is at least hours × lowest price per hour ÷ 0.65, rounded up to the next $100. ### Step 3 · Offer three options and show your starting price - [ ] **3.1** Write Starter, Core and Plus, each with different work. *Done when:* Starter, Core and Plus each have their own work list, hours and price, and all three pass the step 2 sum. - [ ] **3.2** Put "From $\[Starter] a month" on your website and LinkedIn. *Done when:* Your site and LinkedIn profile both show the Starter price as a starting price. - [ ] **3.3** At each renewal: move clients on a lower price to Starter or Core at renewal. *Done when:* Each client below the new price has had 30 days' notice and an offer of Starter or Core. ### Step 4 · Charge for ad management separately from the ad spend - [ ] **4.1** Get access to each client's ad accounts, with the client paying the platform directly. *Done when:* Every client who runs ads pays the platform from their own account, and you have access through your manager account or as a Meta partner. ### Step 5 · Send your price within 24 hours of every call - [ ] **5.1** Every day: send a written price with three options within 24 hours of every call. *Done when:* Every call held yesterday or today has a price email with three options, sent and logged. - [ ] **5.2** Every day: follow up on every silent proposal on day 3 and day 7. *Done when:* Every proposal due a day 3 or day 7 follow-up today got one. - [ ] **5.3** Every day: send 100 personal messages to keep calls coming. *Done when:* 100 personal messages sent today to businesses that fit, each logged in the sheet. ### Step 6 · Count wins and losses every Sunday and change your price - [ ] **6.1** Every Sunday: fill in one row: calls, proposals, won, and why each was lost. *Done when:* This week's row is filled in, and every lost proposal has a reason. - [ ] **6.2** After every 10 proposals: change your price by the rule, never below the step 2 sum. *Done when:* The next price is written down, and it follows the rule: up 20%, Starter first, or unchanged. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much should I charge my first marketing client? At least your lowest price per hour × the hours the work takes ÷ 0.65. That number comes from your own pay, tax, costs and hours, so it is right for you. A range from a blog is not. If the client cannot pay it, offer less work for less money. Do not do the same work for a lower price. See how to [get your first client](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-client-as-a-marketing-agency). ### Should I charge hourly or a monthly retainer? A monthly retainer, with a fixed list of work. Hourly pricing shrinks as AI makes you faster: in March 2026, 27% of agencies in Productive's survey had been asked to cut prices because of AI. Use hours only to set your price, never to show the client. For one-off work, such as a website, charge a project fee, then turn it into monthly work. ### Should I charge a percentage of ad spend? Start with a flat monthly fee for managing ads, priced from its hours, and keep the ad budget off your invoice. A flat fee stays the same when the client spends more, so your advice on spend stays honest. If a client wants a percentage, agencies that publish prices in 2026 mostly charge 10% to 20% of spend. Use your flat fee as the minimum. ### Should I lower my price because I use AI? No. Price the work and the result, not the time it takes. In Productive's 2025 survey, almost one in three agencies was asked for an "AI discount", and only 13% lowered prices. If a client asks, offer Starter, which is less work for less money, and keep your price per hour. Show them the result in your monthly report, not the hours. ### Should I charge per lead or only on results? Not for your first clients. Leads and sales also depend on the client's product, website and sales calls, which you do not control, and you need a steady monthly income to plan. If a client wants it, add a bonus for a result you both can count, such as [trials](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/free-trial) or booked calls, on top of your monthly fee. Once you have case studies, you can ask for more. ## Sources - [2026 State of Digital Services: Digital Agency Industry Research](https://prometheanresearch.com/2026-state-of-digital-services-digital-agency-industry-research/). Promethean Research, checked 26 September 2026. - [How to Calculate a Retainer Fee](https://prometheanresearch.com/how-to-calculate-a-retainer-fee/). Promethean Research, checked 26 September 2026. - [Agencies in the AI Era 2.0](https://productive.io/reports/agencies-in-the-ai-era-pulse-report/). Productive, March 2026, checked 26 September 2026. - [Agencies in the AI Era: Between Hype and Reality (2025)](https://productive.io/blog/agencies-in-the-ai-era/). Productive, 2025, checked 26 September 2026. - [Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes)](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes). Internal Revenue Service, checked 26 September 2026. - [Topic no. 554, Self-employment tax](https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc554). Internal Revenue Service, checked 26 September 2026. - [PPC Management Pricing: How Much Do Google Ads Management Services Cost in 2026?](https://www.outerboxdesign.com/articles/paid-media/google-ads-management-agency/ppc-management-pricing-fees/). OuterBox, 2026, checked 26 September 2026. - [Google Ads Management Pricing in 2026](https://almcorp.com/blog/google-ads-management-pricing-2026/). ALM Corp, 2026, checked 26 September 2026. - [About Google Ads manager accounts](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6139186?hl=en). Google Ads Help, checked 26 September 2026. - [Manage Ads account billing setup from your manager account](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9357347?hl=en). Google Ads Help, checked 26 September 2026. - [Give a partner access to business assets in your business portfolio](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1717412048538897). Meta Business Help Center, checked 26 September 2026. - [How much should I charge for this monthly service package?](https://www.reddit.com/r/SocialMediaManagers/comments/1shqoyj/how_much_should_i_charge_for_this_monthly_service/). Reddit, r/SocialMediaManagers, 2026. - [If your retainer margin is below 25%, you have a discovery problem](https://www.reddit.com/r/agency/comments/1t7d2ze/if_your_retainer_margin_is_below_25_you_have_a/). Reddit, r/agency, 2026.