Marketing agency fees: how they are calculated
Agency fees are structured in three ways: a monthly retainer for a defined scope, a fixed project fee with concrete deliverables, or a percentage of the advertising spend managed, and each suits a different kind of need.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- A monthly retainer for a small business runs 600 € to 3,000 €.
- The percentage on managed advertising spend runs 10 to 20 per cent.
- Media spend is billed separately from the fees.
- The contract must separate fees, media spend and production.
The usual confusion mixes three different things: what the agency charges, what goes to the platforms and what production costs. Separating them makes any quote readable.
The three models
A monthly retainer covers a defined scope of recurring work: campaign management, content, reporting and meetings. A fixed project fee suits commissions with a beginning and an end, such as a website, an identity or a one off campaign. And a percentage of managed advertising spend, common where media budgets are large, aligns the cost with the size of the account.
| Model | Range | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic monthly retainer | 600 to 1,200 € | presence and content |
| Full monthly retainer | 1,200 to 3,000 € | campaigns and analytics |
| Identity project | 1,500 to 8,000 € | one off |
| Website project | 2,500 to 15,000 € | one off |
| Percentage of media spend | 10 to 20 % | large media accounts |
| Consultancy hour | 70 to 150 € | one off |
| Video production | 800 to 6,000 € | per piece |
What is not included
The media spend itself, which is paid to the platforms and not to the agency. Photography and video production. Image and typeface licences. Subscription tools. And technical development where the project needs it. A quote that does not separate those lines from the fees produces an argument within two months, without exception.
What belongs in the contract
The scope with concrete deliverables and quantities: how many pieces, how many reports, how many meetings a month. Delivery and review deadlines. The number of rounds of changes included, usually 2 or 3. Ownership of the advertising accounts and profiles, which must always sit with the client. The minimum term and the notice period. And ownership of the materials created.
Account ownership is the point that causes most trouble when changing agency, because without it the whole campaign history is lost.
Measuring whether it works
Against indicators agreed before starting and reviewed monthly: cost per qualified enquiry, number of quotation requests, bookings or calls, rather than reach or follower counts. A local business with an average order value of 800 € needs to know how many enquiries the spend generated and at what cost, because that figure decides whether to scale or change approach next quarter.
Frequently asked
+What does a marketing agency charge?
Six hundred to three thousand euros a month on retainer for a small business, depending on scope.
+Is the advertising spend included?
No. It is paid to the platforms and must appear separately from the fees in the quote.
+Which model suits me?
Retainer for recurring work, fixed project for one off commissions, percentage where media budgets are large.
+Who owns the advertising accounts?
Always the client. It is the point that causes most difficulty when changing agency.
+How do I measure the result?
By cost per qualified enquiry and real requests, not by reach or follower counts.
Sources
- 1Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE (August 2026)
- 2Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE (August 2026)