What are you actually paying your marketing agency for?
With John Bermudez · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
A typical retainer bundles five things: software (CRM, website, texting, email, review tools), setup, ongoing work like ads management and content, reporting, and the agency's margin. The software and the follow-up system are the easiest parts to own yourself, often on one platform like HighLevel. Ads management and creative are the parts most owners still hire out.
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission if you sign up for HighLevel through our referral link, at no additional cost to you. We remain an independent training provider, not a HighLevel employee, agent or official representative.
The 5 parts of a marketing retainer
| What you pay for | What it usually includes | Can you own it yourself? |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Website builder, CRM, texting, email, booking, review requests, chat widget | Yes: one platform can cover all of it |
| Setup | Pages, forms, automations, calendar, integrations | Yes, with a template or a one-day build day |
| Ongoing work | Ads management, content, SEO, social posting | Partly: many owners keep a specialist for ads |
| Reporting | Monthly report or dashboard | Yes: your CRM shows leads, sources and bookings live |
| Margin | The agency's profit and account management | That's what you keep when you own the system |
Many agencies run on the same software you can buy
Many marketing agencies run their client work on white-label platforms. HighLevel is one of the most popular: agencies put their own logo on it and resell it inside a monthly package. That's a legitimate business model, and good agencies add real expertise on top. But if the software is most of what you're getting, you can open your own HighLevel account and own your contacts, pages and automations directly. Not sure what yours uses? Ask your agency which CRM and website platform your account runs on.
Own your marketing system
Free for 14 days. Month-to-month after that. Your contacts, your pages, your logins.
Run it yourself: try HighLevel free for 14 daysAffiliate disclosure: We earn a commission if you sign up for HighLevel through our referral link, at no additional cost to you. We remain an independent training provider, not a HighLevel employee, agent or official representative.
What's worth paying someone for
- Running paid ads at a meaningful budget: targeting, testing and daily management take real skill.
- Video, photography and design.
- Strategy and an outside view of your offer.
- Setup, if you don't want to do it: a one-time build is usually cheaper than paying for it forever.
What you can run yourself in one system
- Website and landing pages
- CRM with your whole contact list, in your name
- 2-way texting, calling and a shared inbox
- Missed-call text back
- Online booking with reminders
- Automatic review requests
- Email and SMS follow-up campaigns
- Live reporting on leads, sources and booked appointments
HighLevel includes all of these, with unlimited users and contacts. Plans start at $97/month (see the pricing guide) with a 14-day free trial.
How to compare your retainer honestly
Write down what your agency does each month in plain words. Mark each item "software", "setup", "ongoing work" or "reporting". Then price your own version: a platform subscription, plus a freelancer for the ongoing work you don't want to do, plus your own time. Sometimes the agency wins. Often owners find they're paying monthly for setup that was finished long ago.
Common questions
What does a marketing agency retainer usually include?
Do marketing agencies use HighLevel?
Can I use the same software as my agency?
Is it worth paying an agency for ads?
How do I find out what software my agency uses?
How much does HighLevel cost?
Keep reading
Own your marketing system
Free for 14 days. Month-to-month after that. Your contacts, your pages, your logins.
Run it yourself: try HighLevel free for 14 daysAffiliate disclosure: We earn a commission if you sign up for HighLevel through our referral link, at no additional cost to you. We remain an independent training provider, not a HighLevel employee, agent or official representative.
John Bermudez
HighLevel trainer and consultant · Built Live · South Florida
who has taught HighLevel to 50,000+ business owners in 5+ countries over 2.5+ years