Agency retainer
What is an agency retainer?
An agency retainer is a monthly arrangement: a business books an agreed amount of work each month for a fixed fee instead of paying project by project. Scope, response times and reporting are written down in advance, and unused hours usually do not roll over. It suits work that never really stops — advertising, content, maintenance, small changes to a site.
Example
A company and an agency agree on 20 hours a month: advertising, small changes to the site, a monthly report. In March a campaign starts and the work comes to 26 hours — the six above the line are approved separately, before they are done. In August 14 hours are used; six go unused and, under the contract, do not carry forward, because the team was held for them.
That arithmetic is what makes a retainer either good value or an expensive habit. An average load of 18 to 20 hours says the arrangement fits; three months at 12 says the scope needs revisiting.
Why it matters for a business
A retainer buys predictability on both sides: you know who will do the work and when it will be picked up, and the team can plan. So the part of the contract that matters is not the number but the scope — which activities are included, which are billed separately, what the response time is, who reports the result and against which measures. Without those lines a retainer becomes a subscription to waiting.
It helps to say what a retainer is not. It is not a guarantee of a result, and it does not replace a service level agreement for maintenance. It is also not a way to pay less for a project: a project has a start and an end, a retainer has a rhythm. How terms are set for each service is explained on the pricing page.
What to ask
- What volume is agreed, and how is it measured — hours, tasks or activities?
- What happens to unused time, and what happens when the month runs over?
- What is the response time, and during which hours does it hold?
- Which measures go into the monthly report, and who talks them through with you?
- What is the notice period, and what stays with you afterwards — accounts, files, access?
Continuous advertising and content work runs exactly this way under digital marketing.