Published 12 October 2026 · Marketing Agency Brisbane
Important: all price ranges in this guide are general guidance only, based on commonly advertised Australian market rates in 2026. Actual quotes vary with scope, experience and competition. Always get written quotes.
"How much will it cost?" is the first question almost every Brisbane business owner asks about marketing, and the hardest to answer without context. A sole-trader electrician in Aspley and a multi-location healthcare group need completely different levels of investment. This guide explains typical price ranges, how agencies charge, what drives the price up or down, and how to work out a sensible budget for your business.
Key takeaways
- Most small Brisbane businesses spend ~$1k–$5k/month on agency fees (general guidance)
- Ad spend is paid on top of management fees
- Work backwards from what a customer is worth
How Brisbane marketing agencies charge
- Monthly retainers. The most common model for ongoing work like SEO, social media and ads management. You pay a fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope of work.
- Project fees. Used for defined deliverables with a start and end: websites, branding, audits, campaign launches.
- Hourly or day rates. Common for consulting, strategy workshops and ad-hoc work. Senior Brisbane marketing consultants commonly charge somewhere around $120 to $250+ per hour.
- Percentage of ad spend. Some paid media managers charge 10–20% of the advertising budget, often with a minimum fee.
- Performance-based. Fees tied to leads or sales. Less common, and worth reading the fine print carefully.
Typical price ranges by service (general guidance)
| Service | Typical range (general guidance) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SEO | ~$1,000–$5,000+ per month | Depends on competition, number of locations and content volume |
| Google Ads management | ~$500–$2,000+ per month, or 10–20% of spend | Ad spend paid to Google on top |
| Social media management | ~$800–$3,000+ per month | Ad spend and video production often extra |
| Website (small business) | ~$3,000–$10,000 | Custom and ecommerce builds cost more |
| Content (per long-form article) | ~$300–$1,200+ | Research depth and expertise drive cost |
| Branding / identity | ~$1,000–$20,000+ | Logo only at the low end; full strategy at the high end |
| Email marketing | ~$800–$3,000+ per month | Setup projects often ~$1,500–$6,000 |
Don't forget ad spend
For paid channels, the agency fee is only part of the cost. Your advertising budget goes directly to Google, Meta, LinkedIn or TikTok. A business paying $1,000 a month in management fees might spend $3,000 a month in ad spend, for a total of $4,000. Always clarify whether a quote includes ad spend (it almost never does) and make sure ad accounts are billed to your own card.
What drives the price up or down
- Competition. Ranking for "lawyer Brisbane" is far harder (and more expensive) than ranking for "dog groomer Wavell Heights".
- Scope. The number of channels, locations, products and pieces of content.
- Seniority. Senior strategists cost more than juniors but often waste less of your budget.
- Production. Original photography, video and design add cost but usually lift results.
- Reporting and meetings. Weekly calls and custom dashboards take time.
- Your starting point. A site with technical problems or no tracking needs foundation work first.
How to set a sensible marketing budget
A common rule of thumb is that established small businesses spend somewhere around 3–10% of revenue on marketing, with growth-focused and newer businesses often spending more. A more practical method is to work backwards from your goals:
- Work out what a new customer is worth to you (average sale × repeat purchases × margin).
- Estimate a target cost per acquisition you can afford, for example 20–30% of that value.
- Decide how many new customers you want each month.
- Multiply: target customers × acceptable cost per customer = maximum monthly marketing budget.
For example, if a new customer is worth $2,000 in gross profit, and you're comfortable paying $400 to acquire one, ten new customers a month supports a $4,000 monthly marketing budget across fees and ad spend.
Cheap vs expensive: what you actually get
A $300-a-month SEO package and a $3,000-a-month SEO retainer are not the same product. Low-cost packages often consist of automated reports and a handful of directory listings. Higher-priced retainers should include strategy, technical work, content creation and link-earning. Ask any provider for a breakdown of the hours and deliverables included each month.
That said, spending more is not automatically better. A small business with a modest budget is often better off doing one channel well than three channels poorly.
Questions to ask before signing
- What exactly is included each month, and how many hours does that represent?
- Is there a minimum term, and what's the notice period?
- Who owns the accounts, website and content?
- How will you measure success, and how often will we review it?
- Are there setup fees, software costs or other extras?
For more, read how to choose a marketing agency in Brisbane.
The bottom line
As general guidance, most small Brisbane businesses investing seriously in marketing spend between $1,000 and $5,000 a month in agency fees, plus ad spend, with websites and branding as separate projects. The right number for you depends on your goals, competition and what a customer is worth. If you'd like a tailored estimate, send an enquiry and a Brisbane marketing specialist will get back to you.