Digital Marketing Costs in Vancouver
Price the work first. Then compare what each way of hiring would cost over the same period.
Digital marketing costs in Vancouver depend on who does the work and what you need them to do. In this example, a Richmond retailer wants someone to run paid campaigns, report results, and fix tracking. It plans to spend CA$4,000 a month on ads whichever option it chooses.
| Option | Fees or salary | Ad spend | Extras to price | First-year subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consultant + existing staff | CA$1,800 project + CA$12,000 in staff time | CA$48,000 | Tools and specialist help beyond the project | CA$61,800, including staff time |
| Agency | CA$30,600 for setup and management | CA$48,000 | Creative, landing-page work, or tools outside the retainer | CA$78,600 |
| In-house hire | CA$75,000 base salary | CA$48,000 | Employer costs, benefits, tools, and outside production | CA$123,000 |
These figures are planning assumptions. Subtotals exclude the extras shown and applicable taxes. In the consultant option, staff time is part of the cost even if the retailer already pays that employee.
Buy the work you actually need
A consultant can make sense when the retailer already has someone to run campaigns and needs help with a defined project. In this example, the consultant spends 12 hours at CA$150 an hour auditing Google Ads, fixing conversion tracking, and handing the work back to the retailer. That’s CA$1,800. The existing employee then handles campaign adjustments and reporting. Allowing 20 hours a month at an assumed internal cost of CA$50 an hour puts that work at CA$12,000 for the year. If the team has no time to take over, ask the consultant to quote ongoing management.
Put the retainer next to the deliverables
Google tells advertisers that third-party partners “will often charge a fee in addition to the cost of your advertising.”
Google’s advertiser guide
For the Richmond retailer, CA$2,400 per month for campaign management plus CA$1,800 for setup puts agency fees at CA$30,600 for the first year. Ask what setup covers, how often the agency will test new creative, who edits the landing page, and whether reporting or tracking repairs cost extra. Ask for the agency fee and ad spend as separate amounts.
Budget for the job as well as the hire
The Richmond retailer might hire a marketer if someone needs to manage campaigns, check results, update store pickup details, and coordinate promotions every week. Start with the planned CA$75,000 base salary, then add employer costs, benefits, tools, and any help the employee still needs, such as a photographer or developer. Allow time for store and promotion work when comparing the role with an agency retainer focused on paid campaigns.
Compare digital marketing costs on the same brief
Write a one-page brief with your goal, current accounts, service areas, available budget, and the work your team can handle. Ask for the price to launch, the monthly cost, who owns each account, and what you receive if the engagement ends.
If you’re choosing between otherwise similar proposals, ask each provider what they’d do in the first month and which decisions they’d need from you. The answer will tell you how much time your own team should budget.
Send me your goals and the work your team can handle. Contact me to discuss the right marketing setup.