One of the most common questions we hear is:

“How much does digital marketing cost per month – and what do you actually get for it?”

When you Google “digital marketing price” or “marketing agency price”, you often get either very vague explanations or price tags without context. In this article, we will openly discuss:

• what contributes to the cost of digital marketing

• what types of example budgets different companies typically use

• when hiring a marketing agency makes sense compared to hiring your own person

The article is aimed specifically at SMEs, online stores, and B2B service companies considering systematic development of digital marketing – often exactly when “marketing agency Helsinki” or “digital marketing Helsinki” is typed into the search bar and options are being compared.

What contributes to the cost of digital marketing?

The cost of digital marketing essentially consists of two baskets:

1. Service fees
   – strategy, planning, content production, advertising management, reporting

2. Media budget
   – the money spent on advertising channels (Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube…)

In addition to these, there may be:

• workshops and coaching sessions

• development of websites and landing pages

• video production and other separate productions

It is important to understand that service fees are what is used to design, test, and optimize. The media budget, on the other hand, is the "fuel" that brings the message in front of the audience.

Example budgets: how much does digital marketing cost in different companies?

The following examples are not fixed price lists but indicative levels of what SMEs typically invest when they want results.

1. Small local SME (initial phase, 1–3 channels)

Typical total budget: €1,500–3,000 / month
(e.g. €1,000–2,000 for services + €500–1,000 for media budgets)

Goals:

• first systematic campaigns

• visibility in the right channels (e.g. Meta + Google keywords)

• growth in contacts and website visits

At this stage, digital marketing is often built on fundamental pillars:

• social media content and organic presence

• basic advertising (leads, website visitors)

• simple but measurable reporting

2. Growing online store or B2C brand

Typical total budget: €3,000–10,000 / month
(e.g. €2,000–4,000 for services + €1,000–6,000 for media budgets)

Goals:

• growth in online store revenue

• continuous advertising optimization (PMax, dynamic campaigns, remarketing)

• testing new channels (TikTok, YouTube)

At this stage, the marketing agency often plays the role of an "external growth team" that helps scale advertising profitably.

3. B2B service company with a sales team and longer purchasing path

Typical total budget: €3,000–8,000 / month
(e.g. €2,000–4,000 for services + €1,000–4,000 for media budgets)

Goals:

• quality and quantity of leads (contact requests, meetings)

• brand visibility in the right decision-maker audiences (LinkedIn, Google)

• clear lead path: ad → content → meeting

In such a model, the digital marketing agency often builds a comprehensive solution in conjunction with sales, where advertising, content, and the sales process support each other.

Pricing of marketing agencies – what does the service fee typically include?

Marketing agency price can sound difficult to compare if different players price in different ways. Typically, the monthly fee includes at least:

• strategy work and planning
  – annual direction and quarterly focuses

• content production and publications
  – social media texts, visual content, possible short videos

• advertising management
  – building campaigns, targeting, optimization, testing

• reporting and meetings
  – monthly meeting to review results and next steps

Additionally, there may be:

• workshops (e.g. strategy day, customer journey workshop)

• video productions

• website updates (new landing pages, content updates)

The most important thing is that the pricing is clearly outlined, what you get:

“€X / month → these channels, this amount of content, these reports, this team.”

How much media budget is needed for digital marketing to produce results?

One common mistake is that the service fee is reasonable, but the media budget is too small. In that case, even good campaigns remain at the testing phase.

Guidelines:

• if you are only doing light retargeting advertising, €500–1,000/month may be sufficient

• if you want to acquire new customers from several channels, €1,500–3,000/month is becoming a more realistic level

• on the online store side, as revenue goals increase, advertising is often 10–20% of revenue

It is essential to calculate:

• what the value of one lead or customer is (CLV)

• what it realistically costs to acquire one lead or customer

• at what point the equation becomes profitable

A good digital marketing agency will help calculate this with you so that the budget is not guesswork.

Marketing agency vs. in-house marketer – which is more cost-effective?

When talking about price, many compare:

“Should I hire an external marketing agency or hire my own marketer?”

In-house marketer (salary + costs)

• gross salary (e.g. €3,000–4,500/month)

• overhead costs, tools, training

• often strong competence in one area (e.g. social media), but limited time for multichannel activities

Outsourced marketing agency

• clear monthly fee (e.g. €2,000–6,000/month depending on scope)

• covers the entire team (strategy + social media + advertising + design + video)

• easy to scale: if the need grows, the investment can be increased; if the need decreases, the contract can be eased

For many companies, an outsourced digital marketing team in Helsinki costs about the same as one in-house marketer – but the competence and capacity are multiplied.

How do you recognize that the price of a digital marketing agency is reasonable for you?

The fact that the price is "affordable" does not yet mean that it is good. The price is reasonable if:

1. you know what you get
   – which channels are managed, what content is produced, how often meetings are held

2. you see a direct link to the goals
   – how the monthly fee + media budget support sales and growth

3. results are measured transparently
   – you can see the numbers yourself, you do not just receive a nice PDF report

4. the contract is flexible
   – if the collaboration does not produce, you can exit without unreasonable costs

When these four points are met, the price of a marketing agency begins to feel like an investment, not an expense.

How does VSCY price digital marketing?

VSCY operates as a marketing agency in Helsinki, in Kalasatama. The basis for pricing is not an individual hourly rate but the comprehensive solutions that support sales.

A typical VSCY package includes:

• social media strategy and content production

• paid advertising (Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok)

• reporting and coaching

• the possibility to include video production and website development

The budget is built on goals and the starting situation, not due to preset packages. The most important things are:

• you understand what you are paying for

• we stand behind the fact that the work aims at sales and growth

Summary: how much does digital marketing cost – and what’s next?

The short answer:

• at the minimum, digital marketing can cost €1,500–3,000 / month (services + media)

• in growing online stores and B2B companies, it is typically €3,000–10,000 / month

• more important than the euro amount is what can be achieved with the money and how results are measured

If you are considering a marketing agency in Helsinki and wondering what level is reasonable for you, a good next step is to go through the situation together.