Most creative agencies won't publish prices. The reasoning is usually that every project is different, which is true, and that a number without context invites the wrong comparison, which is also true.

It's still frustrating if you're the one trying to budget. So here are ours — with the context that makes them useful.

How to Read These

Every figure below is a starting point, not a quote. Scope moves them, sometimes considerably. A brochure for a two-page overview and a brochure for a twelve-page product catalog are not the same job even though they share a name.

What moves a price: the number of deliverables, how much content and photography already exists, how many revision rounds are realistic, turnaround expectations, and whether the work is one-time or ongoing.

Long-standing clients are often on rates agreed years ago. These are current rates for new work.

Published creative pricing should be read as a starting point rather than a quote. Scope, existing assets, revision rounds, and turnaround all move the final figure. The useful question when comparing providers is not the number but what is included at that number.

Branding & Strategy

• Essentials — starting at $750 (logo, palette, type, mini guide)
• Growth — starting at $1,250 (identity, messaging, 6-page guide)
• Complete — starting at $2,000 (strategy, full guidelines, competitor audit)
• Naming — $250 | Tagline — $150

Web Design

• Template-based site — starting at $650 (home, about, contact)
• Custom site — starting at $1,500 (home, about, contact; first year hosting included)
• Additional pages — $250 each
• Single self-hosted page — $75

The gap between template and custom is mostly about how much of the layout is designed from scratch versus adapted. Both produce a site you can update yourself — that's a build standard, not an upgrade.

Print & Graphic Design

• Flyer or poster — starting at $150
• Magazine advertisement — starting at $150
• Ad artwork creation — starting at $150
• Web banner — starting at $150
• Apparel or merchandise design — starting at $150
• Infographic — starting at $250
• Trade show display design — starting at $250
• Interactive PDF form design — starting at $300
• Brochure, small — starting at $350
• Presentation or pitch deck — starting at $400
• Brochure, large — starting at $650

Content & Copywriting

• Product descriptions — $25–$50 each (75–150 words; bulk pricing for 10+)
• Ad or email copy — $75–$150 each (100–250 words, including headlines, CTAs, subject lines)
• SEO blog posts — $150–$300 (600–1,200 words, with keyword optimization, internal links, and meta descriptions)
• Website copy — $300–$700 per site (800–2,000 words across 3–5 pages)
• Email design — starting at $150

Video

• Short vertical clips for Reels and TikTok — starting at $15 each (15–45 seconds, edited from provided footage, with subtitles and branding)
• Video editing — starting at $75
• Branded motion graphics and intros — $150–$400 (5–15 seconds, logo animation and music sync)
• Event recap videos — $500–$1,500 (60–180 seconds)
• Content editing and delivery, photo and video — starting at $600
• Drone footage — quoted per project through a licensed partner

Short clips are priced per clip because they're usually produced in volume from existing footage. A single five-minute interview commonly yields fifteen to twenty of them.

Social Media Management

All tiers include custom content, scheduling, and reporting. Three-month minimum.

• Good — $350/month (2 profiles, ~16 posts)
• Better — $550/month (3 profiles, ~36 posts)
• Best — $750/month (4 profiles, ~64 posts, plus engagement monitoring)
• Additional post — $15 | 5-post bundle — $65 | 10-post bundle — $120

Advertising & Local Search

Base management — $250/month, covering strategy, setup, optimization, reporting, and Google Business Profile setup where needed.

Commission on ad spend, tiered so it decreases as spend grows:

• Up to $1,000 — 15%
• $1,001–$2,500 — 12%
• $2,501–$5,000 — 10%
• $5,001+ — 8%

Worked examples, total cost including ad spend:

• $500 spend → $250 base + $75 commission = $825 total
• $1,500 spend → $250 base + $180 = $1,930 total
• $3,000 spend → $250 base + $300 = $3,550 total
• $5,000 spend → $250 base + $500 = $5,750 total

Ad spend goes directly to Google or Meta and is billed to you, not marked up. Any provider who blends spend and management into one number is making it harder for you to evaluate either.

Google Reviews support — starting at $195 (strategy, QR code linking, review copy).

Ad management fees and ad spend should always be quoted separately. Management covers strategy, setup, and optimization; spend goes directly to the platform. A blended single number makes it impossible to evaluate whether either component is priced fairly.

Ongoing Support

• Starter retainer, up to 10 hours/month — $450
• Professional retainer, up to 20 hours/month — $750 (plus priority turnaround and a monthly planning call)
• Executive retainer, up to 30 hours/month — $1,200 (plus strategy support and content refreshes)
• Content on Deck bundle — $750/month (8 social posts, 1 blog, 2 short videos)
• Event booster kit — custom event logo, flyer, and 5 branded social graphics

Retainers include a discounted hourly rate, guaranteed turnaround, and unused hours that roll over for 30 days.

Retainers become worthwhile when creative needs are recurring rather than occasional. Below about ten hours of work per month, project-based pricing generally costs less than a monthly commitment.

Smaller Add-Ons

• Photo touch-up — $30 each, or 3 for $75
• LinkedIn recommendations — $75 each, or 3 for $200

Typical Turnaround

• Graphic design — 2–5 business days per batch
• Short video clips — 2–3 business days from supplied footage
• Copywriting and SEO blogs — 3–5 business days
• Ad campaign setup — 3–5 business days
• Branding and strategy — 7–14 business days
• Website copy — 7–10 business days
• Event recap video — 7–10 business days
• Web design and development — 4–8 weeks
• Retainer work — same-week delivery based on queue

Turnaround varies with scope and how quickly feedback comes back. Feedback cycles are usually the longest part of any project.

Why We Publish This

Two reasons.

The first is that not publishing wastes everyone's time. If a business has $500 budgeted and needs a full brand system, neither of us benefits from finding that out on a call.

The second is that opacity in this industry is frequently doing work. When nobody publishes anything, price becomes whatever a given client seems able to pay. Publishing a starting point means the conversation begins with scope instead of with guessing.

Questions People Ask

How much does a logo cost for a small business?
Logo work is typically part of a broader branding engagement rather than a standalone item, since a mark without proper file formats and applications creates problems later. Branding packages start at $750.

How much does a small business website cost?
Template-based sites start around $650 and custom builds around $1,500, with additional pages at $250 each. Content and photography are the most common cost variables — if you supply them, the project moves faster and costs less.

How much does a blog post or website copy cost?
SEO blog posts run $150–$300 for 600–1,200 words including keyword work and meta descriptions. Full website copy runs $300–$700 for a typical 3–5 page site.

How much should I budget for social media management?
Managed social typically runs $350 to $750 per month depending on posting volume and number of profiles. Video and additional content are priced separately.

What does a marketing retainer cost?
Retainers here run $450 to $1,200 per month for 10 to 30 hours. The right tier depends on how much recurring work you actually have — an unused retainer is worse value than paying by project.

Is ad spend included in ad management fees?
No. Management is $250/month plus a commission that decreases as spend increases — 15% under $1,000, down to 8% above $5,000. Ad spend goes directly to the platform and is not marked up.

Why don't most agencies publish their prices?
Some legitimately price by scope. Others benefit from the information asymmetry. The useful test is whether a provider will give you a starting range when asked directly — not whether it's on the website.

Do prices vary by client?
Yes, with scope. Long-standing clients are often on rates agreed years earlier. The figures here reflect current rates for new work.

Want a real number for your actual project? Schedule a free consultation at jpetrous.com | contact@jpetrous.com | 586-563-6634.