One challenge every startup founder faces is how to deliver results under financial constraints. So, finding an affordable startup marketing agency sits on the front burner for most.
Yet, there is this misconception that a cheap or affordable service translates to low quality. That is untrue, and that mindset has to change. Technology enables fast and efficient service delivery with minimal overhead, allowing cost savings to be passed directly to you. There are budget-conscious marketing agencies out there delivering better results than expensive, traditional marketing agencies.
It’s like finding rough diamonds, and we have done the heavy lifting to make it easy for you. So, keep reading to find the top 5 affordable startup marketing agencies that you can work with today.
Kaya, LYFE marketing, Cleverly, Lilo Social, and Sociallyin are top startup digital marketing agencies that offer cost-effective solutions for your marketing needs.
Kaya, as a startup marketing agency, helps startups with cost-effective solutions, time-saving and ROI improvements through paid ads. Kaya's proprietary AI offers smart recommendations, leading to 10x faster work and better results. It has earned a feature in Hubspot’s Podcast, Marketing Against the Grain.
Here is an excerpt from Kieran Flanagan, the CMO of Zapier:
This is one of the examples that came up in that LinkedIn thread I really like, it’s a company called Kaya. They’re a startup marketing agency that has AI deeply integrated into how they work.
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Aside from Kaya’s AI and analytics-driven approach, it also stands out for its pricing transparency, offering a modest fixed rate of US$3,000 per month, paid monthly, on a short 3-month contract. It also offers performance-based pricing, which is a win-win offer for startups.
There are no hidden charges, no retainer fees, and no minimum spend requirement. Kaya creates a solution around your budget but still delivers results within 2 weeks. Their past projects include:
Kaya’s marketing solutions are tailor-made, backed by their experience helping to scale startups across tech, B2B and B2C sectors. Start here with a free, comprehensive proposal tailored to accelerate your startup's growth.
Lilo Social is a full-funnel, affordable startup marketing agency focused on e-commerce brands, specializing in paid search and social management, website optimization (CRO), and email & SMS marketing. They charge a minimum rate of around $5,000 monthly and an average hourly rate of anywhere from US$100 - US$149 per hour. Past clients include Bauer, PE2, and Bearaby.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, LYFE Marketing distinguishes itself as an agency providing social media ads and marketing services, PPC management, and email marketing services to startups. Their PPC management services can be quite affordable, costing anywhere from US$500 to US$10,000 a month, depending on client needs. They typically charge an account set-up fee of US$300 but offer possible waivers. Clients include Skystone Acquisitions, Raw Chemistry, and ROYCE.
Cleverly is an agency focused on email marketing, ad creative, digital marketing, and paid advertising with a specific focus on the LinkedIn platform. They service startups, small businesses and some larger businesses. They offer tiered plans, namely, Gold, Platinum and Teams. Their teams' plan costs US$891 per month for LinkedIn outreach, while the starter plan for LinkedIn ads goes for US$999 per month for a US$3,000 LinkedIn ad budget. Past clients include LeaseLock and Bambee.
Sociallyin is a social media-focused marketing agency for startups. They offer paid ads services, social media strategy and management, content production, and community management. Their hourly rates start from around US$100, while the minimum campaign size is around US$5,000 per month. Sociallyin's clients include Incomm, Angi, and Premium Guard.
Finding an affordable startup marketing agency goes beyond the regular headline prices. Different agencies employ various pricing structures and can include hidden fees that would inflate the final bill.
Below are some of the most common pricing models and potential additional charges to consider.
You may also come across other forms of pricing, such as revenue share, commission-based, and tiered pricing. These pricing types have their pros and cons.
Also, aside from the advertised prices, some startup marketing agencies import additional charges, such as consultation fees, engagement fees, minimum spend for ads, and retainer fees. These extra charges inflate your bill.
Kaya recognizes that startups are at different stages, requiring tailored pricing solutions. Our primary model is based on a percentage of your ad spend, starting at a USD$3,000 monthly fee, typically with a cap. For those seeking a results-driven approach, we also provide performance-based pricing where your investment is aligned with the campaign's success. This collaboration ensures mutual goals and shared rewards.
There has been a boom in freelance work, especially post-COVID. Freelance professionals are easier to hire, and they have no hidden charges. Also, there are no employment benefits, training, or other costs associated with having an in-house team.
Advantages of hiring freelancers:
Disadvantages of hiring freelancers:
One way to go about this is to bring in a co-founder with a prerequisite marketing background. Another is to hire a marketing all-rounder—someone who can handle most of the tasks you need. The problem with both options is that you put excessive responsibilities on the shoulders of one person, which could create stress and lead to poor performance.
You may also decide to have a small team–maybe 2 to 3 junior marketing professionals, but this leads to huge costs to hire, train and retain. Despite the cost implications, having someone in-house translates to better ownership and understanding of your organization's culture and principles. It also gives you better control over their work.
Advantages of hiring in-house or DIY:
Disadvantages of hiring in-house or DIY:
Kaya delivers paid ad improvements on Google, Meta, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You get end-to-end campaign and conversion tracking setup, ongoing ads management, and weekly reporting via a live dashboard.
To do all that in-house, you’d need multiple tools like Tableau or PowerBI, Figma, SEMrush, HubSpot, and so on. You’d then need to hire an individual or a team to manage them and deliver results.
If you then consider the average of US$4,000 per head for hiring, time for onboarding, and possible training costs, you find out how quickly these costs could spiral out of control.
On top of being affordable, Kaya is AI and analytics-driven, delivers fast results, saves you time and helps you manage your ad budget. Abbot experienced the Kaya advantage, which helped transform their marketing.
Hear from Paul Nakata, the founder and CEO.
Kaya has been helping us out with some marketing as well, and they have been AMAZING to work with. Highly recommend talking to them!
After going through a significant part of its ad budget without much success, SnapStudio knew it needed an affordable startup marketing agency and reached out to Kaya.
Kaya improved their ROI by relying on its proprietary AI tool, marketing analytics, and dedicated team.
Zach Nieman, the Founder, commended the effort.
Kaya’s network of venture-backed companies and top-notch leadership is highly responsive and proactive. They care about getting results for their clients and go above and beyond to make sure every base is covered from the very beginning.
When it comes to marketing, especially paid ads, strategy and data analytics are key factors for success. However, many startups either have incomplete data or data scattered all over the place. On top of that, they lack the right strategy to deliver successful paid ad campaigns.
Kaya’s proprietary AI tool solves these problems. So, aside from offering affordable digital marketing services, Kaya saves you time, allowing you to focus on essential business tasks. Kaya allows you to achieve more with less.
© Kaya Technologies Ltd.
