How can I tell if my marketing agency is overcharging me?

The clearest sign is paying a retainer and being unable to name what was produced last month. Ask for a deliverable list with hours behind it; if $3,000 buys two blog posts and a ranking screenshot, you are overpaying. Other red flags are charging a percentage of ad spend on top of a full retainer, refusing to give you admin access to your own accounts, and reporting impressions instead of booked calls.

Price by itself is not the problem. Value is. A $5,000 retainer producing 30 booked jobs is cheaper than a $900 one producing two.

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