At some point, most businesses hire external digital marketing experts to provide inbound marketing, SEO, PPC, and social media services. In Dubai, that experience comes in the form of an agency or freelance talent. In a tough B2C and B2B environment, budgets are tight and generosity limited, so how can potential customers afford digital marketing in Dubai? Why hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai is cheaper than you think! Until now, establishing what are reasonable costs to hire a digital marketing agency in Dubai has been murky and anything but transparent. Relying on gut feeling won’t get you very far and public data on utility rates and fees remains elusive.
If you are considering leveraging external digital marketing expertise, getting a clear line of sight on the average costs being asked for monthly advances and hourly rates for digital marketing in Dubai can be challenging and time consuming to compile. Digital Marketing Pricing Survey Insights A recent survey conducted by Credo, a company that matches potential clients with marketing agencies or consultants, released the results of its latest survey on digital marketing pricing. The survey was distributed to 184 respondents in 19 countries and produced some interesting insights into current digital marketing cost trends. Independent consultants are quoted on a constant basis based on hourly or monthly base rates and project rates. Rates for digital consultants around the world are still based on years of experience. Consultants with 1-3 years of experience charge around $88, while those with 10+ years of experience charge an average of $189.
Agency prices appear all over the map. Agencies with 2-5 employees and 6-10 employees actually charge more on average than agencies with 11-20 employees according to the survey. SEO agencies seem unsure about pricing their services with prices being all over the place. The survey showed an hourly range of $145 to around $181 Agencies and consultants with a strong focus on strategy charge higher fees compared to those with a broader portfolio of services Monthly advances, project fees, and hourly rates are all higher for strategy related services
customer implications
With so much variation in fee schedules and competition from independent consultants, the cost of hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai may be cheaper than you might expect.
Assess precisely what digital marketing services you’re looking for, overlay that with a monthly service fee from a pool of potential agencies, and use that as a starting point in your negotiations. Most agencies are very clear about their cost base and the utilization rates they are targeting, and therefore understand how far they can comfortably negotiate. Agency Versus Freelancer Unsurprisingly, there are some key differences in pricing between freelancers and agencies:
Freelancers mostly serve clients through a mix of hourly rates and project-based rates.
The agency preference for monthly retainer contracts is not surprising, after all, they typically have more overhead to cover.
The digital marketing industry average monthly retainer contract starts at $1,000 and ranges up to $5,000.
The larger the agency, generally, the more services they offer under one umbrella. If you’re looking for a mix of digital marketing services, hiring an agency will reduce the amount of coordination you need to do as a client. The larger the agency, the more customized solutions it typically provides, and therefore the higher the average price per client required to cover that specialized expertise and talent. Best Clients Small and medium-sized businesses often feel they are at a disadvantage when dealing with an agency due to their lack of scale compared to larger clients. However, small and medium-sized businesses are often the best clients from an agency perspective.
The reality is that digital advertising as an industry in Dubai remains a comparatively immature market, with most agencies lacking the corporate expertise and infrastructure to serve clients on an enterprise scale.
Thus, small and medium-sized businesses provide an agency with reliable bread-and-butter revenue streams without the complexity and high service costs that come with large multinational clients. So, if you are a small or medium business, do not be ashamed to negotiate with an agency. They need clients like you, another reason why the cost of hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai may be lower than you might expect! Agency services in high demand Despite the profusion of digital marketing services, SEO and PPC services remain the main source of income for most agencies. The top five services sought by clients are: SEO PPC Management Social Media Content Marketing Analytics & UX
Analytics and user experience (UX) design are gaining popularity as their importance in attracting prospects and retaining customers becomes apparent. This recognition is reflected in its growing presence within the portfolio of digital marketing services that clients seek from their agencies.
While this is good news for the industry as a whole, as it signals a more disciplined and structured approach to digital advertising in the Middle East. It also points to a continued lack of recognition by business owners and vendors of the need to implement a proper analytics capability internally.
Similarly, ensuring an engaging user experience from the launch of a digital marketing initiative would go a long way in supporting consumer uptake of online marketing, especially as regional internet users have become more experienced and have higher expectations of the online UX.
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Conclusion If you are in the process of hiring a marketing agency, the news is good. The cost of hiring a digital marketing agency in Dubai may be lower than you anticipate and there are different pricing structures and models available.
Many agencies use a combination of pricing models, such as monthly down payment for standard services, milestone pricing for projects they perform frequently, or hourly pricing for new or more complex work. Discuss which pricing model works best for you with your prospective agency and you may be in for a pleasant surprise!