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Digital marketing prices can range from a few hundred to even a few hundred thousand zlotys a year – but how much should you really spend to get results? The cost of online marketing depends on the strategy, tools and scale of operations, and a poorly planned digital marketing budget is the easiest way to waste money. Do you know how much it costs to advertise online and which marketing services actually deliver a return on investment? Discover how to manage your spending wisely and choose solutions that fit your goals – without burning through your budget.

How much does digital marketing cost?
Budgeting for digital marketing is one of the first questions companies and entrepreneurs looking to grow their brand online ask.How much does online marketing cost? The answer is not clear-cut, as it all depends on the strategy, tools and scale of activities. One thing is certain – poorly planned expenses can consume large sums of money without real results. That’s why it’s worth understanding how digital marketing is priced and what investments bring a real return. Learn practical tips to help you make informed decisions and better manage your budget.
What are the current rates for online marketing services in Poland?
When it comes to specific marketing services, the price list varies greatly. SEO is an investment of about PLN 1500-5000 per month, depending on the competitiveness of the industry. Google Ads campaigns? A minimum of £1,000 for management alone, plus an advertising budget. Running social media? From £1,500 per month upward. Any of these elements can make a significant difference to your online visibility – provided your digital marketing budget is well planned.
How prices vary depending on the size of your company?
Not every company needs a huge online marketing budget, but every company should know how to use it effectively. For small businesses, the cost of online marketing is often a few thousand zlotys per month. Precision matters – a well-optimized ad campaign or effective content can do more than extensive efforts.
Medium-sized companies invest more, often in full digital strategies. In practice, this means working with an agency, hiring in-house specialists or combining both models. The cost? usually from PLN 10,000 to PLN 50,000 per month. At this scale, more channels come into play – from paid advertising, to SEO, to email marketing and automation.
Large companies and corporations spend hundreds of thousands per month on comprehensive campaigns. Here, the digital marketing budget includes both performance advertising and branding efforts. Global companies spend millions on advertising and content production, but even larger-scale local businesses have to expect to spend up to PLN 100,000 a year, to compete effectively in the market.
What are the billing models in digital marketing?
There are several ways to bill in digital marketing – it all depends on what your strategy is and what you care most about. Some companies prefer predictable costs, others pay only for results. What are the options?
- fixed subscription – every month you pay a certain amount for selected services, such as SEO, running social media or advertising campaigns. This is a good solution if you are planning long-term activities and want to have constant support. For example, for SEO you can pay from PLN 1,500 to PLN 10,000 per month, depending on the competition in the industry,
- billing for results (success fee) – you pay only when you achieve a specific goal, such as an increase in sales or more traffic. Often used in e-commerce and lead generation campaigns. The agency may charge 10-20% of the sales value or a set amount for each new customer,
- commission model – popular in affiliate campaigns and influencer marketing. Your costs depend on the number of conversions – the more sales an affiliate generates, the more you pay.
There is no single perfect solution. If you want predictability – a subscription will be better. If you care about results – a success fee will allow you to pay only for real results.

What’s the difference between a success fee and a recurring subscription?
Success fee is a model in which you don’t pay for the service itself, but for the results. If the campaign doesn’t deliver results – you don’t pay the cost. Sound good? Yes, but it also means that the agency will focus primarily on the activities that produce results the fastest.
In contrast, subscription acts as a fixed fee for regular support, such as ad management or SEO. Whether the results appear immediately or only after a few months, the digital marketing budget is predictable. Example? You can pay from £1,500 to as much as £10,000 per month to run an SEO campaign, and if you work with a large agency, the rates can be even higher.
What to choose? If you have an e-commerce business and care about sales – success fees can pay off. If you’re building a brand and need stable cooperation – a subscription will be safer.
Which pricing models work best in different industries?
Not every business can operate on the same terms. In e-commerce, success fees are often used, because it’s easy to tie the marketing budget to real revenue. If you run an online store, you can pay an agency, for example, 15% of the sales generated from a campaign. This makes every zloty in advertising make sense.
In services (e.g. finance, education), subscriptions work better. Campaigns in these industries require a long-term approach – building trust and brand, not just quick deals. This is where regular SEO, content marketing or social media ads count.
Startups often combine different models. They may pay a subscription fee for SEO and social media, while at the same time rewarding the agency for gaining new customers. This way they control costs, but also motivate partners to act.
Choosing a model is a matter of strategy. If you want quick results – bet on success fees. If you care about stable growth – subscription will be a better solution.
How much do the different digital marketing services cost?
There is no single answer to the question of how much does online marketing cost – it all depends on what you need and what your budget is. Digital marketing prices can vary widely depending on the scope of activities, industry and experience of specialists. Example price ranges for different services look as follows:
- SEO (search engine optimization) – prices start from PLN 800-1500 monthly for a basic package (audit, technical optimization, keyword analysis). More advanced strategies, including, for example, link building and content marketing, are already an expense of PLN 3,000-5,000 per month.
- Google Ads (PPC) – the starting budget is usually PLN 1,000 per month, but for large online stores it can exceed PLN 10,000. It depends on the competitiveness of the phrases and the number of campaigns,
- social media marketing – running profiles on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn costs from PLN 500 to PLN 20,000 per month, depending on the scope of activities and the number of platforms,
- content marketing – professional texts cost PLN 25-70 per 1,000 characters. The monthly cost, depending on the number of articles, can range from several hundred to several thousand zlotys,
- e-mail marketing – sending newsletters starts at 200-500 zlotys per month. If you use more advanced tools, costs can exceed PLN 2,000 per month,
- influencer marketing – a single post on Instagram can cost from several hundred to several thousand zlotys, depending on the popularity of the influencer and reach,
- a SEO audit – analyzing a website for optimization costs from PLN 1,000 to 5,000 at a time, depending on its complexity.
What kind of online marketing budget is worth allocating? On average, companies invest between 5 and 12% of their revenue in digital marketing. Smaller businesses often start with a few thousand a month, while larger brands spend tens of thousands on advertising, SEO and marketing strategies. It all depends on the scale of your business and the goals you want to achieve.eanalyze your business goals and choose the solutions that will bring the most benefit.

What are the real costs of SEO?
The cost of SEO depends on several factors, such as the competitiveness of the industry, the size of the project and the scope of the necessary activities. In Poland, prices start at PLN 500 per month for smaller projects, but for highly competitive sectors they can reach up to PLN 5000. What goes into the price of SEO?
- basic SEO package includes site audit, key phrase analysis and technical optimization, usually costs between PLN 800 and PLN 1500 per month,
- complex approach including link building, creation of valuable content and constant monitoring of the effects, requires an expenditure of PLN 3,000-5,000,
- additional costs are investments in improving the quality of the site, such as speeding up performance or adapting to mobile devices, can generate further expenses.
The effects of SEO usually become visible only after several months of systematic work, which is important when planning a long-term marketing budget. On average, companies spend about 5-12% of their revenues on marketing activities (including SEO). For smaller businesses, this means spending a few hundred zlotys per month, while large corporations often invest tens of thousands of zlotys in advanced digital strategies.
How much do you need to invest in Google Ads campaigns?
There is no single rate for Google Ads – it all depends on the industry, competition and scale of the campaign. The minimum budget for a startup is usually £1,000 per month, which may be enough for small businesses testing ads. However, in more competitive sectors, such as e-commerce or financial services, expenses reach as much as PLN 10,000 per month or more.
What influences the cost of online marketing in Google Ads?
- competitiveness of the industry – the more companies compete for the same phrases, the more expensive the clicks. In some industries (e.g., insurance, finance), the cost per click (CPC) exceeds 50 PLN, while in others it is 2-5 PLN,
- quality and popularity of keywords – the more general and popular the keyword, the higher the price. Sometimes it is more profitable to target long-tail (long-tail) phrases,
- additional expenses – ad content creation, campaign optimization, results analysis or agency service fees (usually 20-30% of the advertising budget).
Starting with a limited budget? It’s better to test smaller amounts and gradually increase the investment, analyzing what brings the best results.
What is the budget for online social media marketing?
The pricing of digital social media marketing depends on what you want to achieve and how widely you want to operate. Costs start at £500 per month, but larger companies invest as much as £20,000 or more.
What are the average expenses?
- small businesses and start-ups – a budget of £500-1000 per month allows for basic activities: running Facebook or Instagram profiles, creating content and analyzing results. If you add PPC ads, the cost rises to several thousand zlotys,
- medium-sized businesses –usually allocate 3,000-10,000 zlotys per month. In this amount, you can run paid campaigns, create professional graphics and videos, work with influencers and analyze data.
- large companies – invest more than PLN 20,000 per month, which allows for advanced campaigns, the use of automation tools and cooperation with agencies.
What affects the cost of online social media marketing?
- platforms – advertising on Facebook and Instagram costs differently than on LinkedIn or TikTok,
- content type – professional videos and animations are more expensive than simple graphic posts,
- paid advertising (PPC) – often the largest part of the budget,
- scope of activities – running one profile is cheaper than managing several channels at once.
Example prices for marketing services:
- influencer marketing – from several hundred to several thousand zlotys per post. and achieve better sales results at a reasonable cost,
- maintaining a social media profile – from 500 PLN per month,
- Facebook advertising campaign – from 1000 PLN per month,
- creating content – 25-70 PLN per 1000 characters.
How much does professional content marketing cost?
The price for content marketing depends on what exactly you need. For 1,000 characters of basic text, you’ll pay from PLN 25 to PLN 70, if you care about more specialized content, such as SEO articles or expert content. In small companies, the budget for content marketing usually ranges from a few hundred zlotys to a few thousand zlotys per month, while large companies can spend more than 10,000 zlotys per month.
What affects the cost of online marketing in this area?
- quality of content – the better, the more expensive,
- range of activities – from simple texts to more complex strategies,
- experience of specialists – copywriters, graphic designers, strategists – their experience also raises the price.
Additional costs may include:
- SEO optimization, including keyword audits,
- multimedia creation – graphics, videos, etc.,
- content management – publishing, promotion.
If you decide to work with a marketing agency, remember that prices for comprehensive services can range from £3,000 to £20,000 per month, depending on the scale of the project.
Investing in professional content marketing is a long-term benefit – it improves brand visibility, builds customer trust and generates valuable website traffic. The key is to publish content regularly and have a consistent strategy tailored to your target audience.
What does the price of marketing services depend on?
The final price of digital marketing services depends on many elements.The final cost is mainly influenced by:
- scope of activities – the more extensive the projects (e.g. branding strategies, PPC campaigns, SEO optimization), the higher the price. Running a Google Ads campaign can cost from £1,000 to tens of thousands per month, depending on the scale.
- experience of the agency – experienced professionals with an established track record may charge higher rates, but their methods and results will be more proven.
- competitiveness of the industry – if you operate in a competitive industry (e.g. e-commerce, FMCG), marketing expenses will be higher. For example, in the financial industry, the cost per click of a Google Ads campaign can reach 50 PLN.
- individual needs – such as SEO optimization, content creation for specific target groups, technical audits. SEO audits cost from PLN 1,000 to 5,000, and content marketing from PLN 25 to 70 per 1,000 characters.
- billing model – a fixed subscription provides certainty of fixed expenses, but if you choose success fee billing, the agency will be motivated to achieve better results.
The price is also affected by investments in analytical tools and process automation. Companies that operate locally tend to pay less than those that compete internationally. However, investments in analytics tools can increase the efficiency of marketing efforts, resulting in better results.

Hidden costs in digital marketing?
Have you ever wondered what else can raise the cost of online marketing beyond the basic campaign? It turns out that there are several hidden expenses that can strongly increase the final amount, and which are not mentioned at first.
- analytical tools – if you opt for paid tools, such as social media performance tracking platforms, platforms for -mail marketing, you have to expect additional costs. This can range from a few hundred to a few thousand zlotys per month,
- conversion optimization – processes like A/B testing, content personalization or improving UX (user experience) are investments that can cost from £1,000 to £5,000, depending on exactly what you want to do,
- advertising campaigns – if you start to go deeper into Google Ads, the cost of advertising can increase by 50-100% depending on the reach and competitiveness of your industry,
- content creation – if you want to work with copywriters, graphic designers or SEO specialists, the costs can far exceed initial plans. An expert article is 500 to 2,000 zlotys,
- changes in marketing strategy – introducing new features on the site or adapting it to the requirements of RODO are additional costs that can amount to 2,000 to 10,000 zlotys.
To avoid such surprises, it is worth asking about all possible hidden costs at the beginning of discussions with a marketing agency. It’s better to know how much you really need to spend on digital marketing before you decide on any cooperation.

Agency or own marketing department – which is more profitable?
You think, you think and you still don’t know whether it’s better to work with a marketing agency or create your own marketing department? It depends on several conditions: budget, business goals and industry specifics. Both options have their pros and cons, especially when it comes to online marketing costs.
Collaborating with an agency gives you access to a wide range of services and specialists. Agencies employ experts in SEO, PPC, content marketing or social media. Prices for marketing services are flexible and tailored to your needs. Here are sample costs:
- SEO – from PLN 500 to PLN 5,000 per month,
- Google Ads – from PLN 1,000 to several thousand PLN,
- large annual projects – can amount to several hundred thousand PLN.
On the other hand,running your own marketing department involves hiring the right people and providing them with tools and training. Costs can include:
- wages – from PLN 4,000 to PLN 10,000 per month per person,
- additional benefits for employees,
- software –e.g.. SEO tools – Senuto, Surfer or marketing automation tools,
- costs of planned and unplanned employee absences (L4, vacations).
For smaller companies, this can be quite a burden, while larger companies often opt for this option because they have more control over the strategy.When it comes to efficiency of operations, agencies tend to perform better due to their experience and expertise in different industries. However, an in-house marketing department has an advantage when it comes to responding quickly to changes in the company.
Before making a decision, it is worth carefully considering the goals, budget and plans for brand development. Sometimes companies choose a hybrid model – they collaborate with agencies on specific projects (e.g., advertising campaigns), and conduct the rest of the activities internally, such as managing social media and creating marketing content.
What are the actual costs of running an in-house marketing department?
Running an in-house marketing department is, unfortunately, quite an expense. The biggest cost is employee salaries. In Poland, SEO specialists earn on average from PLN5,000 to PLN8,000 per month, and social media experts from PLN4,000 to PLN7,000. If the team consists of several people, monthly costs can exceed PLN 20,000.
The next expense is marketing tools. Data analysis programs, automation platforms (e.g. HubSpot) or social media management software (e.g. Hootsuite), may cost from PLN 1,000 to PLN 5,000 per month. The cost depends on the tools and features chosen.
There is also training.The cost of courses in Google Ads, SEO or content marketing is from a few hundred to a few thousand PLN per year per person. And if we’re talking about advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads or social media promotions, you have to expect to spend from several thousand to even tens of thousands of zlotys per month.
For small companies, the total cost of maintaining the marketing department averages 6,000-10,000 zlotys per month. For larger companies, it can be as much as PLN 50,000-100,000 per month. The important thing in this case is to plan the budget well and regularly analyze the ROI (return on investment) so as not to exceed the planned budget.
How much does it cost to work with a marketing agency?
The cost of working with a marketing agency depends on many factors. For basic services, such as running social media or simple Google Ads campaigns, you will pay from £500 per month. If you want more advanced activities, such as complex SEO strategies or large PPC campaigns, the cost can be as much as several thousand zlotys per month.
The final price is affected by 3 elements:
- scope of services – The more activities (SEO, PPC, content marketing), the higher the prices,
- experience of the agency – Reputable agencies may have higher prices due to their specialized knowledge,
- industry – In competitive sectors (e.g. finance, e-commerce) costs will be higher through more expensive ad clicks.
Depending on the company, the budget for online marketing can look like this:
- start-ups and small companies – typically invest PLN 1,000-3,000 per month,
- mid-sized companies – spend between PLN 5,000-10,000,
- large corporations – spend tens of thousands per year on digital marketing.

It’s also worth considering the billing model. If you choose a fixed subscription, you’ll know how much you’re paying each month. If you choose success fee billing, the agency will be motivated to achieve the best possible results.
Before making a decision, it is worth carefully analyzing your goals and budget to choose the most suitable option. Many agencies offer free consultations or marketing audits, which can help you decide.mal strategy and estimate costs. This way you can avoid unnecessary expenses and better tailor services to your company’s needs.
Summary
Effective digitaly marketing is an investment that can bring tangible benefits – but only if you know what is really worth spending money on. Prices for marketing services vary depending on the strategy, tools and scale of operations, but one thing is important: well thought-out budget allocation. Instead of wasting resources on haphazard campaigns, you can consciously manage costs and maximize return on investment. Now it’s all up to you – it’s time to translate theory into practice and use the knowledge you’ve gained to effectively develop your brand.
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CEO and managing partner at Up&More. He is responsible for the development of the agency and coordinates the work of the SEM/SEO and paid social departments. He oversees the introduction of new products and advertising tools in the company and the automation of processes.