Full-service marketing agency: what it is and what it costs

Summary: full-service marketing agency

A full-service marketing agency handles all your marketing under one roof: strategy, visibility in Google, ads, content and measurement. What “full service” covers exactly differs per agency. One agency also builds websites and print work, another only does online channels. A Dutch online marketing agency charges €80 to €160 per hour on average, according to Trustoo. At Game-changers you work with a specialist per channel from €500 per month excl. VAT, with no set-up fee. Request a free analysis.

• What it is: one agency for several marketing channels, with one point of contact.
• Cost: €80 to €160 per hour on average; at 8 to 20 hours a month that is €640 to €3,200, excluding ad budget.
• Advantage: all channels work together and you do not have to coordinate them yourself.
• Watch out: ask who does the work per channel: a specialist or a generalist.

What is a full-service marketing agency?

A full-service marketing agency takes over your marketing from start to finish, instead of one separate part. According to Ahrefs, Dutch people search for “full service marketing bureau” about 400 times a month and for “full service marketingbureau” about 350 times. At a full-service online marketing agency it usually covers these parts:

1. Strategy

Target group, goals and budget per channel. How much may a new customer cost, and where do you get them at the lowest cost?

2. Visibility in Google

With SEO and AEO (also called AI SEO) you grow in the regular search results and in AI answers. With Google Ads you are at the top straight away.

3. Ads on social media

With social media advertising you reach your target group on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok. If you are hiring staff, recruitment marketing helps.

4. Content

Texts, images and videos for your website and ads. With AI content creation that goes faster, in your own style.

5. Measuring and improving

With data and tracking you see which channel brings in customers. With conversion rate optimisation you get more enquiries from the same visitors.

A classic full-service advertising agency often also does branding, websites, print work or TV and radio campaigns. So always ask what an agency includes under “full service”, and what it does not.

Full service or a specialist agency?

• Full-service agency: one point of contact, channels that fit together and one report. Downside: sometimes one generalist handles every channel, and then you miss depth.
• Specialist agency: deep knowledge of one channel, such as only SEO or only Google Ads. Downside: with several agencies you have to coordinate yourself and the numbers often do not match.
• Middle ground: one agency with its own specialist per channel. That gives you the coherence of full service and the depth of a specialist.

What does a full-service marketing agency cost?

According to Dutch comparison site Trustoo, an online marketing agency charges €80 to €160 per hour on average. Per month, SEO costs between €500 and €3,000 and social media marketing between €1,200 and €3,200. According to Knab, a self-employed professional in the Netherlands charges €83 per hour on average in 2026, measured across all professions. You always pay the ad budget for Google or Meta separately.

The number of hours per channel is an example; your real need depends on your goals and market. Full service does not have to mean taking every channel at once.

At Game-changers you start small: from €500 per month excl. VAT for at least 4 hours of work, with no set-up fee. When a channel works, you add the next one. See our pricing. Request a free analysis. Want to know the cost per channel? Then read what SEO costs and what Google Ads costs.

What should you check when choosing?

1. What does full service include?

Have the agency explain per channel what it does and what it does not. That way you avoid paying extra for separate parts later.

2. Who does the work?

Ask whether a specialist works on each channel, or whether one person does everything. Also ask whether work is outsourced to third parties.

3. Accounts in your name

Your Google Ads, Meta and Analytics accounts belong to you. Google explains how, as the owner, you decide who has access to your account. That keeps you in control, even if you ever switch agencies.

4. Results in customers

A good report shows enquiries, sales and cost per customer, not just clicks and reach.

5. Starting small is possible

You do not have to outsource everything at once. Start with the channel that brings in customers fastest. Read more about the choice in outsourcing marketing and choosing a good online marketing agency.

Our research: what Google shows for “full service marketingbureau”

On 9 November 2026 we used DataForSEO to look at the first page for “full service marketingbureau” (full-service marketing agency) in Google Netherlands. At the top was an AI answer, with a map of 3 local agencies below it. Of the 10 regular results, 7 were from an agency, 2 from a comparison site and 1 from a sales company. Those 7 agencies were very different: a PR agency, a media agency, an advertising agency, a communications agency, an SEO agency and an online marketing agency. So “full service” means something different to every agency. That is why it matters so much to ask exactly what it includes.

What Game-changers does and does not do

Game-changers is a full-service online marketing agency. We do Google Ads, SEO and AEO, social media advertising, data and tracking, conversion rate optimisation, AI content creation and recruitment marketing, each with its own specialist. We do not build websites, logos or print work. If you need that, we work together with your own web developer or designer.

What that delivers: for CrossFit Climbers Cabin, the cost per lead with Google advertising fell from €55 to €9. Rug expertise centrum got 40% more organic traffic with SEO. And Jaicob got 4.3 times more qualified demos with social media ads.

“Full service sounds like certainty, but it says nothing about who does the work. Always ask who is behind each channel. We work with a specialist per channel and one point of contact, so you get the coherence of full service without giving up depth.”

Annefleur van Osta

Online marketing strategist at Game-changers

Curious which channel delivers the most for you? You start with a free call and an analysis. After that we work from €500 per month excl. VAT, with no set-up fee. Request a free analysis.

Frequently asked questions about a full-service marketing agency

What is a full-service marketing agency?

An agency that handles all your marketing under one roof, from strategy to execution and measurement. You have one point of contact for every channel. What it includes exactly differs per agency.

What does a full-service marketing agency do?

Usually strategy, SEO, Google Ads, social media ads, content and measurement. Some agencies also do websites, branding or print work. Always ask for a list of what is and is not included.

What does a full-service marketing agency cost?

A Dutch online marketing agency charges €80 to €160 per hour on average, according to Trustoo. At 8 to 20 hours a month that is €640 to €3,200, excluding ad budget. At Game-changers you start from €500 per month excl. VAT.

What does a marketing agency cost per month?

That depends on the number of hours and channels. According to Trustoo, SEO costs €500 to €3,000 and social media marketing €1,200 to €3,200 per month. At Game-changers you pay from €500 per month excl. VAT, with no set-up fee. Request a free analysis.

What is the difference between full service and a specialist agency?

A full-service agency covers several channels with one point of contact. A specialist agency does one channel, such as only SEO. An agency with a specialist per channel combines the advantages of both.

What are the advantages of a full-service agency?

All channels fit together, and you have one point of contact and one report. You do not have to manage several agencies yourself. That saves time and stops numbers contradicting each other.

What are the disadvantages of a full-service agency?

Sometimes one generalist handles every channel and you miss depth. You can also get stuck with a large package you do not fully need. So ask who does the work per channel and whether you can start small.

What is the difference between an advertising agency and a marketing agency?

An advertising agency often focuses on brand, creative and campaigns, including offline. An online marketing agency focuses on winning customers through Google, social media and your website. Many agencies do a mix of both.

How does a marketing agency work?

You usually start with an introduction and an analysis. The agency then makes a plan, carries it out and reports on the results every month. Good agencies adjust based on data.

Is a full-service marketing agency suitable for SMEs?

Yes, as long as you do not have to take every channel at once. Start with the channel that brings in customers fastest and expand when it works. At Game-changers that is possible from €500 per month excl. VAT.

Do I pay the ad budget separately?

Yes. You pay the budget for Google or Meta directly to the platform. The agency only charges the hours or the fixed fee for the work.

In whose name are the accounts?

In yours. Your Google Ads, Meta and Analytics accounts belong to you, so all your data stays yours if you ever switch agencies.

How do you choose a good full-service marketing agency?

Ask what full service includes, who does the work per channel and what results they achieved in customers or revenue. Also check that accounts are in your name and that agreements on hours and costs are clear.

Does Game-changers build websites?

No. We do online marketing: Google Ads, SEO and AEO, social media advertising, data and tracking, conversion rate optimisation, AI content and recruitment marketing. For a website we work together with your own web developer.

How quickly do you see results from a marketing agency?

With ads often within a few weeks, because you are visible straight away. SEO takes longer, usually a few months. A good agency shows what is happening from the first month.

Why choose Game-changers?

You get the coherence of full service with a specialist per channel and one fixed point of contact. You start with a free call and analysis, and then work from €500 per month excl. VAT, with no set-up fee. Request a free analysis.

Sources

Trustoo, online marketing costs (Dutch)

updated 3 November 2026

Knab, self-employed professionals in 2026: higher rates (Dutch)

viewed November 2026

Google Ads Help, owning your account

viewed November 2026

Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, search volumes Netherlands

9 November 2026

DataForSEO SERP API, own measurement Google Netherlands

9 November 2026