What a marketing subscription should include

A flat monthly subscription for marketing sounds simple until the first month, when you find that "strategy" meant one call and "social media" meant three posts. Whether you are comparing providers or setting up an arrangement with one, you can avoid most disappointment by checking the same list of points before you sign.

This is a checklist. It does not say what any provider charges, and it does not recommend a particular model.

1. A written scope in plain words

The scope should say what is delivered each month, not just which disciplines are covered. Compare:

• Vague: "Content and social media."
• Clear (an invented example): "Four blog articles of up to 1,000 words, reviewed by you before publishing, and a scheduled social calendar for two platforms."

Ask for numbers, formats and limits. If something is not written down, assume it is not included.

2. Named areas of work

Check which disciplines are inside the subscription and which are extras. Typical areas are strategy, branding, web design and development, SEO, paid media management, content, social media, automation and analytics. Many providers cover only some. Ask whether ad spend, software licences and stock assets are billed separately, since those are usually paid to third parties.

3. How requests are handled

• How do you submit a request, and where is the status visible?
• What is the typical turnaround for a small change, and for a larger piece of work?
• Is there a limit on simultaneous requests?
• Who sets priorities when requests compete?

A subscription with no visible queue becomes a guessing game about what is being worked on.

4. A named point of contact and the people behind the work

Find out who you will speak to, who actually does the work, and what happens when someone is away. You do not need a team chart, but you do need to know whom to ask.

5. Reporting you can use

Agree what is reported, how often, and in what form. Reports should connect activity to your own goals, such as enquiries and leads, rather than list tasks. Ask whether you get access to the underlying data and dashboards.

6. Ownership of everything produced

Confirm in writing that you own the website, content, creative files, ad accounts, analytics properties and domain names, and that the accounts are registered in your business's name, not the provider's. This is the single most important item when a relationship ends.

7. Terms for leaving

Check the notice period, whether work in progress is handed over, and what you receive on exit. Ask about lock-in terms before anything else, because a subscription that is hard to leave behaves like a contract with a different name.

8. Approvals and revisions

• Who approves work, and how long does the provider wait before proceeding?
• How many rounds of revisions are included?
• What happens to unused capacity at month end? If it does not roll over, you should know before you start.

9. Access and security

Find out how the provider handles logins, who is given admin access, and how access is removed on exit. Use individual accounts, not shared passwords.

10. Honest limits

A good provider will tell you what a subscription cannot do: it cannot promise rankings, guarantee sales or replace a product that does not fit the market. Be cautious of guarantees on outcomes that depend on factors outside anyone's control.

Use the list in a first call

Take the ten headings, ask each question aloud, and note the answers in a shared document. Then compare answers between providers on the same page.

One example of a plan covering strategy, branding, web and UI/UX, SEO, performance marketing, content and social media, AI automation and analytics is Gorilla Vibe's no lock-in monthly plan.

Written with AI assistance for the Gorilla Vibe marketing team.