Short answer: a US-based founder or marketing lead can expect to pay anywhere from roughly $150–$400 for a single strategy session, and $2,000–$10,000+ a month for an ongoing consultant retainer, depending on scope and how many channels are covered. That's a wide range because "consultant" covers everything from a single-channel specialist to a fractional CMO running strategy across a whole marketing function.

1. What actually drives the price

Four variables explain almost all of the spread in consultant pricing: how many channels are in scope (SEO alone vs. SEO + paid + content + automation), the size and complexity of the business, whether the engagement includes hands-on execution or strategy only, and how senior the person actually doing the work is. A single-channel audit costs a fraction of an ongoing multi-channel retainer — and a retainer with a named senior consultant costs more than one where a junior account handler executes a senior's plan.

2. How this compares to freelancers and agencies

Freelancers typically bill hourly, commonly in the $30–$100+ range depending on channel and experience, but usually cover a single channel with no bench for overflow work. Agencies bill flat monthly retainers, commonly $3,000–$15,000+, with an account manager layered between the client and the people actually doing the work. A consultant sits in between: direct senior access across a broader scope than a freelancer, without the account-management overhead baked into an agency retainer.

3. A concrete example

As a reference point, engagements here start at $349 for a one-time strategy session and audit, with ongoing "Growth Partner" retainers from $549+/month for continued execution and optimization — priced to let a founder validate fit with a single audit before committing to anything recurring. Custom scopes for larger, multi-channel engagements are quoted after that initial audit, once the actual gaps are known.

4. Questions to ask before signing anything

  • Does the price include an initial audit, or is a retainer quoted before anyone has looked at the account?
  • Who specifically is doing the work — the person you're talking to, or someone junior on their team?
  • What's the minimum commitment, and what does canceling actually look like?
  • Is reporting built around business outcomes (pipeline, revenue) or vanity metrics (impressions, followers)?

A price with no audit behind it is a guess dressed up as a quote. The more useful question isn't "what's the going rate" — it's "what did this specific consultant find when they actually looked at my numbers."