How much does digital marketing cost in Canada?
By Kyle Spurrell, Founder & Lead Designer, Growth Nest Media · Updated · 6 min read
Digital marketing is usually priced as a monthly fee for the work, plus a separate budget paid directly to advertising platforms like Google and Facebook. At Growth Nest Media, digital marketing and advertising starts at $500 CAD per month, and advertising budget is separate.
Two different costs: the work and the ad budget
Most confusion about digital marketing pricing comes from mixing up two separate things. The first is the monthly fee for the people doing the work: planning, setup, management, and reporting. The second is advertising spend, the money paid directly to platforms like Google or Facebook to show your ads.
A provider should be clear about both. The management fee pays for the work. The ad budget is yours to control, and it goes to the platform, not to the marketer.
What changes the monthly price
- How many services you want, such as SEO, Google Ads, social media, or a mix.
- Your goals. Getting a few local customers is a smaller job than competing nationally.
- How competitive your industry is, since crowded markets take more work.
- How much content needs to be created, such as pages, posts, or ad creative.
- How much reporting and strategy time you want each month.
SEO and paid ads work on different timelines
Search engine optimization builds over months. Search engines need time to find, trust, and rank improvements, so SEO is an investment that tends to pay back steadily. Paid advertising can bring traffic within days of launching, but it stops when the budget stops. Many businesses use both: ads for speed, and SEO for lasting results.
How to judge a digital marketing offer
- Be wary of guarantees. Nobody can promise a number-one ranking or a set number of sales.
- Ask what is included in writing, and how results will be reported.
- Ask who owns your ad accounts and data. It should be you.
- Ask about contract length and how you can stop if it is not working.
- Look for clear tracking, so you can see calls, forms, and sales that come from marketing.
Growth Nest Media pricing
Growth Nest Media offers digital marketing and advertising across Canada and the United States, starting at $500 CAD per month. That covers the work of SEO, local search, Google Ads and social media advertising, and monthly reporting. Advertising budget is paid directly to the platforms and is separate. The scope and monthly price are confirmed in writing before you start. See the digital marketing page for details.
Common questions
- Is $500 a month enough for digital marketing?
- It depends on your goals. A focused plan for a local business can start there. Bigger goals, more services, or more competitive markets usually need more. The right scope is agreed on a discovery call.
- Do I pay the ad platforms myself?
- Yes. Advertising budget is paid directly to platforms like Google and Facebook, so you stay in control of how much you spend.
- How long does SEO take to work?
- SEO builds over months, not days. Paid ads can bring traffic much faster, which is why many businesses combine the two.
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