Many small businesses in Luxembourg buy marketing in pieces: a photo shoot here, a logo there, an ad campaign when business is slow. A monthly retainer is a different way: you agree a regular amount, and the work happens every month. This article explains how it works, what it usually includes and how our own retainer is built. We give only our own prices. We do not quote market averages, because they say little about what you would actually get.
Retainer or one-off project?
A one-off project has a start, an end and a fixed result. A new website, a logo, a single shoot. It suits a clear need that does not repeat.
A retainer is a regular monthly agreement. It suits work that must continue, because customers keep coming and going and your offer changes with the seasons.
| One-off project | Monthly retainer | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Starts and ends | Runs every month |
| Result | One deliverable | Steady flow of content, ads and reports |
| Learning | Starts again each time | The team knows your business and improves |
| Budget | One bill | A planned monthly amount |
| Best for | A clear single need | Ongoing customer growth |
Neither is better by default. Many businesses start with a project and move to a retainer once they see the work is continuous.
What a retainer usually includes
The pieces vary, but for a local business they are usually these:
- Strategy. Who you want to reach, what you offer, what to say, and what to measure.
- Content. Photo and video shoots, edited photos, short vertical videos (reels).
- Social media. Planning, publishing and replying on the channels where your customers are.
- Ads. Paid campaigns on Meta (Instagram and Facebook) and Google.
- A website in your customers' languages, kept up to date.
- Messages and bookings. A single place for enquiries and a clear way to book.
- Numbers. Enquiries, sources and cost per customer in one view.
You do not need everything on day one. A good retainer starts with what gives the clearest return and adds the rest later.
Our plans and prices
Our prices are ours only, and all are excl. VAT. Luxembourg standard VAT is 17%.
| Plan | What is included | From, per month |
|---|---|---|
| LITE | A half-day shoot, 15 edited photos and 3 reels | €1,300 |
| Start | A half-day shoot, 15 photos, 4 reels, plus social media | €2,300 |
| Standard | Two shooting days, 30 photos, 8 reels, social media and ads | €5,000 |
| Premium | Three or four shooting days, 12 reels, social media and ads | €8,800 |
A few more figures:
- A shoot is from €250 per hour.
- 10 extra edited photos cost €80.
- Strategy, website, messages and bookings, and the numbers screen are priced after the first call: one launch price and one monthly price.
The live shoot comes first. AI helps with planning and drafts, but people decide.
How the budget works
We do not sell you a fixed list of items. Each cycle has a budget in euros, and you spend it from a menu: shoot hours, edited photos, reels and ads.
For example, in one month you may want more shoot time because a new menu or a new service launches. In another month you may prefer more reels or more ad spend. The budget stays the same; what you choose from the menu changes.
What happens to budget you do not use
Budget left at the end of a cycle is not lost. It can move once, to one later cycle that you choose, up to 30% of the budget. It cannot move again after that. This gives you room for a quiet month, a holiday or a late shoot date, without turning the budget into a bank account.
A simple example with placeholders: if the cycle budget is € X, the most that can move is 30% of € X, and it goes to one later cycle of your choice.
The contract
The contract runs for 12 months, with a 6-month trial at the start. LITE is available from 6 months. A trial period gives both sides time to see whether the work fits, before the full term is settled. If something does not work, it is better to say so early.
Questions to ask any provider
Whether you work with us or someone else, these questions help you compare:
- What exactly is included each month, and what is extra?
- Who does the shooting, and who does the editing?
- Do I get a monthly report with enquiries and cost per customer, or only likes and reach?
- Who owns the photos, videos and accounts at the end?
- What happens to the part of the budget I do not use?
- How long is the contract, and is there a trial?
- Are the prices excl. VAT or incl. VAT?
Clear answers to these tell you more than a long proposal.
How to estimate your own budget
Start from what you can afford each month, then see which plan or mix of services fits. Our pricing page has a budget calculator: enter a monthly amount and see what it can cover. For strategy, website and the other services priced after the first call, we give a launch price and a monthly price once we have talked.
Use the pricing page and budget calculator to try different amounts. Read more about the strategy service, which is where most retainers begin, or contact us if you want to talk it through.