CreeplessUse casesDigital marketing agencies
Stop free work at digital marketing agencies.
Creepless for digital marketing
Marketing retainers rarely blow up in one go. They leak one “quick campaign” at a time. Creepless checks every request against what the client pays for, so included work goes ahead and extra work becomes a quote they approve first.
Where the hours go
Common scope creep in digital marketing work.
Typical setup: Monthly retainer covering a set number of campaigns, channels and reports.
New channels the retainer never mentioned
Ad-hoc reports and analysis on top of the monthly report
Creative refreshes beyond the agreed number
Example scope rules
Write the line down once.
| Included in the plan | Quoted as extra |
|---|---|
| 2 email campaigns a month | New channels |
| Monthly performance report | Landing page builds |
| Management of agreed channels | One-off analysis projects |
How requests get checked
Three requests. Three calls.
“Can you send our usual newsletter this week?”
IncludedPart of the 2 included email campaigns.
“Let’s start running TikTok ads too.”
ExtraA new channel isn't in the retainer, so it's quoted separately.
“Why did conversions drop last week?”
Needs reviewA line in the monthly report is included; a deep-dive analysis may not be. You decide.
Questions
Scope creep in digital marketing, answered.
What counts as out of scope in a marketing retainer?
Anything not named in the agreement: new channels, extra campaigns past the monthly number, landing pages, or analysis beyond the standard report. Listing these as exclusions up front makes the conversation easy later.
How do I raise extra marketing work without upsetting the client?
Answer quickly, say what's included, and offer a clear price for the extra. A ready-made message that does this politely keeps the relationship intact.
Other teams using Creepless: Web design agencies, SEO agencies, Social media agencies, Branding and design studios, Video production agencies, Web and app development agencies, Freelancers.