Marketing that brings the right customers back, month after month.
It begins with a written plan you sign off, then settles into a monthly rhythm: a useful piece of writing, an email people open, ads only where the sums work, and a short report. I do all of it myself, and the accounts, the lists and the data remain yours.
What a year on a retainer includes.
Marketing is a habit rather than a campaign. The first six weeks lay the foundations; after that it is the same good work, on schedule, for as long as it keeps paying. Which parts you need depends on the business, and the plan says which. I will not sell you a channel you do not need.
The price
One fixed monthly figure for the parts your business needs, set out in a written proposal within two working days of our first conversation and agreed before anything begins.
- A written plan. It is drawn up in the first two weeks, after a good deal of listening about what you sell, who buys it, where they spend their time and who you are up against. It sets out who you are for, what you stand for and the small handful of channels you can win on over the next twelve months, and you sign it off before anything is published.
- The set-up. By the end of the sixth week, the tracking, the email, ad accounts in your name, a content calendar and a note on your tone of voice are all in place.
- Content worth reading. From the second month there is one long-form piece a month, usually answering a real question your customers ask, and written to be read and shared rather than stuffed with keywords.
- An email people open. It goes out once a month, with the list growing and simple automation behind it, in Mailchimp, Klaviyo or Kit, whichever fits the way you work.
- Paid ads, when they make sense. Ads run on Google, Meta or LinkedIn when there is something genuinely worth paying to put in front of people. They are tested small first and scaled only when the numbers hold.
- The numbers, joined up. On the first working day of every month, your analytics, Search Console and advertising figures arrive in one short report, showing what changed, what worked and what to do next.
- A review every ninety days. We spend ninety minutes together, looking at the numbers and at what has changed in your business, so that we keep what is working, drop what is not and pick the next thing to try. Nothing runs on autopilot for longer than that.
A website and its marketing, made by the same hand.
Getting the words right first is the real work, and a website is where all of the marketing sends people. When the same person makes both, the two pull in the same direction from the first day.
I have designed and built websites since 2001, more than 1,600 of them. At Promotor UK and Talk Mortgage Broker, the website and the marketing were made together; at Xpert Resourcing, the brief was a website refresh.
Promotor UKPromotional counters and displays, made in the UK (opens in a new tab)
Talk Mortgage BrokerA mortgage broker in Stamford and Peterborough (opens in a new tab)
Xpert ResourcingA recruitment agency in Ely (opens in a new tab)
“I would highly recommend Adam. We were looking for a website refresh and he came up with some great ideas and made the whole process very straightforward. Very happy with the new website.”
Cost, timing and what stays yours.
These are the questions that start most first calls about marketing. If yours is not among them, you are welcome to send it to me, and I will answer it plainly.
How much should a business spend on marketing?
As a general guide, an established business might spend five to ten per cent of turnover, and more if it is trying to grow quickly. My own part is quoted to the job: after a free 30-minute call, a written proposal follows within two working days, with one fixed monthly price agreed in writing before any work begins. Ad spend is separate and is never marked up.
How long until I see results?
Email and paid ads can show real numbers within 30 to 60 days. Content and search take three to six months to start building on themselves. Most of my clients have been with me for many years, and some for more than ten, because the numbers make the case on their own.
Do you manage social media as well?
Yes, as part of a wider marketing plan. On its own, social media is rarely the answer; as one channel among several, it usually is.
Will you run my Google Ads or Meta ads?
Yes, when the sums add up. Most businesses spend too little on the channels people have chosen to hear from, such as email, content and search, and too much on ads, so I will be honest about the order in which to do things. The spend goes through your account, not mine, so you can see every penny, and if Google Ads is all you need, there is a separate page on Google Ads management.
Who actually does the work?
I do: the person who plans your marketing is the person who writes it, publishes it and answers your email by the end of the next working day, with a trusted associate on call for cover. Should you prefer to meet rather than talk on Zoom, I will come to you.
Can you provide what a board or the partners will ask for?
Yes. I carry professional indemnity insurance, and references are available, whom you are welcome to speak to.
Can I leave?
You may leave at any time, with 30 days' notice. You keep the written plan, the content calendar, the email lists, the ad accounts and the analytics. It is a service, not a lock-in.
Tell me what you are trying to grow.
You are welcome to book thirty minutes on a call, or to leave a note in the form, telling me what you sell, who you would like more of, and what you have tried so far. If I can help, I will tell you how and what it costs, in writing. If I am not the right fit, I will say so. Should you prefer a second opinion first, you need only send me your web address and I will reply with a few honest thoughts within two working days.
Or write to enquiries@adamlord.co.uk. For a fuller picture, the project brief takes about ten minutes.
Tell me about your business
Thank you. Your message is with me.
It has come straight to me rather than to a queue, and I will reply by the end of the next working day.