Make the right call
Gameplan vs the alternatives
There are four ways to handle marketing for your business. Here's an honest look at the trade-offs — so you can make the right call for where you are.
Gameplan
- Get started
- 48 hours
- Terms
- PAYG or subscription
- Flexibility
- Month-to-month
- Website live in
- 3 weeks
- AI-powered
- Yes
- Full-stack
- Website, social, email, ads, collateral
- Management
- Managed for you
Agency
- Get started
- 4–8 weeks
- Terms
- Retainer (3–6 months)
- Flexibility
- 6–12+ month contracts
- Website live in
- 3–6+ months
- AI-powered
- Sometimes
- Full-stack
- Siloed by specialty
- Management
- Managed
In-house hire
- Get started
- 2–3 months to hire
- Terms
- $152k+ salary + benefits
- Flexibility
- Long-term commitment
- Website live in
- N/A
- AI-powered
- Depends on the hire
- Full-stack
- One person can't cover everything
- Management
- You manage
Freelancers
- Get started
- Days to weeks
- Terms
- Per project or hourly
- Flexibility
- Per project
- Website live in
- 2–4 months
- AI-powered
- Sometimes
- Full-stack
- Needs multiple specialists
- Management
- You manage
DIY tools
- Get started
- Immediate
- Terms
- Tool subscriptions
- Flexibility
- High
- Website live in
- You build it
- AI-powered
- No
- Full-stack
- You do it all
- Management
- You do it all
An honest take
Every option has its place
We're not here to tell you the other options are bad. We're here to help you figure out which one is right for you.
Traditional agency
Agencies are built for big clients. If you have a $5k+/month budget and six weeks to onboard, they can deliver — but most small businesses are too small to get the senior team's attention. You'll get an account manager and a junior execution team, with contracts that lock you in for months.
In-house hire
A great in-house marketer is worth it — if you can find one, afford one, and keep them busy. An experienced mid-level generalist costs $152k+ before benefits and tools. And one person rarely covers everything from website to ads to collateral at a high level.
Freelancers
Freelancers are talented and flexible. The challenge is coordination — you'll need a web designer, a copywriter, a social media manager, and a paid ads specialist, and you become the project manager holding it all together. Great if you have the time to manage it.
DIY tools
Tools like HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Squarespace are powerful — but they don't do the work for you. You're still writing the copy, designing the graphics, setting up the campaigns, and monitoring the results. Your time has a cost too.
Why Gameplan
Built for businesses that need marketing done
48 hrs
From signing to starting work
3 weeks
From website scope to go live
6×
Faster than an agency launch
10×
Less than a typical agency retainer
Gameplan is the only managed marketing service that covers your full stack — website, awareness, and collateral — powered by AI, on a flat monthly retainer or pay-as-you-go basis. No bloated agency fees. No 6-month lock-ins. No project management overhead.
Get started
Ready to get your marketing done?
Talk to us about where you are and what you need. We'll tell you honestly if we're the right fit.
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