Running a successful digital marketing agency involves more than winning sizable one-off projects. A key strategy for building a stable and growing business is to create recurring revenue streams that ensure consistent cash flow over time. This removes the stress of always hunting for new clients and allows you to plan, make smart investments, scale more effectively, and grow quickly. In this way, recurring revenue isn’t just a nice to have. It’s essential to ensure you can thrive long-term.
If you need help generating sufficient recurring revenue, you’re far from alone. According to HubSpot’s Marketing Agency Growth Report, 57% of marketing agencies have less than three months of cash flow available, putting them in a vulnerable position where they must constantly chase new business to stay afloat. In this post, we dive into specific strategies you can implement to create recurring revenue for your digital marketing agency. Some of which you can make progress toward today.
A closer look at why recurring revenue matters
Recurring revenue allows you to think long-term and prioritize work that drives impact rather than stressing about staying afloat in the short term. Beyond that, focusing on services with recurring revenue can also strengthen client relationships and create opportunities for regular, organic client interactions. This, in turn, can lead to additional business from your existing clients.
To use a super simple example, let’s say you decide to start taking care of domain registrations for your clients. Not only can this generate direct and indirect recurring revenue, but it also provides a natural opportunity to check in with your client as their domain comes up for renewal each year. If this sounds interesting, you can check out our article on how to offer domains alongside your existing services. It’s easier than you might think.
Agencies with recurring revenue models can expect higher client retention rates and increased profitability, as returning customers spend 67% more than new customers.
Now let’s take a look at some subscription services that can help you increase recurring revenue while delivering greater value to your clients. We’ll also look at some examples of agencies who are doing it well.
1. Offer content marketing subscriptions
Content marketing is an incredibly cost-effective marketing strategy and can be easily integrated into your existing offering. A Demand Metric Study found that content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about three times as many leads. However, many companies need help with in-house content creation: 84% of the B2B professionals outsource quality content as of 2023, and 48% of all content marketing was outsourced in 2024. Offering content marketing on a subscription basis can guarantee a steady income stream for your agency.
You can create content marketing packages by providing monthly blog posts, white papers, infographics, and ebooks. By packaging these services into a subscription model, you make it easier for your clients to budget for content creation.
Example: ClearVoice is a content marketing agency that offers subscription plans that provide clients with monthly content subscriptions. Their subscription model simplifies budgeting for clients and ensures a steady stream of content delivery.
2. Offer social media management services
Having an active social media presence is crucial for many businesses. Yet, many companies need help managing their social media accounts effectively, making this a prime opportunity for marketing agencies. Social media management services can be offered on a monthly retainer, including activities like posting, running ads, and community management.
According to Statista, ad spending is expected to reach $255.8 billion by 2028, highlighting that businesses are increasingly investing in social media platforms. You can offer basic packages that include posting and engagement, and higher-priced plans for clients who want full management of ads and analytics. A flexible model like this will help you grow with your clients’ needs while continuously generating revenue.
Example: Social Media 55 offers a range of social media management packages, from basic to more advanced. Their packages allow clients to choose exactly what they want, making it easier for businesses to fit social media management into their budgets.
3. Website maintenance and support packages
A website is a critical asset for any business, but many companies neglect ongoing maintenance once it’s built. This creates an opportunity for agencies to offer website maintenance and support packages. These services can include regular updates, security checks, backups, and troubleshooting, which ensures the client’s site runs smoothly.
Offering these services on a subscription basis provides your agency with consistent monthly income. If you offer website maintenance, you can up-sell clients by adding hosting or technical support.
As mentioned above, you can also easily incorporate domain management into your packages. OpenSRS Storefront simplifies domain management for agencies and their clients. Clients can purchase a domain right from your site, or you can register and manage it on their behalf. It also includes a brandable end-user portal where clients can manage their domains.
If you’re considering offering ongoing domain management as part of your web maintenance package, check out this article to learn more about different options for selling domains.
Example: Big Tuna offers a range of website maintenance packages designed to provide ongoing support for businesses. Their packages include a domain name, hosting, email, regular updates, and support to ensure the client’s website remains secure and functional. By offering structured monthly support plans, Big Tuna builds a reliable stream of recurring revenue, while providing peace of mind to clients, who now have one less thing to worry about.
4. Regular consulting calls
Clients frequently need advice, especially in areas like digital marketing strategy, conversion optimization, and SEO. You can monetize your expertise by offering ongoing consulting calls as a subscription while helping clients continuously improve their marketing efforts.
Consulting packages can be customized based on frequency: weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, or quarterly. These calls provide clients with tailored advice, while giving your agency another recurring revenue stream. This model is especially appealing because it leverages your existing knowledge without requiring operational work.
5. Up-sell services that supplement your current offerings
It’s common wisdom that selling to your existing clients is easier, and this is true. Acquiring a new client costs 5 to 10 times more, and existing clients buy 67% more than new ones on average. Cross-selling and up-selling are powerful ways to generate additional revenue from your existing clients. For example, you can upsell website hosting or offer SEO audits and strategies if you provide web design services.
Simply put, clients already working with you are more likely to invest in supplemental services because they trust your agency.
Additionally, if you already offer domain registration, adding services like hosting or website security can help you further monetize your domain business.
Example: WebFX effectively up-sells by offering complementary services alongside its primary offerings. For instance, clients who purchase SEO services can easily add content creation or social media management.
Conclusion
Building recurring revenue streams in your digital marketing agency is essential for ensuring stability and building long-term relationships with your clients. Offering subscription-based services can transform your agency into a sustainable and scalable business. Now, you’re ready to take a step back, evaluate your current service offerings, and identify opportunities to add additional services and effectively repackage different ones together.