Agencies exist for good reasons. Scale, specialism and capacity are real things. But most small businesses aren't buying scale — they're buying attention, and that's the one thing an agency structure makes expensive.
What you're actually paying for
In a typical small retainer, a chunk of the fee covers account management, reporting and internal process. The person creating your content is often the least experienced person on the account.
That's not a scandal, it's just how the model works. It's fine at £5,000 a month. At £700 a month it leaves very little actual work.
When an agency is the right call
Large budgets across multiple channels, complex e-commerce, national campaigns, or a business that already has an internal marketing lead who needs delivery capacity.
The alternative
One experienced person who can think and execute: plan the month, film the content, run the ads, keep the website moving. You lose specialist depth in exchange for someone who actually knows your business and answers the phone.
For most businesses spending £500 to £1,500 a month, that trade is worth making.