It is a legitimate question and the honest answer is: it depends. But "it depends" helps nobody decide, so I will try to give concrete numbers and criteria, with the limits of what can be generalized.
What a consulting fee really includes
The first misunderstanding to clear up: the consultant's fee and the advertising budget are two different items. If an offer merges the two into a single figure, always ask how much actually goes to advertising and how much remains as a fee: sometimes the difference is wider than it seems.
A consulting fee covers, depending on the agreement, the initial setup of the accounts, the management and optimization of campaigns, data tracking, regular reporting and the time spent on alignment calls.
The most common price ranges on the Italian market
- €300 to €800 per month: part-time support, management of one channel, suited to those with limited advertising budgets and simple goals.
- €800 to €2,000 per month: more structured management, often multi-channel (Google and Meta together), with regular reporting and continuous optimization.
- Over €2,000 per month: advanced management with strategy included, server-side tracking, coordination of multiple channels and roles, typical of companies with media budgets between €10,000 and €15,000 per month or more.
These ranges are indicative and vary a lot depending on sector, funnel complexity and geographic area: a consultant in Milan tends to cost more than one in a smaller city, even when the work delivered is identical.
What pushes the price up or down
The number of channels managed weighs more than anything else: one channel costs less than an integrated management of Google, Meta and perhaps LinkedIn. The complexity of tracking also matters, because an e-commerce store with multiple conversion events takes more setup time than a site that only generates contacts from a form.
Finally, the level of autonomy required matters: if you want to be involved in every decision with frequent calls, the cost goes up, because the time dedicated to you rises compared with the time dedicated to operations.
Freelance consultant, agency or external marketing direction: costs compared
A freelance consultant usually has lower fixed costs than an agency, because there is no structure with multiple people and internal coordination layers to cover. An agency may cost more for the same managed budget, but offers more specialist skills under one roof (copywriting, graphics, development). An external marketing direction, which also follows the overall strategy and not just the campaigns, is typically priced above a simple ads management service.
How to read a quote without getting confused
Before signing, always check three things: what is explicitly included (initial audit, number of channels, reporting frequency), what the minimum contract term is, and whether a success fee tied to results exists on top of the fixed monthly fee. A clear quote lists these three points without you having to ask.