Change can be intimidating, especially when shifting to a new marketing model that challenges traditional norms. For marketing directors, creative leads, and heads of growth, embracing hour-based marketing may trigger a few concerns: Is it more complicated? Will it cost more? How can we ensure fair billing?
These worries are normal. Let’s address the most common objections to hour-based marketing plans so you can make an informed decision with clarity and confidence.
Objection 1: “It Sounds More Complicated Than a Retainer”
Concern: You might think: “With retainers, I pay a set amount and get a predictable set of deliverables. Hour-based models seem more involved.”
Response:
Hour-based marketing actually simplifies operations by focusing on what matters: outcomes. Instead of fitting projects into rigid deliverable boxes, you direct hours toward the most impactful tasks. Tools like Lionshare.app streamline this process with user-friendly dashboards, multiple-choice request forms, and real-time insights into progress.
Within a short onboarding period, most teams find this approach not only manageable but liberating. They appreciate the granularity, control, and flexibility it provides.
Objection 2: “Won’t This Cost More in the Long Run?”
Concern: Some worry that paying for hours rather than a fixed package could balloon expenses if not carefully managed.
Response:
On the contrary, hour-based models often save money over time. Since you can see exactly where each hour goes, you reduce waste and invest only in tactics that deliver strong returns. If something isn’t working, you reassign hours instead of being stuck with a static scope.
Additionally, there’s no paying for unused deliverables. If market conditions change and you don’t need certain assets, you simply don’t spend hours on them. Over time, this precision typically leads to a leaner, more ROI-positive marketing program.
Objection 3: “I’m Used to Fixed Deliverables. How Do We Set Expectations?”
Concern: Traditional models guarantee a set number of graphics, social posts, or ad management each month. How do you ensure you still get what you need without a predefined list?
Response:
Hour-based marketing prioritizes objectives over arbitrary deliverable counts. Instead of asking, “How many social posts do I get?” you focus on what those social posts should achieve: Is it brand awareness, conversions, or thought leadership?
Your agency partner, like Savage Global Marketing, will help set benchmarks and guide hour allocation to meet your goals. Because it’s a collaborative process, you can always request certain types of deliverables if you believe they’ll support your objectives.
Objection 4: “What If We Don’t Know Which Channels to Prioritize?”
Concern: Without a predefined scope, you might worry about making the wrong decisions on where to invest hours.
Response:
Hour-based models encourage data-driven decision-making. Initially, you might allocate hours across multiple channels or tactics—think paid search, social ads, email marketing—and track their performance closely. Lionshare.app provides real-time metrics so you can see which channels deliver the best results. Over time, you’ll gain clarity and confidently funnel more hours into winners, reducing the guesswork.
Your agency partner isn’t just executing tasks; they’re also consulting. They’ll propose strategies and help interpret data, ensuring you never feel alone in deciding where to focus.
Objection 5: “How Can We Ensure Fair and Honest Billing?”
Concern: Transparency is crucial. How do you know you’re not overpaying or that hours aren’t inflated?
Response:
Transparency is the cornerstone of hour-based marketing. Every hour is logged and visible. You can see which campaigns, tasks, or optimizations took place and when. This level of detail removes the mystery from billing. If you have questions about why a certain activity took a certain number of hours, just ask. The system encourages open dialogue, ensuring you feel confident that every hour spent moves your brand closer to its goals.
Over time, as trust builds, you’ll likely find you no longer worry about the fairness of billing because the evidence is always at your fingertips.
Objection 6: “Will It Slow Down Our Workflows?”
Concern: Adding more checkpoints or having to adjust hours regularly might seem like it could slow progress.
Response:
In practice, hour-based models often speed up workflows. With clearer briefs, real-time progress tracking, and easy request submissions, teams waste less time on back-and-forth emails or clarifying instructions. Since priorities are defined and visible, your agency can act quickly, and you can provide feedback promptly.
As a result, campaigns launch faster, optimizations happen sooner, and you capitalize on opportunities as they arise, rather than waiting for the next monthly review.
Embracing the Future of Marketing
Common objections usually stem from unfamiliarity with hour-based marketing. Once marketing leaders experience how straightforward, transparent, and results-driven it is, skepticism often fades.
By addressing these concerns upfront—cost, complexity, accountability, deliverables, prioritization—Savage Global Marketing aims to remove any friction from your decision-making process. Hour-based marketing isn’t about complicating things; it’s about simplifying them. It isn’t about hidden costs; it’s about aligning every dollar spent with measurable ROI.
As you overcome each objection, you’ll see that hour-based marketing isn’t a leap into the unknown. It’s a logical evolution in a marketplace demanding flexibility, transparency, and faster results. Armed with understanding and clarity, you can confidently embrace this model and lead your marketing team into a more agile, data-driven, and ultimately successful future.
