Services & Pricing
At Come Recommended, our team is your team. Our collective goal is to create buzz around — and bring substantial recognition to — your product(s), senior leadership, and overall brand. Because we know where your audience “lives” online, we’re able to use content marketing and digital PR strategies and tactics that reach people quickly and spur them into action.
We offer four different pricing options:
- Unlimited retainers (recommended for growing and expanding businesses)
- Small retainers (recommended for early & seed stage startups)
- Bundled services (recommended for pre-launch, early & seed stage startups)
- One-time projects (for pre-launch & recently launched startups only)
Want us to not represent your competitors?
All new (or repeat, but currently not under contract) clients have the following options to keep us from representing a competitor for as long as you’re under contract with us:
- Pay a $1,000/month fee on top of your contracted monthly retainer
- Sign a contract for a minimum monthly retainer of at least $4,000
If you do not wish to pay an extra fee or have the ability to spend at least $4,000/month, we completely understand — and will keep you in the loop about any competitors that come across our desk. We believe transparency is the best policy.
Unlimited Retainers
Recommended for Growing & Expanding Businesses
Our “unlimited” monthly retainers start at $5,000. (This does not include any out-of-pocket expenses, such as design.)
What does this mean? For a set price every month, you get access to our entire team for an “unlimited” number of hours! That’s right, unlike most agencies or solo practitioners in our field, we don’t believe in charging an hourly rate. We find that practice very limiting and restrictive to our clients.
Why is there a range if it’s “unlimited”? Well, “unlimited” means different things for different clients depending on their objectives and the strategies and tactics required to achieve them.
Don’t believe us that you’re getting a sweet deal with an “unlimited” retainer vs. our smaller retainers? When we had an hourly rate, it was $150. For $5,000, that’s approximately 34 hours. Typically, each person on an account puts 20 hours into it the first week alone — and an average of 40 hours combined per week on the account moving forward.
As you can see, hours add up quickly. It’s better for everyone if we dive in and give it all we have rather than tally up how we spend every 15 minutes of our time.
What do you get with our unlimited retainer package?
We’ve been doing this long enough that we know the limitations of our Content Creators—who are living, breathing human beings and also handle other clients (up to one client other than you at any given time). So, here’s a guide we’ve put together for potential clients to give you an idea of what you’ll be charged—and what you’ll receive in return. Not all activities will be relevant to your particular account, but it gives you a good idea of the activity level. Contact us today about an unlimited retainer package customized for your needs!
$5,000/month (up to $375 worth of services for free!)
Content:
- Up to 2 home blog posts and 1 guest blog post per week OR up to 1 home blog post and 2 guest blog posts per week
Social Media Marketing:
- Social media management (one platform)
Media & Blogger Relations:
- HARO/ProfNet responses OR ongoing media & blogger outreach
Search Engine Optimization:
- Perform keyword research at the beginning of your contract and update the list as needed
- Continually review your website and all landing pages and suggest copy changes
- Ensure all content we produce is search engine optimized
- Provide on-page and keyword ranking reports on a weekly basis
And other miscellaneous tasks you require of us!
$5,500/month (up to $750 worth of services for free!)
Content:
- Up to 3 home blog posts per week
- Up to 2 guest blog posts per week
- Up to 2 eNewsletters (research, content)
Social Media Marketing:
- Social media management (full)
Media & Blogger Relations:
- HARO/ProfNet responses OR ongoing media & blogger outreach
Search Engine Optimization:
- Perform keyword research at the beginning of your contract and update the list as needed
- Continually review your website and all landing pages and suggest copy changes
- Ensure all content we produce is search engine optimized
- Provide on-page and keyword ranking reports on a weekly basis
And other miscellaneous tasks you require of us!
$6,000/month (up to $1,125 worth of services for free!)
Content:
- Up to 1 guest blog post per week
- Up to 1 infographic (research, content, pitching) OR up to 1 webinar (research, slides, promotion)
Social Media Marketing:
- Social media management (full)
Media & Blogger Relations:
- HARO/ProfNet responses
- Ongoing media & blogger outreach
- Up to 1 media outreach (press release distribution via PRweb is extra)
Search Engine Optimization:
- Perform keyword research at the beginning of your contract and update the list as needed
- Continually review your website and all landing pages and suggest copy changes
- Ensure all content we produce is search engine optimized
- Provide on-page and keyword ranking reports on a weekly basis
And other miscellaneous tasks you require of us!
Small Retainers
Recommended for Early & Seed Stage Startups
We understand $5,000/month is a lot of money, so we offer a la carte services for smaller organizations that still desire an ongoing communications strategy.
All small retainer clients are required to spend a minimum of $2,000/month and commit to a minimum of two months. Our contracts include a 30-day termination notification clause, so after the first month, you can provide notice if you so desire. But we are confident you won’t!
Once you sign a contract, you lock in our current pricing for as long as you remain under contract. We have several clients who’ve been with us for years who are now robbing us blind! (Just kidding.)
We’ll suggest activity changes when we feel something isn’t working, and you are allowed to switch up the combination of services you receive each month as long as you spend at least as much as in your initial contract. You can always go up or stay the same, but never go down (unless the current contract is terminated and a new one is renegotiated).
Again, as long as you spend at least $2,000/month, you can contract with us to combine the following activities in any way:
Audio Podcasts and Mini-Webinars: $750
Goals: Brand awareness, customer acquisition, lead generation, thought leadership
Perhaps you’re not looking to develop a full-length webinar and instead prefer audio or video content that’s 10-15 minutes long. This service includes a script, social media promotion, and editing of the audio/video recording.
Blog Commenting: $1,500
Goals: Brand awareness, thought leadership, engagement, website traffic
Blog commenting is literally commenting on blogs not owned by you. We draft thoughtful, engaging comments in response to 3-5 articles/posts each weekday that are (1) relevant to your product and (2) on websites with high traffic and a Google Pagerank of at least 5.
eNewsletters: $150
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and loyalty, engagement, lead nurturing
If you already have a list of customers/clients or are in the process of building one, a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly eNewsletter might be in order. This service includes content development only, not distribution or management of your list.
Guest Blog Posts: $375
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, website traffic
A guest blog post is a post written for a blog or media outlet that is not owned by you (i.e., Mashable). These posts are not overtly promotional, as most sites do not allow you to talk about or link to your product within the post itself.
Guest Blogging Program: $1,500 (initial setup); $75/accepted contribution thereafter
Goals: Brand awareness, thought leadership, engagement
If you would like to accept guest contributions on your home blog, we can help you establish and run the program. Initial setup ($1,500) includes:
- Draft detailed writing and submission guidelines
- Set up a software (Submittable) to manage submissions, including drafting response templates
- Research and reach out to 100 possible initial contributors
HARO/ProfNet Responses: $750
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, website traffic
Help A Reporter Out (HARO) and ProfNet allow reporters to submit details about stories they are writing (“queries”). On behalf of our clients, we draft responses to appropriate queries within one hour of receiving them so as to maximize the chance of being quoted. You can choose whether or not you want to approve all responses or allow us to submit them without your approval.
Home Blog Posts: $150
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, engagement, website traffic
A home blog post is a post written for your blog. For the most part, home blog posts should not be overly promotional of your product, although we do follow internal linking best practices. All posts are search engine optimized.
Infographics: $1,500-$3,000 + design costs
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, engagement, website traffic
Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly. To give you an idea of what infographics look like, click here.
- Design typically costs in the $250-$500 range; the balance is invoiced after the project is completed
- $1,500: Pitching only (to 90+ outlets)
- $1,500: Research, content
- $1,650: Research, content, pitch to one (1) outlet
- $2,250: Research, content, pitch to ten (10) outlets
- $3,000: Research, content, pitch to 90+ outlets
Media & Blogger Outreach Campaign: $1,500-$3,750
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, website traffic
You have news and you want everyone to know about it. A media & blogger outreach campaign includes a press release (if desired), a focused media list, customized individual pitch emails sent to reporters and bloggers on the media list, follow-up after the initial pitch is sent, and coordinating interview arrangements as necessary.
A single campaign costs more than ongoing outreach because of the time involved in the process. Most PR pros and agencies believe in mass distributing a press release over the wire or other software and sitting back waiting for interview requests to pour in. Not us. Although we do strongly encourage you to also purchase distribution via PRweb for SEO benefit and social currency, we do not rely on wire distribution for end results.
- $1,500: 10-35 outlets
- $2,550: 36-99 outlets
- $3,750: 100+ outlets
Messaging & Branding Starter Kit: $1,500
Goals: Customer acquisition, lead nurturing, sales
Whether you have a website already or are in the process of creating one, it’s a good idea to make sure you have messaging that works and is consistent. This package of services includes:
- Creative brief meeting
- Development of a key messaging document
- Current website review for search engine optimization and messaging consistency
- Rewrite of any copy on the current website that needs it
- Development of two (2) SEO landing pages to help your company be found on search engines and further solidify the messaging
Ongoing Media & Blogger Outreach: $1,125
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, website traffic
We work with you to identify keywords and competitors we can be searching for within reporters’ articles and bloggers’ posts. When an article or post is published mentioning one of these keywords and/or competitors, we reach out to the reporter/blogger with a customized pitch about you and your product. If the reporter/blogger desires an interview with you, we make all the arrangements.
Product Marketing Video: $1,500
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, website traffic
A product marketing video is a 30- to 90-second video. These can be live action (with real “actors” from the Come Recommended team), animated (we don’t have an illustrator, but we do have access to animation software), screencasts — or a combination of all three. Includes a script and the final video — no promotion.
SEO Keyword Research: $750
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, website traffic
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a huge topic — way too big to get into here. If you’d like to educate yourself, which we strongly encourage, try reading this primer from SEOmoz.
With SEO keyword research, we identify tens — or in some cases hundreds — of keyword possibilities for your site and narrow that list down to at least 10 recommended keywords. This list should be used to create content — blog posts, landing pages, etc. — that helps establish and improve your keyword ranking on popular search engines to generate organic traffic to your site.
SEO Landing Pages: $375
Goals: Customer acquisition, lead generation, website traffic, sales
SEO landing pages are single Web pages written about a particular keyword (i.e., video interviewing). We strongly recommend performing SEO keyword research first.
Social Media Management: $750 (one platform) – $1,500 (full management)
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and loyalty, thought leadership, engagement, website traffic
If a tree falls in the woods, but no one is around to hear it, does it really make a sound? The same principle applies to your product and overall brand. We work with your team to make sure you’re taking full advantage of the appropriate social media platforms — or take over your “identities” for you altogether.
- During the first month, up to 5 business days are devoted to developing a comprehensive social media marketing plan, which is updated throughout our relationship as necessary
- We follow the 80/20 principle: 80 percent other people’s content, 20 percent your content
- New messages written weekly for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ (80 percent)
- Promotion of your content and messages as necessary (20 percent)
- Each weekday: Follow 15 new people on Twitter, connect with 1 new person on LinkedIn, and add 5 new people to Google+ circles
- Participate in other social networks and bookmarking sites (StumbleUpon, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.) as necessary
- Follow people back on Twitter, as deemed appropriate
- Like other brand pages on Facebook, as deemed appropriate
- Participate in relevant Twitter chats on your behalf, under your Twitter handle (see below for pricing for running your own Twitter chat)
- Provide a full analytics report weekly and monthly for Twitter and Facebook
Speaker’s Bureau: $750
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, engagement
If you are interested in speaking to job seekers, HR professionals, recruiters, or business owners directly, our speaker’s bureau service provides you with ongoing monitoring of opportunities and includes written proposals when a matching opportunity arises.
Syndicated Articles: $150
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, website traffic
Through Come Recommended’s partnerships with eByline, Newstex, and individual media outlets, we have effectively become a syndication service (similar to the Associated Press). Here’s how it works:
- We draft a news article or an advice piece on your behalf with your byline/bio
- We send it to you for review and approval
- Once we receive your approval, we submit the article and any associated images/media
- Within 30 seconds, the article is syndicated to 100+ media outlets (including guaranteed placement in Business Insider)
Twitter Chat Management (Bi-Weekly): $900
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and loyalty, thought leadership, engagement, website traffic
- Research, invite, and initiate guest hosts
- Draft chat questions and a preview of the chat for your home blog
- Manage the chat
- Draft a chat wrap-up for your home blog
Webinars: $1,500-$3,000
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and acquisition, thought leadership, engagement, website traffic, lead nurturing
Typically, webinars are 30-60 minutes long. They can be live and recorded for archiving (recommended) or pre-recorded. We can work with you on webinars in one of the following ways, each of which requires at least a four-week lead time in order to be as successful as possible:
- Media, blogger, and influencer promotion only: $1,500
- Media, blogger, influencer, and social media promotion: $2,250
- Slides + media, blogger, influencer, and social media promotion: $3,000
Whitepapers and eBooks: $150/page + design costs
Goals: Brand awareness, lead generation, customer retention and acquisition, thought leadership, engagement, website traffic, lead nurturing
- Design typically costs in the $300-$500 range
- Requires an upfront payment of $1,000; the balance is invoiced after the project is completed
Bundled Services
Recommended for Pre-Launch, Early & Seed Stage Startups
Buy a bundle now, and use each activity anytime throughout the year — no contract required. Contact us today to ask about other bundled services possibilities.
Thought Leadership Package: $4,500
Syndicate Me Package: $1,800
As Seen In… Package: $3,000
Get Found Online Package: $2,625
Educate My Audience Package: $3,000
We Heart Infographics Package: $6,000
One-Time Projects
Pre-Launch & Recently Launched Startups Only
Purchase one of the following packages and receive a one-day intensive campaign (no contract required):
$1,275
- Social media marketing across all our channels — and the channels of our brand ambassadors — for 24 hours
- A blog post on ComeRecommended.com reviewing your product (syndicated to Business Insider)
- A guest post written “by” you (ghostwritten by us) on the outlet of your choice, such as Mashable (publication and timing are at the sole discretion of the outlet, not us — if your original outlet rejects the piece for whatever reason, we’ll move on to your second choice)
- Submission to startup review sites
$1,650
- Social media marketing across all our channels — and the channels of our brand ambassadors — for 24 hours
- A blog post on ComeRecommended.com reviewing your product (syndicated to Business Insider)
- Two (2) guest posts written “by” you (ghostwritten by us) on the outlets of your choice, such as Mashable (publication and timing are at the sole discretion of the outlet, not us — if your original outlet rejects the piece for whatever reason, we’ll move on to your second choice)
- Submission to startup review sites
$3,150
- Social media marketing across all our channels — and the channels of our brand ambassadors — for 24 hours
- A blog post on ComeRecommended.com reviewing your product (syndicated to Business Insider)
- Two (2) guest posts written “by” you (ghostwritten by us) on the outlets of your choice, such as Mashable (publication and timing are at the sole discretion of the outlet, not us — if your original outlet rejects the piece for whatever reason, we’ll move on to your second choice)
- Submission to startup review sites
- A promotional video about your product (in addition to being embedded into the ComeRecommended.com blog post and distributed to our brand ambassadors, this is something you can keep as your own if you wish) OR four (4) additional guest posts
$4,650
- Social media marketing across all our channels — and the channels of our brand ambassadors — for 24 hours
- A blog post on ComeRecommended.com reviewing your product (syndicated to Business Insider)
- Two (2) guest posts written “by” you (ghostwritten by us) on the outlets of your choice, such as Mashable (publication and timing are at the sole discretion of the outlet, not us — if your original outlet rejects the piece for whatever reason, we’ll move on to your second choice)
- Submission to startup review sites
- A promotional video about your product (in addition to being embedded into the ComeRecommended.com blog post and distributed to our brand ambassadors, this is something you can keep as your own if you wish) OR four (4) additional guest posts
- Press release and individual pitch emails distributed to the relevant segment of our media relations contact database (press release distribution via PRweb is extra)
$6,150
- Social media marketing across all our channels — and the channels of our brand ambassadors — for 24 hours
- A blog post on ComeRecommended.com reviewing your product (syndicated to Business Insider)
- Two (2) guest posts written “by” you (ghostwritten by us) on the outlets of your choice, such as Mashable (publication and timing are at the sole discretion of the outlet, not us — if your original outlet rejects the piece for whatever reason, we’ll move on to your second choice)
- Submission to startup review sites
- A promotional video about your product (in addition to being embedded into the ComeRecommended.com blog post and distributed to our brand ambassadors, this is something you can keep as your own if you wish) OR four (4) additional guest posts
- Press release and individual pitch emails distributed to the relevant segment of our media relations contact database (press release distribution via PRweb is extra)
- Infographic (includes research, copy, and design) to include in the media pitches and overall promotion