Us, a freelancer, a VA or a hire?
An honest look at who should run your follow-up. Sometimes the answer isn't us, and that's fine.
| In-house hire | Typical agency | Marketing VA | Jefi Studio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | About $9,400 for salary and benefits, before tools and training | Often under $5,000 for the most common retainers | $1,700 to $6,000 at 20 to 40 hours a week | $2,500 to $4,500, after a $2,500 setup |
| Who builds the system | Depends on who you hire | Usually a junior team member | You direct every task | The two founders |
| Runs it every month | Yes, if they stay | Often limited to set deliverables | Only what you assign | Yes, with a monthly report |
| Time to start | 1 to 3 months to hire and train | 2 to 6 weeks | 1 to 2 weeks, plus training | Missed-call text back live in 48 hours |
| Your management time | High | Medium | High | About 30 minutes a week |
| If they leave | You start over | The account changes hands | You start over | Everything stays in your tools, documented |
In-house estimate: the BLS median wage of $78,760 for marketing specialists (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook) plus benefits at about 43 cents per wage dollar (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026), divided by 12. Agency: The most common agency retainer is under $5,000 a month. (Promethean Research). VA: Virtual assistants on Upwork typically cost $10 to $20 an hour, and marketing VAs $20 to $35 or more. (Upwork, Virtual Assistant Hourly Rates), at 4.3 weeks a month.
Hire in-house
Best when you have steady work for a full-time person and time to manage them.
- You get one person's skills, so CRM, writing and reporting all depend on them.
- Hiring and training take months, and you start over if they leave.
- The median marketing specialist earns $78,760 a year before benefits. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Hire an agency
Best for ads, brand campaigns and big launches.
- Most agencies sell set deliverables, not ongoing follow-up.
- Your account is often run by a junior team member.
- The most common agency retainer is under $5,000 a month. Promethean Research
Hire a freelancer or VA
Best for clearly defined tasks you can direct yourself.
- You decide what to build and check the work.
- Great value per hour, but strategy and systems are on you.
- Virtual assistants on Upwork typically cost $10 to $20 an hour, and marketing VAs $20 to $35 or more. Upwork, Virtual Assistant Hourly Rates
Work with Jefi Studio
Best when you want the whole follow-up system built and run, without managing it.
- The two founders design, build and run it.
- Everything lives in your own tools and is documented.
- Clear prices: a one-time setup, then month to month.
When we're not the right fit
If you need paid ads managed, a full brand redesign or someone in your office, we're the wrong team. If you get fewer than about 30 leads a month, start with our free templates and set them up yourself first.
See what we'd fix first.
Send your website. Within two business days Jerome or Effie sends you a 60-second screen recording of the three leaks we'd fix first. Free, and you won't be added to any list.
We take on 2 new clients a month.
Your free teardown
A 60-second video of your site, recorded by a founder.