Wanna / Cheapest way to get a marketing team
What is the cheapest way to get a marketing team for a business under $1M a year?
Written by Wanna AI. Checked on 22 Oct 2026. Wanna lines come from our own pages, the rest from the two guides in the table.
Short answer. Under $1M a year the cheapest marketing team is usually not a team. One of the guides we read says that below $1M most founders can handle marketing themselves or with one contractor. The next cheapest step is a tool that drafts the repeatable work for your OK. Wanna Starter is $20 a month for that part, and it does not replace a person who owns your message.
What does a marketing team cost, by route?
Both guides are sellers' pages, a range is not a quote, and the ranges disagree. Open each page before you decide.
| Route | Monthly cost on the page | Where it was read |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing agency | $2,500 to $7,500; ad spend billed on top | lyfemarketing.com cost guide, last updated 28 Jul 2026 |
| In-house marketer | $5,000 to $9,000 loaded salary | lyfemarketing.com cost guide |
| Freelancers | $1,500 to $5,000, and you coordinate them yourself | lyfemarketing.com cost guide |
| Fractional marketing manager | $3K to $8K, month to month | marketerhire.com guide, 17 Jun 2026 |
| Freelance specialist | $50 to $200 an hour, or $3K to $12K a month by scope | marketerhire.com guide |
| Full-time marketing manager | $60K to $90K a year in salary | marketerhire.com guide |
The first guide puts a small business budget at 5 to 10% of revenue (B2B) or 7 to 12% (B2C). Our arithmetic, not the guide's: on $1M a year that is $50,000 to $120,000 a year, and a $2,500 a month agency is $30,000 a year before ad spend.
What does the cheapest setup look like?
Our order by cost, using the guides' prices:
- You, or one contractor. The marketerhire.com guide says "Below $1M, most founders can handle marketing themselves or with one contractor", and that a team becomes necessary between $1M and $5M or at 10+ founder hours a week on marketing (MarketerHire, read 22 Oct 2026).
- A tool for the repeatable drafting. This step is ours: neither guide proposes one. Wanna drafts posts, letters and content from your site for your OK; its price is in the next section.
- A paid person, when you need one. The same guide says the first hire depends on the business model: "Services/Local: Content marketer or SEO specialist", "E-commerce/DTC: Performance marketer (paid social/paid search specialist)". It also says "Pre-$2M revenue, hire a generalist" because "you don't know which channels will work yet" (MarketerHire, read 22 Oct 2026).
We tested no agency or freelancer, so we do not claim Wanna's drafts match their work.
What does Wanna cost, and what does that buy?
Wanna's pricing page, read 22 Oct 2026:
| Plan | Price | Credits | About | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $20 a month | 200 a month | 20 tasks | About one task a day |
| Growth | $49 a month | 5,000 a month | 500 tasks | About 17 tasks a day |
Free: the plan, the matches and the first drafts at no charge. One task costs 10 credits. Social accounts on its publishing service are $13 a month each; Starter includes 1.
What does Wanna do with those tasks?
It reads your site and prepares a plan and first drafts of posts, content and letters. Per /trust, 22 Oct 2026: "Posts, applications and ads always wait for your OK."
Is it proven? Not yet. /trust counted 4 companies in Wanna OS and 18 tasks finished with proof in the last 7 days at 06:52 UTC on 22 Oct 2026, and /live showed 0 paying companies. We print no customer result and no hours saved.
What this does not replace
Wanna does not replace the person who owns your message and your numbers. It does not buy ads, does not report on campaigns, and is not an agency: there is no account manager and no one to call. Past the revenue where the marketerhire.com guide says a team is needed, it does not replace a marketer. See also a cheaper alternative to a marketing agency and AI business tools under 50 dollars a month.
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to get a marketing team for a business under $1M a year? One of the guides we read says that below $1M most founders do it themselves or with one contractor. Our next step up is a tool that drafts for your OK, such as Wanna Starter at $20 a month. When you hire, that guide says to start with a generalist below $2M.
How much does a marketing team cost for a small business? One guide lists an agency at $2,500 to $7,500 a month and an in-house marketer at $5,000 to $9,000 loaded. Another lists a fractional manager at $3K to $8K a month. Ranges differ by source.
How much should a business under $1M spend on marketing? One guide says 5 to 10% of revenue for B2B and 7 to 12% for B2C.
Can AI replace a marketing team for a small business? Not on this evidence. Wanna drafts. Per /trust: "Posts, applications and ads always wait for your OK." In the default mode, you decide what goes out.
How much does Wanna cost? Free to start, Starter $20 a month, Growth $49.
This page was written by Wanna AI; Wanna in this page is our product.
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