Email & SMS Marketing
You're Not Hiring an Agency. You're Hiring a Team.
Most brands think about email as a line item. The ones that win treat it as a revenue channel that needs a dedicated team, the right tools, and someone who's seen what works across hundreds of accounts.
The Team You Get
Four Specialists. One Team. Zero Gaps.
To replicate what we do in-house, you'd need to hire a minimum of four people. Here's who's on your account from day one.
Email Strategist
Analyzes your data every month. Finds the weak spots, the revenue gaps, and the opportunities you're leaving on the table. Aligns the calendar with your launches, seasonality, and goals. Owns the plan.
Deliverables
In-house equivalent
$75K-$110K/yr
Direct Response Copywriter
Trained in email-specific direct response principles. Writes subject lines that get opened, body copy that gets clicked, and flows that convert. Not a generalist. An email specialist.
Deliverables
In-house equivalent
$65K-$90K/yr
Email Designer
Designs emails that match your brand and are built to convert. Knows the constraints of the inbox: what renders, what doesn't, and how to make every pixel count across clients and devices.
Deliverables
In-house equivalent
$55K-$80K/yr
Email Implementor
Codes and deploys every email. Runs QA on every send using Litmus to catch broken renders, link errors, and UTM issues before your subscribers do.
Deliverables
In-house equivalent
$55K-$75K/yr
To hire this team in-house
$295K-$430K / year
Salaries plus benefits (typically 25-30% on top), before tools, management overhead, or ramp time.
To work with us
Roughly one FTE
Most engagements land in the range of a single full-time hire. A fraction of what it costs to build the same team in-house.
Tools & Infrastructure
Tools That Unlock Growth. We Pay for Them, Not You.
We've already built the stack. You get access to it on day one. No procurement, no contracts, no learning curves.
Competitive Intelligence
$200-$400/moKnow what your competitors are sending before your customers do.
QA & Testing
$200-$400/moEvery email tested before it sends.
Reporting & Analytics
$500-$1,000/moWe build reporting you can actually make decisions from.
Total tool stack cost
$900-$1,800/mo if sourced independently
Before any labor.
accounts, over the years
The Data Advantage
We've Seen What Works. Across Hundreds of Accounts.
An in-house hire or freelancer is working with your data only. We're working with patterns from across the industry, tested in real accounts, with real money on the line.
Every account is treated uniquely. But when we bring a test idea to your program, it's already been battle-tested. We come with hypotheses that have a track record, not guesses.
The Real Cost
Every Option Has a Cost. Here's What You're Actually Comparing.
The freelancer-vs-in-house-vs-agency debate isn't simple. Each option has trade-offs on cost, expertise, and risk. Here's how they actually compare.
| Option | Cost | Team | Tools | Experience | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In-House Team (4 people) | $25K-$36K/mo | Full team, but you manage them | You buy separately | Limited to your accounts | Turnover means recruiting, ramp time, and lost context |
Freelance Unicorn | Varies widely | One person doing everything | Varies by individual | Depends entirely on who you find | Single point of failure if they leave |
Group of Freelancers | $8K-$20K/mo | No shared process or accountability | Each person brings their own | No shared context across accounts | High coordination overhead |
Generic Email Agency | $3K-$8K/mo | Mixed seniority, account manager layer | Platform access, limited stack | Broad client base, not DTC-focused | Shorter avg engagements |
Sweat Pants Agency | Custom, scoped to you | 3 senior specialists + PM coordination | Full stack included | Hundreds of accounts, DTC-native | Avg client: 3.5 years |
Not sure which option is right for your stage?
We'll give you an honest answer. Even if it's not us.
What's Included
Everything in the Engagement.
No hidden deliverables. No 'that's extra.' Here's the full scope of what you're getting when you work with us on email and SMS.
Strategy
Reporting
Process
Fit Check
We're Selective. You Should Be Too.
Good fit if...
Probably not a fit if...
What You're Probably Wondering
We scope based on the number of emails and SMS messages you send each month. A brand sending 10 campaigns a month needs something different than one sending 30. The free audit is the fastest way to get a real number built around your actual program.
Ready to Talk?
Start With a Free Account Audit.
We'll review your current email and SMS program and tell you exactly what we'd do differently. No obligation. No pitch deck. Just a real look at your account.
Month-to-month · No setup fees · No long-term commitments