Every marketing agency I researched in this market hides its pricing behind a "book a call to find out" button. Every single one. That's not an accident, it's a sales tactic, and it's worth knowing before you sit through the pitch.
What a typical retainer actually costs
One industry pricing guide puts a typical small and medium-sized business (SMB) retainer in Canada at $2,000 to $6,000 a month, with full-service integrated programs running $5,000 to $15,000 (sourced from GrowthBoss, a single industry estimate rather than a government or association figure, so treat it as directional). That's the range you're being sized against even when nobody will tell you the number upfront. Not every SMB needs the top of that range, but it's useful to know before a call starts.
Three red flags worth watching for
Long contracts. A retainer that locks you in for a full year makes it expensive to leave a relationship that isn't working, regardless of results.
Vague deliverables. "We'll handle your marketing" isn't a deliverable. A contract should say exactly what channels, what frequency, and what you'll see in your monthly report.
Ad spend bundled into the management fee. If you can't tell how much of your budget is actually reaching customers versus paying the agency, ask for the split in writing.
What mayans.STUDIO actually charges
No call required to find this out. Foundations starts at $997 a month: Google Business Profile setup, an on-page SEO audit, a monthly health check, and one strategy call a month. Growth, the most popular tier, is $1,750 a month and adds two SEO blog posts, ongoing page optimization, and a quarterly landing page. Partner work (brand strategy, full website builds, paid ads across channels) is quote-based, starting at $3,500 a month. None of the tiers lock you into an annual contract.
What would you actually want to know before that first call?