What is a content retainer? (And how to know if it’s right for your team)

If your content plan is starting to look more like a content wish list, you’re not alone.

Most of the marketers I work with aren’t short on strategy.
They’ve got content ideas, plans, and deadlines.
What they don’t have is time — or the headspace to brief, wrangle, and re-brief a different freelancer every month.

That’s where a content retainer comes in.

What’s a content retainer, really?

It’s a monthly agreement where we work together on your content — without starting from scratch each time.

You get:

• A set amount of content delivered monthly
• A writer who already gets your brand, tone, industry and stakeholders
• The kind of working rhythm where we stop explaining and just get moving

It’s not a subscription. It’s not a template pack.
It’s ongoing support from someone who thinks strategically, writes clearly, and knows how to get content out the door without holding up your day.

What’s actually included?

That’s the fun part — it’s flexible. But most retainers cover a mix of:

• Monthly articles or blogs
• Long-form content (whitepapers, ebooks, lead magnets)
• Repurposing decks, webinars, and briefs into useable content
• Website and email content updates
• One-off campaigns or special projects baked into the retainer

The goal?
To keep your content moving — with fewer bottlenecks and better output.

Why do marketers choose retainers over one-off projects?

Because when you’re already stretched, briefing something once should be enough.

Here’s why retainers tend to work better for my clients:

🧠 I already know your brand

We’re not doing the “what tone of voice do you like?” dance every time. I already know the vibe, the people, and the stakeholder whose feedback will arrive at 4:57pm.

⏳ It saves you hours

You don’t need to prep 4-paragraph briefs for every piece. You drop me a Slack message or a half-baked outline, and I run with it.

🧭 It keeps momentum

No more content starting strong in Jan and ghosting by March. A retainer means your content gets done — and keeps getting done.

📋 It’s easier on your budget

Because you can forecast it. And you’re not paying extra in lost time, rewrites, or rounds of feedback that stem from working with a new writer every project.

“But what if I don’t know what I’ll need every month?”

Totally fine. That’s part of what I help with.
Some clients send me a list at the start of the month. Others just say, “Here’s what’s on fire — can you help?”
We shape it as we go, based on what’ll actually move the needle that month.

You don’t need to know the exact deliverables in advance. You just need to know you need something — and you’d rather not brief it from scratch each time.

Who a content retainer isn’t for

Let’s be real — retainers aren’t for everyone.
They probably aren’t right if:

• You’re still working out your messaging or tone
• You only need one piece of content every couple of months
• You want someone to ghost in, write the thing, and disappear (zero collaboration)
• You’re just looking for the cheapest quote per word

You might be better off with a one-off project — and we can absolutely start there.

But if your content backlog is growing, your team is stretched, and you’re tired of reinventing the wheel each month?

A retainer is the part where it gets easier.

Let’s make content less chaotic

If you're a marketer who’s juggling too much and just needs someone who can own the content without being handheld — that’s me.

👉🏻 Check out my retainer packages
👉🏻 Or book a quick call to talk through what your team actually needs