Fully Managed - B2B email AI campaign pricing models

Introduction

Managed end-to-end email campaign services offer a comprehensive solution for B2B outreach – especially valuable in sectors like finance that demand precision and compliance. Such services typically include drafting personalized emails, building targeted contact lists, executing multi-stage (e.g. 2-stage) campaigns, manual quality checks on content, responding to any replies, and logging interactions into a CRM (e.g. HubSpot). Pricing for these services can vary widely based on the billing model and scope. In Western Europe (including the Netherlands), higher labor and regulatory costs often lead to higher fees than elsewhere​ massoninternational.com. Moreover, outreach in financial services tends to be priced at a premium due to strict compliance and specialized targeting requirements​massoninternational.com. Below, we explore three common pricing models – per email, per campaign, and monthly retainer – and provide competitive benchmarks (with a focus on Dutch/EU providers) for each.

Per Email Pricing Model

“Per email” pricing means the client is charged a fixed rate for each email sent (or each personalized email crafted) as part of the campaign. This model directly ties cost to volume: sending more emails incurs higher total fees. It is less common for complex B2B campaigns, but some providers or freelancers may use it for simplicity or high-volume projects.

• Typical Rates: Basic email distribution is very cheap on a per-email basis (email software costs can be fractions of a cent per send). However, a fully managed, personalized B2B outreach email includes content writing, personalization, and QA labor – effectively raising the per-email cost to a few euros in many cases. For example, if a campaign to 400 contacts (with two stages, ~800 total sends) costs €3,000, that equates to roughly €3.75 per email sent. This aligns with industry averages: the average B2B lead costs about $198 (€180) to acquire​expandi.io, and with response rates of ~1–5%, that implies only a few euros spent per individual email on average to achieve those leads.

• High-End Cases: In scenarios with highly customized content or niche expertise, the effective per-email charge can be much higher. Some specialized email marketing agencies even charge several hundred dollars per single email they create. For instance, one boutique agency focused on lifecycle marketing charges $450–$500 per email as their service fee​flowium.com – reflecting the substantial copywriting/design effort per email. This is an extreme top-end; for typical B2B outreach, per-email rates would be far lower.

• Pros & Cons: Per email pricing offers transparency and scalability – the client pays precisely for volume. It may be suitable if campaign size is the main cost driver. However, it might not adequately reflect the upfront work (strategy, templates, list building) in each campaign. There’s a risk of focusing on quantity over quality. In practice, many NL/EU B2B providers prefer per-campaign or retainer models, but per-email quotes (on the order of €1–€5 per email for fully managed outreach in Western Europe) can serve as a benchmark in volume-based engagements.

Per Campaign Pricing Model

Under a per campaign model, the service provider charges a flat fee for an entire campaign. This fee covers the end-to-end execution for a defined campaign – in this case, for example, reaching ~400 targeted recipients with a 2-stage email sequence (initial email + one follow-up), including all content creation and management tasks. The cost is determined per campaign rather than per individual email.

• Typical Rates: Campaign-based pricing can range widely based on complexity and the provider’s level. In the Netherlands and broader EU, a basic B2B email campaign (for a small business scope) might range roughly €2,000 to €7,000 per campaign​sortlist.com. This basic range usually assumes a standard campaign with a few hundred recipients and limited stages. For mid-sized or more complex campaigns (multiple segments, extensive personalization, or higher-value targets like financial institutions), costs tend to be higher – often in the €7,000 to €15,000+ range for a more involved multi-stage campaign​sortlist.com. Large enterprise-level campaigns that integrate with multi-channel efforts can exceed €20k per campaign in some cases​sortlist.com.

• Examples: A U.S. agency example: one marketing company offers an automated 3-email welcome series for $2,500 (one-time)​ezmarketing.com. In NL/EU context, many agencies do not publicly list one-off campaign prices, but the Sortlist industry analysis for the Netherlands confirms that high-quality email campaigns typically cost a few thousand euros each​sortlist.com. The €2k–€7k range would correspond to a fairly scoped campaign; targeting financial sector B2B contacts, expect the fee to skew toward the higher end (given the extra care and compliance), possibly €5k and up per campaign.

• Pros & Cons: Per campaign pricing provides a clear, upfront cost for a defined outcome. It encapsulates all the work (strategy, copy, list sourcing, two email waves, monitoring, and follow-up handling) into one price. Clients know the cost of each campaign in advance, which is convenient for budgeting. The provider is incentivized to perform efficiently to stay profitable. However, if scope changes (say the client adds more recipients or additional email stages), renegotiation may be needed. For providers, large variations in effort between campaigns must be averaged into the fee. Overall, this model is common for project-based engagements or pilot campaigns – for example, a vendor might charge €X thousand per campaign to reach a set of financial industry prospects and gauge results.

Monthly Retainer Pricing Model

With a monthly retainer model, clients pay a fixed recurring fee (monthly or quarterly) for ongoing managed email campaign services. This is typical when the client needs continuous lead generation or outreach over time, rather than one-off campaigns. The retainer covers a bundle of services each month – potentially multiple campaigns or continuous prospecting to feed the sales pipeline, including the human-in-the-loop processes and CRM logging on an ongoing basis.

• Typical Rates: Retainer fees for B2B lead generation/email campaign services usually start in the low thousands per month and scale up based on volume and complexity. Industry research across lead-gen agencies shows retainers typically range from about $3,000 up to $20,000 per month for most providers​expandi.io (approximately €2,700–€18,000). For small-business-oriented email marketing, one source notes an average of ~$2,500 per month (~€2,300) as a full-service email marketing agency fee​emailvendorselection.com – but targeting large B2B deals (like finance) usually costs more. In practice, many Dutch/EU agencies offer retainer packages in the €3,000–€10,000 per month range for a sustained email outreach program, depending on the number of campaigns or emails per month. Higher-end retainers (above €10K/month) are common when the scope includes large volumes or multi-channel outreach (emails, LinkedIn, calls) aimed at enterprise accounts.

• Examples: A global B2B lead-gen firm (Callbox) reports that its clients spend $20,000–$40,000 per quarter on lead generation programs​callboxinc.com. That equates to roughly $6.7k–$13.3k per month (≈ €6k–€12k monthly), consistent with the upper-mid range for comprehensive services. Another analysis of 100+ agencies found that retainer-based pricing is very popular and often falls in this same ballpark, with many contracts clustered between $3K and $15K monthly for ongoing outreach​expandi.io​expandi.io. In the Dutch market, agencies often tailor retainers to campaign volume; for example, a retainer might cover running one campaign per month (perhaps ~400 contacts x 2 emails, plus reply handling) for, say, €4,000/month, whereas a more aggressive program with higher targets or multiple simultaneous campaigns could be €10k+ per month. Long-term contracts can sometimes bring per-month pricing down (agencies may give discounts for 6–12 month commitments​expandi.io​expandi.io).

• Pros & Cons: Monthly retainer pricing offers stability and a partnership approach. The client gets a steady flow of outreach and can typically adjust targeting month by month, while the agency ensures consistent effort. This model is ideal if financial firms (or vendors targeting them) need continuous lead nurturing – for example, running new email sequences every month or quarter as part of an ongoing strategy. The predictable expense helps with planning, and the provider can invest more in understanding the client’s business (leading to better quality emails over time). On the flip side, retainers require trust and commitment – the client pays regardless of immediate results (though contracts often have performance reviews). Smaller companies may find the upfront monthly cost high, but for those needing a reliable stream of B2B leads, a retainer in the €3K–€10K+ range is common in the EU market​expandi.io. Agencies also prefer retainers for complex sectors like finance, as it allows them to refine approach continuously rather than be constrained to short projects​massoninternational.com.

Comparison of Pricing Models

The table below summarizes the three pricing models with typical price benchmarks and use-cases:

Sources: The ranges above are derived from industry analyses and provider data, including Dutch/EU market reports. For example, Sortlist’s analysis of NL agencies shows email campaign projects from €2K up to €7K+​sortlist.com. Lead-gen research by Expandi and others finds retainers €3K–€18K monthly are common​expandi.io, and a major B2B provider’s clients invest ~€6K–€12K per month on average​callboxinc.com. These figures align with typical Western European pricing, though using lower-cost providers (e.g. offshore teams) can reduce rates. Always consider that targeting financial organizations may push costs to the higher end of these ranges due to the need for quality and compliance​massoninternational.com.

Conclusion

In summary, a Netherlands-based managed email campaign service can charge in several ways, each with its own merits. Per-email pricing offers a straightforward, volume-based approach but must be set high enough to cover personalization efforts. Per-campaign pricing provides a one-off cost for a defined outreach project, commonly a few thousand euros for an SMB campaign and more for enterprise scope. Monthly retainers are prevalent for ongoing B2B lead generation, typically starting around €3k/month and scaling up with scope and ambition. Dutch and EU providers in the B2B space (especially targeting finance) tend to position their prices within these ranges, balancing the substantial value of a qualified lead in finance with the costs of skilled labor and tools. Companies evaluating such services should compare which model fits their needs – for short-term or pilot projects a per-campaign fee might be ideal, whereas for continuous outreach a retainer ensures consistency. By understanding these competitive benchmarks, one can budget appropriately and choose a pricing model that aligns with their marketing goals and financial sector targeting requirements.

References: Pricing data and ranges were compiled from industry reports and service provider information, including Sortlist’s Dutch agency survey​sortlist.com, lead generation cost analyses​expandi.io​massoninternational.com, and published pricing insights from email marketing firms​emailvendorselection.com​callboxinc.com. These sources reflect the current (2024–2025) market rates for comparable services in the Netherlands/EU.