You need video content. You have two ways to get it:
Option A: Hire someone for a one-off project. Pay a premium per piece. Get one video. Repeat when you need another one.
Option B: Enter a retainer relationship. Pay monthly. Get ongoing content. Build a creative partnership over time.
Most SaaS companies default to Option A because it feels safer. Lower commitment, clearer scope, easier to budget.
But the math tells a different story.
The compounding problem
One-off video projects have a fundamental problem: they don't compound.
Each project starts from zero. New brief, new creative direction, new relationship-building with the production team. By the time everyone's aligned and the video is delivered, weeks have passed and thousands have been spent.
The next time you need a video, the process starts over. Different team, maybe. Different creative direction, probably. The visual consistency that builds brand recognition? Nonexistent.
A retainer relationship compounds. Every month, the creative team knows your product better. They know your audience better. They know what's worked before. Each new video builds on the previous one's insights.
Month one: alignment and first delivery. Expensive per piece. Month three: the team is efficient. Cost per piece drops. Month six: the creative hits its stride. Quality and speed both improve. Month twelve: you have a content library, a visual identity, and an audience. That doesn't happen with one-off projects.
The math
Let's compare over 12 months:
One-off projects (4 videos per year):
- Each video: new creative development cycle, premium per-project pricing
- No learning loop between projects
- No visual consistency
- Total output: 4 videos
Ad creative retainer (ongoing monthly):
- Multiple pieces per month, ongoing delivery
- Continuous learning and optimization
- Consistent visual identity
- Total output: dozens to hundreds of videos per year
Full creative partnership retainer (ongoing monthly):
- Hero pieces plus supporting content system
- Dedicated creative team with deep product knowledge
- Brand-defining quality on every piece
- Total output: significant monthly volume at escalating quality
The per-piece cost on a retainer drops dramatically compared to one-off projects — and the quality improves over time because of accumulated product knowledge and creative momentum.
When one-off projects make sense
Retainers aren't right for everyone. One-off projects are the better choice when:
You need exactly one video. If you're launching a company and need a single hero video to validate the concept, a one-off makes sense. No point committing to 12 months of content before you've validated product-market fit.
Your budget is under $3K total. Below this threshold, a retainer relationship isn't practical. Find a talented freelancer and get one great piece.
You need live-action production. If the project requires shooting — real actors, real locations, real equipment — a project-based scope is more appropriate than a retainer.
You're testing the relationship. Many retainer relationships start with a one-off project. "Let's do one video together and see if we work well together." This is smart risk management.
When a retainer is clearly the move
If any of these are true, the retainer model will deliver significantly better results:
- You publish video content weekly or more
- You need content across multiple formats (social, ads, website, sales enablement)
- Brand consistency matters to your audience
- You want creative strategy, not just production execution
- Speed matters — you can't wait 6 weeks for each video
- You want a partner who understands your product, not a vendor who needs a brief every time
How to structure a retainer that works
The retainer model fails when expectations aren't aligned. Here's what to establish upfront:
Output expectations. How many videos per month? What formats? What production level? Get specific.
Communication cadence. How often do you sync? Where? (Slack, weekly calls, async updates?) The more embedded the team, the less formal communication you need.
Creative process. Who develops concepts? Who approves? How many revision rounds? Establish the workflow before month one.
Performance review. How will you evaluate whether the retainer is working? Monthly metrics review? Quarterly creative assessment? Build this into the relationship.
Exit clause. Good retainers don't need lock-in contracts. Month-to-month with reasonable notice periods keeps both sides accountable.
The bottom line
One-off projects are buying fish. Retainers are building a fishing operation.
If you need fish today, buy fish. If you need fish every week for the foreseeable future, build the operation.
For most SaaS companies producing regular content, the retainer model delivers more video, better video, and cheaper video than the one-off alternative. The learning compounds, the creative sharpens, and the cost per piece drops over time.
The best time to start a retainer was six months ago. The second best time is now.
Still weighing your options? Read our honest comparisons: Harmon Brothers alternative, Sandwich Video alternative, and HeyGen alternative.
