Email Marketing Setup: DIY vs Done-For-You vs Agency

By Sean Tinney August 14, 2025

Looking for the most cost-effective email marketing setup? Some businesses waste $1,200+ on DIY failures or overpay agencies. Here’s the real cost breakdown of three proven email marketing setup approaches with actual numbers, timelines, and ROI data.

What Is Email Marketing Setup?

Email marketing setup involves configuring your email platform, creating automated sequences, designing templates, setting up landing pages, and integrating tracking systems. The setup method you choose impacts your costs, timeline, and long-term performance.

The 3 Email Marketing Setup Options Compared

Option 1: DIY Email Marketing Setup

Cost: $20 – $50/month for software if you list size is under 500
Time: 40-60 hours to launch
Technical Skill Required: High
Ongoing Management: 100% self-managed

DIY means you control everything but also do everything. You’ll spend weeks watching tutorials, building templates, testing automations, and fixing mistakes.

The hidden cost of DIY email marketing setup isn’t the software – it’s your time. At $30/hour, 40 hours equals $1,200 in opportunity cost..

When DIY Email Marketing Setup Works:

• You have 2-3 hours daily for email marketing tasks
• You enjoy learning marketing technology
• You have strong copywriting and design skills
• You can troubleshoot technical integration issues

DIY Setup Challenges:

• Poor template design leading to high unsubscribe rates
• Broken automation sequences that don’t nurture leads effectively
• Compliance issues with CAN-SPAM and GDPR regulations

Option 2: Email Marketing Agency Management

Cost: $1,500 – $5,000 setup + $750/month management fee
Setup Time: 2 – 4 weeks
Technical Skill Required: None
Ongoing Management: Meeting and approvals

Agencies deliver exceptional results. Custom strategies, beautiful designs, continuous optimization. You get a full marketing team.

But that excellence comes at a cost. Most agencies require setup fees plus monthly retainers. Great for businesses over $50K/month revenue. Overkill for everyone else.

When Agency Email Marketing Setup Makes Sense:

• Monthly revenue exceeds $50K
• You want completely hands-off marketing
• You can invest $20K+ annually in email marketing
• You need ongoing campaign management

Agency Challenges:

• High minimum commitments (usually 6 – 12 months)
• Less control over daily campaign decisions
• Communication delays for urgent changes
• Overkill for small businesses with limited budgets

Option 3: Done-For-You Email Marketing Setup

Cost: $79 one-time setup (Limited time offer, was $599) +$30/monthly subscription fee
Time: 7 days
Technical Skill Required: None for setup, basic for management
Ongoing Management: Just sending and monitoring

Done-for-you services like AWeber’s build your entire system, then hand you the keys. Professional setup without ongoing agency fees.

You get templates, automations, and landing pages built specifically for your business. After setup, you just write emails and hit send.

What’s Included in Done-For-You Setup:

• Brand-aligned email designs featuring your unique colors
• Conversion-optimized landing pages
• Professional opt-in forms with strategically configured data fields
• Welcome email funnel to nurture new customers
• Automation sequences that triggered based on subscriber actions
• Newsletter drafts scheduled to deliver weekly
• DKIM and DMARC email authentication setup

When Done-For-You Email Marketing Setup Works Best:

• You want professional results without professional prices
• You can handle basic ongoing tasks
• You need to control costs
• You value your time

Email Marketing Setup Cost Comparison (First Year)

Let’s compare first-year costs for a small business:

DIY:

• Software: $30 x 12 = $360
• Your time: 40 hours x $30 = $1,200
• Mistakes/rebuilds: $500 (estimated)
• Total: $2,060

Agency:

• Setup: $2,500
• Monthly: $750 x 12 = $9,000
• Total: $11,500

Done-For-You:

• Setup: $79
• Software: $30 x 12 = $360
• Total: $439

Email Marketing Setup Quality Comparison

Professional Design and Templates

• DIY: Quality varies significantly based on your design skills
• Agency: deliver the highest quality – custom strategies, professional copywriting, beautiful designs.
• Done-For-You: provides professional templates and proven automations. Not fully custom, but far better than DIY attempts.

Automation Sophistication

• Agency: Advanced segmentation, behavioral triggers, complex sequences
• Done-For-You: Proven automation templates, essential sequences, basic segmentation
• DIY: Often incomplete or broken automation sequences

Email Marketing Setup Timeline Comparison

• DIY: 4 – 8 weeks (learning + building)
• Agency: 2 – 4 weeks
• Done-For-You: 7 days

How to Choose the Right Email Marketing Setup Method

Choose DIY Email Marketing Setup If:

• You’re bootstrapped with more time than money
• You have 40+ hours available for learning and setup
• You enjoy marketing technology and troubleshooting
• Budget is extremely limited (under $500 annually)

Choose Done-For-You Email Marketing Setup If:

• Monthly revenue between $10K-$50K
• You want professional results without premium pricing
• You can handle basic ongoing management
• You need to launch within 1-2 weeks
• You prefer cost control and flexibility

Choose Agency Email Marketing Setup If:

• Monthly revenue exceeds $50K
• Email marketing already drives significant revenue
• You need completely hands-off management
• You can invest $15K+ annually in email marketing
• You require advanced segmentation and strategy

The Smart Email Marketing Setup Choice

Choose DIY if you’re bootstrapped with more time than money.

Choose agencies if email marketing drives significant revenue already.

Choose done-for-you if you want professional results without the professional price tag.

AWeber’s Done For You service gives you the best of both worlds – professional setup in 7 days for $79, then you manage it yourself. 

Start Your 7-Day Email Marketing Setup for $79