--- title: Retainer Proposal & Meta Ad Review — 2026-04-05 type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2025-12-29-avant-gardening-marketing-meeting-111057156.md tags: - avant-gardening - meta-ads - google-ads - retainer - local-seo - email-marketing - ooh-advertising - paid-ads - meeting layer: 2 client_source: Avant Gardening industry_context: b2b-services transferable: false --- # Retainer Proposal & Meta Ad Review — 2026-04-05 ## Overview End-of-contract check-in with Avant Gardening (Tim Stenzel) to review early Meta ad performance and present a proposed monthly retainer for continued marketing services. The current contract runs through mid-January; one more meeting is scheduled before it concludes. **Attendees:** - Karly Oykhman (Asymmetric — account lead) - Melissa Cusumano (Asymmetric) - Avokerie Onorimuo (Asymmetric) - Tim Stenzel (Avant Gardening — external) --- ## Key Decisions - **No Meta ad optimization yet.** Campaigns are too new (impressions well below the 5k–10k threshold needed for statistical significance). No changes will be made until data is sufficient. - **Retainer proposal sent for review.** Karly will send the PowerPoint deck; Tim will review with co-manager Becky and respond before the next call. - **Training videos to be recorded regardless of retainer outcome.** Tim wants to understand the platforms whether or not Asymmetric continues managing them. - **Meta payment issue escalated to bank.** After multiple payment failures (fraud flag suspected), Tim will contact his bank to whitelist Meta charges. --- ## Meta Ad Performance ### Campaign Status (Residential) | Campaign | Impressions | Status | |---|---|---| | Garden | ~1,000 | Too early to optimize | | Landscaping | ~3,000 | Too early to optimize | | Maintenance | Very low | Too early to optimize | - **Target threshold:** 5,000–10,000 impressions before making any changes. - **Cost per result:** Currently high; target is ~$1 per result for a service business at Avant Gardening's margin level. - **Landing page:** Clicks are not converting to leads at an acceptable rate. Landing page optimization is a near-term priority once data matures. - **Lead attribution:** Tim noted 1–2 inbound contacts over the past month but cannot confirm source (organic vs. paid). ### Payment Failures Meta ad payments have failed repeatedly, pausing campaigns multiple times. The pattern (failed → paid → failed) suggests a bank-side fraud flag rather than a card or account issue. Tim manually approved payments on at least three occasions. > *"I see on the 24th, there were two that paid and then there were two that failed and then there were two that paid and one that failed."* — Karly **Resolution path:** Tim to call his bank and authorize recurring Meta charges. ### Account Cleanup Tim has two Facebook/Meta accounts — an old unused one and the current managed account. He will delete/disconnect the old account to simplify management. Historical ad data from the old account will be lost, but it was minimally used. --- ## Proposed Retainer ### Structure - **Flat monthly fee** for strategic and execution work (amount discussed but not recorded here). - **Ad spend is separate** — not included in the retainer fee. - **Flexible scope** — buckets are worked sequentially (one or two at a time) rather than all at once, prioritized by business need and seasonality. - Asymmetric's standard retainer for comparable local businesses runs ~$5,000/month; this proposal is positioned below that given the relationship and Avant Gardening's stage. ### Five Service Buckets 1. **Local SEO & Reputation** - Google Business Profile optimization (photos, hours, keywords, service areas) - Workarounds for service-area vs. location mismatch (Avant Gardening serves Madison but is not located there) - Google review generation and overall local search presence 2. **Paid Ads** - Ongoing optimization of Google Ads and Meta Ads - Potential expansion to Spotify Ads (shown to be effective for local businesses; supports demographic and interest targeting) 3. **Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising** - Yard signs (Avant Gardening has existing signs that need updating and better deployment) - Bus signage and billboards - Asymmetric handles strategy, design, print coordination, and vendor outreach 4. **Email & SMS Marketing** - Complete the email strategy and template build already in progress - Ongoing analysis: open rates, click-through rates, bounce/unsubscribe rates, heat maps - Automated flows segmented by service interest (e.g., hardscaping vs. landscaping) - SMS marketing as a complementary channel 5. **Website Optimization** - SEO and blog content - Landing page improvements tied to ad campaigns - General design support and content updates ### Client's Growth Context Tim articulated a deliberate, cautious growth philosophy that should inform how the retainer scope is framed: - **Goal:** Steady flow of high-quality leads from preferred customers — not rapid expansion. - **Constraint:** Growth is non-linear. Adding a crew requires a full upfront investment (truck + equipment), which must be justified by sustained, guaranteed work volume. - **Risk:** An influx of leads that cannot be serviced creates negative customer experiences and reputational damage. - **Approach:** "Dip a toe in, see what works, see the results, and if it looks promising, go more into it." > *"If we have a thousand new leads but we can only satisfy a hundred of them, then we just have 900 angry people."* — Tim This framing also has a defensive dimension: competitors investing in marketing could erode Avant Gardening's existing market share even if the business isn't actively trying to grow. --- ## Action Items - [ ] **Karly** — Send retainer proposal PowerPoint to Tim - [ ] **Karly** — Record and send training walkthrough videos for Meta Ads and Google Ads - [ ] **Karly** — Monitor Meta ad payment status; notify Tim if failures recur - [ ] **Tim** — Review retainer proposal with Becky; email Karly with decision or questions - [ ] **Tim** — Contact bank to authorize Meta charges and resolve recurring payment failures - [ ] **Tim** — Delete/disconnect old unused Facebook/Meta account --- ## Next Meeting To be scheduled. Agenda will depend on Tim's retainer decision: - **If continuing:** Set up next steps and transition into retainer scope. - **If not continuing:** Full handoff session — training, account access review, and offboarding. --- ## Related - [[clients/current/avant-gardening/_index]]