Alex Colina in Baltimore: Full-Service Digital Marketing for Mid-Market B2B Companies

Alex Colina is a one-person digital marketing consultancy in Baltimore focused on SEO, paid search, and content strategy for business-to-business firms with annual revenues between $5 million and $50 million. Operating since 2018, it fills a gap between DIY marketing and the retainer-heavy agencies that dominate the city's Inner Harbor marketing district.

What Alex Colina actually does

Colina works primarily on retainer, charging $2,500 to $6,000 per month depending on scope, with a minimum three-month engagement. The work centers on three areas: organic search optimization (keyword research, technical audits, on-page and link strategy), Google Ads and Bing Ads management, and content planning that feeds both search engines and sales funnels. Colina does not handle social media management, brand design, or video production; when clients need those services, he refers to specific partners rather than bundling them. This constraint keeps projects focused and reduces scope creep, a complaint Baltimore B2B companies frequently voice about larger agencies.

The practice is built on monthly reporting that breaks down traffic sources, conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS) by campaign. Most clients receive reports by the 5th of each month; some request weekly check-ins during high-spend periods. Colina typically audits a client's existing digital footprint before proposing a plan, a process that takes one to two weeks and costs $800 to $1,200 depending on site complexity.

Services, pricing, and engagement terms

Retainer packages start at $2,500 per month for SEO maintenance on an established site (ongoing optimization, monthly reporting, competitor monitoring). This tier suits companies already ranking for core keywords but losing ground or not maximizing conversion potential. Mid-tier retainers ($4,000 to $5,000 per month) add paid search management, typically Google Ads for 10 to 20 high-intent keywords in competitive industries like software, manufacturing, and professional services. The highest tier ($5,500 to $6,000 per month) adds monthly strategy calls, quarterly plan adjustments, and ongoing content creation (typically four to eight blog posts per month).

Paid search budgets are separate from the retainer. Colina manages Google Ads accounts with monthly ad spend ranging from $1,500 to $15,000 depending on industry and competition. He takes a management fee of 15 percent on top of ad spend, which is lower than the 20 to 25 percent common at Baltimore agencies like Oxygen and Wpromote, though those firms offer broader creative and social services.

Project-based work is available for one-time deliverables: a full SEO audit ($1,200 to $2,000), a competitive content analysis ($900), or a keyword research report ($600 to $800). Projects typically complete within two to four weeks.

All new clients sign a three-month minimum contract. Month-to-month renewal is possible after that, with 30 days' notice required for cancellation.

How Colina compares to other Baltimore marketing options

Baltimore's digital marketing landscape splits three ways: large full-service agencies (Oxygen, Horizon Media), boutique specialists, and freelancers. Oxygen and Horizon Media offer integrated campaigns combining SEO, paid search, social media, and creative; retainers typically start at $8,000 to $10,000 per month. They suit companies needing a single point of contact across channels and willing to pay for brand work alongside performance marketing.

Smaller agencies like Beantown Digital and local freelancers on Upwork offer lower prices ($1,500 to $3,500 per month) but often lack the reporting rigor or strategic depth that mid-market B2B companies require. Many do not separate paid search budgets from service fees, making it hard to track true return on investment.

Colina occupies the middle: lower cost than Oxygen or Horizon Media, but with deeper strategy and reporting than typical freelancers. He is most useful for B2B companies frustrated with generalist agencies or seeking to optimize existing campaigns without overhauling their entire marketing stack. He is less suitable for companies needing brand identity work, social media management, or integrated campaigns across multiple channels; in those cases, Oxygen or a comparable full-service shop is the better fit.

Who Colina suits and who it does not

Ideal clients are B2B companies with clear sales funnels (software, staffing, industrial equipment, consulting) where paid search and organic search drive measurable lead volume. Companies with monthly ad budgets of $2,000 or more see the most value, since Colina's management fee becomes a smaller percentage of total spending. Teams already managing their own SEO or PPC but lacking the bandwidth or expertise to optimize often benefit from a six-month engagement during a growth phase.

Colina is not the right fit for companies needing creative storytelling or design (he does not produce marketing collateral), early-stage startups with no budget for paid search, or organizations where decision-makers change frequently (continuity suffers with shorter retainers). Companies operating in non-search-driven sectors like hospitality or retail, where social media and visual content dominate, should look elsewhere.

What the first visit involves

An initial consultation is a 30-minute call to discuss current traffic, known conversion rates, and marketing goals. If the fit seems reasonable, Colina proposes an audit at the cost noted above. The audit includes a technical SEO review (crawlability, mobile usability, page speed), a competitive keyword landscape analysis, and an assessment of current paid search performance if applicable. After the audit, Colina delivers a written report with top recommendations and a proposed retainer plan. Contracts are signed before work begins; the first month typically focuses on implementing quick wins and establishing measurement baselines.

Hours, location, and logistics

Colina operates by appointment; there is no office walk-in. All work is conducted remotely via email, Zoom, and shared Google Sheets. Retainer clients receive a dedicated Slack channel for async communication. Given Baltimore's concentration in Fells Point and Canton, remote-first operations lower overhead and allow him to serve mid-market companies across the Mid-Atlantic without geographic constraint.

Retainer work begins within one week of contract signing. Project turnaround depends on complexity; a keyword research report typically takes five to seven business days.

In a city dominated by large agencies and freelancers, Colina's combination of transparent reporting, focused services, and mid-market pricing makes him a practical option for B2B companies looking to improve search performance without restructuring their entire marketing operation.