How much does social media management cost? What actually changes the price

The honest answer is that it depends on four things: how much content you need each month, whether someone comes out to shoot real photos and video, whether you post it yourself or hand the page over completely, and how much extra help you want around it. Get those four clear and any agency should be able to give you one monthly figure.

We don’t publish prices, because two businesses on the same package can need very different things. What we can do is show you exactly what moves the price, using how our own packages are put together.

How much content do you need each month?

This is the biggest single factor. A “piece of content” is one finished post, graphic, carousel or reel, written and designed for your page. Our packages step up in clear amounts so you can see the difference:

• One-off starter: 10 pieces, handed over with a plan for you to post.
• Bronze Growth: 20 pieces a month, plus story updates and local reach techniques.
• Silver Growth: 30 pieces a month, wider local reach and a one-hour photography session.
• Full Growth & Business Support: 40 pieces a month, two photography sessions and a full competitor analysis.

More isn’t always better. A trade business doing a handful of big jobs a month might do best with fewer, stronger posts. A café with a changing menu and events every weekend usually needs more.

Does someone shoot real photos and video for you?

Content made from your own photos costs more to produce than stock images or AI graphics, because somebody has to turn up, shoot and edit. It is also the part that does the work. People trust real faces and real jobs.

When Hydro Pro Washington came to us, their posts were reaching around 83 people. In the first month of us running the page with photos shot in their own shop, views reached 9,200, and three quarters of them came from people who hadn’t seen the business before. For Better Homes in Fence Houses, getting the owner on camera week in, week out took the page past 1.8 million views in four months. Neither of those would have happened with stock photos.

Do you post it yourself or hand the page over?

There are three levels, and each one costs more than the last because it takes more of the work off you:

• A plan only. You get post ideas and the best days and times to post, and you do the rest.
• Content handed over. We make it, you post it.
• Fully managed. We plan it, make it, post it and send you a plain-English check-in every month on what worked and what’s next.

What else changes the price?

• Platforms. Most small businesses start with Facebook and Instagram. Each extra platform you want covered, like TikTok or LinkedIn, adds to the work.
• Video. Reels take longer than photos to shoot and edit. Custom theme tunes for your reels come with our bigger packages.
• Your brand. If you have no logo files or colours to work from, that needs sorting first. Every client of ours gets a brand bible either way.
• Strategy and competitor work. A full competitor analysis is built into our biggest package.

What should you ask before you sign up?

• How long is the contract, and what’s the notice period? Ours is 30 days, any time, with no exit fees.
• Who actually makes the content? Is it a local person who will visit, or is it outsourced?
• Will you also run my competitor’s page? We don’t, for social media in the same area, but plenty of agencies do.
• What will you report on each month, and in what language?
• Can you show me real results for a business like mine? Be wary of anyone who promises a number of followers or sales up front. Nobody honest can.

Is it cheaper to do it yourself?

In money, yes. In time, rarely. Most owners we meet already know what to post. They just don’t have the hours at the end of the day to plan it, shoot it, write it and keep it going every week. If you want to try it yourself first, a plan-only package or our list of post ideas for trade businesses is a good place to start.

Want to know what yours would cost? Call 07440 121487 for a free chat. We’ll ask about your business, tell you honestly what we’d do, and give you one clear monthly price.