How Much Does Social Media Management Cost? A Tea-Spilling Guide
Spoiler: Your time costs more.
So, you've been frantically Googling “how much does it cost to outsource social media management?” right after posting yet another last-minute Instagram caption that took way too long to write.
Let’s skip the 12 open tabs and get right to it.
Outsourcing social media management can cost anywhere from a few hundred to $10,000+ per month, depending on who you hire and how much they’re taking off your plate.
And those wildly different numbers? They make a lot more sense once you look at what you're really getting.
Let’s talk money, honey.
How Much Does Social Media Management Cost Per Month?
Social media management typically costs $500 to $10,000+ per month, depending on whether you hire a freelancer, an in-house employee, or an agency and what services are included.
Freelance social media managers typically charge $500-$2,500+ per month for managing one or two platforms.
Social media agencies typically charge $2,500-$10,000+ per month for more comprehensive services like strategy, content creation, design, video editing, community engagement, analytics, and paid ads.
Hiring an in-house social media manager is a totally different investment, with a full-time salary plus benefits, payroll taxes, software, equipment, and other employee costs.
Which brings us to why comparing social media management pricing can get a little tricky...
Breaking Down the Investment: What You're Really Paying For
Two proposals can both say “social media management” at the top and include wildly different things underneath.
One might be scheduling the posts you send them and uploading the occasional IG story.
Another could be developing your strategy, writing copy, designing graphics, editing, engaging with your audience, analyzing performance, and figuring out what to do next based on the data.
Both technically “manage” social media, but they do two very different jobs.
When you outsource social media management, your package might include:
Social media strategy
Copywriting
Custom graphics
Reel/video editing
Original photo and video content
Community management
Analytics and reporting
Paid advertising
The Real Cost of DIY Social Media
Before we spill the details on outsourcing costs, let’s talk about what DIY is costing you.
There’s the obvious one: your time. The hours spent planning content, writing captions, editing Reels, responding to comments, checking analytics, and figuring out what to post next add up fast.
Then there’s everything you may not have the time (or expertise) to do yourself. Staying on top of trends. Building a strategy. Creating custom graphics and video. Producing fresh photo assets. Running paid ads. Actually looking at the data and using it to decide what comes next.
And piecing those things out to a Reel editor here, a graphic designer there, and a photographer every few months doesn’t necessarily take the work off your plate either. Someone still has to brief everyone, chase deadlines, request revisions, and make sure it all feels like one cohesive brand.
Oh, hi. It’s you. You’re the project manager now.
What Does It Cost to Outsource Social Media Management?
Outsourced social media management typically costs $500 to $10,000+ per month, depending on who you hire, how many platforms they manage, and how much they’re taking off your plate.
Here’s a general breakdown:
Freelance social media manager: $500–$2,500+ per month
A freelancer can be a great fit if you need help managing one or two platforms or already have a strategy and content but need someone to turn it into posts and keep everything moving.
Social media agency: $2,500–$10,000+ per month
An agency typically offers a more comprehensive team, with services that may include strategy, copywriting, graphic design, video editing, community management, analytics, original photo and video content, and paid ads.
The biggest thing to remember? Compare what’s included, not just the number at the bottom. Two packages can both say “social media management” and take very different amounts of work off your plate.
Here’s Exactly What We Charge
Here’s what it costs to hand your social media management over to us:
Just Social – $2,500/month
Our Just Social package covers two social channels with three posts or Stories per week, plus the strategy, content creation, community engagement, and analytics behind the scenes.
Basically, we handle the “What should we post? Who’s making it? Did anyone respond to those comments? And is any of this working?” of it all.
Organic + Paid Ads – Starting at $4,000/month*
This is where we add a little fuel to the fire. You get three social channels with 3-4 posts or Stories per week, everything included in our organic social management, plus paid ads.
Oh, and having your organic AND paid strategy living under the same roof is a bigger deal than it might sound. We’ll get into exactly why in a sec.
Full-Service – Starting at $5,500/month*
You get three social channels with four posts or Stories per week, organic social management, paid ads, plus a quarterly lifestyle shoot to keep your content library stocked with fresh, custom brand photography.
Are Paid Ads Included in Social Media Management Costs?
It depends on who you hire and what their package includes. At Scott Social, paid ad management is included in our Organic + Paid Ads and Full-Service packages.
But here’s something we wish more business owners knew: even if you’re not ready for ads today, you should be thinking about whether your social team can get you there.
Because once your organic content is working and you have something worth driving people to, paid ads can become a crazy powerful next step.
Yes, ad spend is an additional cost on top of management fees. But unlike your management fee, ad spend is money you’re putting behind campaigns with a measurable goal and a trackable return.
That ad spend should be working for your business, with clear results you can track and optimize over time. And that’s when having one team handling both really pays off.
We already know which hooks stop the scroll and what’s falling flat. Instead of paying another vendor to learn your brand, we can use those insights to build smarter paid campaigns, track what’s driving results, and keep optimizing for a stronger return.
Your organic strategy makes your ads better. Your ad performance makes your organic strategy smarter. They should be talking to each other.
And when one dedicated team handles both sides, they are.
What’s Included in Social Media Agency Pricing?
Spoiler: you’re not paying thousands of dollars a month for cute posts.
You’re paying for the strategy behind them, the people creating them, the engagement after they go live, and the expertise to know what’s working and what to do next.
You’re also paying for a team to be your eyes and ears on social. We’re watching the trends, platform changes, content formats, and shifts in what people are actually responding to, so you don’t have to become the expert yourself.
And then there’s something a pricing table can't capture: your time back.
Truly done-for-you social means having the expertise covered and getting social out of your head, so you can spend that time running your business instead.
When Is It Time to Outsource Social Media Management?
The signs are probably right in front of you. Maybe you're consistently hitting $1M+ in revenue but your social presence doesn't reflect your success. Perhaps you're spending your evenings scheduling tomorrow's posts instead of enjoying time with family.
Or maybe your social media presence just doesn't match your brand's actual awesomeness. Whatever the case, if you're reading this at odd hours while trying to figure out your content calendar, it's probably time.
Your Burning Social Media Cost Questions, Answered
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Anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $10,000+ per month, depending on who you hire and what’s included. Scott Social packages start at $2,500/month.
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Not always. At Scott Social, paid ads are included in our Organic + Paid Ads and Full-Service packages.
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Scope, experience, team size, platforms, content creation, video, engagement, ads, photography...it all counts. Compare what’s included, not just the number at the bottom.
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All three of our social media management packages combine strategy, content creation, community engagement, and analytics. Our higher-level packages also include more content, paid ads, and quarterly lifestyle photoshoots (with our Full-Service option).
Want Social Off Your Plate? Like, Fully Off Your Plate?
Maybe a freelancer is exactly what you need right now. Maybe you're ready for an in-house social sidekick to lighten your load.
Or…maybe you're ready to stop stressing over what the heck you're posting tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.
We hear you, and we’re here for you!
If you want the strategy, content, engagement, analytics, and everything in between handled by one kick*ss team, let us take social off your hands. ♡
IS A BOUTIQUE AGENCY BEST FOR YOU? FIND OUT ↓
WRITTEN BY:
Halie Engler
Social Media Strategist + Copywriter
