So you’ve decided to outsource social media marketing. Of course, the next question that pops to mind is how much does social media marketing cost?
First of all, congratulations on your decision.
I know firsthand how overwhelming it can be to deal with multiple profiles. Especially if you want to make sure they generate ROI and are in line with your brand.
But the fact that you don’t want or can’t handle your social media presence on your own doesn’t mean you should pay a fortune for social media marketing services, right?
This article will give you an idea about average and median social media marketing costs depending on who you work with. From interns to experienced freelancers and small and big agencies, the costs of social media management and marketing can vary A LOT.
Before we dive into the pricing matter, let’s take a look at what you pay for when you outsource social media marketing and management:
Content Creation
Social media is irrelevant if you’re not consistent with it. If you only post once in a blue moon, you might as well skip it altogether.
The right social media management team will make sure that the content they create for you is in line with your brand attributes and that it attracts and engages your fans. They should create a mix of third-party and proprietary content to keep things diversified.
In fact, content curation from least known sources (everyone reads the BIG publications, right?) is one of the things I typically recommend. My recommendation was quoted by Buffer. You can read recommendations from other top social media specialists here.
Logging in and out of social media profiles or switching between those profiles can be a nightmare for a one-person show. When you outsource social media management, you can forget about it altogether.
Your new team should take care of everything related to scheduling. They typically do this via a social media management tool. For example, we use Sendible in our agency, both for our clients and for our own social media scheduling.
Growing Your Social Media Profiles
Why would you pay for outsourced social media marketing if it doesn’t bring anything GREAT to the table, right? Sure, taking things off your plate is a start, but when you hire specialists in their field, you expect better results than from a VA.
Of course, growth can mean different things for different businesses. For instance, at Idunn we focus less on irrelevant metrics like the number of followers and more on making sure that those followers are relevant to your business goals and that they can be turned into clients.
In fact, social media conversions are our top specialty.
Irrespective of what your KPIs are (from vanity metrics like audience size to actual sales made via social media) you should expect growth. Not instantly, of course. Three months is a reasonable time to make an evaluation of the costs of social media marketing and management and your return.
Social Media Advertising
Most companies intend on increasing their social media advertising spend this year, according to Buffer.
If that’s also you, keep in mind that the ads budget is not included in the social media marketing fee. The agency or freelancer that manages your social media ads should typically ask you what your budget is and work within those limits to create the ideal campaigns for your business objectives.
You have to know what you are paying for, right? So make sure that reporting is included in the amount you pay for social media services.
At Idunn, for example, our clients receive monthly reports that detail the growth of the accounts, best performing posts, best times to post and countless other metrics. Each report is personalized according to the client’s needs and goals.
Strategy can be included in the overall social media marketing cost or be invoiced separately. However, you should always expect your provider to offer free advice along the way.
Our clients have the option to pay for social media marketing strategy upfront and they receive a comprehensive document that details market analysis, industry analysis, competitor analysis and the steps they can take to reach their goals. This is a stand-alone document filled with examples and how-tos that can be implemented by the client’s team or by us.
Even if they choose to forego this phase, our social media specialists always come up with new ideas on how to grow each channel and offer ongoing strategy advice. This advice can complement the client’s existing strategy (if such a strategy exists).
These are the items that are typically included in social media marketing and management paid monthly. Of course, you can always add more services or delete some that are of no interest to you.
No matter how high or how low is the social media marketing cost, you should always aim for flexibility. Steer clear of agencies or freelancers that suggest a fixed number of posts per week and won’t go any lower or higher.
How Much Does Social Media Marketing Cost?
First of all remember that, since this is a service, the cost of social media marketing will vary A LOT depending on whom you hire. And, of course, depending on the range of services they provide for you (see the packages above).
Other things that factor into social media cost are:
Now let’s take a look at the social media marketing cost depending on whom you hire.
Freelancer (Beginner Level)
A newbie can ask for as little as $100 per month for social media marketing and management. Of course, this also depends on their age and where they live – age and location influence their expenses and they might not be able to go any lower even if they wanted to.
You can probably use Fiverr or Freelancer.com to get even lower prices. But I wouldn’t recommend it.
You know that old adage ‘what you pay is what you get’? Well, it rings true for social media marketing cost, too.
So, what can you expect when you pay at least $100 per month for social media marketing?
All in all, when your social media marketing costs approximately $100 per month expect VERY basic services. Be honest, how much would YOU work for $100 per month?
Freelancer (Experienced)
What does an experienced freelancer charge for social media marketing services? Well, you can expect anything between $500 and even upwards of $2000 if said freelancer has a solid reputation in their field.
Again, the social media marketing cost here varies according to the freelancer’s location, their age and other socio-demographic factors.
What can you expect when you pay upwards of $500 per month for social media marketing services from an experienced freelancer?
Should you hire a freelancer to manage your social media accounts?
Well, it depends on your goals, really. If you can supervise closely and be involved at least on a weekly basis then yes, a freelancer is a great idea. Keep in mind, though, that you will have to be ready to take over at any moment. Some freelancers are in the habit of dropping their clients when they decide to pursue a full-time job or when a better client comes along.
So do have a back-up plan, OK?
If there is an area where prices of social media marketing vary A LOT, that’s when you decide to hire an agency. A digital marketing agency can charge anything between $700 and $20,000+ per month. The sky is the limit, really.
Image via Pexels
Why does social media marketing cost vary so much from agency to agency?
Well, it’s somewhat similar to the factors that influence social media marketing freelancers’ prices. Location is important. You will definitely pay more for an agency in the Bay Area than for one in India.
Other things to factor in are the size of the team. How many people are working on your account? Do you have a designated account manager?
Of course, the level of experience of said employees matters a lot, too. An intern is a great creative asset, but if there’s a senior involved with your account, the prices will definitely soar.
Finally, as you might have expected, it’s also about reputation. A small digital agency will never charge you as much as an established one that has won countless prices.
What can you expect when you pay a digital marketing agency to work on your social media accounts?
Should you hire a digital marketing agency to handle your social media? If stability, regularity and accountability are important for you, then yes.
It’s true that the cost of social media marketing rises when you hire an agency instead of a freelancer. But then again so does the quality of your posts, ads and overall presence.
How Much Does Social Media Marketing Cost at Idunn?
Our social media marketing and management services are tailor-made according to every client’s needs and KPIs. Consequently, so are the prices.
Social media marketing costs at Idunn start at $800 per month (for no more than three social profiles and no ads) and, depending on the volume of work associated with managing your profiles, can be double that amount or more.
All our packages are discussed with the client exhaustively and re-negotiated yearly.
What’s included in the social media marketing cost above?
Want to see if our services are the right fit for you? Test drive our packages with an exclusive offer: 50% of the first month off! Get in touch with us, tell us you read our blog post on social media marketing cost and let’s get your social profiles noticed!
