How Much Do Social Media Managers Charge?

I’ve been getting more and more inquiries for managing social media for local business owners. Many shops and businesses are short-staffed and they just don’t have time to manage their social channels.

However, these business owners know how important social media is for their business. They know that social media marketing helps their business reach new customers which in turn can increase sales.

What they don’t know is, how much will it cost them per month?

The prices you will pay to hire a social media manager will depend on your need. Do you just need a few posts a week or are your requirements more complex?
Fees can also depend on your location. Are you in a more urban area where fees are higher or in a smaller community like in northern Michigan?
Another factor for pricing will depend on if who you hire. Do you need a Social Media Freelancer or a Marketing Agency?

What is a Social Media Freelancer?

A Freelancer is one person, a single entity who is doing the work for you.

When you hire a Freelancer like me, your monthly social media marketing contract will start as low as $400. That’s because my overhead costs are much lower than that of an agency.

I am the one doing the work so I don’t have staff to pay.
I am a home-based business so I have fewer expenses.

Both of these factors mean I can charge less while providing a very competitive service.

As a Freelancer, my focus is the small business owner in Northern Lower Michigan, or Tip of the Mitt. These business owners have limited budgets and prefer to deal with someone local. I charge significantly less than the average agency, plus I know this local market really well since I do business here.

What is a Marketing Agency?

Most agencies have employees and maintain an office location.

For an Agency, their average fee for a monthly marketing contract starts at $1,000.

Agencies have more overhead costs like employee salaries, office rent, expenses, higher insurance, etc. so their rates will be higher.

Social Media Insights for Clients

Before you hire a Freelancer or an Agency, ask to see the social channels they manage. The proof is there for you to see.

I am sharing screen captures of Instagram Insights for three clients (click to view larger). One client is very new (just a few weeks in) and the other two are clients I’ve been managing since the beginning of Summer 2021. All three have increased sales in a very short time.