How Much Does Quality Social Media Marketing Cost?

01 December 2019By Michelle

Let me guess, you’ve arrived here after tapping something like the following into Google…

How much does it cost to outsource social media marketing?

Or

How much does it cost to hire a social media agency/consultant?

And it’s a good job you picked this result to read, as most websites provide precisely ZERO facts and figures (let alone their own costings).
In this guide you’ll find the straight-up truth on social media marketing costs, and be told all the warning signs that a social agency isn’t all it seems.

Social Media Management Cost UK
I’m going to begin with an answer that you’re REALLY not going to like. Asking how much social media management costs in the UK, is exactly the same as asking about the length of a piece of string.

Why?

Because this is an industry of millions of social media freelancers and agencies – both in the UK and abroad. Each will offer different services of drastically differing quality. Some will try to win your business by offering you the world for £100 a month, and then deliver only fake followers that see your accounts banned. Other agencies will provide a quote of £10,000+ per month for highly complex campaigns, a cost that can be justified if we’re talking about reaching millions (while others may charge the same, but deliver less).

So let us first begin by nailing down the variables…

• How many pages and platforms are there to manage?
• What are your goals?
• How complex will the campaigns be? Will they involve funnels and other marketing mediums such as SEO, email and content marketing? Or will it only involve social?
• Will you be taking on the job of content creation, or will the agency?

These are just some of the questions that must be asked before a concrete figure is arrived at. That said, we like our prospects to be informed. So let’s walk through our process and the kinds of prices attached to each stage…

Step one: The consultation

Whenever we talk with a potential client for the first time, we start by finding out about their goals and current social standing. Often we discover that the company isn’t yet actively posting – there’s no article or blog content on their website, nor any followers to speak of on their social pages (if their social pages are even up yet).
The consultation stage helps us gain an understanding of the groundwork that might be required to achieve your aims.
Average cost: This first informal chat is free. You’ll find that all social agencies provide this initial consultation without charge, although if you ask for any kind of strategy you should expect to pay a fee.

Step two: The strategy

Now it’s time to really firm up the details. This stage will allow us to really get to grips with your business. There’ll be between two to three calls, a few emails, maybe a face-to-face meeting, if you prefer to work this way.
We find that there are generally two polarised types of clients at this point. Client A already has social media up and running. They have significant followers and ongoing blog content. This client needs only a half hour chat.
The other type of client is Client B – the one who doesn’t yet have content, social pages or any kind of following. In this case we’ll take the time to explain what we do and why it’s important. This ensures we get onto the same page (which always makes for a good start).
Average cost: Between £50 – £150 depending on how in-depth this project is and whether you’re closer to Client A or Client B.

Step three: The set-up

Now the work begins. If you already have WordPress, but no blog, we can have you up and running with a brand-new blog within two days. If you’re on another CMS, it might take a little longer.
When it comes to social media presence, we can design your graphics from scratch, or take existing images and re-design them.
Average cost: Agencies tend to come in at between £20-250 per platform. We charge £50-£75, depending on how much work is required.

Step four: The management

From here on in, we’ll write daily posts, engage with your community, reply to messages and manage your paid ads, if you need us to. On the other side of the spectrum, are those who simply need us to provide support every now and then, with the client managing the daily activity themselves.
Average cost: We charge around £200-250 per platform, per month. If you search for it, you’ll find social media management ranging from £50-£2,000 per month. Take care of those on the lower end, they’ll likely create irrelevant content that, at best, doesn’t connect with your audience, or at worst, damages your brand.
For blogs, our prices fall between £70-£100 per article. Again, be wary of prices that are on the low side. Good content costs good money.

Our Bronze, Silver and Gold packages are explained on our homepage, including prices for each package. If you are not sure which package is best for your business, please feel free to contact us for an initial discussion.