If you have asked three providers what social media management costs, you probably got three answers that are hard to compare. One quotes an hourly rate, one sends a monthly retainer, and one charges per post. The numbers only make sense once you know what each price includes, so this guide walks through the pricing models, what pushes a quote up or down, and a simple way to work out what your own plan should cost.
The common pricing models
Hourly freelancers
You pay for time. This works well when the job is small and well defined, such as setting up profiles or cleaning up a content calendar. It gets harder to budget when the work is ongoing, because writing, design, scheduling and replying to comments all add hours that are easy to underestimate.
Monthly retainers
Most agencies sell a fixed monthly package: a set number of channels, a set number of posts, and usually a monthly report. The price is predictable, but read the scope line by line. Two packages with the same price can differ a lot in how many posts you actually get and whether video, ads or community replies are included.
Per-post or per-piece pricing
Some providers charge for each blog post, carousel or video. This is the easiest model to compare across vendors, because you can divide any quote by the number of pieces you receive.
Doing it yourself with tools
Scheduling and design tools are cheap on paper. The real cost is your own time: planning, writing, editing and publishing every week, on top of running the business.
What makes a quote go up or down
- Number of channels. Each platform needs its own format and tone. Instagram, a blog, Threads and YouTube Shorts are four different jobs, not one.
- Volume. Three posts a week and three posts a day are very different workloads. Ask for the number of pieces per month, not just "regular posting".
- Content type. Short-form video usually costs more than text posts because of scripting, footage and editing.
- Strategy and reporting. Keyword research, monthly reports and strategy calls take time and are often priced into higher tiers.
- Paid ads. Running ads is normally a separate fee, often tied to ad spend. Check whether creative production is included.
- Community management. Replying to comments and DMs every day is a separate, ongoing service. Make sure you know whether it is in the package.
- Approval rounds. If every post needs your sign-off, ask how many revision rounds are included.
A quick way to estimate your own monthly cost
Before you collect quotes, write down what you actually need. A short worksheet is enough:
- List the channels that matter for your customers. For many local and online businesses that is one or two, not five.
- Decide how many pieces per month each channel needs to stay visible.
- Estimate how long one piece takes you today, from idea to published post.
- Multiply pieces by time, then by what your own hour is worth. That is the cost of doing it in-house.
Now divide each quote you receive by the number of pieces it includes. Cost per piece, plus what is and is not included, tells you far more than the headline price.
Questions to ask before you sign
- How many pieces per month, per channel, are included?
- Who writes the content, and how do you learn our brand's tone?
- Do you publish for us, or hand over files for us to post?
- Can we review posts before they go live?
- What do the monthly reports show, and how do you change the plan based on them?
- What is the minimum contract length, and how do we cancel?
Where Sigmine fits
Sigmine is a done-for-you content service. We write and publish blog posts and Threads posts for your business, three a day, which comes to 90–100 pieces a month per channel. Each of those channels is $110 a month, and short-form video is $330 a month for 90–100 videos. Sigmine learns your brand's tone, posts to your channels and reports on performance, and you can choose to review posts before they are published. If you would rather run the app yourself, self-serve plans start at $20 a month.
It is not the right fit for every business. If you need someone answering DMs all day or running live events, ask any provider, including us, exactly what is covered before you decide.
See Sigmine pricing or book a free call to talk through what your channels need.