Blog
Social Media Management Cost: What Small Businesses Should Actually Expect to Pay
By Koprio Team
Blog
Social Media Management Cost: What Small Businesses Should Actually Expect to Pay
By Koprio Team
Social media management is priced all over the place, from £150 a month to well over £2,000, often for work that sounds similar on paper. The difference is almost always how much original content is being created and how much genuine strategy sits behind it. Here is what to expect and what should be included.
What you are paying for
A proper social media service covers five things:
Strategy: who you are targeting, what you post about, how it ties to enquiries
Content creation: photos, video, graphics and captions
Scheduling and posting: across your chosen platforms
Community management: replying to comments and messages
Reporting: what is working, what is not, and what changes next month
The cheapest services quietly drop strategy and original content, and just reschedule stock images and generic captions.
The pricing models
Freelancer, hourly or day rate: flexible, good for a few hours a month, quality varies a lot by person
Monthly retainer: the most common, a fixed fee for an agreed scope of posts, platforms and management
Per post packages: priced by output, for example "12 posts a month". Watch that management and replies are included, not extra
Typical UK figures
Rough guide for a small business on a monthly retainer:
Level | What it usually covers | Typical monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
Light | One or two platforms, a few posts a week from content you supply, basic scheduling | £250 to £500 |
Standard | Two or three platforms, several posts a week, some original graphics and captions, community management, monthly report | £500 to £1,000 |
Content heavy | Multiple platforms, regular photo and video shoots, Reels and TikTok, active community management, strategy reviews | £1,000 and up |
These vary by your area and how much filming and design is involved.
What drives the cost up or down
Number of platforms. Each one done properly is more work, not a copy and paste
Posts per week. More output, more cost
Original photo and video. Shoots are the biggest single cost driver
Community management. A busy inbox that needs fast replies takes real time
Whether paid ads sit on top. That is usually a separate line, see Facebook ads cost
What should be included
A written strategy, not just a posting schedule
A content calendar you can see in advance
Original captions written for your business
Replies to comments and messages within an agreed time
A monthly report covering reach, engagement and follower growth, and ideally enquiries
Doing it yourself, a freelancer, or an agency
DIY | Freelancer | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost | Your time | £250 to £700 a month | £600 to £1,500+ a month |
Best for | Owners who enjoy it and have the time | Small businesses wanting one dedicated person | Multi platform, heavy content, wanting a team |
Risk | Falls to the bottom of the list when you are busy | Depends heavily on the individual | Junior staff, generic content, feeling like a small account |
What to watch out for
Recycled stock content with no sense of your business
No strategy, just posts
Long lock in contracts
Reports full of follower counts and likes but nothing about enquiries
What Koprio charges
Management starts at £400 a month, set as a fixed fee after a free 20 minute audit. Month to month, no minimum term. Scope, platforms and posting frequency are agreed upfront. Details on the social media management page.
The takeaway
Expect £250 to £500 a month for light management, £500 to £1,000 for a standard service with original content and community management, and more where regular photo and video shoots are involved. Judge any provider on whether there is real strategy and original content, not just the number of posts.
For a fixed quote based on your business, get in touch for a free audit.