The most common question small business owners ask about social media isn't "what should I post?" It's "how much is this going to cost me?"
The honest answer: anywhere from $0 to $3,000+ per month. But the price you see on a tool's website is never the full cost. Here's the complete picture, including the cost most pricing pages hide: your time.
If you want the low-cost done-for-you option, see affordable social media management from Glow Social. If you are comparing agency retainers, start with the social media agency alternative page.
Direct Answer: Social Media Management Pricing
Most small businesses should budget $99-$500/month for social media management. A scheduler can cost $0-$50/month if you already create posts. A done-for-you posting system can cost $99/month when you need posts prepared for approval. Freelancers usually start around $300-$500/month for basic posting, while agencies commonly start around $1,000+/month.
The right price depends on the job:
- Buy a scheduler when you already have content.
- Buy done-for-you posting when you need posts prepared.
- Hire a person when you need judgment, engagement, campaigns, or custom creative.
For a dedicated budget guide, read how much should I budget for social media management?, the affordable social media management guide, or go straight to the affordable social media management service page.
The 5 Approaches to Social Media Management
| Approach | Subscription Cost | Your Time/Month | Time Value @ $50/hr | True Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY (no tools) | $0 | 8-15 hours | $400-750 | $400-750 |
| DIY + scheduling tool | $0-50 | 5-10 hours | $250-500 | $250-550 |
| Done-for-you posting (Glow Social) | $99 | Review and approve | Varies by review time | About $99 plus review time |
| Freelancer | $300-2,000 | 2-4 hours | $100-200 | $400-2,200 |
| Agency | $1,000-3,000+ | 2-4 hours | $100-200 | $1,100-3,200+ |
Approach 1: DIY Without Tools ($0 subscription, $400-750 true cost)
You create every post manually and publish natively on each platform.
What you pay: $0 in subscriptions
What it actually costs:
- 2-3 hours/month coming up with ideas
- 3-5 hours/month writing captions and creating images
- 2-3 hours/month publishing on each platform individually
- 1-2 hours/month responding to comments
Total time: 8-15 hours/month
At $50/hour time value: $400-750/month
Reality check: Most business owners who try DIY stop within 2-3 months. The time commitment is unsustainable alongside running a business.
Approach 2: DIY + Scheduling Tools ($0-50 subscription, $250-550 true cost)
You still create content, but scheduling tools save time on publishing.
Popular tools and pricing:
| Tool | Monthly Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | $0-15 | Simple scheduling, budget-friendly |
| Later | $25-80 | Visual planning, Instagram-first |
| Vista Social | $39-199 | Advanced features, teams, analytics |
| Hootsuite | $99-249 | Enterprise, large teams |
| Sprout Social | $249-499 | Enterprise, CRM integration |
What you still do: Create all content (ideas, captions, images)
Time saved: 2-3 hours/month on publishing tasks
Total time: 5-10 hours/month
Reality check: Scheduling tools reduce friction but don't solve the core problem — you still need to create content.
Approach 3: Done-For-You Posting ($99 subscription, $99 true cost)
Done-for-you services prepare posts so you are not starting from a blank page.
How it works with Glow Social:
- Glow Social reads your website and prepares 20 posts ready to approve
- Custom captions and images are drafted before you pay
- Approved posts publish to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Google Business Profile
- No blank calendar, no brainstorming, no design work
What you pay: $99/month
Your time: Review and approve
True cost: About $99/month plus review time
Trade-offs: Core includes standard posts only; Pro adds carousels, videos, campaign posts, review monitoring, and analytics. The content is professional but not deeply personal. No engagement management. Best for maintaining presence, not building a massive following.
See posts from your website first
Approach 4: Freelance Social Media Manager ($400-2,200 true cost)
A human creates and manages your social media.
Typical pricing tiers:
| Service Level | Monthly Retainer | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Basic posting | $300-500 | 8-15 posts, basic graphics |
| Posting + engagement | $500-1,500 | 15-20 posts, replies, basic strategy |
| Full management | $1,500-3,000 | 20+ posts, strategy, engagement, reporting, ads |
Hidden costs to budget for:
- 5-15 hours finding and vetting candidates
- 3-5 hours onboarding
- 2-4 hours/month managing and reviewing their work
- Risk of them quitting (and starting over)
Best for: Businesses with $500+/month social media budgets who want human creativity and community management.
Approach 5: Social Media Agency ($1,100-3,200+ true cost)
A team manages your social media with dedicated strategists, designers, and community managers.
Typical agency pricing:
- Small/boutique agencies: $1,000-2,000/month
- Mid-size agencies: $2,000-5,000/month
- Large agencies: $5,000-15,000+/month
What agencies typically include:
- Content strategy and calendar
- Professional content creation (photos, videos, graphics)
- Community management and engagement
- Monthly reports and optimization
- Ad management (sometimes separate)
Best for: Businesses where social media is a primary revenue channel and justifies $1,000+/month investment.
The Decision Matrix
| If your situation is... | Choose this approach | Budget this much |
|---|---|---|
| Budget under $100, no time | Glow Social | $99/month |
| Budget under $50, some time available | DIY + Buffer (free) | $0 + 5-10 hours |
| Budget $100-300, want human touch | Feedbird or 99 Dollar Social | $99-299/month |
| Budget $300-1,500, want full management | Freelancer | $300-1,500/month |
| Budget $1,000+, social is core to revenue | Agency | $1,000-3,000/month |
Before hiring, use the is hiring a social media manager worth it? test. If you are still comparing tools, the useful split is Buffer alternative with content creation built in, Publer vs Buffer, and Metricool vs Hootsuite.
Sources Checked
Pricing changes often. Current source pages checked include Buffer pricing, Later pricing, Publer pricing, Metricool pricing, Hootsuite plans, and Sprout Social pricing.
Bottom Line
The cheapest social media management by subscription cost is free (DIY). The cheapest by true cost is Glow Social at $99/month. The right choice depends on your budget, available time, and how important social media is to your business.
For most small local businesses, the question isn't "can I afford social media management?" It's "can I afford to have empty social media pages?" At $99/month, the answer is almost always no.
Start by previewing posts from your website at app.glowsocial.com/preview.
Related: Social media management pricing quick answer · How much should I budget for social media management? · Is hiring a social media manager worth it? · How much does a social media manager cost? · How much time does social media take? · Affordable social media management · Social media agency alternative · Compare All Solutions
About Glow Social: Done-for-you software that turns your website into 20 custom posts ready to approve for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Google Business Profile. Plans start at $99/month. See posts from your website first.
