How to Price Social Media Management Packages
Price social media management as a monthly retainer built on deliverables per platform — commonly $800–$2,500 a month for a solo manager — not per post, and bill it in advance. Price original content creation as its own line above scheduling supplied assets, and charge ad management as a flat fee or 10–20% of spend with a minimum. ShowTheReceipts bills the recurring retainer and keeps each tier saved.
Build tiers on deliverables, not posts
Every tier should name four things:
- Platforms covered
- Content volume — posts, reels, stories per month
- Community management — minutes per day or hours per month
- Reporting — cadence and depth
A tier that only names a post count will be judged only on the post count.
Rate reference points
| Tier | Common solo monthly |
|---|---|
| 1 platform, scheduled content, report | $800–$1,500 |
| 2 platforms, stories, community mgmt | $1,500–$2,200 |
| 3+ platforms, original video, ads | $2,000–$3,500 |
| Ad management | Flat fee, or 10–20% of spend with a minimum |
Creation and scheduling are different prices
Editing supplied photos into a caption calendar is one service. Shooting and cutting original video is another, and it costs you a shoot day. Put them on separate lines so a client who runs out of assets buys the upgrade instead of receiving it.
Ad spend never touches your card
Management fee on your invoice, spend on the client’s own card. No exceptions — a paused or disputed campaign should never be your cash problem.
What not to do
- Don’t price per post
- Don’t quote a percentage of ad spend with no minimum
- Don’t bundle unlimited community management
- Don’t carry a client’s ad spend on your account
Frequently asked questions
How much should a solo social media manager charge per month?
$800–$1,500 a month is common for one to two platforms with scheduled content and reporting, and $1,500–$2,500+ once original video, community management, and ad management are involved. Build from hours the tier really takes, including strategy and reporting, not from the post count.
Why not price per post?
Because posts are the visible tenth of the work. Strategy, sourcing assets, community management, and monthly reporting are most of the hours, and per-post pricing makes all of it invisible — then invites the client to negotiate the one number they can see.
How much should I charge for ad management?
A flat monthly fee, or 10–20% of ad spend with a stated minimum. A $500/month ad account still takes a day of work, so a percentage without a floor pays you nothing on exactly the accounts that need the most hand-holding.
How do I raise a social media retainer?
At renewal, with 30 days' notice, anchored to what the scope has become — added platforms, video, or community hours the original tier never covered. Raise in 10–20% steps; a client seeing results almost always renews.