Two social media packages can have the same price and the same headline, "12 posts and 4 reels a month", and produce completely different work. One uses templates, stock footage and a caption. The other involves a shoot day, a script and an edit. The number of items tells you almost nothing about their worth.
What a package should say
- The calendar. Who plans it, how far ahead, and whether it is tied to a business goal or just a posting rhythm.
- Production. Static graphics, carousels, reels, stories. Whether the agency shoots, or you supply footage.
- Community management. Who replies to comments and messages, within what time, on which days.
- Reporting. How often, and whether it discusses outcomes or only likes.
- Approvals. How many rounds of revision are included.
Where the cost hides
Shoot days. A reel filmed with a director, a location and an edit costs more than one assembled from stock. It is also the difference between content people remember and content that looks like everyone else’s.
Strategy time. A calendar tied to your goals means someone thinking about your business first. Cheaper packages skip this and post to a schedule.
Paid support. Organic content alone rarely reaches a new audience quickly. If the plan needs paid promotion, the budget is separate.
The per-post trap
Pricing per post encourages volume. Twelve mediocre posts cost less to make than four excellent ones, and the volume pleases everyone until the results arrive. Ask how the agency would spend the same budget on fewer, better pieces.
What good looks like
Saved posts, profile visits, qualified enquiries by message and bookings. If a report opens with follower counts, ask what those followers did. Our service tracks saves, profile visits, qualified DMs and bookings, because those are the numbers that lead to customers.
What changes as the budget changes
| Budget level | What tends to be possible | What to expect to give up |
|---|---|---|
| Small | A consistent calendar, simple graphics, occasional short video | Regular shoots, heavy strategy, paid promotion |
| Medium | A planned mix of reels, carousels and posts, with some shoots and community replies | Large productions, wide paid campaigns |
| Larger | Regular shoots, creator work, paid support and detailed reporting | Little, if the strategy is clear |
Ask to see a sample month
Any agency can describe a package. Fewer can show you what a real month looked like: the calendar, a few finished pieces, the report at the end and what was learned. If an agency cannot show a sample for another client, ask for a small trial month with clear aims, and judge it on what you receive.
The hours behind community management
Replying to comments and messages takes time, and the cost rises with the volume and with expectations for speed. If your page gets many messages, ask who replies, during what hours, and what happens on holidays and weekends. Some businesses handle replies themselves and use the agency for planning and production, which can be a sensible split.
How we approach it
Our social media service includes a monthly content calendar mapped to business goals, reels, carousels, posts and stories, page management and community replies, and a review every two weeks. Both founders come from theatre, and we write and direct reels as short stories. The price depends on how much production is involved, so we quote after understanding the goal. See how we plan social media marketing, or how we make video on the reel and video production page.