Social Media Manager Services: What They Do, How Much They Cost, and How to Choose one

Social Media Manager Services: What They Do, How Much They Cost, and How to Choose one

Social media manager services plan content, publish consistently, respond to audiences, and report results across platforms. Expect monthly salaries from roughly  £2,000–£4,000 per month full-time, while freelance or outsourced support can range from £25–£75 per hour. Costs vary by experience, services included, and whether content creation, video, paid ads, community engagement and/or strategy are part of the package

Below, you’ll see what they do, what it costs, and how to decide.

What you’ll learn from this blog

• The core responsibilities inside social media manager services
• Real-world pricing: retainers, hourly rates, and in‑house salaries
• How to pick between in‑house, freelance, and agency options
• Skills and growth paths for students and career changers
• A practical checklist to choose the right provider, minus the guesswork
• Red flags, ROI tips, and the metrics that actually matter

Start Here: What Social Media Manager Services Actually Include

Think of social media management as running a mini media company for your brand. At its best, it’s not just posting; it’s planning, producing, and proving impact.

• Strategy and positioning: Brand voice, audience personas, competitive scan, and a 90-day content map. Imagine a newsroom calendar, but for your company.
• Content creation: Posts, short-form video, carousels, Stories, Reels/TikToks, and light design. A good manager keeps a swipe file of ideas and UGC prompts ready.
• Publishing and scheduling: Right time, right platform, native nuances respected. No one wants a LinkedIn post that reads like a tweet.
• Community management: Replying, triaging, and escalating issues. It’s customer service with a human touch and a stopwatch.
• Social listening: Tracking mentions, sentiment, and trends to catch sparks before they become fires (or to ride a trend while it’s hot).
• Paid social support: Light campaign setup, boosting top posts, and partnering with a media buyer for complex ads.
• Analytics and reporting: Weekly or monthly summaries tied to goals reach, engagement, CTR, cost per lead, and pipeline contributions when possible.
• Experimentation: A/B tests, hashtag tests, hook tests. Tiny tweaks create outsized gains especially in video hooks and captions.

It’s not just Google anymore either. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are becoming go-to discovery tools, and they pull data from LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, and other social channels as much as from websites. If your brand isn’t present there, you risk being invisible in AI answers.

According to Salesforce, 76% of Gen Z consumers discover products on social media platforms and AI engines increasingly reflect this behaviour in their answers

According to hubspot 80% of social media marketers believe consumers will buy products directly in social apps more often than on brands’ websites or third-party websites like Amazon.

A quick 2025 day-in-the-life example: 

Morning

• Log in, monitor mentions, messages, and performance overnight.
   
• Create, schedule, and publish daily content across all channels.
   
• Respond promptly to DMs, comments, and community questions.

Midday

• Write copy, brief designers, and create graphics or video content.
   
• Meet with the internal team (marketing, sales, leadership) to align campaigns.
   
• Analyse yesterday’s performance, track engagement and conversions.

Afternoon

• Engage with followers and industry communities.
   
• Adjust campaigns, targeting, or spend based on live data.
   
• Prepare reports and recommendations for next steps.

👉 Businesses expect a full-timer to be “hands on” daily, embedded in the brand, and available to react in real time.

Outsourced Social Media Manager / Agency

When outsourced, businesses usually get:

• Strategic Content Planning: A content calendar created in advance, with copy, design, and video assets packaged.
   
• Scheduled Posting: Consistency across multiple platforms, but usually scheduled weekly or monthly in advance.
   
• Community Engagement (light): Replies to comments and DMs often handled during business hours only, not 24/7.
   
• Reporting: Monthly or bi weekly performance reports with insights and recommendations.
   
• Scalability: Access to a team (writers, designers, video editors) instead of one individual.

Outsourced managers focus more on strategy, planning, and delivery at scale, while day-to-day reactive work may still sit with the business internally.

⚖️ In-House vs Outsourced - What Businesses Should Expect in 2025

• Full-time in-house = Real-time responsiveness, cultural alignment, daily execution.
   
• Outsourced/agency = Broader skillset, stronger creative production, structured reporting, and scalable campaigns, but less “always-on” engagement.

With nearly 80% of the UK population and 72% of the US population active on social media (Sprout Social, Sprinklr), outsourcing ensures businesses maintain a consistent, optimised presence across the platforms that matter most.

What Do Social Media Manager Services Cost? Transparent Ranges You Can Use

Let’s answer the big question: how much does a social media manager charge per month? Pricing varies by scope, platforms, and content volume. Here’s a grounded range to benchmark against.

Monthly retainer (freelancer or boutique agency)

• Starter: 500–1,000 for 2 - 3 platforms, 8–12 posts/month, basic reporting
• Growth: 1,000–2,000 for 3 - 4 platforms, 12–20 posts/month, light video, community care
• Pro: 2,000–4,500 for 4 - 5 platforms uncluding strategy, short-form and longrom video, UGC sourcing, active community management, and robust reporting
• Enterprise or high production: 8,000–20,000+ when you add regular video shoots, advanced paid campaigns, and influencer coordination

Hourly rates (common for audits or projects): 40–150+, depending on seniority and region in 2025

In-house salaries (UK. ranges;)

• Social Media Coordinator: £22k – £28k
  (Entry-level, 1–2 years’ experience, often supporting content scheduling, reporting, and community management.)
• Social Media Manager: £32k – £45k
  (3–6 years’ experience, responsible for strategy, paid ads, and cross-channel execution.)
• Senior / Lead Social Media Manager: £48k – £65k+
  (7+ years’ experience, team leadership, integrating social into wider marketing strategy, agency or enterprise background.)

Add‑ons that change the math

• Video production days, studio time, or editing sprints
• Influencer fees and UGC buyouts
• Social ad spend (separate from management fee)
• Tools stack: scheduling, listening, analytics (often 50–400/month)

In-House vs. Freelancer vs. Agency: Which One Should You Choose?

This decision shapes your pace, cost, and depth of expertise. Here’s the plain-English version.

It can sometimes be better to outsource Social Media for higher ROi when you don;t have an in-house expert or just the person being tasked to do it just doesn’t love it.  The key to social media management is to do it with love,

In-house

• Best when: You need daily brand guardianship, rapid cross-team alignment, and tight product knowledge.
• Pros: Instant access, stronger brand voice consistency, long-term learning compounding.
• Cons: Salaries + benefits + tools add up; limited after-hours coverage; creative variety can stall.

Freelancer or solo consultant

• Best when: You want flexibility, a cost-effective start, or specialized help in a niche platform.
• Pros: Nimble, often cost-efficient, senior talent on tap if you choose well.
• Cons: Capacity limits; potential availability gaps; you manage strategy and integration.

Agency or team-based partner

• Best when: You need strategy, production, community management, and reporting all in one place.
• Pros: Multi-disciplinary talent, backups for continuity, fresh creative ideas, stronger reporting frameworks.
• Cons: Higher retainers; scope discipline matters; you’ll want a named point person to avoid “too many cooks.”

A quick rule of thumb: If your annualized need (including content production) exceeds £40k and you want steady creative variety, an agency or hybrid (in-house lead + agency) often delivers the best balance.

The right social media strategy doesn’t just win followers, it makes your brand more likely to be cited in AI engines. Perplexity pulls from Reddit threads, Gemini leans on YouTube transcripts, and ChatGPT references LinkedIn content. Every post becomes a visibility asset.  Incidentally this content cheat sheet is great

Skills, Roles, and Growth Paths (For Students, Career Changers, and Pros)

Curious what skills matter? Hiring managers watch for practical outputs more than certificates though both help.

Core skills

• Strategy and audience research
• Writing for platform nuance (hooks, CTAs, captions)
• Short-form video planning and editing
• Analytics literacy (UTMs, attribution basics, benchmarks)
• Community management and customer empathy
• Tool fluency (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Sprout/Hootsuite, Canva/CapCut, Notion/Trello)

Useful credentials

• Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate or Media Buying
• Google Analytics or GA4 coursework
• Hootsuite, HubSpot Social, or LinkedIn Content and Creative certifications
• Short video editing courses (CapCut, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve)

Career steps

• Coordinator → Manager → Senior/Lead → Head of Social/Community → Director of Content/Brand
• Lateral paths into content strategy, growth marketing, or creator/influencer relations

Tip from the field: Build a tiny “portfolio newsroom.” Document three mini campaigns a launch, a community initiative, and a thought-leadership series with goals, samples, and results. Hiring teams love real proof over polished fluff.

How to Choose the Right Social Media Manager: A 7-Step Checklist

If you only keep one section, make it this one.

1. Define outcomes: Leads? Sign-ups? Attendance? Prioritize two metrics.
2. Pick platforms: Go deep on one or two; skip the rest for now.
3. Scope content: Monthly post count, formats, and video expectations.
4. Ask for fits: Show me two case studies in my industry (or similar buyer).
5. Validate process: Strategy sprint, content calendar, approvals, SLA for replies.
6. Check reporting: Sample report with benchmarks, UTMs, and insights—not just screenshots.
7. Trial month: Start with 60–90 days, agree on success criteria, and iterate.

Red flags to avoid:

• Promises of “viral” on a schedule
• No ownership of raw files or assets
• Reporting that lists metrics without “so what” insights
• A content plan that looks identical across platforms

Measuring ROI without losing your mind:

• Align to funnel stages: awareness (reach, views), engagement (saves, comments), demand (traffic, demo requests), revenue (pipeline attribution)
• Use UTMs religiously; create one “source of truth” dashboard
• Track “assist” metrics like branded search and email sign-ups—they often swell from social even when last-click says otherwise

Conclusion and gentle nudge

In 2025, being absent from Google is risky, but being absent from AI engines is fatal. ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are already reshaping how buyers find businesses. That’s why hiring the right social media manager is no longer optional.

The right social media manager will cost £22000–£65000 in 2025 depending on scope, but the ROI comes in visibility, leads, and now AI citations. Businesses that delay risk being invisible not just in Google, but in the AI engines shaping tomorrow’s search.

You now know what social media manager services include, what they realistically cost, and how to pick the right fit without guessing. Whether you’re scoping a career move or hiring help, clarity wins. If you want a seasoned partner that blends strategy, content, and measurable outcomes, Tenacious Sales (operating globally as Tenacious AI Marketing Global) is here to help and we are generally much more competitive than the prices quoted here. Contact us and let’s map your next 90 days together.

FAQ's

1. How much does a social media manager cost in 2025?
A social media manager typically costs between £2,000–£4,000 per month full-time, while freelance or outsourced support can range from £25–£75 per hour. Costs vary by experience, services included, and whether content creation, paid ads, or strategy are part of the package

2. What does a social media manager actually do?
A social media manager creates, schedules, and publishes content, monitors engagement, responds to comments and messages, runs paid campaigns, tracks analytics, and ensures your brand voice stays consistent across LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more.

3. Is it better to hire a social media manager or outsource to an agency?
It depends on business needs. A full-time manager offers daily, real-time engagement and cultural alignment. Agencies provide scalability, creative resources, and structured reporting, but may not cover 24/7 responsiveness. Many businesses use a hybrid model.

4. How do I know if my business needs a social media manager?
If your team struggles to post consistently, track ROI, or respond to customer engagement, you likely need professional support. A social media manager ensures your brand shows up consistently in Google, AI search engines, and across social channels.

5. What’s the ROI of hiring a social media manager?
ROI includes improved brand visibility, stronger customer relationships, more inbound leads, and measurable results from ad campaigns. HubSpot reports that 80% of social marketers believe consumers will buy directly from social apps more often than websites — making ROI easier to capture.

6. What skills should I look for in a social media manager?
Key skills include copywriting, content strategy, analytics, paid advertising, community management, and familiarity with AI-driven tools for scheduling, listening, and optimisation. Soft skills like creativity, adaptability, and customer empathy are just as important.

7. How do social media managers help with AI and search visibility?
AI engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity pull from LinkedIn posts, Reddit threads, YouTube transcripts, and reviews. A good social media manager creates content that not only engages people but also positions your brand to be cited by AI.