By Inkrush · Reviewed 6 November 2026. This is a planning guide, not tax, accounting or legal advice.
Start with the real monthly cost of delivering the service you promise. Include strategy, copy, design, video, approvals, publishing, community work, reporting, meetings, software, revisions and overhead. Then add the margin you need for the work to be sustainable.
Keep your management fee separate from paid-media spend and other pass-through costs. A good package makes the scope, revision limits, approval responsibilities and exclusions clear before work begins. The same method works whether you are a freelancer, a small studio or a larger agency, and in any currency.
Define the service before setting the price
“Social media management” can describe very different work. Decide whether the package includes:
- strategy and channel planning;
- research and content ideas;
- copywriting;
- graphic design, photography or video;
- scheduling and publishing;
- client approvals and revisions;
- community replies and escalation;
- organic reporting;
- paid-media management;
- influencer or partnership work; and
- after-hours or urgent coverage.
Pricing a vague service creates scope disputes later.
Calculate monthly delivery hours
Estimate the time each recurring task takes and keep it separate from variable work. Once you have real time records, use them instead of relying on your first estimate.
Monthly labour cost = estimated delivery hours × loaded hourly delivery cost
A loaded hourly cost includes more than a wage or contractor invoice. It should reflect what that hour actually costs the business.
Add direct production and software costs
Include costs that exist because you serve this client:
- stock, music or creative licences;
- contractors and specialist production;
- travel, props or location costs;
- software allocated to the engagement;
- payment-processing costs where relevant; and
- usage-based services.
Do not hide advertising spend inside the management fee. State whether the client pays platforms directly, prepays a media budget or reimburses approved spend.
Account for approvals and revisions
Write down:
- the named approver;
- how many revision rounds are included;
- the review window;
- what counts as a new request rather than a revision;
- what happens when approval is late; and
- whether urgent or after-hours changes cost extra.
Approval work takes real time even when no new post is created.
Add overhead, risk and margin
Direct labour is not the whole cost of running the business. Allow for administration, sales, insurance, equipment, non-billable management, unpaid invoices, training and ordinary operating risk.
Choose a target margin on purpose, then check whether the proposed fee produces it after realistic delivery costs.
Minimum service fee = total monthly delivery cost ÷ (1 − target gross-margin rate)
Express the margin rate as a decimal. This is a planning calculation, not a recommendation for a particular margin.
Keep ad spend separate
Paid-media spend is money paid to the advertising platform. Ad strategy, creative, campaign setup, optimisation and reporting are your services. State separately:
- your management fee;
- the authorised advertising budget;
- who owns and pays for the ad account;
- any percentage or fixed paid-media fee;
- creative production costs; and
- what happens if the media budget changes.
Protect the package from scope creep
Set visible limits for platforms, profiles, post formats, monthly volume, meetings, revisions, community coverage, reporting and urgent requests. If the client’s needs change, update the scope and the price rather than absorbing extra work into the original fee.
A worked example
This example is made up. It is not a market-average price, and the currency is left out on purpose.
| Item | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Delivery labour | 1,800 |
| Direct production and allocated software | 300 |
| Total delivery cost | 2,100 |
| Chosen target gross margin | 30% |
2,100 ÷ (1 − 0.30) = 3,000
Paid-media spend stays separate from this figure.
Currency and tax in general terms
If you work with clients in other countries, decide which currency you quote in and who carries exchange-rate changes. Software you pay for may be charged in a different currency from the one you invoice in. Whether tax applies to your fee, and how it is shown, depends on where you and your client are based. Ask a qualified local adviser; this guide does not cover it.
Questions people ask
Should ad spend be included in a social media retainer?
It can appear in the same proposal, but keep it clearly separate from your service fee so the client can see what funds media and what pays for work.
Is there a standard price for social media management?
No dependable universal figure exists. Scope, production, volume and approval effort vary too much. Build the price from your own delivery cost and margin.
How often should I review my pricing?
Whenever your measured delivery time differs from your estimate, or a client’s scope changes.
Where software fits
Software is one input in your delivery cost. Inkrush plans are based on the number of client workspaces: Solo is A$25 a month for one workspace, Agency is A$69 a month for five, and Agency Pro is A$129 a month for unlimited workspaces. Plans are charged in Australian dollars. See current pricing and how client workspaces keep each client separate. To plan how many clients your team can carry, read how many clients one social media manager can handle.