Unless you have plenty of time to run your business and its social media effectively, you will need social media management services. In a previous blog, we mentioned that social media management has a lot of moving parts.

Aside from creating and analyzing content, publishing, and interacting with your audience. Social Media services come with varying costs that depend on factors, such as 

• Managed social networks

• Content needs, and

• Post frequency

Managed services don't stop there. Before the posting of content, a few things need to happen for clarity and success. 

Discovery & Planning

This phase includes Q & A about your business, past social media strategies, and lots of research. 

Social Media Audit

Your social media manager will review what's working, what's not, and what needs improvement across your social media platforms. It's an excellent way to:

• Evaluate social platform posts

• Understand your audience, and

• Spark new ideas

Strategy Development

Work starts with creating a working document outlining your social media strategy. Depending on how many social platforms you are on, you could have more than one. The process includes:

• Key Performance Indicator Goals

• Brand-voice descriptive

• Aesthetic and content standards

• Workflow, and

• Key-team job roles

Social Media Management Software

Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Buffer are just a few social media management software platforms out there. The software used by the agency will affect your costs. Like D5, some agencies are certified partners with their social media software vendor, bringing much value to clients - and advanced services for the agency to offer. 

Social Media Team

A full-service social media management agency has a group of professionals dedicated to growing your business. Depending on the agency, the team could include: 

• Social Media Manager

• Social Media Coordinator

• Content Manager

• Content Creators

• Social Media Analyst

• Online Community Manager

• Digital Marketing Manager

• Social Media Strategist

• Social Media Marketing Manager

Within this team, experience and expertise will also affect your cost. 

These are a few significant factors that go into the pricing of social media management. However, when evaluating an agency, don't overlook their past performance, client reviews, and investment into their services.