Social media marketing quotation that renews monthly
A monthly client who cannot see the work starts to wonder what they pay for. Spell out 12 posts on two platforms, community replies and what the report shows.
- Content plan, posts, community replies and reporting included
- Monthly fee worked out, with video edits as an add on
- Free to use online, with PDF export
What a social media quote template needs
Use this social media marketing quotation to price account management by the month: how many posts on which platforms, how much time goes to comments and messages, and what the monthly report covers. Short video edits sit as an extra the client can add. Load the sample with its lines already filled in, or download the template as a Word, Excel or PDF file.
A social media quote template works when every monthly number can be counted: posts, platforms, reply hours and reports. Clients compare packages by post count, so define what a post is, what format it takes, and what the client must hand over before you can make it.
- PlatformsName each account you will run, such as Instagram and Facebook. Every platform adds its own sizes, captions and replies, so two platforms never cost the same as one.
- Posts per month by formatHow many posts and of what kind: single image, carousel, story or short video. A carousel or a reel can take several times longer than a single graphic.
- Content calendar and approvalsWhen the monthly calendar reaches the client, how many days they have to approve it, and what happens to posts left unapproved.
- Photos and footageWho supplies them. If you shoot on site, add it as a separate line with travel time. Branded post templates designed from scratch can be priced as graphic design work.
- Community managementHours or a response window for comments and direct messages, for example weekdays within one business day. Weekend cover is extra work and should carry its own price.
- Boost budgetAny spend to promote posts, paid by the client and listed apart from your fee. If the client wants paid search, landing pages and a wider plan, a marketing quotation fits better.
- Monthly reportThe figures you will report, such as reach, saves, profile visits and messages, with a short note on what to change next month.
- Minimum term and noticeA minimum of around three months gives you time to learn what the audience responds to. Add the notice needed to cancel after that.
Sample social media quote with example prices
Postwell Social is quoting Olive & Thyme Restaurant for three months on two platforms. Each line in the Monthly group is priced per month: content planning and 12 posts at $650, community management at $200 and reporting at $80. Over three months that comes to $2,790. Four short video edits a month are offered as an optional $300 monthly line outside the total. The deposit is 50%, and the rates are examples.
| Item | Group | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content plan and posts 12 posts | Monthly | 3 month | $650.00 | $1,950.00 |
| Community management | Monthly | 3 month | $200.00 | $600.00 |
| Reporting | Monthly | 3 month | $80.00 | $240.00 |
| Short video edits 4 per month | Optional extras (optional) | 3 month | $300.00 | ($900.00) |
| Subtotal before tax | $2,790.00 | |||
| Optional extras, not in the total | $900.00 | |||
4 lines are filled in, from content plan and posts to short video edits. Put in your own social media management rates, then download the PDF.
How to price social media management
Social media is nearly always sold as a monthly package, but the package price should come from the time each post, reply and report takes. Build the figure up from units, then round it into two or three tiers the client can choose between.
- Per post ratesA price for each post type, for example $35 for a single image and $90 for a short video. Easy to adjust when the client wants more or fewer posts, and handy for one off campaigns.
- Package tiersTwo or three bundles with set post counts, platforms and reply hours. Tiers are easy to compare, and the top tier’s extras can appear as optional lines.
- Hours for community workA set number of hours for comments and messages each month, with an hourly rate for busy spells such as a launch or a complaint thread.
- Setup feeA one off charge for auditing the accounts, building post templates and writing a tone of voice guide before posting starts.
Paid design or scheduling tools used for one client belong in that client’s package price. Publish your per post prices on a rate card, and see the job pricing guide for adding overheads to an hourly figure.
Worked example: building a 16 post monthly package
This is how a monthly price comes together for 16 posts across two platforms, at an example rate of $44 an hour.
- PlanningMonthly calendar, caption brief and hashtag research: 3 hrs.
- Creating posts16 posts at 45 minutes each: 16 × 0.75 = 12 hrs.
- Scheduling and repliesScheduling takes 2 hrs, plus 4 hrs of comments and messages: 6 hrs.
- ReportingMonthly report and a short review call: 1.5 hrs. Total time: 3 + 12 + 6 + 1.5 = 22.5 hrs.
- Monthly price22.5 hrs × $44 = $990 a month. On a three month minimum the quote shows $2,970, and a 50% deposit is $1,485.
Video, on site shoots and the volume of messages the account receives push the hours up faster than the post count does.
What is in and out of a social media package
Usually included
- A content calendar sent for approval each month
- Captions, hashtags and scheduling
- Graphics made from client photos and brand colors
- Replies to comments and messages in business hours
- Monthly report with next month’s priorities
Excluded unless priced
- Paid boosting and ad spend
- On site photo or video shoots
- Influencer fees and paid partnerships
- Replies outside the agreed hours
- Handling a public complaint beyond normal replies
Social media quote mistakes
- Selling a post count without naming the format, then being asked for reels at the price of a single graphic.
- Promising round the clock replies on a package priced for business hours.
- No approval deadline, so last month’s posts still wait for sign off while the next month begins.
- Paying for boosted posts on your own card and chasing the client for the money later.
- Quoting a single month, which leaves no time to learn what the audience engages with.
- Not stating that unused posts lapse when the client is late sending photos or approvals.
Social media pricing questions
How do I quote for social media management?
Count the platforms, the posts per month by format, the reply hours and the reports, then turn each into hours at your rate. Package the result as a monthly price with a minimum term, list ad spend separately and offer extras such as video as optional lines. The quote writing guide covers the layout.
What should a social media marketing quotation include?
The platforms, the number and type of posts, the approval process, who supplies photos, community management hours, the report, the term and notice period, the monthly price and the exclusions. Boost budgets and shoots normally sit apart from the management fee.
Do social media managers charge per post or per month?
Mostly per month, but the monthly figure is built from a price per post plus time for replies and reporting. Per post pricing is useful for short campaigns, or as the rate for extra posts beyond the package.
Should the client pay for boosted posts directly?
Usually, yes. Ask the client to add their own card to the ad account so the spend is billed to them, and keep your quote to the management fee. If you must pay and recharge, collect the budget in advance and show it as its own line.
Do unused posts roll over to the next month?
Only if your quote says so. A fair rule is that posts delayed by you roll over, while posts the client failed to approve in time do not. Put the rule in the terms so it is settled before the first month starts.
How much notice should a client give to end a package?
Thirty days after the minimum term is a common choice. Write it in the terms, along with what happens to scheduled posts and to the designs you made. Templates for related services are collected in the quote template library.
