How much does a social media manager cost?

What goes into the price

When a social media manager prices a job, they estimate how much time and skill it will take each month. These are the parts that move the price the most:

• How many networks: Instagram only, or TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn too. Each network is a different audience, format and pace.
• How much content per month: the number of posts, Reels and Stories, and who shoots and produces them.
• Shooting and production: filming at your business, video editing and graphic design take far longer than posting content you send over.
• Writing: copy for every post, in Hebrew and sometimes in another language too.
• Community management: replying to comments and messages, and how fast.
• Paid campaigns: setting up and running ads. The ad budget itself is usually paid separately, straight to the platform.
• Strategy and reporting: a monthly content plan, tracking results and review meetings.

How social media management is priced

A monthly retainer is the most common model for ongoing management: a fixed amount each month for a defined scope of work. It's easy to budget for, and suits a business that wants a steady presence.

A deliverables package sets in advance how many posts, Reels or videos you get, regardless of the hours worked. That makes quotes easy to compare, because it's clear what you get.

Per-project or hourly pricing suits one-off work: setting up a page, an initial strategy, a product launch or a consultation.

VAT: check before you compare

A social media manager registered as an exempt dealer (osek patur) issues a receipt without VAT. A licensed dealer (osek murshe) or a company issues a tax invoice and adds VAT to the price. So two quotes for the same amount can differ in practice, and a business that reclaims VAT is affected differently from one that doesn't. Always ask whether the price includes VAT and which document you'll receive.

What to check before you sign

To avoid surprises after the first month, agree on these up front:

• Exactly what each month includes: how many deliverables, on which networks, and who shoots.
• How many rounds of revisions each deliverable gets.
• Whether the paid advertising budget is included in the price or paid separately.
• The commitment period, and the notice needed if you want to stop.
• Ownership: the accounts and the content belong to the business, and the social media manager gets access as an additional user.
• How and when you receive a report on results.

How it works on socialz

On socialz, every social media manager and content creator publishes service packages with a price in shekels, so you see up front what's included and what it costs. In the brief you set a monthly budget before VAT, and the people who fit it appear first. You agree the final price directly in the chat, and the payment goes straight to the creator. socialz takes no commission, from the business or from the creator.

Questions

Is the paid advertising budget included in a social media manager's price?

Usually not. The social media manager's price is for the work: setting up and running the campaigns. The business pays the ad budget itself directly to the platform, such as Meta or TikTok.

Which is better, a monthly retainer or paying per deliverable?

A retainer suits a business that wants an ongoing presence and steady support. Paying per deliverable suits you when you know exactly what you need, for example a number of Reels a month, and want to compare quotes easily.

Why do quotes differ so much?

Because they almost never include the same thing. Break each quote into its parts: how many networks, how much content, who shoots, whether there are paid campaigns and reports, and whether the price includes VAT.