The four price tiers
Freelancer — $300–800/mo. One person does everything: strategy, content, posting, replies. Works for a very small page, but you’re limited by one person’s skills and availability. Design, video editing and ads are usually extra — or missing.
Boutique agency — $800–1,500/mo. A small team: content manager, designer, targeting specialist. This is where full-scope management realistically starts — and the tier where our own full Instagram management sits; we quote an exact price after a short free consultation.
Full-service EU agency — $1,500–3,000/mo. More production (shoots, motion design), more channels, account managers. Good when you need volume across several platforms.
US agency — $2,000–5,000/mo. For the same scope of work, US agencies typically charge 2× European rates. That’s not a quality difference — it’s an overhead difference. It’s also why many US and Western European businesses now work with remote-first agencies.
What should be included at each price
- Strategy and a content plan — not just “we’ll post 3 times a week”, but positioning, audience analysis and a monthly plan you approve.
- Content production — stories, posts, Reels. Ask specifically how many of each; “content” can mean 9 posts or 150 stories.
- Community basics — at minimum, guidance on how to handle DMs (full DM management is often a separate service).
- Reporting — weekly or monthly, tied to business metrics (enquiries, bookings, orders), not just likes.
The costs nobody mentions upfront
Ad budget is always separate. The management fee pays for the team’s work; the money that Meta or TikTok charge to show your ads is on top. For a local business, a realistic starting ad budget is $300–1,000/mo.
Shoots and models. Professional videography, studio rental and model casting are typically billed separately ($200–800 per shoot). Many agencies (including us) can work from your phone footage with shot lists, or use UGC creators and AI-assisted production to keep this cost near zero.
Minimum terms. Most agencies ask for 3 months — because month one is analysis and launch, and steady results typically build in months two and three. Be suspicious of anyone promising results in week one.
How to compare offers fairly
Don’t compare prices — compare price per outcome. Ask each agency: what KPIs will you commit to in writing? How many bookings, enquiries or orders did your last three clients in my niche get? A cheap freelancer who brings nothing is more expensive than a full team that fills your calendar. For a deeper checklist, see our guide on how to choose a social media agency. Selling to the US market? We broke down what US agencies charge in 2026 separately.
