Hire social media manager for small business
So, you’re thinking about getting a social media manager for your small business?
Well, I’m Eddie and I’m going to walk you through what you’re getting with a social media manager. I’m certified by HubSpot, have worked with many other creatives, and have over 3 years experience – so hopefully my input will prove useful. But! Before we get into what a social media manager does, here’s a number worth thinking about. Six hours a week on Instagram. Doesn’t sound like much – hell, that’s probably less than most people’s commute each week! Yet, that’s near 300 hours a year, right around 2 full working months, gone. And that’s the low-end of estimates for how long small business owners spend on DIY marketing – many estimates are around 10-20 hours a week. Of course, you’ll know your own time spend best, so you’ll know where on that range you’ll fall.
What does it get you when you hire a social media manager for small business?
On the lower end, a freelancer at £300–£800/month will typically cover 1 or 2 platforms, and 8 to 16 posts a month, usually using your own supplied photos or stock imagery. Step that up to a mid-tier agency (£400 to £1,500/month) and you get multi-platform management, custom graphics, and community engagement. Monthly reporting is also included there as well – it allows them to justify their rates and reduces churn. Premium agencies (£1,500–£5,000+/month) is only for those who use social media as a primary revenue channel (think D2C), will have full strategy, daily posting, short-form video, and influencer coordination, according to Wise’s 2026 breakdown.
My own packages sit on the low end (or even below!) of that freelancer entry point above. You get the same 1:1 platform management and monthly reporting, without ever coming close to agency-tier pricing. The only thing that’s excluded is ad-spend, as that’s always best to keep separate.
Say your billable rate needs to sit around £88/hour (that’s a fairly conservative estimate, you can get your own exact figure with this equation: Hourly rate = ( annual costs + take-home ÷ (1 − tax rate) ) ÷ ( billable hours per week × weeks worked )). If you’d like to earn to cover your overheads. Six hours a week running your own Instagram then works out to an actual cost of over £26,000 a year. You may not think of your time this way as a small business hour, but you definitely should – it’s not free, and it helps you consider how to charge for consultancy work.
Signs you could use a social media manager
Your posting has gone quiet. Holding yourself to a schedule is difficult, especially when it comes to the uncertain world of social media. If you need coaching with this, I offer a dedicated Social Media tutoring/coaching service,where I’ll teach you how to edit videos, create graphical posts, and more! Check it out here.
Growth has flatlined. If followers and engagement have plateaued, it’s usually because running video edits, analytics, and design all yourself has hit its ceiling. Although it might feel like it, it’s not because the platform’s against you! 🙂
You’re missing messages. Sprout Social’s UK Social Media Statistics found 71% of UK social media users will simply switch to a competitor if their DM or comment goes unanswered. Real-time community management is nigh impossible to keep up with solo.
Check on your last ten posts
Pull up your last ten posts and count how many asked the viewer to do something, book, message, click a link (had a CTA), versus how many were just good to look at. If it’s fewer than half, that suggests you could use some social strategy and content planning.
What to check before you sign
I’d look out for vague budgets that blend ad spend into the management fee, since that hides how much is really reaching the platform – meaning larger fees! Be suspicious of anyone promising specific follower numbers by a specific date too – that usually involves bots, which deals god-awful damage to your reputation on that platform and leads to low engagement metrics. On the contract itself, ideally get a defined approval window and ownership of created deliverables, which are handed over within in case of contract termination (from either end). Try to get a rolling monthly agreement too, rather than a 12-month contract – although if you do go for the latter, make sure it comes with a discount or bonus of some kind.
Any competent SMM will also let you know the KPIs you should care about. These might be conversion rate, click-through rate (CTR), response time, cost per acquisition, ROI (return on investment). Follower counts and impressions are generally bad measures, unless your goal is specifically brand awareness and authority. One client, Carolyn B, put quite well how important it is to have a good social strategy:
“Really knows his social media and it’s a great relief to have the right brains to help me move my marketing and social media forward.”
Simone S had a similar experience. Beyond optimising her site and improving her SEO, I also helped her understand how to use social media to support the site. She said she doesn’t think she could have done without the regular contact and guidance I provided.
Where to get that ROI?
LinkedIn converts best for B2B, with conversion rates around 6.1% against roughly 1.9% on Meta’s ad network, according to WordStream’s industry benchmarks. TikTok and Instagram tend to lead on organic engagement for consumer-facing brands. Facebook, despite falling organic reach, still performs well on paid return for local trades and home improvement businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions for Hiring a Social Media Manager for Small Business
Do you write, film, and edit the content yourself, or just plan it? Both, depending on the package. I can work from photos and video you supply, or handle the full production myself. We’ll agree exactly what’s included before kicking off.
Is ad spend included in your management fee? No, and I wouldn’t try to blend the two together. It makes it hard to see how much is actually reaching the platform versus going towards that management fee. Ad spend is always billed separately and transparently.
Can you manage multiple platforms at once? Yes, certainly! Most small business packages cover 1 or 2 platforms to start, but I can scale up to a full multi-platform strategy as the business grows. If you’d rather learn to run it yourself with expert backup, my social media coaching service covers that too.
What happens to my content and account if I want to stop? Everything created is handed over to you. This means you’re never left flat-footed.
Ready to Get Your Time Back? Get in Touch with Key2
If your social media has become a part-time job you never applied for, get in touch for a free, no-obligation discovery call. I’ll work with you on your full social media strategy.