Bringing social media in-house from an agency: the cost

Key takeaways

Bringing social media in-house from an agency costs more than the new salary. Illustratively, a £35,000 hire costs about £40,363 a year, plus tools at £20–£80 a month, training at £450–£1,200 and a handover period where you pay both. Plan a one to three-month overlap so content does not stop while the new person learns.

• £35,000 salary costs about £40,363 a year, illustrative.
• Tools £20–£80 a month; training £450–£1,200.
• Expect one to three months of overlap.
• Secure every account and asset before the agency leaves.

Why do businesses bring social media in-house?

Usually because volume has grown enough to keep a person busy, the business wants someone on site daily, or the agency relationship has not worked. The decision itself belongs to the in-house versus agency comparison; this article is about what the switch costs.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK
• In-house versus agency social media for UK businesses

What does the switch cost?

The new hire's employment cost, recruitment time or fees, tools that the agency used to supply, training and a period of overlap. If the agency's notice period is a month and the hire needs two months to get up to speed, you pay for both for a while.

• Employment: about £3,360 a month on £35,000, illustrative.
• Tools: £20–£80 a month.
• Training: £450–£1,200.
• Overlap: one to three months of agency fees.

• What a social media manager costs in the UK

What must you get back from the agency?

Admin access to every account and ad account, brand files, templates, original photos and videos, the content calendar, audience lists and past reports. Check the contract for who owns the content and give the agency a clear handover list.

• How to cancel a social media agency contract
• Who owns the content your social media agency makes?

When is bringing it in-house a mistake?

When one person is expected to replace a strategist, designer, writer and ads specialist. When there is no cover for holidays. Or when the real problem was a poor agency, which a better agency would fix for less. A hybrid can keep specialist help for ads or design.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: an agency is dropped, the new hire starts a month later and the accounts go quiet in between. Overlapping by a month and keeping the agency for ads during the first quarter usually avoids the dip.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

In-house switch checklist

• Hire before giving notice to the agency.
• List every account, asset and file to hand over.
• Move all admin access to business-owned logins.
• Budget for tools and training.
• Decide what specialist help, if any, to keep.

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Next step

Write the handover list now, even if the switch is months away. It shows how much you depend on the agency.