How to compare social media agency quotes fairly

Key takeaways

How to compare social media agency quotes: put each one on the same basis before looking at the price. Score every quote on five points, hours, people, scope, extras and exit, using the GBL Quote Clarity Scorecard. The cheapest quote is often the one with the fewest hours and the most exclusions.

• Score each quote 0 to 2 on hours, people, scope, extras and exit.
• 8 to 10 is clear, 5 to 7 needs questions, 4 or below is a risk.
• Convert every fee to a rate per hour before comparing.
• Add the cost of extras you will actually need to each quote.

Why are agency quotes so hard to compare?

Quotes are hard to compare because each agency describes its work differently. One counts posts, another counts hours, a third describes outcomes. The same monthly fee can represent 9 hours or 22. Until the quotes are on one basis, the price tells you very little.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK
• How social media agencies set their prices

What is the GBL Quote Clarity Scorecard?

The GBL Quote Clarity Scorecard is a five-point check that scores a social media quote from 0 to 2 on hours, people, scope, extras and exit, giving a total out of 10. It measures how clearly a quote tells you what you are buying, before you judge whether the price is right.

• Hours: are monthly hours stated, by role?
• People: are the named people and their level stated?
• Scope: are volumes, channels and reply times written as numbers?
• Extras: are exclusions listed with prices or allowances?
• Exit: are notice, ownership and handover clear?

How do you put quotes on the same basis?

Use one table with the same rows for every quote. Fill gaps by asking the agency, in writing. A £1,500 quote for 20 hours is £75 an hour. A £1,200 quote for 10 hours is £120 an hour. The second is cheaper per month and dearer per hour.

• Monthly fee and any set-up fee.
• Hours per month and blended hourly rate.
• Posts, videos and channels included.
• Reply hours and response time.
• Extras you will need, priced.
• Minimum term and notice period.

• Social media agency hourly rates in the UK
• Social media agency hidden fees and how to spot them

What price range should the quotes fall in?

Most UK SMEs pay £950–£2,500 a month for strategy, content, replies and reporting on two channels. Quotes around £500–£950 usually cover publishing only. Quotes of £2,500–£5,000 should include regular video and paid media management. A quote far outside the band for its scope needs explaining.

• What is included in a social media retainer?

What should count beyond price?

Three things count beyond price: what is measured, who you deal with and how you leave. A quote that reports enquiries can be judged. A named account lead can be held to account. Clear ownership and short notice mean a mistake is cheap to correct.

• Questions to ask a social media agency before signing
• Social media agency contract terms to check

When is the cheapest quote the right one?

The cheapest quote is right when it scores well on clarity and matches your scope. Lower cost can come from an efficient delivery model, such as UK account leadership with offshore production. It is wrong when it is cheap because hours, replies or reporting have been left out.

• social media outsourcing UK vs Sri Lanka

How do you score a quote? A worked example

Take a £1,300 quote. It states 16 hours by role (2 points), names the account lead but not the producers (1), gives volumes and reply times as numbers (2), lists extras without prices (1) and offers 30 days' notice with accounts in your name (2). That is 8 out of 10: clear enough to judge on price.

• Hours: 2. Stated by role.
• People: 1. Lead named, team not.
• Scope: 2. Volumes and reply times as numbers.
• Extras: 1. Listed, not priced.
• Exit: 2. Short notice, accounts yours.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see when UK owners bring us three quotes: once hours and extras are added to one table, the order changes. The middle-priced quote often becomes the best value, because it is the only one that includes replies and a monthly report.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Quote comparison checklist

Follow these steps in order.

• Send every agency the same brief.
• Ask each for hours by role, in writing.
• Build one table with the same rows.
• Score each quote on the five scorecard points.
• Add the extras you need to each total.
• Compare cost per hour and cost over six months.

Next step

Send us the quotes you have, with names removed if you prefer. We will put them on one basis and tell you what to ask each agency.