Dedicated social media team: what a full-time team costs

Key takeaways

A dedicated social media team costs UK firms roughly £9–£18 an hour per person for managed offshore staff or £20–£35 onshore, so one full-time person is about £1,440–£2,880 a month offshore at 160 hours. Unlike a shared retainer, the team works only on your account. It pays off when you need daily output across several channels.

• Offshore full-time: about £1,440–£2,880 a month per person.
• Onshore full-time: about £3,200–£5,600 a month.
• Works only on your account.
• Needs your direction every day.

What is a dedicated social media team?

A dedicated social media team is one or more people provided by an outsourcing partner who work full-time on your account, under your direction, through the partner's management. It sits between a shared agency retainer and hiring your own staff: you get the capacity without employing them.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK
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How much does a dedicated team cost?

At managed offshore rates of £9–£18 an hour, a full-time person working 160 hours a month costs about £1,440–£2,880. Onshore at £20–£35 an hour, it is about £3,200–£5,600. A senior strategist part-time on top adds hours at the blended £75–£100 rate.

• Offshore executive: £1,440–£2,880 a month.
• Onshore executive: £3,200–£5,600 a month.
• Part-time strategy: billed by the hour.
• Tools and ad spend: separate.

• social media outsourcing UK vs Sri Lanka

How is it different from a retainer?

A retainer buys a set of outputs from a shared team that also serves other clients. A dedicated team buys people's time, and you direct what they do each day. It suits steady, high volumes; a retainer suits businesses that want outcomes without managing anyone.

When is a dedicated team too much?

If you cannot give daily direction, a dedicated person may drift or wait for instructions. If your volume fills only a few hours a week, a retainer is cheaper. Dedicated teams pay off for multi-brand, multi-location or high-volume e-commerce accounts.

What does this look like in practice?

Global Bridge Labs (GBL) provides dedicated teams from Sri Lanka with a UK-facing lead. In practice, the arrangement works best when the client sets weekly priorities and the team lead turns them into a daily plan.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Dedicated team checklist

• Count the hours of work you have each week.
• Name who gives the team direction.
• Agree working hours that overlap with the UK.
• Sign a data processing contract.
• Review output and quality monthly.

• Blog writing and social media together: bundle costs
• Overflow social media support for in-house teams

Next step

Log a week of social media work across your business. If it exceeds 30 hours, a dedicated person is worth costing.