Social media costs for food and drink brands

Key takeaways

Social media costs for food and drink brands usually sit in the £950–£2,500 a month band for UK producers selling through shops and online, rising to £2,500–£5,000 with regular video and paid ads. Food photography and recipe video drive the fee. Allergen information, health claims and alcohol marketing rules shape what you can post.

• Most producers: £950–£2,500 a month.
• With video and paid ads: £2,500–£5,000.
• Food photography and video drive the cost.
• Alcohol and health claims have extra rules.

What does social media need to do for a food brand?

For a food or drink producer, social media builds a brand people ask for by name in shops, drives online orders and supports stockists. Content is visual: products, recipes, ingredients, makers and where to buy. Consistent, appetising imagery matters more than in most sectors.

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What drives the cost for food and drink brands?

Food photography and short recipe or serving videos are the main cost: a photography day costs £500–£1,200 and clip edits £110–£400. Supporting stockists with shareable content adds time. Paid social to launch products or reach new areas adds management of £300–£1,000 a month.

• Photography day: £500–£1,200.
• Clip edits: £110–£400 each.
• Paid social management: £300–£1,000 a month.
• Stockist content packs: extra hours.

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Which rules affect food and drink posts?

Nutrition and health claims must be authorised and accurate. Allergen information must be right where products are sold online. Alcohol marketing must not appeal to under-18s or link drinking with social or sexual success, under the CAP Code and Portman Group codes. Creator posts must be labelled as ads.

When is a lower budget enough?

A small producer selling at markets and a few local shops can do well in the £500–£950 publishing band using its own photos. Bigger budgets earn their keep when you sell online nationally or are launching into new retailers.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a producer gains a big stockist but shoppers do not know the brand. Giving the stockist ready-made posts and running local ads around its stores usually helps product move off the shelf.

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Food and drink social media checklist

• Plan a quarterly product photo day.
• Show where to buy in every few posts.
• Check health and nutrition claims.
• Follow alcohol marketing rules if relevant.
• Send stockists shareable content.

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Next step

List your stockists and online channels. Plan content that sends people to each.