Social media coaching retainers: what ongoing support costs

Key takeaways

A social media coaching retainer typically costs an indicative £200–£600 a month in the UK for 2 to 4 hours of senior time at £100–£150 an hour. It pays for a monthly review, a planning call and quick answers for the person running your social media in-house. It builds their skill without paying for an agency to do the work.

• £200–£600 a month for 2 to 4 senior hours.
• Monthly review, plan call and quick answers.
• Your team still does the work.
• Best for a capable person who lacks experience.

What does a coaching retainer include?

A social media coaching retainer is ongoing advice for whoever runs your social media. It usually covers a monthly review of results, feedback on posts and ads, a planning call for next month and answers to questions in between. The coach advises; your person does the work.

• Social media agency pricing in the UK
• Social media training costs in the UK

How much does coaching cost?

Coaching uses senior time, at around £100–£150 an hour. Two hours a month is about £200–£300; four hours is £400–£600. One-off training at £450–£1,200 teaches the basics; the retainer keeps improving them month by month.

• 2 hours a month: £200–£300.
• 4 hours a month: £400–£600.
• One-off training: £450–£1,200.
• Ad account reviews: may add time.

• Done-with-you social media: the cost of a hybrid model

When does coaching beat outsourcing?

When you have a capable person with time but limited experience, coaching costs far less than an agency and builds skill that stays in the business. It also suits owners who want to post themselves but need a sounding board.

When is coaching not enough?

When nobody has time to do the work, advice will not change results. When you need design, video or paid ads at a professional level, coaching cannot replace a specialist. Then a done-with-you or full agency model fits better.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: an enthusiastic junior posts regularly but without direction. A monthly review that picks the three posts to repeat and the three to drop usually improves results within a quarter.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Coaching retainer checklist

• Confirm someone has time to do the work.
• Agree a monthly review date.
• Set two or three goals to coach towards.
• Share access to insights before each call.
• Review whether skills are growing each quarter.

• Overflow social media support for in-house teams
• LinkedIn profile optimisation: what it costs per person

Next step

Ask the person running your social media what they would ask an expert. If the list is long, coaching will pay back.