Social media agency costs for medium-sized businesses

Key takeaways

Social media agency cost for a UK medium-sized business, with 50 to 249 staff, usually sits in the £2,500–£5,000 a month band, with video and paid media, or £5,000+ for several brands. A single in-house hire on £35,000 costs about £40,363 a year before tools.

• £2,500–£5,000 a month is the typical band for medium-sized firms.
• Several brands, sites or languages push fees to £5,000+ a month.
• One in-house hire on £35,000 costs about £40,363 a year.
• Approval layers often cost more time than the content itself.

What changes for medium-sized businesses?

A medium-sized business, defined in UK business statistics as having 50 to 249 employees, usually has more channels, more stakeholders and higher expectations than a small firm. Social media must support sales, recruitment and reputation at once, and approvals involve more people.

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

How much does an agency cost for a medium-sized firm?

With several channels, regular video and paid campaigns, most medium-sized firms sit in the £2,500–£5,000 a month band. Multiple brands, sites or languages push fees to £5,000 or more. These are indicative figures based on UK market bands, not a GBL price list.

• Several channels with video and paid: £2,500–£5,000 a month.
• Multiple brands or sites: £5,000+ a month.
• Recruitment campaigns: often a separate project.
• Media budgets: separate from fees.

How does that compare with hiring in-house?

A social media manager on £35,000 costs about £40,363 a year including employer National Insurance and pension, using 2026/27 GOV.UK rates, before tools, training and cover. One person rarely covers strategy, design, video and ads, so many medium-sized firms combine one in-house lead with an agency.

• What a social media manager costs in the UK

What drives the cost up for larger firms?

Approvals, brands and reporting drive the cost. Three people signing off each post can double turnaround time. Separate brands each need their own content. Board-level reporting takes longer to prepare. Simplifying approvals is often the cheapest saving available.

• A social media approval workflow that does not slow you down

When is a full agency retainer not the best fit?

When you already have a capable in-house team, buying specific skills, such as video, paid media or design capacity, often beats a full retainer. A full retainer suits firms without a team or those whose team is stretched across too many jobs.

• Dedicated social media designer: what a monthly one costs

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with UK firms of this size: one marketing manager handles social media alongside everything else, and posting stalls when campaigns peak. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) works alongside the in-house lead, taking on production and publishing, while strategy and approvals stay with the client.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Medium-sized business checklist

Agree these before you sign.

• Brands, sites and channels in scope.
• Who approves, in what order, and how fast.
• What the in-house team keeps.
• Reporting format for senior managers.
• Recruitment and campaign projects for the year.

• Social media costs for architects and interior designers
• Social media costs for training and course providers

Next step

Tell us your brands, channels and the team you have now. We will tell you which band and which mix of in-house and agency fits.