Social media spend for a £100k to £500k business

Key takeaways

A social media budget for a business turning over £100k to £500k usually sits between £300 and £1,200 a month in total. At this size there is room for some outside help and a steady ad budget, as long as one person still owns the plan and the hours are protected.

• £300–£1,200 a month is the usual total at £100k–£500k turnover.
• £300–£500 a month in ads is the floor for continuous learning.
• A freelancer or part-time help often replaces owner hours.
• One named owner keeps the plan on track.

How is the monthly figure worked out?

Illustrative sum: a £250,000 business putting 7% into marketing has £17,500 a year. Giving social media 30% leaves £5,250, or about £437 a month. A business relying on social for most new customers might give it 50%, about £730 a month. Your own sales target is the better final check.

• Social media budget for a UK small business
• Work out a social media budget from your sales target

How should the money be split?

Start from the pillar split of roughly 60% production, 15% tools and assets and 25% paid reach, then adjust. At £800 a month that is £480 for content, £120 for tools and occasional photography, and £200 for ads. Many firms move ads nearer £300–£500 once a campaign proves itself.

• 60% production: posts, video, replies and reporting.
• 15% tools and assets: scheduling, design, photography.
• 25% paid reach: rising once cost per enquiry is proven.

• Content vs ads: how to split a social media budget

When should you bring in outside help?

Bring in help when posting slips for two or more weeks at a time, or when the owner's hours cost more than a freelancer would. A freelancer typically costs £400–£1,200 a month for production. Keep strategy and replies close to the business, because buyers notice when answers sound generic.

• Social media freelancer vs agency: the cost compared

What changes as you approach £500k?

Usually more services, more staff and more locations to promote. Spend grows with the number of offers you actively sell, not with turnover alone. Add budget for the new offer you most need to fill, and keep the rest steady until its cost per enquiry is known.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a firm in this band spends heavily on ads but nothing on content, so the same three ads run for months and costs creep up. Rebalancing towards fresh content, with the same total, often lowers cost per enquiry within two or three months.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Growing business checklist

• Calculate a monthly figure from revenue and sales target.
• Split it across production, tools and ads.
• Keep at least £300 a month in ads once a campaign works.
• Name one person who owns the plan.
• Review the split every quarter.

• Social media spend for a business under £100k turnover
• Social media spend for a £500k to £1m business

Next step

Work out your monthly figure from last year's turnover and write the three-way split beside it. Compare it with last month's real spend, including time.