Social Media Marketing Cost for Small Business in 2025: Full Guide

Social media marketing cost is no longer a guessing game—it’s a real factor shaping how brands connect, grow, and compete online. From running paid ad campaigns to managing social media accounts across multiple platforms, every decision impacts your bottom line. Whether you’re a small business owner, a startup founder, or working with a social media agency, knowing how much to spend and where, is key to staying competitive.

As social media networks evolve, so do advertising costs, bidding strategies, and the price of social media services like content creation, community management, and targeted campaigns. Your marketing budget isn’t just fueling social media ads—it’s shaping your digital marketing strategy, boosting website traffic, and influencing how well you reach your target market.

Understanding how social media marketing pricing works helps businesses make smarter investments, attract their target audience, and align their marketing campaigns with real business objectives.

What Does Social Media Marketing Cost Include?

There is no denying social media is important for businesses. Running strong social media campaigns means spending on more than just social media ads. Whether you’re building your social media presence from scratch or managing multiple social media accounts, costs can add up across many moving parts. Businesses often invest in content creation, paid advertising, community management, and social media management software to stay visible and active.

A typical social media marketing package from a social media agency or service provider may include post design, copywriting, platform scheduling, influencer partnerships, and customer engagement, all contributing to your monthly ad spend. Then comes the ad budget, shaped by your bidding strategy, ad format, and target audience.

Whether you’re using social media marketing services in-house or through a marketing agency, your total marketing cost covers both fixed and variable parts. That includes social media management pricing, advertising costs, and the time spent aligning each piece with your broader digital marketing and business objectives.

What Impacts Your Social Media Marketing Cost?

No fixed number applies to every business. Your total social media marketing cost depends on several moving parts—like where you show up, who you target, and how you run your campaigns. Every post, ad, and tool decision plays a part in shaping what you actually spend.

Here’s what can raise or lower your cost across multiple social media platforms:

• Platform selection: Advertising on LinkedIn or YouTube may cost more than Facebook or Twitter, depending on your target market and niche.
• Ad format: Video ads, stories, carousels, and influencer content carry different advertising costs.
• Audience targeting: The broader or more competitive your target audience, the higher your ad budget may stretch.
• Bidding strategy: Manual bids, cost caps, and audience size affect how much you pay per result.
• Content creation: High-end visuals, branded videos, and creator partnerships push content creation costs up.
• Social media management setup: Whether you use a social media marketing agency, build an internal team, or subscribe to management software, the cost structure shifts.
• Number of platforms managed: Handling multiple social media channels increases both time and social media management costs.
• Community management: Replying to DMs, comments, and managing your social media presence requires time or staff investment.
• Campaign duration and volume: Running ongoing paid ad campaigns or frequent social media posts increases both spend and maintenance.

Platform-by-Platform Cost Breakdown 

Social media marketing cost isn’t a flat rate, it shifts depending on the platforms you use, your target audience, and your paid ad campaigns. Each platform offers different formats, pricing models, and ad placements, which means your ad budget needs to be tailored based on where you show up and what you expect in return.

In 2025, brands allocated over $107 billion to digital channels, with a sharp rise in social media advertising cost across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Here’s what businesses spend across today’s top social media platforms:

Facebook

Best For: Small businesses, real estate, restaurants, ecommerce brands

• Average CPC: $0.94
• Average CPM: $12
• Best Use: Local campaigns, product ads, and retargeting
• Why It Matters: Facebook offers flexible campaign types for all industries. Whether you’re promoting a service or building brand recognition, the platform gives you tools to manage your spend.
• Cost Drivers: Ad relevance, bidding style, content quality, and audience size

Often included in social media marketing packages from any social media marketing agency, especially for community management and lead capture.

Instagram

Best For: Fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle products, creators

• Average CPC: $0.60–$1.20
• Average Reels CPM: $6–$15
• Best Use: Visual branding, product launches, short-form video
• Why It Matters: With creative placements like Stories and Reels, Instagram gives brands rich media formats that drive website traffic and boost engagement.
• Influencer marketing is common here, with creator fees ranging from $100 to $10,000+ per post depending on reach.

Works well for fashion, beauty, fitness, food, and DTC products with strong social media content creation.

LinkedIn

Best For: SaaS, recruitment, financial services, enterprise B2B

• Average CPC: $6–$9
• Sponsored InMail: $0.80–$1.20 per send
• Best Use: B2B outreach, hiring campaigns, event promotions
• Why It Matters: It’s expensive compared to other social media channels, but it delivers high-intent clicks, great for social media marketing services targeting professionals or high-ticket offerings.

Common in digital marketing strategy for consultants, SaaS companies, and recruiters using paid social media ads.

TikTok

Best For: Gen Z audiences, entertainment, DIY, food, and ecommerce

• Average CPM: $10–$30
• Creator Partnerships: $250–$20,000 per video
• Best Use: Story-driven content, entertainment, trending challenges
• Why It Matters: TikTok ads are immersive, creative, and designed for discovery. Your marketing cost depends on video quality, trend usage, and influencer tie-ins.

Brands using multiple social media platforms often blend TikTok with Instagram and YouTube for maximum reach.

YouTube

Best For: Education, tech, SaaS, automotive, B2B, lifestyle tutorials

• Cost Per View: $0.10–$0.30
• Bumper Ad CPM: $5–$15
• Best Use: Long-form videos, product demos, expert content
• Best For: Education, tech, SaaS, automotive, B2B, lifestyle tutorials
• Why It Matters: YouTube works as both a social media network and a search engine, making it ideal for sustained brand awareness and content creation.

Often used by brands with bigger monthly ad spend looking to build thought leadership or explain complex products.

Twitter/X

Best For: Tech, crypto, politics, startups, personal brands

• Average CPC: $0.38–$1.35
• Best Use: News-based content, real-time event marketing, social commentary
• Why It Matters: Ad performance is driven by timing and relevance. It’s well-suited for tech, media, sports, and startups with bold messaging.

Works well when tied to targeted campaigns across other social media networks.

Threads (by Meta)

Best For: Creators, startups, lifestyle brands, brands testing tone

• Native Ads: Not yet available
• Creator Partnerships: $100–$1,000 per post
• Best Use: Organic engagement, casual updates, branded conversations
• Best For: Creators, startups, lifestyle brands, brands testing tone
• Why It Matters: While still early-stage, Threads gives brands a chance to test organic content and low-cost creator collaborations before full social media advertising services roll out.

Suitable for brands experimenting with tone and community-driven social media marketing efforts.

Bluesky

Best For: Indie tech, crypto, open-source, web3 communities

• Ad System: None officially
• Influencer Rates: $50–$500+ per collaboration
• Best Use: Niche content, early adopters, tech communities
• Why It Matters: Bluesky is currently organic-first, so costs revolve around social media strategists, creators, and content sponsorships.

Ideal for brands looking to test alternative media marketing options without heavy ad spend.

Google My Business / Google Business Profile

Best For: Local service providers, restaurants, salons, realtors

• Local Service Ads (LSAs): $5–$30 per click
• Boosted Posts via Smart Campaigns: $50–$300/month
• Best Use: Local visibility, store visits, service-based marketing
• Why It Matters: Though not a classic social network, it supports your overall social media presence, especially for brick-and-mortar businesses and service-based brands managing multiple platforms.

Often bundled into social media management packages for local SEO and discovery.

Pinterest

Best For: Home decor, fashion, food, beauty, lifestyle, and DIY brands

• Average CPC: $0.10–$1.50
• Average CPM: $2–$5
• Best Use: Product discovery, seasonal campaigns, visual search
• Why It Matters: Pinterest isn’t just for inspiration—it drives real purchase intent. Pins can stay visible and searchable for months, making it a low-cost channel for evergreen social media marketing efforts.

Works well for targeted advertising through paid ads and product-based social media marketing services, especially for brands aiming to generate consistent website traffic and leads. Fits well into social media marketing packages built for ecommerce, and supports visual content creation without constant reposting.

Sample Budgets Based on Business Size

Social media marketing pricing varies widely between startups, growing brands, and large-scale companies. How much businesses spend depends on their goals, team setup, and the number of social media platforms they use. Whether you’re building a presence in-house or working with a social media marketing agency, your budget shapes the scale of your reach, content creation, and ad spend.

Here’s a breakdown based on current trends:

Small Business

• Estimated monthly ad spend: $500–$1,000
• Common focus: Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile
• Investment includes: basic social media management services, paid ads, and essential social media content creation
• Most use basic social media marketing packages, single-platform tools, and lean social media management software

Mid-Sized Business

• Estimated monthly spend: $2,000–$5,000
• Common focus: Managing content across multiple social media platforms, running regular paid ad campaigns, and boosting website traffic
• Includes: hiring freelancers or a social media agency, running influencer marketing, and investing in full-stack media marketing tools
• Budget also covers community management, creator partnerships, and multi-format social media posts

Enterprise or Large Business

• Estimated monthly spend: $10,000+
• Common focus: Cross-channel marketing campaigns with precise targeted advertising
• Covers: advanced social media management packages, in-house social media managers, full-time social media strategists, and agency retainers
• Often includes ad testing across multiple platforms, long-term creator partnerships, and branded content creation pipelines

Typical Value Benchmarks Across All Sizes of Business

• $5–$25 per click depending on ad format and target market
• $25–$200 per lead, based on industry and platform
• 2%–5% of monthly revenue can go toward social media marketing cost

How to Get the Most from Your Budget

Every dollar spent on social media marketing should connect to your business goals. Whether you manage your own social media accounts or work with a social media marketing agency, getting strong results means thinking carefully about where your ad budget goes.

Here’s how to stretch your spend across multiple social media platforms without compromising performance:

• Match platform to purpose: Choose social media channels that reflect your audience’s habits. A paid advertising campaign on TikTok needs a different content style than one on LinkedIn or YouTube.
• Test different ad formats: Rotate between Stories, Reels, carousels, and video content. Let real-time data shape where your social media advertising cost is directed.
• Use scheduling tools: Automate social media posts with social media management software. This saves time and helps maintain a consistent social media presence across platforms.
• Monitor cost per result: Track your marketing cost per click, per lead, or per action—whatever fits your campaign. This is key for keeping monthly ad spend in check.
• Repurpose content: Adapt one high-performing creative into different formats across multiple platforms. Smart content creation saves time and budget.
• Blend organic with paid: Support your paid ads with strong community management and engaging social media content creation. Organic interactions build trust and lower acquisition costs.
• Work with creators: If you’re using influencer marketing, set clear deliverables and pricing. This keeps your social advertising aligned with your broader digital marketing goals.

Common Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid

Spending money on social media marketing doesn’t guarantee results—how that money is used matters more. Many brands burn through their ad budget without aligning it with clear business objectives. Whether you’re using social media marketing services or running campaigns in-house, smart planning protects your marketing cost from waste.

Here are common missteps that drain budgets fast:

• Hiring without clarity: Working with a social media agency or marketing agency without reviewing their pricing, deliverables, or alignment with your business goals can waste both time and money.
• Underestimating content needs: Without enough resources for content creation or social media content creation, paid efforts stall. Every ad format needs visuals, captions, and coordination across multiple social media platforms.
• Over-relying on one platform: Putting your entire monthly ad spend into just Facebook or Instagram ignores other high-potential social media networks like YouTube, TikTok, or Google Business Profile.
• Skipping performance checks: Brands running paid ad campaigns without tracking cost-per-click, impressions, or conversions often overspend. Bidding strategy matters—but so does knowing what results it delivers.
• Forgetting audience alignment: Running social media ads without refining your target audience can raise your social media advertising cost without hitting your goals.
• Overpaying for unused features: Subscribing to premium social media management software or signing up for full-scale social media marketing packages without a clear plan leads to overspending.
• Neglecting community engagement: Budgeting for ads while ignoring community management or social media pages limits results. Paid reach with no follow-up kills momentum.

Final Thoughts

According to McKinsey, 32% of consumers now use social media to research products, showing the shift in how platforms support the full buyer journey. Social media marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every brand works with different tools, goals, and resources. What matters is staying intentional—whether you’re running paid ads, working with a social media agency, or building campaigns in-house.

Keep your marketing budget aligned with your real goals, stay consistent across social media platforms, and treat every post like it counts.

FAQs

Ruchi Dhimar

Ruchi Dhimar is a skilled content writer with 4 years of experience. She is  passionate about crafting compelling narratives, specializing in writing content for different industries.