Social media management prices can vary several times over from one agency to the next, and the gap usually comes from shoots, video and ad management. Here is what drives the price, AGO’s three packages and the questions to ask before you sign.
Social media management prices can differ several times over between agencies, and most of that gap comes down to what is actually inside the quote. One offer includes a handful of ready-made template graphics a month; another includes a film crew, video editing and ad management. In this article we explain what determines the cost of social media management, what AGO’s three packages include, which one suits which business and what to ask before accepting a quote. The goal is to help you compare offers by scope, not by price tag.
What determines social media management pricing?
When you put two quotes side by side, look at the items below before the number at the bottom. The cost of social media services is largely made up of these.
Shoots and video production
This is the biggest item. How many shoots happen each month, who shows up to film, how many videos the footage becomes and whether editing and subtitles are included all have a direct effect on the price. A single shoot day means preparation, travel, the shoot itself and then hours of editing. On an account built around Reels and short video, that work far outweighs post design.
Number of posts and stories
How many posts and stories are designed each month is the second factor. Look at quality as well as quantity: is every post designed specifically for your brand, or is someone just changing the colours on a stock template? And who writes the captions?
Number of channels
Is it only Instagram, or are Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn or YouTube involved too? The same content is not simply copied to every channel; format, length and tone are adapted to each. More channels mean more work.
Community management
Who replies to comments and messages, and how quickly? Some offers cover publishing only, leaving comments and direct messages to you. For a business that receives many messages every day this distinction matters, so ask for it to be stated clearly in the quote.
Is ad management included, and is the ad budget separate?
Organic posting and ad management are different jobs. Ad management covers campaign setup, targeting, budget allocation, testing and reporting. Then there is the ad budget: the money paid directly to Meta (Facebook and Instagram) to show your ads. This budget is not part of the agency fee and is paid separately. If a quote says “ads included”, always ask which one is meant: managing the ads, or the budget itself?
AGO social media management packages and prices
The amounts below are monthly, VAT included, as of September 2026; the current price is on our social media management service page. The Professional and Corporate packages include ad management; the ad budget is excluded in both.
| Package | Monthly fee | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 25.000 ₺ | 2 shoots per month · 4 videos (editing included) · 10 post designs · Content calendar and publishing management · Monthly performance report |
| Professional (most popular) | 65.000 ₺ (ad budget excluded) | 4 shoots per month · 8 videos (editing included) · 12 posts + 15 story designs · Ad management · Content calendar and publishing management · Monthly performance report |
| Corporate | 100.000 ₺ (ad budget excluded) | 6 shoots per month · 15 videos (editing included) · 15 posts + 30 story designs · Ad management · Content calendar and publishing management · Monthly performance report |
Look closely at the table and you will see that the difference between packages comes mostly from shoots and video: from Starter to Corporate, post designs go from 10 to 15, while shoots triple and videos nearly quadruple. That shows where the real work in social media management lies.
Which social media management package fits which business?
- Starter: For businesses that want regular, brand-specific content but are not yet ready to grow with ads. A newly opened café, boutique or clinic that wants a consistent, professional-looking account is a good fit. Ad management is not included; if you want to advertise, that needs to be planned separately.
- Professional: For businesses that expect customers from ads as well as content. The key advantage is that the videos shot for the account are also used in ads, and organic posting and advertising are planned together by the same team.
- Corporate: For brands with several product or service lines, branches or busy campaign periods that need new video every week. Story volume is high and the shoot schedule is tight.
If you do not need shoots or your budget is limited
To be frank: not every business needs a social media budget of 25.000 ₺ or more per month. If your product or service does not require filming, you already have visual material, or your budget is small, there are two sensible alternatives:
- Ad management only: If your goal is to win customers directly, you can keep content simple and hand only your Meta ads to a professional. Our Meta ads SME package is 10.000 ₺ per month (as of September 2026, VAT included, ad budget excluded) and covers campaign setup and tracking, targeting and bid management, creative production and A/B testing, weekly optimisation and a monthly report.
- Running the content calendar yourself: Filming a few posts a week on your phone and publishing them yourself is perfectly possible; what matters is planning and consistency. Our article on how to build a social media content calendar is a good place to start.
What to watch for in very cheap social media agency prices
You will see very different social media agency prices on the market, and a low price is not a bad sign in itself. But if a quote is far below what you expected, read the scope line by line. Common gaps include:
- Ready-made template graphics: Designs that are not specific to your brand and that you may see on other businesses’ accounts.
- No shoots: If visuals are made from stock photos or from footage you send, much of the content production actually relies on your own effort.
- No report, or follower count only: You cannot evaluate a service when you cannot see what was published and what worked.
- The agency owns the accounts: If your Instagram account, Facebook page or ad account was opened in the agency’s name, you may have access problems when the work ends. Accounts should belong to your business, with the agency only given permissions.
This does not mean every affordable offer has these issues; it is simply a checklist so you know what you are comparing.
Questions to ask when getting a quote from a social media agency
- How many shoots per month, and who does the filming? The agency’s own team or an outside contractor? How are the shoot date and location planned?
- How many videos, posts and stories per month? Are editing and copywriting included in the fee?
- How do revisions work? What happens if you do not like a design or a video?
- Whose name are the accounts in? Will the social media accounts, business account and ad account be in your name?
- Is ad management included? What ad budget is recommended, and who is it paid to?
- What does the report measure? Only likes and followers, or reach, engagement rate, messages and website clicks that actually matter to your business? To check engagement rate yourself, you can use our social media engagement calculator.
- What are the contract length and exit terms?
Social media agency, freelancer or in-house team?
There are three main routes to social media management or consulting, and each has its place.
- Freelancer: Usually more flexible and lower in cost. But it is hard for one person to be equally strong at design, filming, editing and ads, and the work can stall if that person gets busy or moves on.
- In-house team: These are the people who know your brand best, which helps with quick, day-to-day posting. Beyond salary, you also need to account for benefits, equipment, software and training, and filming, editing and ad skills are rarely found in a single person.
- Social media agency: Brings filming, design, editing and ad management as a team, so the work continues even if someone on the team changes. In return you pay a fixed monthly fee, and it takes the agency a few weeks to get to know your brand.
When deciding, work out the total monthly cost of an in-house employee in your area (salary, benefits, equipment) and compare it with an agency quote of the same scope. Some businesses combine the two: someone in-house posts daily stories, while planned shoots, video and ads stay with the agency.
Social media agency in Istanbul: how are shoots planned?
AGO’s team and office are in Istanbul. The day and location of each shoot in the packages are planned with you in advance, and the content calendar is built around those shoot days. Businesses in Istanbul can find the details on our Istanbul social media management page. For businesses outside Istanbul, shoot needs and frequency are discussed and planned in advance; we clarify this together at the quote stage.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ad budget included in social media management prices?
No. The Professional and Corporate packages include ad management, but the ad budget paid to Meta is not part of the package fee and is planned separately. The Starter package does not include ad management.
Can I order only design or video without a package?
Yes. For graphic design, a catalogue page is 500 ₺ and other designs are 750 ₺ per page (as of September 2026, VAT included). Video production is quoted per project.
When will I see results from social media management?
It would be wrong to promise a fixed timeframe; your sector, the current state of the account and whether ads are used all affect results. Organic growth takes time and should be tracked month by month through reports. With ads, the first data starts coming in shortly after they go live.
Whose name should my accounts be in?
Your social media accounts, business account and ad account should be in your business’s name, with the agency given management permissions only. Clarify this before work begins.
What should I prepare to get a quote?
Links to the accounts to be managed, your goal (awareness, messages, sales), the ad budget you have in mind and a few example accounts you like are enough. Fill in the quote form and we will work out the right package together.
