Pricing and quotation guide
Social media reporting cost
Reporting has two kinds of cost: setting it up, and producing it each month. Set-up covers agreeing goals and measures, defining each measure and putting enquiry tracking in place. Monthly work covers gathering figures from each platform, comparing them, writing commentary and recommendations. The number of accounts and measures, how hard the data is to gather and whether a reporting tool is used all affect the price. Reporting bundled into full management may appear cheaper but can be thinner.
Below: cost drivers, set-up and monthly work, tools, pricing models and judging value.
Illustrative diagram
What drives reporting cost
- Accounts and platforms
- Each adds figures to gather and compare.
- Number of measures
- More measures mean more gathering and explanation.
- Enquiry tracking
- Setting up and maintaining source tracking takes time.
- Commentary depth
- Explanation and recommendations take longer than tables.
- Tools
- Reporting tools save time but add subscriptions.
Costs paid to third parties (separate from our fees)
- Changes to enquiry forms or website
- Reporting tool subscriptions
- Your team recording enquiry sources
- Content or management changes recommended
Ask for set-up and monthly reporting to be priced separately.
Set-up and monthly work
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Set-up | Goals, measure definitions, tracking plan, report template |
| Monthly | Gathering figures, comparison, commentary, recommendations |
| Quarterly | Review of measures and template |
How reporting is priced
Set-up plus monthly report
Suits you when
- Stand-alone reporting
- Your team or another provider posts
Watch out for
- What set-up includes
- Accounts covered
Part of full management
Suits you when
- One provider does everything
Watch out for
- Whether business results are reported
- Commentary depth
Template and training
Suits you when
- You want to report in-house
Watch out for
- Training included
- Follow-up review
Comparing quotations
Check that each quote states the accounts covered, the measures, whether enquiry tracking is set up, how figures are gathered, what commentary and recommendations are included, and whether you keep the template. A low price may be an automated export of platform figures with no explanation, which says little about whether social media is helping the business.
Example: set-up paid, monthly in-house
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A small charity wants to report to its trustees but has limited budget.
- A provider agrees measures with the charity and sets up enquiry and donation source tracking.
- A one-page template is built and the first two reports are produced together with a volunteer.
- The volunteer produces monthly reports; the provider reviews them each quarter.
What this shows: The charity paid mainly for set-up and occasional review. This example is illustrative.
Judging the value
Reporting earns its cost when it changes decisions: dropping a platform that achieves nothing, posting more of what brings enquiries, adjusting timing or tone. Keep a list of decisions taken because of reports. If none have been taken after a few months, the measures or the report need rethinking.
Reporting tools
Tools that collect figures from several platforms can save time but add a subscription and may not include everything you want. For one or two accounts, the platforms' own analytics may be enough. If a tool is used, hold the account in your business's name. Check exports work before committing.
Reporting in-house
With a template, clear measure definitions and an hour a month, businesses can report on their own social media. Outside help is useful for setting up measures and tracking, and for an independent view of what the figures mean.
Why tracking set-up matters
Without enquiry tracking, reports can only show platform activity. Setting it up may mean adding a question to enquiry forms, creating tagged links for posts, agreeing how staff record the source of phone and email enquiries and checking it all works. This takes some time at the start, and may need a small change to your website, but it is what lets reports connect social media to business results. Ask whether tracking is included in the set-up fee, or assumed to exist already.
Gathering the data
Figures have to be collected from each platform every month, which takes longer if several platforms are involved or if exports are awkward. Viewing roles, such as LinkedIn's analyst role, let the service gather figures directly; if no such role is available, your team may need to export and share data, which shifts time onto you.
Contract terms
Check the notice period and that the template, definitions and past reports stay with you. Ask for reports in a format you can open without the provider’s tools.
Questions about social media reporting cost
What drives social media reporting cost?
Accounts, measures, enquiry tracking, commentary depth and tools.
What is set-up and what is monthly?
Measures, tracking and templates are set-up; gathering, comparison and commentary are monthly.
Is reporting included in social media management?
It may be; check whether it covers business results and commentary.
Do we need a reporting tool?
Not for one or two accounts; platform analytics may be enough.
How is reporting value judged?
By the decisions it leads to.
Can we report ourselves?
Yes, with a template and clear measure definitions.
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