Social media outsourcing, what does it really cost?

Many businesses consider outsourcing their social media. Not only because it saves time, but also because it feels good when someone with experience consistently works on your visibility. Yet one question always lingers, what does social media outsourcing actually cost? And perhaps more importantly, when is it worth the money?

In this article, we clearly outline the prices of social media marketing agencies and look at an alternative that is becoming increasingly popular.

What does social media outsourcing cost on average?

The prices of marketing agencies vary quite widely. This is because agencies offer different packages, expertise, and time commitments. According to Sprout Social and Frankwatching, this is a realistic picture of what you can expect in the Netherlands:

• €150 to €400 per month for basic packages
  Think of 1, sometimes 2 posts per week, basic templates, and limited guidance.

• €400 to €1,000 per month for regular content production
  These are packages where 2 to 4 posts per week are created, including design and adjustments.

• €1,000 to €3,000+ per month for comprehensive social media management
  This includes strategy, monthly planning, creative concepts, full monitoring, and often multiple channels.

Additionally, some agencies charge:

• setup costs (average €150 to €500)
• additional costs for photography or video
• costs per advertising campaign
• hourly rates for individual tasks

For many businesses, that is a significant investment, especially when the main need is consistent visibility rather than extensive campaigns.

Why businesses often hesitate

Price is one reason, but there is something else at play. Outsourcing sometimes feels like giving up control, and not everyone is comfortable with that. Content written by an agency often sounds professional, but sometimes less personal. And as soon as you stop, production stops immediately too.

Many businesses are not looking for a total solution, but mainly for structure, inspiration, and a way to create professional content faster. Research by the Content Marketing Institute shows that 62% of B2B companies outsource content partially, but prefer to keep the brand voice in their own hands.

When social media outsourcing does make sense

Despite the costs, outsourcing can be very valuable in situations such as:

• when you are building a brand that needs many creative campaigns
• when you combine multiple channels and everything needs to be tightly coordinated
• when you have no time to do anything yourself at all
• when strategy is an important component

Then an external team can truly make the difference.

An affordable alternative to social media outsourcing

Not every business needs a marketing agency to be professionally visible. What entrepreneurs mainly seek is structure, inspiration, and a way to create posts without hassle that match their own brand. This is exactly where PostSimple fills the gap between doing everything yourself and outsourcing everything.

With PostSimple, you build a business profile once where you set your tone of voice, services, and brand identity. From that moment on, the tool works for you. You no longer have to start from scratch, the AI writes proposals based on your profile and therefore sounds not generic but truly like your business.

The design process is just as easy. You choose a template set that matches your brand style or have one custom made for your business. PostSimple automatically fills in your colors, fonts, and visual style.
Then you schedule your posts directly across all your channels, from the same environment. The entire process, from idea to publication, happens in one smooth step.

The result is more personal than when you outsource everything, because your own style remains the starting point. And because you don't need to hire a marketing agency, the costs are significantly lower than the average prices for social media outsourcing.

So what is the best choice?

It entirely depends on your goal.
Do you need a strategy and a team that creates campaigns? Then outsourcing makes sense.
Do you mainly want to stay consistently visible without needing a large marketing budget? Then a smart tool like PostSimple is a better investment.

Social media uitbesteden kan dus waardevol zijn, maar de prijzen lopen snel op. Een oplossing die je eigen stijl behoudt en veel tijd bespaart, zonder maandlasten van honderden euro’s, past voor veel bedrijven beter bij hoe ze vandaag communiceren.