ScopeSnap › Templates › Social Media Management
Social media management drifts more than most services. A client signs for twelve posts a month and then asks for Stories, a Reel, and community replies on weekends. A product launch adds three extra platforms. Someone forwards a customer complaint at 9 p.m. and expects a reply. None of this was refused, so all of it becomes expected. Without a written scope, the retainer stays flat while the work keeps growing.
This page gives you a working scope of work for social media management. It lists what to include, with quantities and limits. It lists what clients usually assume is included but is not. It covers how to price and why to quote a range first. At the end there is a worked example inside a fill-in template you can copy, edit, and send with your quote.
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Scope my requestThese are the things social media management clients most often assume are included. Listing them up front is what keeps the project from growing after you've quoted.
This is the kind of request that usually lands in your inbox:
Hi, I own two boutique fitness studios. Our Instagram is dead, last post was August. I want someone to handle IG, Facebook and maybe TikTok: posting, captions, stories, replying to DMs, running some ads for our January promo. We can send you videos from classes. Do you do photography? We use Mindbody for booking. Budget is maybe $1k/month but open
And this is the one-page scope ScopeSnap produced from it, unedited:
You need a monthly retainer to revive and run your studios' Instagram and Facebook, handle inbound DMs, and manage paid ads for the January promo.
The number is driven by whether TikTok is included and whether both studios need separate accounts and content, plus a one-time January ads setup on top of the base retainer.
Most social media management is sold as a monthly retainer, because the work repeats. Fixed packages by post count are common for smaller clients. Hourly and day rates suit audits, launches and one-off campaigns. The number goes up with more platforms, more video, faster response times, weekend coverage, original photography, and multi-step approvals with several stakeholders. Until you know the platform count, posting volume, who supplies assets, and how fast the client approves, quote a range. Fix the number once those questions are answered in writing, and put the answers in the assumptions section.
Copy this, fill in the brackets, and delete anything that doesn't apply.
PROJECT Client: [CLIENT NAME] | Prepared by: [YOUR NAME] | Date: [DATE] | Version: [V1] SUMMARY Ongoing social media management for [BRAND] on [PLATFORM 1], [PLATFORM 2] and [PLATFORM 3] for [TERM, e.g. 6 months], starting [START DATE]. Goal: [PRIMARY GOAL, e.g. consistent posting and community growth]. Success is measured by [METRIC 1] and [METRIC 2]. IN SCOPE Monthly content calendar with [NUMBER] feed posts, [NUMBER] Stories and [NUMBER] short-form videos across the platforms above. Copywriting, hashtag research and static graphic design for every post using client-supplied brand assets. Scheduling and publishing on [DAYS/TIMES]. Community management [HOURS, e.g. Mon-Fri 9-5 local time] with a [NUMBER]-hour response target. Monthly performance report covering [METRICS] delivered by the [DAY] of each month. One [30/60]-minute planning call per month. OUT OF SCOPE Paid advertising, boosted posts and ad account management. Photo or video shoots and travel. Influencer outreach and gifting. Customer service on orders, refunds or complaints (routed to [CLIENT CONTACT]). Weekend, holiday and after-hours monitoring. Design for print, email or web. New platforms, account setup or rebrands. Available as a separate quote at [RATE]. ASSUMPTIONS Client supplies brand guidelines, logos, product photos and key dates by [DATE]. Content is in [LANGUAGE] only. Calendar is approved as one batch each month. Legal or compliance review is handled by the client within the approval window. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES Grant admin or editor access to all accounts and [SCHEDULING/ANALYTICS] permissions by [DATE]. Name one approver: [NAME, ROLE]. Return calendar approval within [NUMBER] business days. Send at least [NUMBER] new photos or clips per month. Flag promotions and launches [NUMBER] weeks ahead. TIMELINE Onboarding and audit: [DATES]. First calendar delivered: [DATE]. First posts live: [DATE]. Monthly cycle: calendar draft by the [DAY], approval by the [DAY], report by the [DAY]. Term ends [END DATE] unless renewed. REVISIONS [NUMBER] round of edits per monthly calendar. Additional rounds or redesigns of already approved posts billed at [RATE]. Changes requested after a post is live count as a new post. Missed approval deadlines shift the publishing schedule. PRICE AND PAYMENT Monthly retainer: [AMOUNT], invoiced on the [DAY], due within [NUMBER] days. Setup fee: [AMOUNT], due before onboarding. Add-ons: extra post [RATE], extra platform [RATE PER MONTH], rush turnaround under [NUMBER] days [RATE]. Either party may cancel with [NUMBER] days' written notice. ACCEPTANCE Each month is accepted when the calendar is approved and the report is delivered. Signed by [CLIENT NAME] on [DATE] and [YOUR NAME] on [DATE].
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Scope my requestOne round per monthly calendar is the norm. Deliver the full month as a batch, collect all comments in one pass, and make the edits. A second round on individual posts is reasonable if the first was broad. Anything beyond that, or edits to a post that is already live, should be billed as a new post. State this in the scope so the client plans their feedback.
Scope it as its own line, even inside the same retainer. Content is predictable; replies are not. Define the coverage window, the response target, and what you will not handle, such as order problems or refunds. Name the client contact who takes those. If the client wants evenings or weekends, price that separately. Without a boundary, one busy launch week can eat the whole month's margin.
Treat it as a change request, not a favor. Each platform has its own formats, sizes, posting rhythm and audience, so it is real added work. Send a short written addendum: the new platform, the monthly post count, the added fee, and the start date. If the client wants to swap a platform instead of adding one, that can often stay inside the current price. Either way, get it in writing before the first post.
The client should own every account and hold admin rights. You work as an added user so access can be removed cleanly when the contract ends. For content, the usual position is that the client owns final approved posts once paid, and you keep the right to show the work in your portfolio. Put both points in the scope. Disputes over logins and ownership are common and easy to avoid.