What’s the Cost of Social Advertising?

With more than five billion active users around the world, social media platforms are a great place to promote your products or services to your target audience.

But how much does advertising cost for social media? Average social media advertising pricing can cost anywhere from $15 to $200 per day to $450 to $6,000 per month to manage an account (paid to your agency or consultant), with monthly ad spend ranging from $200 to over $50,000 (paid to ad networks).

Keep reading for a more in-depth breakdown of the cost of social advertising and what factors can influence how much you’ll pay!

P.S. Did we mention that we’re partnered with a top-tier social advertising agency? We offer completely transparent social media marketing pricing, so you always know what you’ll pay upfront.

Browse our social advertising plans and pricing, and then contact us to launch your personalized, revenue-driving campaign!

Table of Contents

• What is social advertising?
• How much does social media advertising cost?
  • Social media marketing rates by minimum ad budget
  • Cost of social advertising by cost-per-click (CPC)
  • Social media marketing pricing by cost-per-mille (CPM)
  • Cost of social advertising by platform
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
• How much do social media advertising services cost?
• What do social media advertising services include?
• Get started with a transparent social advertising plan

What is social advertising?

Social media advertising – also known as social advertising – is a digital marketing strategy in which companies run paid ad campaigns on the social media platform (or platforms) of their choice. 

In contrast to social media marketing, with social advertising you generate leads and sales using paid ad campaigns,  instead of relying on organic reach and influencer marketing.

The importance of social advertising in your digital marketing strategy

According to a 2023 report on consumer behavior, approximately 58% of shoppers in the US said they bought a product after seeing it on social media. To say that social media is a powerful marketing tool is an understatement.

Implementing social media advertising in your digital marketing strategy can benefit your business in many ways, including the following:

• Build brand awareness: With targeted advertising, you can ensure the right eyes are on your product. Building brand awareness with your target market means that you build trust, resulting in a potential higher rate of conversion.
• High-reward, relatively low-cost: Social media advertising is a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising (print ads, billboards, etc.).
• Access to valuable analytics: With social media advertising, you get an in-depth understanding of how your campaigns perform across multiple locations and metrics. This helps you pinpoint areas of improvement, and get insight into your ideal customer profile.

How much does social media advertising cost?

Many factors can influence the cost of social media advertising, like:

• Your chosen social media platform
• Your industry
• Whether you choose to work with a social advertising agency

Check out the tables below for a more in-depth look at the cost of social media advertising by ad budget, cost-per-click (CPC), and cost-per-mille (CPM).

Social media marketing rates by minimum ad budget

Many social media platforms require a daily minimum ad budget. These social media marketing rates vary depending on your chosen platform, with some platforms basing their minimum ad budget on bid types, like clicks or impressions.

So, how much does advertising cost on each social channel? Browse minimum ad budgets by social media platform in the table below:

Cost of social advertising by cost-per-click (CPC)

When it comes to the cost of social advertising, you have many options to choose from. You can pay for ads per click, per like, and more.

The average CPC of social media ads can range from $0.38 to $5.26 per click.

If you’re curious about how much you expect to spend per click on each social media platform, check out this table:

Social media marketing pricing by cost-per-mille (CPM)

You can also opt to pay for your social ads per impression or when someone views your ad as they scroll through their feed. This bid type is sometimes referred to as cost-per-mille (CPM), or cost per 1,000 impressions.

Get an idea of typical social media marketing pricing per impression by platform below:

Facebook

If your target audience is a bit older – namely Gen X and Baby Boomers – then Facebook is a great platform to try social advertising. Facebook works effectively as a local business directory, as many users use it to find and visit businesses near them. Local ad campaigns would work well on this platform.

Here’s an overview of average Facebook ad campaign costs:

Twitter

An advantage of using Twitter for your social advertising campaigns is that you only pay for performance – website conversions, app installs, or engagement, among other possible metrics. Since you only pay as your ad leads to positive results, Twitter is one of the most affordable ad platforms and a great option when you’re on a tight ad budget.

Want a brief overview of average Twitter advertising costs? Check out this table:

Instagram

Instagram boasts diverse content formats, so when you choose to advertise here, you have your pick to create Feed posts, Stories, Reels, and even promote on IGTV.

Check out this table for a breakdown of average Instagram ad costs:

LinkedIn

For B2B businesses, LinkedIn is a great way to get your brand in front of your target audience. It’s a community that celebrates leadership, learning, and core values – the ideal platform to express your company culture and build brand awareness.

Here’s an overview of average LinkedIn advertising costs:

YouTube

Scripting, filming, and editing YouTube ads for targeted campaigns is a resource-intensive endeavor. But it can pay good dividends if you’ve chosen your target well. YouTube is a video search engine that’s enjoyed across generational and cultural lines, so you’re sure to find an audience for your brand in this space.
Curious about how much it costs to advertise on YouTube? Check out the table below:

Pinterest

Pinterest is another great social media platform that doubles as a pseudo online market, with many users browsing Pinterest to find products, product and brand reviews, and other content signaling buying intent. Your options for ads include standard and video pins, carousel pins, and Idea Pin ads.

Check out this table for an overview of Pinterest advertising pricing:

How much do social media advertising services cost?

If you need help maximizing your ad results or simply don’t have enough time or resources to manage your campaign, you might opt to partner with an experienced social media advertising agency at the right social media marketing pricing. 

But how much do services typically cost? Depending on your chosen agency, social media marketing prices range from $450 to $6,000 per month. Understanding these social media marketing rates is key to budgeting effectively and ensuring you get the most value for your investment.

When you partner with an agency like ours, you’ll get access to an award-winning team of social media experts and industry-leading technology to fuel your ad campaign results. 

From maximizing your budget for the highest return on investment (ROI) to designing click-inducing ads to continuously optimizing your campaign for the best results, we help you do it all. 

If you’re ready to grow your awareness on social media and create an ad campaign that drives revenue, contact us to chat with one of our strategists about your unique company’s needs and goals.

Budgeting for social media advertising

How much of your business budget should you spend on social media advertising? It depends. Social advertising tends to result in quicker returns than social media marketing, but it still requires time to see results and pivot accordingly.

We recommend setting aside a portion of your budget or annual revenue to go toward marketing and new customer acquisition. A slice of this budget would go into social advertising specifically.

Before you spend any money on social advertising, you first want to determine your ideal customer profile and service areas. This will guide your advertising focus in terms of demographics and keyword specificity. 

A marketing audit – with a free proposal – from a world-class digital marketing agency can help you understand where to focus your marketing budget.

What do social media advertising services include?

If you’re considering investing in social media services from an experienced agency, it’s essential to know what you can expect to receive from your investment. 

When you partner with an award-winning social media advertising agency like ours, you’ll receive: 

• A dedicated account manager 
• Custom ad strategy for each of your chosen platforms
• Unique ad design
• Compelling ad copy
• Advanced demographic and interest targeting
• Ongoing reports and campaign analysis
• Continuous campaign management and optimization
• And much more

When you partner with us, we act as an extension of your marketing team. We’ll take the time to get to know you, your team, and your business to craft a personalized ad campaign tailored just for you. 

Get started with a transparent social advertising plan

Searching for social media marketing pricing plans from an experienced agency? We have you covered. 

We offer completely transparent pricing, so you always know what you’ll pay and receive with our services upfront. 

Our team has more than 1.5 million hours of combined experience crafting revenue-driving social media ad campaigns that build brand awareness and drive revenue. And in just the past few years alone, we’ve helped clients drive over $3 billion in revenue. 

Ready to see how our team can help your business grow? Contact us to chat with one of our friendly strategists about your company’s needs and goals. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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