- Cost Overview
- Cost Factors
- Cost by Network
- FAQs
Methodology
Hundreds of U.S.-based marketers to share how much they spend on social media advertising.
Social media advertising costs depend on several factors, from who manages your ad spend to where you spend it.
On average, businessesspend 11% – 25% of their annual ad budgeton social media advertising, which includes ad spend ($850 – $2,000 per month, on average) and ad management (10% – 20% of monthly ad spend).
Keep reading to learn more about how much it costs to advertise on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and more!
View Real Pricing
Key Takeaways
- Average ad spend: $850 – $2,000 per month
- Average ad management fees: 10% – 20% of monthly ad spend
- Businesses allocate11% – 25% of their overall advertising budgetto social media ads.
- 74% of businesses say that social media advertising is effective.
- 70% of businesses invest in social media ads to build brand awareness and drive sales.
How much does it cost to advertise on social media?
Companies spend 11% – 25% of their overall ad budget on social media advertising annually.
Social media advertising costs include ad spend (paid to social media networks) and ad management (paid to a third party for services). The average ad spend is $850 – $2,000 per month, with most social media ad management services costing 10% – 20% of your monthly ad spend.
| Expense | Monthly Cost |
| Ad spend | $850 – $2000+ |
| Ad management | 10% – 20% of ad spend |
By business size
Learn how social media costs vary by business size below:
| Business size | % of Overall Ad Budget | Ad spend (Monthly) |
| Micro-enterprise (1-10 employees) | Less than 5% | $450 – $850 |
| Small business (11-50 employees) | 11% – 25% | $100 – $450 |
| Mid-sized business (51-250 employees) | 11% – 25% | $450 – $850 |
| Large business (251-500 employees) | 75% | $850 – $2,000 |
| Enterprise business (501+ employees) | 11% – 25% | $2,000 – $4,000 |
How much do social media ads cost?
How much social media ads cost depends on the social media network and its ad auction, campaign objectives, and ad types, plus factors specific to the advertiser, like their industry and product or service.
You can see how the cost of social media ads varies by looking at average cost-per-click (CPC):
- Facebook: $0.26 – $0.50
- Instagram: $0.01 – $0.25
- LinkedIn: $2 – $3
- Pinterest: $0.01 – $0.10
- TikTok: $1
- YouTube: $0.11 – $0.40
- X (formerly Twitter): $0.26 – $0.50
By network
Get a quick overview of social media advertising costs by network below:
| Network | Minimum budget | Average cost per click (CPC) | Average Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM) |
| $7 – $70 per week | $0.26 – $0.50 | $1.01 – $3 | |
| $5 per week | $0.01 – $0.25 | $0.01 – $4 | |
| $10 per day | $2 – $3 | $5.01 – $8 | |
| None | $0.01 – $0.10 | $0.01 – $1.50 | |
| TikTok | $50+ per day | $1 | $10 |
| YouTube | None | $0.11 – $0.40 | $9.68 |
| X (formerly Twitter) | None | $0.26 – $0.50 | $6.50 |
Social media advertising costs for Facebook include: With over2 billion daily active users,Facebookis a go-to advertising channel for any business. That’s why many companies want to knowhow much Facebook advertising costs, so they can build a reasonable budget. Remember, though, that these numbers are only averages. Depending on your business and social media ad strategy, you may have a higher or lower budget. That’s why it’s helpful to use these numbers as a benchmark, rather than as a standard. Explore Facebook Advertising Costs Social media advertising costs for Instagram include: With2 billion monthly active users,Instagram provides businesses with a new channel for reaching consumers. In fact,80% of global businesses advertise on the platform, which speaks to its unique advantages to those looking to break into social media advertising. That competitive advantage, however, results in higher ad costs. It’s important to mention that while Facebook and Instagram share a similar monthly ad spend, your campaign performances can vary due to average costs for CPC and CPM. That’s why, if Instagram performs well for your business, you may increase your monthly ad spend beyond the average. Explore Instagram Advertising Costs Social media advertising costs for LinkedIn include: As the leading professional social media network with over1 billion global users, LinkedIn is a useful lead generation platform for business-to-business (B2B) organizations and companies looking for top talent. EXPLORE LinkedIn ADVERTISING COSTS Social media advertising costs for Pinterest include: Each month,482 million people use Pinterest. For business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations, Pinterest offers a unique opportunity for reaching and engaging with their target market. Explore Pinterest Advertising Costs Social media advertising costs for TikTok include: $20 per day for ad groups As the6thmost used social platformglobally, TikTok presents an excellent opportunity for your business to reach more people. To get your business in front of more TikTok users, you’ll want to invest in TikTok advertising — which means you need to know the TikTok advertising costs. Explore TikTok Advertising Costs Social media advertising costs for YouTube include: EXPLORE YOUTUBE ADVERTISING COSTS Social media advertising costs for Twitter (now X) include: EXPLORE X ADVERTISING COSTSFacebook
Cost Average Ad spend (Monthly) $101 – $500 Ad management (Monthly) 10% – 20% of ad spend Minimum budget $7 – $70 per week CPC $0.26 – $0.50 CPM $1.01 – $3 Cost per reaction $0.01 – $0.25 Cost per install $0.01 – $5 
Instagram
Cost Average Ad spend (Monthly) $101 – $500 Ad management (Monthly) 10% – 20% of ad spend Minimum budget $5 per week CPC $0.01 – $0.25 CPM $0.01 – $4 Cost per engagement $0.03 – $0.08 
LinkedIn
Cost Average Ad spend (Monthly) $0.01 – $100 Ad management (Monthly) 10% – 20% of ad spend Minimum budget $10 per day CPC $2 – $3 CPM $5.01 – $8 Per send $0.26 – $0.50 Pinterest
Cost Average Ad spend (Monthly) $0.01 – $100 Ad management (Monthly) 10% – 20% of ad spend Minimum budget None CPC $0.01 – $0.10 CPM $0.01 – $1.50 Per conversion $0.01 – $2 TikTok
Cost Average Ad spend (Monthly) $101 – $500 Ad management (Monthly) 10% – 20% of ad spend Minimum ad budget $50 per day for campaigns CPC $1 CPM $10 YouTube
Cost Average Ad spend (Monthly) $501 – $1,000 Ad management (Monthly) 10% – 20% of ad spend Minimum budget None CPC $0.11 – $0.40 CPM $9.68 Cost per view $0.31 – $0.40 X or Twitter
Cost Average Ad spend (Monthly) $101 – $500 Ad management (Monthly) 10% – 20% of ad spend Minimum budget None CPC $0.26 – $0.50 CPM $6.50 Per follow $1.01 – $2 Per first action $0.26 – $0.50
What determines social media advertising costs?
| Expense | Cost Factor |
| Ad spend |
|
| Ad management |
|
Learn how these factors shape your social media advertising costs below:
Ad spend
The following factors determine your ad spend:
- Overall ad budget: How much businesses allocate for social media advertising comes from their overall ad budgets, which are shaped by the organization’s size and investment in marketing.
- Ad network: Your ad network is where your ad spend goes — like Facebook or X. Different networks have different costs, whether due to bidding models, ad types, or audience. LinkedIn, for example, is known for having some of the highest costs for social media ads.
Ad management
The following factors determine your ad management costs:
- Ad spend:Your ad spend is how much you pay to each social media platform. For example, you may have an advertising budget of $800, which includes a $500 ad spend. The remaining $300 goes to other social media advertising costs, like hiring a freelance graphic designer.
- Service provider:Your ad management generally refers to what you pay an agency to manage your social media advertising campaign. This cost is optional. Agencies, however, can offer significant value in the quality and performance of your ad strategy.
- Technology:Your technology is what you spend on software for managing and monitoring your social media ad campaign. Companies often use free and paid applications. In some cases, your agency, like WebFX, provides you access to exclusive andadvanced marketing software.
- Talent:Your talent can include in-house and outsourced labor. For example, your team may hire a freelance copywriter to develop your ad copy. Or, you may hire a social media agency to lead and manage your campaign.
Are social media ads worth the cost?
Yes! In fact, 74% of businesses say that social media advertising is effective. With the right campaign, ad creatives, and audience targeting, you can drive a positive return from social media ads to drive more revenue for your business.
You can see social media advertising’s effectiveness in advertiser satisfaction:
How much should you spend on social media advertising?
While it’s helpful to know what other businesses spend on social media advertising, it’s important to remember that businesses are unique — just because one company advertises on LinkedIn doesn’t mean your business should.
When considering how much you should spend on social media advertising, ask these questions:
- Who is our audience? Certain platforms are known for attracting certain users. TikTok, for example, is popular with younger users, while older users frequent Facebook. Use this information to focus on the networks with the best chance of reaching your market.
- What is our goal? Get aligned with stakeholders on what your business wants to accomplish with social media. For example, is building brand awareness or generating new leads the goal?
- How much time is available? Understand that someone — whether internally or a third party, like a freelancer or agency — will need to manage your advertising efforts regularly. Your available time (and budget) will influence the scale and depth of your program.
- What are our other marketing initiatives? Marketers need to make strategic decisions about their budgets, which can influence your spending on social media advertising. Proven strategies often receive more budget, while untested ones receive less.
No matter the budget set, remember to track social media advertising’s return on ad spend (ROAS). Without that information, it’s difficult to understand if social media ads support your organization’s goals.
An Inside Look atWebFX Social Media Pricing
Starting at 15% of ad spend/month Learn More 🔎 Full-funnel ROI tracking What Sets WebFX Apart What Sets WebFX Apart Our social media advertising specialists are ready to help you drive revenue with social ads through proven strategies and cutting-edge expertise.
Social Media Advertising Services
Highlights
🎯 Audience targeting
📈 Campaign performance monitoring and optimization
📝 Professional ad copywriting and design
🎥 Video production
Join the 1,450+ businesses trusting WebFX to drive revenue through social media
Too many search social media management providers take a copy-and-paste approach to advertising. That’s not our style.
Get a Custom Quote
Optimize your social media advertising costs
If you’re looking for a performance-driven campaign that provides your business withactual, tangible results, choose WebFX. Our advertising agency has decades of experience, custom strategies, and a team of more than 500 digital marketing specialists, we can help your business improve its brand awareness and more.
Discover how we can grow your company bycontacting us onlineor calling us at888-601-5359today!
