12/05/2026
Yesterday, I was discussing with a potential client who was interested in my services as a social media manager.
After discussing the work involved, we finally got to the budgeting stage, and I told him my price.
This was part of the conversation:
“If I will pay you this amount monthly, I should make 5m naira monthly after the expenses through your efforts.”
I explained to him that:
“Your ROI depends on the interest of the customers, the affordability of the products, and also your product quality.”
But he continued:
“A new company that will pay you such an amount, you have to make 5m for them.”
Then he asked another question that honestly surprised me:
“How much does banks pay their workers?”
I replied:
“I’m not a banker, and I have no business with what they make. This is what I charge for my job. It can be negotiated though.”
Then he said:
“I can never pay my worker even 50k now.”
Sometimes, when clients make comments like this after hearing a social media manager’s budget, I begin to wonder if people truly understand what social media management involves.
I once had another client ask me:
“What is minimum wage that you will charge this amount just for page management?”
Just page management you say?
Many people think social media management is simply posting pictures online.
They don’t see the strategy, content planning, copywriting, graphic design, audience engagement, research, consistency, analytics, and mental energy that go into growing a brand online.
Social media management is work.
Real work.
A good social media manager is not just posting content. They are helping brands build visibility, trust, engagement, and sales opportunities.
And the truth is this:
If your business can benefit from good online presence, then the person handling that presence deserves to be paid for the value and effort they bring.
© Brand Voice Media
Social media manager