Why Some Posts Cost More Than Others, and What Social Media Really Costs Per Month
A social media post can look deceptively simple. A caption, an image, and it appears online.
This surface simplicity is exactly why many business owners struggle to understand social media pricing. If posts look broadly similar on screen, why do costs vary so widely, and why do monthly retainers differ so dramatically?
The answer is straightforward. Not all social media posts do the same job, and they do not require the same level of work to produce.
This article breaks down the anatomy of a social media post, shows how time and cost vary by post type, and then puts those costs into a realistic monthly context for businesses in the Cayman Islands.
Not all social media posts are created equal
A social media post is not a standard unit of output. Posts sit on a spectrum, from basic visibility to substantive content designed to educate, build trust, or support campaigns.
Most posts fall into one of four categories:
- Basic awareness or shout-out posts
Announcements, reminders, acknowledgements, simple updates. - Light informational posts
Tips, short explanations, surface-level educational content. - Substantive educational or authority posts
Posts that explain, contextualise, and position expertise. - Campaign or conversion-led posts
Content aligned to launches, offers, or structured campaigns.
Each step along that spectrum increases the thinking, structure, and time required behind the scenes.
The core components of a professional social media post
Regardless of type, professionally produced posts are built from the same components. What changes is how much time each component requires.
Research and preparation
Understanding the topic, audience, platform norms, and brand context.
Creative conceptualisation
Defining the purpose of the post, the angle, the hook, and how it fits into a wider content journey.
Writing and copy development
Drafting captions, refining tone, structuring the message, and shaping a call to action.
Design and visual production
Selecting or creating visuals that are on-brand and platform-appropriate.
Scheduling and technical handling
Uploading, formatting, hashtags, tagging, quality checks, and scheduling.
Typical time and cost by post type
Using realistic agency workflows and a Cayman blended rate of USD 110 per hour, time and cost typically break down as follows.
| Post type | Typical time | Average cost |
| Basic awareness post | 50–75 minutes | ~USD 110 |
| Light informational post | 80–120 minutes | ~USD 185 |
| Substantive educational post | 125–170 minutes | ~USD 275 |
This difference in cost is driven by thinking and structure, not by how long the caption appears on screen.
What a sensible monthly content mix really costs
Most businesses are not posting one type of content repeatedly. A sensible strategy uses a mix of post types.
A common baseline recommendation is 16 posts per month, made up of:
- 6 basic awareness posts
- 6 light informational posts
- 4 substantive educational or authority posts
Using the average costs above:
| Post type | Number | Cost per post | Monthly cost |
| Basic awareness | 6 | USD 110 | USD 660 |
| Light informational | 6 | USD 185 | USD 1,110 |
| Substantive educational | 4 | USD 275 | USD 1,100 |
| Total | 16 posts | USD 2,870 |
This means that, priced purely on time and input, professional social media management in the Cayman Islands can reasonably approach USD 2,500–3,000 per month for a balanced, consistent presence.
This is the true market context.
How Grow Social changes this equation
This is where Grow Social looks materially different.
Grow Social’s published Cayman Islands packages deliver the same recommended posting volumes at a very different cost:
| Package | Posts per month | Monthly fee | Effective cost per post |
| Position | 16 | USD 1,200 | ~USD 75 |
| Propel | 24 | USD 1,560 | ~USD 65 |
Placed against a market-implied cost of ~USD 2,870 for 16 posts, Grow Social delivers:
- Less than half the monthly cost
- A significantly lower cost per post
- Without reducing posting volume
The reason for this difference is not lower standards. It is a fundamentally different production model, which is explored in detail in the next articles.
Why this context matters
Without understanding what goes into a social media post, pricing feels arbitrary.
Once the anatomy is clear, the economics make sense.
Once the economics are clear, value becomes easier to judge.
This article sets the baseline. The next articles explain how agencies typically package this work, and why Grow Social can deliver it far more efficiently.
