As a small business owner in northern Michigan, your social media management comes down to three important things: Time, Money, and Results.
Hiring a marketing agency can save time and provide professional expertise, but it comes with an ongoing expense.
Managing social media yourself costs less financially and gives you more control, but you have to be consistent and have a willingness to learn.
The good news?
Not every small business needs an expensive marketing agency to succeed on social media.
Social Media Management
I’m here to help you compare managing your own social media (DIY) to hiring and paying a marketing agency
Check out my quick social media management comparison below.
Time Investment
- Managing it Yourself: High (20–40+ hours/month of your time)
- Hiring a Marketing Agency: Low to Moderate (mainly review and brief time)
The Financial Cost
- Managing Yourself: Free (except for paid tools and ads)
- Hiring a Marketing Agency: $1,000–$20,000+ per month retainer
Social Media Skill Set
- Managing it Yourself: Limited to your own abilities for writing and design
- Hiring a Marketing Agency: Multi-disciplinary team (design, copy, ads, analytics)
Brand Authenticity
- Managing it Yourself: Immediate and personal
- Hiring a Marketing Agency: Requires clear communication and onboarding
When Managing Your Own Social Media Makes Sense
For many small businesses, especially seasonal businesses in northern Michigan, managing social media in-house is a practical choice.
You already know your customers, your products, your community, and what makes your business special. An agency doesn’t know all the the cool things that happened in your shop today or why customers love a particular product.
Keep it simple. A good strategy includes posting two or three times a week on Facebook and Instagram.
Ideas for posts include sharing behind-the-scenes photos, highlighting products, talking about services you want to be hired for, answering questions, and engaging with followers.
Cost
- Lowest direct financial cost; you only pay for optional tools, design apps, or ads.
Brand Knowledge
- DIY is the highest authenticity. You know your voice, products, and customers intimately without having to explain it to someone else (and hope the get it right).
Control & Speed
- You can react instantly to real-time trends, add a quick photo from today, or change messaging right now.
Scheduling Tool
- Social media is easily pushed to the bottom of a busy owner’s to-do list, leading to inconsistent posting. However, with a scheduling tool, you can prepare posts in advance instead of scrambling for something to publish every day.
When Hiring an Agency is Worth the Investment
An agency becomes more valuable when social media is an important source of revenue and your business needs more specialized marketing services.
For example, an agency may be a good investment when your business is running complex advertising campaigns, producing professional videos, managing several platforms, or needing detailed conversion tracking.
Cost per Month
- Marketing agency retainers in northern Michigan typically range from $1,000 to $5,000 per month. This fee covers strategy, production, and ad management.
Marketing Team & Expertise
- An agency typically has a team of specialists who have different skill sets such as graphic design, copywriting, and video production.
Drawbacks
- You still have to spend time briefing them, reviewing work, and making sure they capture your brand’s unique voice. Keep in mind that agencies also manage many other clients, so they’re not focused solely on your brand 24/7.
A 2026 guide from Sprout Social describes full-service agency packages at roughly $2,000 to $10,000 or more per month, depending on scope.
You might be able to find smaller providers in northern Michigan with service packages that cost considerably less.
But, no matter who you hire, the key is to measure actual business results, not just the number of posts, likes, or followers.
A Third Option: Manage it Yourself With a Little Help
As a small business, I know the struggles of having a tight marketing budget.
Social media management with a little help is perfect for budget-conscious small businesses.
Instead of choosing between doing everything manually or paying an agency every month, why not use a handy social media scheduling tool?
For example, SocialBee can help organize content, schedule posts in advance, and maintain a consistent presence.
As the business owner, you still provide the personality, local knowledge, and customer relationships.
The software helps manage the workload.
Read Monolit’s comparisons of social media management options:
Social Media DIY vs. Hiring an Agency
There it is. We compared managing your own social media (DIY) vs. paying a marketing agency.
Remember, it’s your business, your voice, and your social media.
Not every business needs a big marketing budget to stay connected with customers.
With a little planning, the right tools, and a few hours each month, you can build a consistent social media presence without paying an agency to do everything for you.
Creating a Buzz – Contact Marcie Wolf
_ _
