Know Your Worth

The First Step Toward Growing Your Six Figure Business

If you’re a social media manager who’s ready to build a six-figure social media marketing business, this might not be the advice you want to hear, but it’s the advice you need:

You cannot outwork underpricing.

No amount of hustle, late nights, or “just one more client” will fix a pricing problem. And yet, pricing is one of the first places social media marketers get stuck, second-guess themselves, or default to what feels “safe.”

I know this because I’ve been there.

The $100 Lesson I Won’t Forget

Before I ran my own social media marketing business, I was working as the Director of Social Media at a real estate office. Social media was my full-time job and I started offering services on the side.

One of the Realtors in the office asked if I could manage his Facebook business page. He didn’t want much, just a post or two each week to “keep it active.”

So I said yes.

For $100 a month.

Let me be very clear: I would never do that now. 

Not because I’m “too good” for small clients, but because I understand that pricing isn’t just about you. It’s about the results you can realistically deliver.

Posting a few times a week with no strategy, no goals, and no accountability doesn’t help increase brand awareness or attract new clients. And offering services that don’t follow best practices helps no one.

Undercharging doesn’t just hurt you.

It hurts your clients too.

Why “What Should I Charge?” Is the Wrong First Question

One of the most common questions I get is:

“What should I charge as a social media marketer?”

It’s a fair question, but it’s not the best place to start.

Before you build packages, pitch retainers, or compare yourself to other social media marketers on Instagram, you need to answer a much more foundational question:

What is your time actually worth?

That starts with understanding your hourly rate.

Even if you don’t plan to charge hourly long-term, knowing your hourly rate gives you a baseline. It helps you:

✨Price one-off projects confidently

✨Avoid undercharging for “quick favors” or add-ons

✨Compose monthly retainer rates

If you don’t know your hourly rate, you’re guessing. And guessing is how people end up burnt out, resentful, and wondering why they’re so busy but not making real money.

How I Think About Pricing Now

Today, I structure my business very differently.

I work on monthly retainers, not hourly rates.

I have a project minimum of $2,900 per month for new clients and I offer packages that reflect value, strategy, and outcomes, not just time.

That shift is one of the biggest reasons I was able to scale to six figures without working around the clock.

Charging a monthly retainer does three powerful things:

✨It creates consistent income

✨It gives clients clarity around what they’re investing in

✨It allows you to grow without constantly selling

But here’s the key: you can’t confidently charge monthly rates if you don’t understand your numbers first.

That’s why your hourly rate still matters.

The Problem With Hourly Pricing (Especially for Experienced Marketers)

If you’re currently charging hourly for recurring social media management, I want you to hear this:

You’re leaving money, and peace of mind, on the table.

Here’s why…

1. Hourly pricing punishes you for getting better

The more experienced you become, the faster you’ll be.

You’ll write captions more quickly.

You’ll troubleshoot issues in minutes instead of hours.

You’ll know exactly what to post, when, and why.

But under an hourly model, faster work = less money.

That’s backwards.

Your experience should make you more valuable, not less profitable.

2. Tracking hours is a time suck

You didn’t start your business to become a glorified timekeeper.

Logging hours, switching between clients, debating what counts as “billable,” and chasing down missed time entries drains energy you could be putting into strategy, creativity, or growth.

Package pricing simplifies everything.

3. Hourly pricing creates unpredictable income

Hourly income fluctuates and one slow month can throw everything off. Clients feel this unpredictability too.

When you charge packages and retainers, everyone knows what to expect. You know what’s coming in each month and clients know exactly what they’re paying for.

That stability is a game changer.

Package-Based Pricing Is About Value, Not Time

When you move away from hourly pricing, you stop trading hours for dollars and start charging for value.

You’re no longer saying, “Here’s what my time costs.”

You’re saying, “Here’s what it’s worth to have a clear strategy, consistent execution, and professional oversight of your brand’s online presence.”

That mindset shift is what allows you to manage more clients without burning out, raise your rates confidently, and build a business that actually supports your life.

Hourly pricing is a pain in the booty.

Package-based pricing is how social media marketers build sustainable, scalable businesses.

The First Step: Know Your Hourly Rate

Even if your long-term goal is retainers and packages, your hourly rate is the foundation.

It helps you answer questions like:

Is this project worth my time?

Am I pricing this add-on appropriately?

How much do I need to charge and how many clients do I need to work with to hit my income goals?

Most people avoid this step because they’re afraid of what they’ll see but clarity is power.

That’s why I created a free Hourly Rate Calculator to help you figure this out without having to do your own *girl math*. 

It helps you consider your income goals, your available working hours, and your expenses and capacity so you can stop guessing and start pricing with intention.