How much does social media management cost in Quebec in 2026?

What makes the price move

Three main levers determine your monthly invoice:

• The number of platforms. Running a single Facebook page costs less than orchestrating Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok at once — each channel means adapting formats and adding management time.
• The volume and type of posts. A static post is produced for $75 to $150 apiece, an animated visual (GIF) for $150 to $300, and a video clip for $300 to $900 (indicative ranges — to be confirmed for your project). The more often you publish, the higher the creative cost.
• Community management. Replying to comments and direct messages and keeping the community alive represents roughly $250 to $750 per month on its own (indicative range — to be confirmed for your project), depending on audience size and number of pages.

What typical monthly retainers cost

Quebec agencies generally structure their offer in tiers. Here are realistic ranges for the 2026 market (indicative ranges — to be confirmed for your project):

• Basic retainer (from ~$500 to $900/month): 1 to 2 platforms, 8 to 12 posts per month, static visuals, simple reporting. Suits an SMB that wants to maintain an active presence without high volume.
• Mid-tier retainer (~$1,000 to $2,000/month): 2 to 3 platforms, documented strategy, varied formats (carousels, stories, some video), structured monthly reporting.
• Full / premium retainer (~$2,500 to $3,500+/month): regular video production, active community management, monitoring, several platforms and in-depth performance tracking.

For reference, some Quebec agencies publish entry-level packages from $499/month, and strategic brand mandates comfortably exceed $5,000/month (indicative ranges — to be confirmed for your project).

With or without content production: the real question

This is the factor that opens the widest price gap. A "no production" retainer assumes you supply the photos, videos and copy; the agency handles planning, publishing and engagement. It costs less, but it takes time on your side.

A "with content production" retainer includes creating the visuals, video clips and copywriting. That is what pushes a mandate toward the top of the range, because every post involves a designer, a videographer or a writer. For a brand with no in-house team, it is often the best effort-to-value ratio.

Is the ad budget included?

No — and this matters. The management fee (the agency's work) and the media budget (the money paid to Meta, TikTok or Google to distribute your ads) are two separate envelopes. In Quebec, an ad budget of $250 to $2,500 per month is common depending on territory and objectives (indicative range — to be confirmed for your project). As a rough marker, about $1,000 on Facebook can generate several hundred thousand impressions depending on targeting. Make sure your quote separates these two lines clearly.

How much should you invest, given your situation?

• Freelancer / very small business: a basic retainer ($500 to $900/month) or a one-off mandate is often enough to get started.
• Growing SMB: a mid-tier retainer ($1,000 to $2,000/month) with strategy and light production offers the best balance.
• Established brand with acquisition goals: a full retainer plus a dedicated media budget, to combine organic content with performance advertising.

Shall we look at your case together?

Every business starts from a different place — platforms, objectives, in-house production capacity. At Bollé Communications, we build social media management retainers around the reality of SMBs in Montreal, on the South Shore and in the Beauce, with a clear separation between management fees and media budget. Get in touch for a transparent estimate based on your real needs.