FREE RESOURCE / TIME + COST

What does your social media really cost?

Creating the post is only part of the work. Include publishing, replying to your audience and thoughtful interaction with other relevant pages to see the fuller picture.

Your time has value. So does the conversation.

A business owner may be trading time away from sales or delivery. A social media manager may be spending paid working hours. This tool puts an editable value on either scenario; it does not predict revenue, followers or results.

This calculator needs JavaScript to update results. The calculation is: weekly planning + creation + publishing + engagement + reporting hours; multiply by 52 ÷ 12 for an average month, then by your hourly value.

01 / YOUR WORKLOAD

Make it your week.

These starting values are illustrative planning assumptions, not industry averages. Use your own time log for a more useful estimate.

Whose time are you valuing?Changes the description of your time value. The hourly rate stays in your control.

Plan, create and publish

Planning each weekIdeas, calendar, briefs and coordination. Original pieces each weekCount each original once, including videos. Adaptations go below. Creation + revision per pieceAverage time for copy, design, footage, editing and approval. Adapting + publishing per pieceCombined time across all selected channels: resizing, captions, scheduling and checks.

Build the audience, too

Include replying to comments and messages, joining relevant conversations, and useful, personal interaction with other local or industry pages. Keep engagement authentic; automated mass comments are not the goal.

Audience engagement each dayAllow time for your own community and relevant other pages. Engagement days each weekHow many days you actively spend that time.

Review and value your time

Reporting + review each weekReview enquiries and response, then adjust the next round. Value of each working hourOwner: your chosen opportunity-cost rate. No salary benchmark is assumed.

Explore a service-cost comparison

Nothing is sent or stored.

02 / YOUR ESTIMATE

The fuller picture.

Average month = 52 weeks ÷ 12. Costs are time valued in CAD before tax, not a prediction of cash spent.

YOUR MONTHLY TIME VALUE—

— hours / average month

HOURS / WEEK—

COST / WEEK—

COST / YEAR—

Where the time goes.

Time and cost by activity
Activity	Hours / week	Hours / month	CAD / month

— hours each month are audience and community engagement. Publishing content does not replace showing up for the conversation.

CSV includes your assumptions, activity breakdown and calculation method.

HOW TO USE YOUR ESTIMATE

Start with a week.
Build a better rhythm.

1. Track the whole job.

Log a normal week, including research, content, adapting, publishing, replies, thoughtful comments on other pages, and reporting. Use an average across a few weeks if campaign work varies.

2. Choose a meaningful rate.

For an owner, this is an opportunity-cost assumption, not money automatically saved. For a manager, enter a suitable hourly cost for the comparison you need. Salary, overhead, payroll costs and tools are not added automatically.

3. Separate scope from possibility.

A service may take over approved creative and publishing while you retain customer conversations. Use the comparison only after assigning each task. More engagement time does not guarantee more followers, enquiries or sales.

Weekly hours = planning + (pieces × creation minutes ÷ 60) + (pieces × publishing minutes ÷ 60) + (engagement minutes × engagement days ÷ 60) + reporting.
Monthly hours = weekly hours × 52 ÷ 12.
Time value = hours × hourly value.

Build your estimate