Social media advertising has two costs, and most quotes only show you one. There's the ad spend you pay Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn, which you control. And there's the fee for whoever plans, builds and runs the ads. Here's what each platform requires as a minimum, what clicks and leads actually cost on Facebook and Instagram, and what agencies charge to manage it.
- On Facebook and Instagram, LocalIQ's 2026 benchmarks put the average click at $0.60 for traffic campaigns and $1.80 for lead campaigns, and the average lead at $27.39.
- TikTok requires more than $50 per campaign and more than $20 a day per ad group.
- LinkedIn's minimum is $10 a day, and $100 for a new campaign's lifetime budget.
- Management is a separate fee. In one pricing survey, 39% of social ads providers set a minimum retainer of $1,000-$3,000 a month.
- We run Meta ads for $500-$2,000 a month, and the ad spend goes straight to the platform.
What each platform requires
| Platform | Minimum budget | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook and Instagram | You set it | Meta may spend up to 75% over a daily budget on a given day, but no more than 7 times it in a week |
| TikTok | More than $50 a campaign; more than $20 a day per ad group | Applies to daily and lifetime campaign budgets |
| $10 a day; $100 lifetime for a new campaign | The same minimum for every ad format |
Platforms' own help and best-practice pages, checked 31 Oct 2026.
Minimums tell you where you can start, not what works. A budget only spends usefully when it buys enough results for the platform to learn from, which is why a $10-a-day test often says very little.
What clicks and leads cost on Facebook and Instagram
Meta sells ads in an auction, so there's no price list. LocalIQ's 2026 Facebook advertising benchmarks are the most useful averages we've found:
| Measure | 2026 average |
|---|---|
| Cost per click, traffic campaigns | $0.60 |
| Cost per click, lead campaigns | $1.80 |
| Cost per lead, all industries | $27.39 |
| Cost per lead, real estate | $13.74 |
| Cost per lead, home improvement | $42.95 |
| Cost per lead, dentists | $61.56 |
Source: LocalIQ Facebook advertising benchmarks, 2026. Industry averages; your own costs depend on your offer, area and setup.
Facebook and Instagram run in the same auction from the same Ads Manager, so most advertisers buy both together. How much Facebook ads cost has a budget calculator built on these figures.
TikTok and LinkedIn
We haven't found independent cost-per-click benchmarks for TikTok or LinkedIn that we'd stand behind, so we won't quote any. What's certain is the entry price. TikTok needs more than $50 per campaign and $20 a day per ad group. LinkedIn needs $10 a day. LinkedIn is usually chosen for B2B because it targets by job title and company, not because it's cheap.
What it costs to have someone run it
Management fees are separate from ad spend. In Credo's pricing survey of marketing providers (last updated June 2022), only 5.15% of social ads providers had no minimum at all, and 39.02% set a retainer minimum of $1,000-$3,000 a month. Some agencies charge a percentage of spend instead; flat fee vs percentage of ad spend compares the two, and what Facebook ads management costs goes further into fees.
Organic social media packages rarely cover ads: in HeyOrca's 2026 agency survey, only 18% included paid social. If you're comparing a social media package with an ads quote, social media marketing pricing covers the organic side.
What a social advertising package should say
- The platforms, and which campaigns run on each.
- The management fee and the ad spend, as two separate numbers.
- Whether ad creative, such as images and short videos, is included or extra.
- How results are tracked: leads, bookings or sales reported back to the platform, not just clicks.
- The minimum term and notice period, and that the ad account stays in your name.
Setting a first budget
Work back from the result you want. If you need 20 leads a month and your industry averages close to LocalIQ's $27.39, plan for roughly $550 a month in ad spend, then adjust once you have your own numbers. Spread that across too many platforms and none of them gets enough to learn from, which is why most small businesses start with Facebook and Instagram. Skip boosting posts for this: boosted posts vs Ads Manager explains why.
What we charge
We manage Facebook and Instagram ads for $500-$2,000 a month, with entry plans from $500. The ad spend is paid straight to Meta from your own ad account, which stays yours. See our social media advertising service for Facebook and Instagram, or social media marketing for organic content and community management. We don't run TikTok, LinkedIn or Pinterest ads.
Questions people ask
How much does social media advertising cost per month?
Two amounts: the ad spend you pay the platform, and the fee for whoever runs the ads. On Facebook and Instagram, LocalIQ's 2026 benchmarks put the average lead at $27.39, so 20 leads a month at that average is about $550 in ad spend. Management usually costs extra; ours is $500-$2,000 a month.
What is the minimum budget for TikTok ads?
TikTok's own help center says a campaign budget must be more than $50, whether daily or lifetime, and an ad group's daily budget must be more than $20.
What is the minimum budget for LinkedIn ads?
LinkedIn says the minimum daily budget is $10 for any ad format, and the minimum lifetime budget for a new campaign is $100.
Is there a minimum budget for Facebook and Instagram ads?
You set your own daily budget. Meta may spend up to 75% more than it on a good day, but never more than 175% of it in a day or seven times it in a week, so the budget you set is the budget you pay over a week.
Do agencies charge a percentage of ad spend?
Some do, often 10-20% of spend, and others charge a flat monthly fee. A flat fee doesn't rise just because the budget does. Our guide to flat fee vs percentage of ad spend sets out the trade-offs.
Is boosting a post a cheaper way to advertise?
Not usually, if you want customers. A boosted post is an ad made from a post already on your Page, with a short list of goals and settings. Ads Manager gives you every objective, including leads and sales tracked back to your site, which is why boosts tend to bring likes rather than buyers.
Want a budget worked out for your business? Book a strategy call. We'll work back from the customers you want to a monthly ad spend and fee, before you commit to anything.
