Hiring someone to manage your social media feels like the right move when you’re too busy to do it yourself. You post the job, bring someone in, and finally feel like you’ve solved the problem. Then the invoices start coming in.
A part-time social media coordinator in North Alabama typically runs $1,500 to $2,500 per month — and that’s before you factor in the time you spend managing them, reviewing their content, and making sure the voice actually sounds like your business. What started as a solution can quickly become another headache.
The Real Cost of a Social Media Employee
Let’s break down what you’re actually paying for when you hire a social media person, even part-time:
- Monthly salary: $1,500 to $2,500
- Payroll taxes and benefits: add 15 to 25% on top
- Scheduling tools (Hootsuite, Buffer, Canva, etc.): $100 to $300/month
- Time reviewing and directing their work: 3 to 5 hours/month minimum
- Retraining every time platforms change their rules or features
When you add it all up, a part-time social media hire can easily cost your business $2,000 to $3,500 per month in real dollars — plus your time.
What You Actually Need Social Media to Do
Before deciding how to solve the problem, clarify what you’re actually trying to accomplish. For most small businesses in the Anniston and Oxford area, the goals are consistent:
- Post consistently so customers know you’re active and open
- Stay visible in your community and top-of-mind with existing customers
- Promote your services, specials, and seasonal offerings
- Build enough presence that new prospects feel confident reaching out
Those are achievable goals — and you don’t need a dedicated employee to accomplish them.
What WideNet’s Automation System Does Instead
WideNet’s Social Media Automated Management System replaces the repetitive, time-consuming parts of social media management with intelligent automation. Here’s what you get for $997 setup plus $97/month:
- Consistent posting across 8 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, and Threads
- An evergreen content queue that keeps your best posts cycling automatically
- Smart scheduling with best-time-to-post intelligence
- Recurring posts for weekly specials, promotions, and regular content
- Access to thousands of professional post templates — no design skills required
- Monthly performance reporting so you can see what’s working
- A mobile app for real-time posting whenever you want it
The Numbers Are Hard to Argue With
If you’re currently paying a part-time social media person $2,000 per month, you’re spending $24,000 per year. With WideNet’s system, you spend $997 once for setup, then $1,164 per year in monthly fees — a total first-year investment of $2,161. That’s a potential savings of over $21,000 in year one alone.
The Smarter Investment
WideNet has been helping local businesses throughout North Alabama make smart marketing decisions for over 20 years. The Social Media Automated Management System is the answer for businesses that need a professional, consistent social media presence without paying employee-level costs to maintain it.
Stop overpaying for a problem that technology has already solved. Get the system set up once, and let it run.
Call WideNet Consulting today at 256-241-6112 or visit widenetconsulting.com to learn more.
