The Smart Social Media Choice: When to DIY vs When to Hire a Marketing Team.

The pulse of today’s social media management is connecting brands with customers in real time, building communities and driving growth. But for many small to medium Australian businesses, the big question remains: Should I hire a social media manager in-house or roll up my sleeves and DIY or is an agency still the smarter investment?

Here it is in a nutshell: The right choice depends on your budget, your skills, and your business goals. While DIY social media might feel like a way to save money, it can quickly become overwhelming and limit your growth if you’re not careful.

We will guide you through the real costs of social media management, help you figure out if DIY is right for you, and walk you through some of Coast’s expertise like training, consulting, and management services that can back you up at the stage you are at.

Cost Comparison: DIY vs Hiring In-House vs Agencies

Marketing budgets for Australian SMBs often fall in the range of 5 to 10% of revenue. If you’re launching, growing fast, or competing in a crowded space, this can rise to 12–20%. But here’s the catch: many businesses spend less than they should, limiting their potential to scale.

Hiring in-house social media managers can be a significant investment. For context:

• Entry-level social media roles start around $60,000 to $80,000 per year.
  
• A full marketing team covering social, content, SEO, design, and strategy can exceed $750,000 annually when you include salaries, benefits (typically 30% extra), recruitment, software, and overheads.
  
• Average strategic marketing roles go between $100,000-$120,000 annually.
  

It’s a serious fixed cost and managing the team adds time and complexity.

By contrast, outsourcing to agencies or specialist partners like We Are Coast typically costs 20-50% less of what hiring in house would cost, while giving you access to a full suite and team of skills. Agencies eliminate recruitment headaches, provide expertise across channels, and flex with your business needs.Training yourself or your team on social media tools and strategy is the most cost-effective route upfront but requires a significant time commitment and ongoing learning to keep up with platform changes. We Are Coast can meet you where you at and support you in allocating your marketing budget.

Skills Assessment for Business Owners: Do You Have What It Takes?

The DIY approach isn’t for everyone. Here are some questions to consider:

• Do you understand social media trends, content creation, paid ads, and analytics?
  
• Are you confident in managing community engagement and brand voice consistently?
  
• Do you have time to learn and keep up with rapid platform changes?
  
• Can you dedicate regular hours to planning, creating, posting, and monitoring campaigns?
  

If you answered yes, DIY could work, especially if your social media needs are small or experimental.

But if you’re stretched for time, uncertain about platforms, prefer to focus on other parts of your business, or just don’t enjoy being on socials, hiring a social media manager or outsourcing makes sense.

When DIY Makes Sense vs When It Doesn’t

DIY is a great fit if:

• Your social media needs are straightforward and low volume.
  
• You want direct control over content and engagement.
  
• You have time to experiment, learn, and manage posts regularly.
  
• Your budget is very tight and you’re willing to invest time in training.
  

DIY becomes challenging if:

• You want consistent, professional content that grows your audience strategically.
  
• You need to integrate social media with paid advertising, SEO, and broader marketing efforts.
  
• You want to scale campaigns quickly and measure real impact.
  
• Your time is limited and you’d rather focus on core business operations.

Coast Agency’s Training vs Management Services: Finding Your Fit

At Coast, we get that every business is unique and so are their social media needs.

Our training programs empower business owners and teams with the skills to manage social media confidently. We cover content planning, platform best practices, community engagement, and analytics designed to give you control and clarity.

If DIY isn’t enough, our social media management services can take the pressure off. We become an extension of your team, handling strategy, content creation, scheduling and reporting, freeing you to focus on what you do best.

And if you want the best of both worlds, our hybrid, or ‘collaborative’ approach lets you manage day-to-day posts with Coast’s guidance on strategy and campaign management, maximising your budget and marketing impact.

Collaborative Benefits

Combining DIY with expert support is a smart middle ground. It lets you:

• Stay hands-on with your brand voice and content.
  
• Access expert advice and strategic planning without full-time costs.
  
• Scale up marketing efforts flexibly as your business grows.
  
• Reduce risk and wasted effort by leaning on specialists when needed.
  

This flexible model suits many Australian SMBs navigating growth while managing limited resources.

Is Social Media Enough? How to Allocate your Marketing Budget Across Channels Effectively

Not sure if social media alone is enough to grow your business? You’re not alone. Many brands wonder where to focus their marketing efforts and budgets for the best return. That’s where we come in. As experts in digital marketing, we can help you strategically allocate your budget across multiple channels including social media, paid advertising, email marketing, SEO, and content creation. We also guide you on the ideal timing to refresh your website, ensuring your online presence stays fresh and effective. By balancing these elements thoughtfully, you’ll maximise your reach, engagement, and ultimately your growth.

Wrapping Up: What’s the Right Choice for You?

Choosing between DIY social media, hiring a social media manager, or partnering with a marketing agency – is about balancing time, skills, and budget.

• If you love social media, have time to invest, and want full control, DIY supported by training, might be the way to go.
  
• If you want professional consistency, scale, and expert guidance without the heavy fixed costs, outsourcing social media management to a trusted partner like We Are Coast is smart.
  
• Collaborative models offer customisation to suit your businesses specific needs, you stay involved and Coast provides specialist support.
  

Whichever path you take, it’s important to invest wisely to grow your brand’s social presence, because social media done right is a powerful engine for connection and business growth. Businesses allocating over 25% of their marketing budget to social media experience 32% faster revenue growth year-over-year.

Need help figuring out your social media marketing?

At Coast, we partner with brands to deliver hands-on social media training for Meta platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketer, or just starting out, our expert-led sessions are designed to help you unlock the full potential of these powerful channels, growing your brand, engaging your audience, and driving sales.

Learn more about our social media training & consulting or reach out to our Creative Director Jena today and discover how Coast can help you get social media working for you today.

Sources: HubSpot