Real social media management is strategy, content production, publishing, community, and reporting — not just "we'll post three times a week." If a Montreal agency is charging $800/mo and only delivers scheduled posts, you're paying for a glorified scheduling tool. Here's what the work actually looks like, and what to expect at each price point.
The five things "social media management" should include
1. Strategy
A documented plan: which platforms, what tone, what content pillars, what you're trying to convert people into, what success looks like. Reviewed quarterly. If your agency can't show you this document, there isn't one.
2. Content production
Real photo and video shot for you — not just stock or recycled client material. In Montreal, a credible agency will either bring a small production team or have a clear plan for how they're capturing your business on camera. Expect 1–2 production days per month at minimum.
3. Publishing and scheduling
Cross-posting to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok — wherever your audience actually is. Bilingual where it matters. Stories, reels, and carousels, not just static feed posts.
4. Community management
Responding to comments and DMs within hours, not days. This is the part most agencies skip because it's the most time-consuming. If your agency takes 3 days to reply to a customer DM, you're losing sales they'll never see.
5. Reporting tied to business outcomes
Not reach and impressions — leads, bookings, foot traffic, sales. The monthly report should answer one question: "did social move the needle this month, and what changed?"
What Montreal agencies actually charge
- $500 – $1,200/mo: scheduling + light content. One platform, mostly recycled material. Useful for keeping your feed alive while you focus on other things.
- $1,500 – $3,000/mo: strategy + monthly production day + 2 platforms + community management. The sweet spot for most Montreal SMBs.
- $3,500 – $7,000/mo: multi-platform, weekly production, paid social, dedicated community manager. Right when social is a real channel for you, not a check-the-box exercise.
- $8,000+/mo: full creative team, branded series, influencer programs. You're a real consumer brand at this point.
The Montreal-specific stuff most agencies miss
- Bilingual content done well. Translating English captions to French with an AI tool reads like translating English captions to French with an AI tool. Real French-first copy matters.
- Local cultural fluency. Posting about the Jazz Fest, Nuit Blanche, Grand Prix, hockey playoffs — these aren't gimmicks, they're the conversations your audience is already having.
- Neighbourhood-level targeting. Plateau, Mile End, Griffintown, Verdun, West Island — each audience behaves differently. A flat "Montreal" strategy leaves money on the table.
Three questions to ask before signing
- "Show me a content calendar for an existing client." If they can't, they don't make one.
- "What's your response-time SLA on DMs and comments?" Anything over 4 business hours is a red flag.
- "Walk me through last month's report for a client like me." You'll learn more from this than from any pitch deck.
Social media works in Montreal — but only when it's treated as a real channel with a real production budget. The $500/mo "we'll post for you" packages have their place, but don't expect them to drive revenue.