For social media managers
Twelve posts a month is a deliverable. 'Handle our socials' isn't.
Social media retainers are sold as packages — so many posts per platform, stories, community management — and then lived as a constant stream of messages. The client approves the content calendar three days late, then asks why posting is behind. They want a TikTok presence added 'while you're at it'. And replying to comments at 10pm on a Sunday becomes part of the job because nobody said it wasn't.
ApeiroCraft sends the package as a link with output per platform, the approval rule, community management hours, what's excluded and how boosted posts are paid for. You see when it's opened and reopened, it's signed in the browser, and each month is invoiced against the client record.
Where social retainers stretch.
Approvals that arrive late
You send the calendar on time; feedback comes a week later; posts go out late and you're blamed. Without a written approval deadline, the delay is yours.
Platforms added for free
The package covered Instagram and LinkedIn. Now the client wants TikTok, Pinterest and a YouTube Short each week — same fee.
Always-on community management
Replying to DMs and comments has no edges unless you give it some. Evenings and weekends get absorbed into a retainer priced for office hours.
From pitch to a monthly rhythm.
Output per platform, in numbers
List posts, stories, reels and videos per platform per month, and name a platform you're deliberately not doing — it shows judgment.
See when they're comparing
Opens and re-opens are recorded on the link. A proposal reopened after a call with another freelancer is the time to explain your approach.
Approval rule, signed
The signature records name, email, IP address and a UTC timestamp and can't be altered — the approval deadline and community hours are on record.
Monthly invoices
Convert the accepted proposal into the first month's invoice in one click, then raise each month against the client record with your payment link.
What a social media management proposal has to include.
Social media work is endless by nature. The proposal is where it gets an edge.
Platforms and output
If it's left vague
'Manage our social media' means every platform, daily.
With ApeiroCraft
Name platforms and the monthly count of each content type.
Approval process
If it's left vague
Late approvals make you late.
With ApeiroCraft
State when you send the calendar, the approval deadline, and what happens if it's missed.
Community management
If it's left vague
Replies are expected at all hours.
With ApeiroCraft
Give the hours and days you monitor and reply, and how urgent issues are escalated.
Content creation and assets
If it's left vague
You're expected to shoot photos and video that were never priced.
With ApeiroCraft
Say whether you create original photo or video, use the client's assets, or license stock.
Ad spend and boosting
If it's left vague
Boosted posts are paid from your fee.
With ApeiroCraft
Keep paid promotion as a separate budget the client pays to the platform.
- Monthly invoices against the client record, in the currency you set.
- Kanban tasks for each month's content calendar.
- Free plan: 3 proposals and 3 invoices sent a month.
Common questions.
How do social media managers usually price?
Most use monthly retainers in packages based on platforms and output, sometimes with a one-off setup or strategy fee. Content creation like photo or video shoots is often priced separately, and community management may be its own add-on. Ad spend is usually paid by the client to the platform. ApeiroCraft holds your packages; it doesn't set rates.
What does a retainer proposal look like?
A short strategy note recommending Instagram and LinkedIn and deliberately not TikTok for now; monthly output of twelve feed posts, eight stories and two reels on Instagram and eight LinkedIn posts; a calendar sent by the 20th with approval due by the 25th, after which posting dates move; community management on weekdays during office hours; photography from the client's assets; boosting from a separate client budget; a three-month minimum. The founder reopens it twice, signs, and you invoice the first month.
When is ApeiroCraft not the right fit for social media management?
It doesn't schedule or publish posts, host a content calendar for client approval, or report on analytics. You'll still need a scheduling tool. ApeiroCraft covers the proposal, signature, invoices and client record.
Can I offer three packages?
Yes. Lay out the packages in the pricing section with what each includes. When the client confirms their choice, adjust the invoice draft before sending.
Is there a social media template?
Yes — the social media management template covers channel focus with something deliberately dropped, monthly output by platform, and an approval rule that holds.
Give the retainer an edge.
Start from the social media template and send a package with an approval rule today.
Start freeStill deciding? Talk to the founder
Keep reading
Free template
Social media proposal template
Audit, channel focus, monthly deliverables by platform, and the approval workflow that holds.
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Brand deals with usage rights, deliverables, and payment terms a sponsor can sign.
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Proposal tracking, explained
Timestamped opens on the proposal itself — not an email pixel, not a guess.