A social media video agency in London typically costs £800 to £3,000 a month on a retainer, scaling with the number of platforms covered and the volume of short-form needed each week. A single one-off shoot without an ongoing system runs £500 to £1,500 but rarely builds the consistent reach a monthly retainer does.
Why this is bought as a retainer, not a shoot
Posting more rarely fixes flat social; consistency and the right content do. A social media video agency retainer is built around a repeatable shoot cut into a month of vertical reels and cutdowns, so channels stay fed without scrambling for content, at roughly £800 to £3,000 a month depending on volume and platform count.
A single one-off shoot, without a retainer behind it, costs £500 to £1,500 and gives a useful batch of content for a few weeks, but the channel usually goes quiet again once the batch runs out.
What moves the price
Platform count is the biggest lever. Cutting native versions for Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn from one shoot costs more than one format reposted everywhere, but performs meaningfully better on each platform.
Weekly posting volume is the second factor. A brand wanting five posts a week needs more edited output than one wanting two, even from the same shoot day.
Strategy and hook-testing add a smaller cost on top, where an agency actively researches which formats and hooks are working in your sector rather than just editing what was filmed.
Getting the most from a fixed retainer
Start with the platform where your audience is strongest rather than trying to cover everything natively from month one. A focused retainer on one or two platforms usually outperforms a thin spread across four.
Push for research as part of the retainer, not just editing. The agencies that move the needle are the ones planning hooks and formats around what is already working in your sector, not just cutting footage into clips.
Review performance monthly and let the retainer shift towards the formats and platforms that are actually converting, rather than locking the same output every month regardless of results.
Common questions
How much does a social media video agency cost per month?
Roughly £800 to £3,000 a month, depending on how many platforms you need native content for and how many posts a week you want. Most brands start with one or two platforms and expand once the system is working.
Is a one-off shoot enough, or do I need a retainer?
A one-off shoot at £500 to £1,500 gives a useful batch of content for a few weeks, but a retainer is what keeps channels consistently fed, which is what actually grows reach over time.
Does more platforms always cost proportionally more?
Roughly, yes, since each platform needs a natively cut version rather than one file reposted everywhere. Most brands get better value focusing on the one or two platforms where their audience actually is.