r/socialmedia

1d ago

u/VladMnu

I tracked my hours for 3 months. My $900 retainer was really a $500 one.

Sharing this because I put the conversation off for almost a year and wish I had not.

I have a client on a $900 a month retainer. Original scope was simple: 12 posts a month on two platforms, one monthly report, comments during business hours. By this summer it had quietly become 20ish posts, a third platform, stories most days, a weekly call that was never in the agreement, and comment replies on weekends because I felt awkward saying no.

I finally tracked my actual hours for three months. Scoped: about 14 hours a month. Actual: 26, 29, then 31. My effective rate had dropped under $31 an hour, on the client I thought was my best one.

What worked when I finally had the talk: I did not lead with a price increase. I sent a short scope report first. Two columns, what we agreed vs what last month actually looked like, with the hours next to each item. Then two options.…