What To Do When Your Social Media Manager Goes on Maternity Leave

When your social media manager announces their upcoming maternity leave, it’s both a joyful moment and a logistical challenge. You’re thrilled for them, of course, but what does it mean for your brand’s online presence?

Social media doesn’t take a break. It’s always on, shaping perceptions, building community, and driving engagement. It’s critical for all businesses and requires constant attention. So when a crucial team member steps away, even temporarily, you need a solid plan.

Do you bring in someone new to cover the role? Outsource to a freelancer or agency? Or redistribute responsibilities internally? Each route has its own set of considerations, from budget and expertise to culture fit and continuity.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through the key pros, cons, and costs of hiring maternity cover for a social media manager, and offer some expert guidance on how to make the right choice for your business. 

Let’s dive in.

Option 1: Hire a Temporary In-House Replacement

Hiring a maternity cover internally gives you control and continuity. Your new hire can sit alongside the marketing team (even virtually) and respond quickly to emerging trends and customer queries.

The benefits:

• Deep understanding of your brand

• Faster internal communication

• Hands-on control over content and scheduling

• Easy alignment with broader marketing goals

The compromises:

• Recruitment takes time and effort

• The right talent can be hard to find quickly

• Training can delay output

• One person may not have all the necessary skills, especially in paid ads or analytics

The cost:

According to Glassdoor, the average Social Media Manager earns around £33,000 per year. But once you factor in National Insurance, pensions, and overheads, the real cost jumps to over £38,000 annually. And that’s not including recruitment and onboarding costs.

Option 2: Work With a Freelancer

Freelancers offer flexibility and often bring fresh thinking. They’re used to diving in quickly and working independently – great when time is short.

The benefits:

• Flexibility to scale work up or down

• Wide range of skills available

• Fresh ideas from outside your business

• Often experienced at handling multiple clients and industries

The compromises:

• Can be more expensive per hour (rates will vary from £25 to £100+)

• Availability can be limited

• May need more initial briefing to grasp your brand

• Variable reliability depending on the individual

Option 3: Partner With a Social Media Agency

Outsourcing social media management to an agency is a popular choice for businesses seeking continuity without the complexities of recruitment. Agencies are typically made up of multidisciplinary teams with experience across various platforms, industries, and strategies.

The benefits:

• Access to broader expertise: Agencies often include strategists, content creators, community managers, and paid ad specialists, allowing for a more comprehensive approach than a single in-house hire or freelancer.

• Established processes and systems: Many agencies have efficient workflows, approval structures, and analytics tools already in place, helping them deliver consistent and professional output.

• Flexibility and scalability: An agency can often scale up or down depending on your campaign needs, platform requirements, or seasonal changes.

• Time savings: There’s no need to spend time on recruitment, onboarding, or training. Agencies can often hit the ground running with minimal input from your team.

• Creative perspective: Agencies work with diverse clients and industries, so they tend to bring fresh ideas and trends to the table.

The challenges:

• Initial learning curve: Agencies will need time to understand your brand voice, tone, and audience, particularly if no clear social media strategy is already in place.

• Less day-to-day access: Unlike an in-house team member, agencies may not be embedded in the day-to-day culture of your organisation, which can affect how quickly certain content is turned around or approved.

• Costs vary: Monthly fees can range from £500 to £5,000+ depending on the scope of services, platforms managed, and content volume. This makes it important to clarify what’s included in any package.

• Potentially less personalised attention: Some agencies manage multiple clients simultaneously, which could affect how tailored the service feels, especially at lower package tiers.

The cost:

Agency pricing in the UK varies significantly. Basic management of 1–2 platforms can cost between £500 and £1,500 per month. More comprehensive packages, including content creation, paid ads, analytics, and community management, tend to range from £1,500 to £5,000+ per month.

So, What’s the Best Option?

There’s no single “best” approach when it comes to covering maternity leave for a social media manager – it all depends on your organisation’s size, budget, internal capabilities, and business priorities.

Each option has its strengths and trade-offs. Here’s how they compare across the key considerations:

Choosing the Right Approach for Your Business

Here are some guiding questions to help determine which route might be right for you:

• How long is the maternity leave?
  A longer leave might justify a more formal hire or agency contract, while a shorter one could be managed by a freelancer or redistributed internally.

• What are your internal resources?
  If you have a well-resourced marketing team, you might be able to redistribute workload temporarily. If not, outsourcing may be more sustainable.

• Do you need specialised skills?
  Agencies often bring a depth of expertise in areas like paid social, analytics, and creative content that can be difficult to source in one person.

• How quickly do you need someone up and running?
  Freelancers and agencies typically onboard faster than hiring a new team member.

• How important is continuity and brand voice?
  An in-house manager offers deep brand understanding, but with the right onboarding, agencies can adapt effectively and offer a valuable outside perspective.

A Hybrid Approach?

In some cases, businesses find success with a hybrid approach. For example, redistributing daily management tasks to existing team members, while working with an agency on strategy, content, or campaign support. This offers a balance of continuity, creativity, and cost control.

Final Thoughts

If your business is facing a temporary resource gap but still needs consistent, professional social media management, outsourcing can be an efficient solution. Especially when cost, speed, and access to a wider skill set are top priorities.

Avocado Social is well-versed in stepping in during transitional periods such as maternity leave. With over 15 years of experience supporting brands large and small, we’re set up to onboard quickly, align with your tone of voice, and deliver measurable impact. All without the overhead of a full-time hire.