Sometimes this is the t-shirt I feel like wearing to a meeting.
Often one of the first questions a prospective client will ask of a designer is "how much will it cost?"
This usually comes up even before there is any comprehensive brief. It's a bit like saying to an architect. "I need a house built, how much will it cost?" In the case of a house there are many variables - the number of bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, the structure; concrete, timber, glass. etc. etc. Likewise in the case of a new brand design there are many variables. But because many of these variables are intangible they are not understood or given the full recognition they deserve.
Some of these include:

• What went before
  
• Target market
  
• Size of business
  
• Future of business
  
• Personality of business
  
• Competition
  
• Usage
  
• Naming
  
• Budget
• the list goes on…

Budget does come into costing as a consideration, but it is only one part of the equation. All the other information has to be considered by the designer. And this weaving together of information doesn't just happen when the designer is sitting at their desk, it is going on continually while the project is in progress. But I know from years of experience that I will continue to be asked the same question.
"How much will it cost?"
There's no easy answer to that.

For many social media looked like the free ride to marketing. Speak directly to your target audience. Engage with them and then channel them into a sales pipeline. But nothing in this world is free, and business has found that social media is fickle and rarely free. And it takes time. A lot of time. many are beginning to wonder if it will supply a ROI. Read about some of those who are stepping away from social media.
http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/startup/the-death-of-social-media-20130623-2o_q89.html