Top 11 Social Media Agencies to Boost Your Brand

Ready to boost brand awareness? Find the best social media agency for your business, vetted and reviewed by our team of editors.

Use this list to find:

• What a social media agency can do for your business
• The benefits of using a social media agency
• How to find the right social media agency
• 12 of the best social media advertising agencies in the US (and what they specialize in)

Social media has continued to rise in popularity over the last several years.

However, as time goes on, these platforms are beginning to be treated more and more like search engines.

According to Emarketer, 67% of U.S. social media users are at least somewhat likely to research products on social media platforms before making a purchase.

In other words, social media advertising is a great way to get your brand in front of the right audience at the right time. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Navigating the ever-evolving world of social media can be daunting, especially with rising competition. That’s where a social media agency comes in.

We’ll introduce you to what a social media marketing company is and how it operates (full-service vs. specialist). Plus, we’ll share 12 of the best agencies in the game to get you the online presence you deserve.

We also cover each agency’s unique offerings, what they specialize in, their awards, top content, and what makes them stand out.

1. HawkSEM

HawkSEM (that’s us!) is an award-winning, full-service online marketing agency that specializes in working with B2B and B2C brands to boost their social media marketing.
We have a team of experts who are passionate about driving results for our clients.

Our paid media services include social media channels like Facebook ads, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest advertising and paid search such as Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.

We also offer performance creative services to help clients develop compelling video-driven creative that resonates with their target audience.

HawkSEM has been recognized by Clutch.co as a top social media marketing agency, is an accredited Meta Partner, and has worked with some big-name brands such as Honda, Nike, and Microsoft.

Best for: Ecommerce, B2B/B2C, SaaS, finance, healthcare, professional services, education

Services offered:

• Content marketing
• Paid social media marketing
• Conversion rate optimization
• PPC management services
• SEO
• Ecommerce marketing
• Remarketing
• Landing page optimization
• SEM strategy

Clients:

• Honda
• Nike
• Microsoft

2. MuteSix

MuteSix is a performance marketing agency that specializes in Facebook and Instagram advertising for B2C brands.

It has had tremendous success helping big-name brands in a wide variety of industries such as retail, ecommerce, luxury goods, nonprofits, technology, and sports.

The team consists of creative strategists, data analysts, and media buyers who work together to develop and execute social media advertising campaigns that drive results.

MuteSix has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America and has worked with clients such as The Honest Company and Revel.

Best for: Ecommerce, beauty brands, finance
Services offered:

• Email marketing
• Content creation
• Bespoke production
• Graphic design
• Copywriting
• CRM
• TV/CTV

Clients:

• Universal Standard
• High Rise Financial
• Farmacy Beauty

3. AKQA

AKQA is a creative agency specializing in brand experience and innovation and primarily works with enterprise companies.

It has delivered powerful, results-driven campaigns for massive, multinational businesses such as Nike and Sony and uses an interdisciplinary approach to craft campaigns that deliver on all fronts.

AKQA has team members including designers, developers, and strategists who work together to create compelling social media advertising campaigns that capture their clients’ brand essence.

AKQA has been recognized with numerous awards, including a Cannes Lion for their work with Nike, and has worked with other household names such as Google and Netflix.

Best for: enterprise, SaaS, ecommerce

Services offered:

• Digital and print marketing campaigns
• Digital strategy
• Paid social
• Organic social

Clients:

• Tinder
• Sony
• Volvo Cars

4. We Are Social

We Are Social is a global social media agency specializing in marketing plans, social media content creation, and community management for global brands.

With 1,300+ staff members in 19 offices spread across multiple continents, its team is well-positioned to help major international brands in their global social advertising.

If you have a business that operates in numerous regions across the globe, this agency’s extensive reach and global collection of talent will serve you well.

With an international team, it’s easy to collaborate on social media campaigns that cross regions while maintaining both local knowledge and cultural sensitivities to ensure campaigns perform well and shine a positive light on each brand.

We Are Social has won numerous awards for its work, including Social Agency of the Year at the Campaign Asia-Pacific Awards. To date, they’ve worked with clients such as Adidas and Heineken.

Best for: Sports, technology, ecommerce, retail

Services offered:

• Media planning
• Paid media management
• Influencer marketing
• Video & photography
• Creative campaign & concept development

Clients:

• eBay
• EA Sports
• Under Armour
• Lego Masters

5. Huge

Huge is a full-service digital marketing company focused on user experience, web design, and technology for enterprise companies.

It has a team of experts who work together to create social media advertising campaigns that feature stunning visuals paired with effective messaging. Its expertise runs through a range of topics such as Artificial Intelligence, and Data and Insights.

Huge has won several awards for its work, including recognition for website design from the Museum of the Moving Image. It should come as no surprise that such a successful agency has worked with elite clients such as HBO and American Express.

Best for: Tech companies, enterprise, ecommerce
Services offered:

• Commerce
• Design
• Brand strategy
• Artificial intelligence (AI) advisory
• Customer experience

Clients:

• Audi
• P&G
• Spotify
• PlayStation

6. Bright Age

Bright Age is a digital marketing agency specializing in social media advertising, PPC, and SEO. It’s also particularly well known for its incredible B2C community management services.

If you’re looking to grow your online social media community, then this is the agency you need to consult.

Bright Age has extensive experience engaging with a variety of B2C audiences and can help your brand find its voice and create a community for your customers.

The team of experts is passionate about driving results for clients through data-driven strategies.

They also offer social media customer care and reputation management services to help clients develop and maintain a compelling, creative, and approachable social media presence that connects with their audience.

Best for: streaming services, hospitality, entertainment
Services offered:

• Social media marketing
• Content creation
• Copywriting
• Social media customer care
• Community management

Clients:

• Disney+
• ABC
• Doubletree

7. LYFE Marketing

LYFE Marketing is a social media management agency with ample experience in local social media advertising, content creation, and community management.

This leading digital marketing agency provides exceptional local social media management services tailored specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Lyfe’s team has a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by SMBs and is committed to helping them thrive in the social media landscape.

In addition to all the impressive results Lyfe has achieved for clients, the agency has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Best for: SMB, boosting social media engagement
Services offered:

• Social media marketing
• Social media advertising campaigns
• PPC management services
• Email marketing

Clients:

• Wingstop
• Hilton
• S. Carter Designs Custom Jewelry

8. Fresh Content Society

Fresh Content Society is a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in helping direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands achieve their social media marketing goals.

With a profound understanding of the unique needs and challenges faced by DTC businesses, Fresh Content Society is dedicated to providing tailored solutions that drive brand growth and customer engagement.

This social media team brings together a range of expertise to create compelling social media advertising campaigns that deliver big results, such as a 20X return on ad spend in 90 days for one of their clients.

So it’s no wonder brands are lining up to partner with them, including clients such as Audi and KFC.

Best for: SMB, auto industry, hardware
Services offered:

• Social media audits
• Social media strategy
• Community management
• Analytics and reporting
• Paid media management

Clients:

• TravelCenters of America
• True Value
• Peak Auto

9. Ignite Social Media

Ignite Social Media is a leading social media marketing agency working with some of the most prominent brands in the world to help them manage and grow their social communities.

Its team excels in creating and implementing impactful social media strategies that drive brand awareness, engagement, and conversions.

Their exceptional work has earned them recognition in the industry, with notable awards such as The Drum Social Buzz Award and the Shorty Awards.

These accolades highlight Ignite Social Media’s dedication to innovation and excellence in social media marketing.

Best for: Brands that want to grow and engage their social media community.
Services offered:

• Social strategy
• Paid advertising
• Community management
• Influencer marketing
• Reporting and analytics
• Content development

Clients:

• Hallmark
• Glade
• Huggies

10. Social Media 55

Social Media 55 is a renowned social media agency that has worked with a diverse range of brands across various industries.
The agency offers a range of social media services and brings a wide range of highly specialized skills to the table.

The team at Social Media 55 possesses a deep understanding of each brand’s unique needs and leverages their expertise to deliver exceptional social media solutions.

Best for: Niche brands that prefer a la carte services.
Services offered:

• SEO
• Niche-specific marketing
• Branding and media
• Email marketing
• Pay per click
• Web development
• Social media management and advertising
• App development and marketing
• Influencer marketing
• And more

Clients:

• Just Toys International
• The Swiss Resilience Institute
• JIVAGO Brands LLC.

11. WebFX

WebFX is a full-service digital marketing agency known for its expertise in social media marketing for SMBs and local businesses.

They specialize in working with brands across various industries, ranging from small businesses to large enterprises.

WebFX social media services range from strategy development and content creation to community management and influencer marketing.

Their exceptional work has garnered industry recognition, with numerous awards to their name, including the Interactive Marketing Awards, Hermes Creative Awards, and US Search Awards.

Best for: SMBs and local brands are a good fit.
Services offered:

• SEO
• PPC management
• Social media advertising

Clients:

• Wrangler
• Hilton
• Sysco

What is a social media agency?

Social media advertising agencies can work with businesses of all sizes and industries to develop and execute social media campaigns that drive results. (Image: Unsplash)

A social media agency is a specialized marketing agency that helps businesses create and manage social media advertising campaigns.

These agencies have teams of marketing experts who specialize in different aspects of social media advertising, including:

• influencer marketing
• ad strategy
• content creation
• media buying
• data analysis

Some can also offer insights from experts about specific platforms, such as LinkedIn, Snapchat, Facebook, or TikTok.

Social media advertising agencies can work with businesses of all sizes and industries to develop and execute social media campaigns that drive results.

Some also specialize in certain sectors, such as ecommerce or law, and use their extensive knowledge in a refined area and of a unique audience to deliver impressive results for their clients.

What’s the difference between a full-stack agency and a social media agency?

We turned to social media expert Magnolia Deuell to help clarify the difference between these types of agencies.

“Full stack agencies offer brands a partnership that operates as an extension of their marketing team vs. another vendor you are adding to the payroll,” says Deuell.

“When a brand works with a specialized marketing agency that only has core competencies in one channel (i.e., social media), it is hard to have a cohesive strategy that seamlessly elevates all of your digital efforts.”

At HawkSEM, we leverage social media as a big piece to an even bigger puzzle.

How? We ask questions that evoke optimizations and strategies outside of the scope of social media. We believe that an omnichannel strategy is the key to digital marketing success.

The benefits of using a social media agency

A social media agency is an asset to many in-house teams.

An agency can take some of the tasks off of in-house teams’ plates and deliver measurable results with in-depth expertise and reporting.

This way, marketing managers and teams can focus their efforts on other channels like email marketing, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO).

A social media agency can give business owners peace of mind that their ads are in good hands, and there are also many other benefits to using social media advertising. Here are a few.

1. Tap into the expertise

Social media agencies have specialized marketing teams for different aspects of social media advertising such as Facebook advertising, community management, and social media management.

By working with a social media agency, you can tap directly into their know-how and leverage all their accumulated knowledge to create more effective ad campaigns.

2. Cost-effective

A social media agency will help you get more bang for your buck by optimizing your marketing campaigns for maximum ROI.

If you don’t have a specialist in-house, or they are simply stretched thin by the volume of work, you might find it hard to keep optimizing your campaigns and get the best return on your ad spend.

An agency can come in and help you target the right audience, create compelling ad creative, and run A/B testing to increase your brand awareness and make sure you get the most out of your budget.

3. Save time

Managing social media campaigns is time-consuming. Working with an agency frees up your time to focus on other important aspects of your business while the agency takes care of your social media advertising.

With so many years of experience under their belts, the staff at an agency will also typically be able to complete tasks faster than you would on your own.

4. Data-driven strategies

Agencies use data to drive their social media marketing strategies and optimize their campaigns.

Typically, agencies have access to multiple tools that collect and report on data in ways that make it fast for them to make decisions about changes to campaigns.

By taking a deep dive into metrics like conversion rates and engagement, they can find low-hanging fruit to help your campaigns improve.

It also helps inform decisions like whether or not you need landing pages, a retargeting campaign to increase new customers, or graphic design changes.

Data helps with all kinds of research and testing for social media ads. You can review the impacts of your campaigns based on age, behavior, geo-location, demand market, interests, and so much more. But this is a lot to go through. An agency will help you find the surface rather than drown in your sea of data.

5. Scalability

Social media agencies also give you the option to quickly scale your marketing efforts as your business grows.

Rather than recruiting and hiring to expand your teams, your workload increases, and you can simply scale your contract with your agency.

This also applies in the other direction, and if at some point you need to scale down (maybe because you have a seasonal business), you can easily do that too.

What is the best social media agency for my business?

While there are certainly a lot of benefits to using an agency (and far more than we listed above), unfortunately, not every agency was created equal and will deliver you all of those great advantages.

So, how can you find the right social media agency that will deliver on its promises and positively impact your business?

The answer depends on several factors, including your business goals, budget, and industry. Here are some things to consider when choosing a social media agency.

Find the right service

Different social media agencies offer different services. Some offer full-service digital marketing, while others specialize in social media ad management or influencer marketing.

Consider what social media services your business needs and choose an agency that can provide them.

You should also consider what social networks your business uses. For example, B2B businesses typically advertise on LinkedIn.

Companies focusing on lead generation tend to be on Facebook and Instagram, whereas ecommerce businesses might have more success on TikTok.

You want to find an agency that offers social media ad management for your channels and has enough experience to guide you on which channels your audience will spend the most time on.

Industry experience

Look for an agency that has experience working in your industry. They will better understand your target market and how to create effective social media advertising campaigns for your business.

Deuell says, “Brands should look for agencies that have previous experience within their vertical, as we know successful strategies on social greatly vary pending on the industry. What works for one industry may not work for another.”

This doesn’t mean that you necessarily need an agency that only has clients in your industry. Rather you want to ask about their previous experience and see some examples of previous clients who had similar audiences and case studies to see what the results were.

Awards or certifications

There are plenty of great agencies that have never won an award. However, if you are new to social media advertising and unsure what to search for, an award-winning agency can be a good place to start looking.

Consider agencies that have won awards or have industry certifications, such as being a Meta Industry Partner. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, two major social channels, and a certified partnership demonstrates that the agency was vetted by Meta for its technical skills and services.

Look for partnerships that matter

Deuell says to look for partnerships that will help your brand.

“Businesses with premier partnerships with major platforms, like Meta, allow brands to work with agencies with proven and recognized experience within those platforms,” she says.

“These partnerships also allow brands additional benefits like Beta testing opportunities.”

Well-known clients

The more a social media advertising agency builds its reputation. The more big-name brands want to work with it.

Check to see if the agency has worked with well-known clients in your industry (or in general). This can be an indication that they have a track record of success and can deliver solid results for your business.

Communication & collaboration

Look for an agency that values communication and collaboration. You want to work with an agency that will listen to your needs, provide regular updates on your campaigns, and work collaboratively with your team to achieve your business goals.

There’s nothing worse than an account manager who doesn’t respond to your emails and applies a one-size-fits-all method to its ad strategy.

Your collaboration needs to be with an agency that will assign KPIs, track metrics, and report to you on your campaigns in a way that is tailored to your business rather than doing the same thing for all of their clients.

Social proof

Social proof, like reviews and testimonials, will help you get to know the agency from a client’s point of view. You’ll gain an understanding of what it’s like to work with an agency and what to look out for.

Looking at these factors can help you choose the best social media agency for your business. Don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials or case studies to better understand the agency’s experience and track record.

With the right social media agency, you can create and execute effective advertising campaigns that drive results and help your business grow.

Red flags to keep in mind

When interviewing an agency, steer clear from those who don’t present a full-funnel social strategy.

Anyone can give you great results while running campaigns that are reaching users who have previously been to your website or engaged with your profile (i.e., remarketing audiences).

The hard part is bringing users into your funnel and being the first touchpoint within the buyer journey.

That’s where a solid upper-to-mid-funnel strategy is crucial for long-term success and sustainable brand growth.

The takeaway

These social media agencies are among the best in the game. Whether you’re looking for a full-service digital agency or a specialized social media management agency, there’s an agency on this list that can help you achieve your goals.

Each agency has unique offerings, awards or certifications, and well-known clients, making them stand out in their own way.

But each one has a proven history of delivering big results for their clients, in terms of both return on ad spend and gaining quality leads and audience engagement.

Most companies can benefit from social media marketing services. Curious how we can help yours get to the next level? Let’s talk.

This article has been updated and was originally published in December 2023.