5 Best Social Media Marketing Agencies for Small Businesses in 2023
Elizabeth Kraus has more than a decade of first-hand experience building and growing a boutique digital marketing agency and double that in small and mid-size business marketing management. She provides expert answers to marketing questions related to branding, content marketing, web development, email, social media, and SEO.
Hazel Emnace writes content for small businesses in the USA, Australia, South East Asia, and New Zealand, from engaging copy to marketing tips for business owners.
Outsourcing social marketing to agency experts is often the best choice—but finding the right solution can be challenging. The best social media agencies save you time, improve your return on investment, and are affordable, with high ratings and real-world results to back up their claims. After evaluating dozens of contenders, we narrowed our top picks so you can find the best social media marketing agency for your small business.
- Best overall: Lyfe Marketing
- Best for high volume posting: $99 Social
- Cheapest social media marketing services: Fiverr Pro
- Best for social marketing on Facebook and Instagram: Social High Rise
- Best for self-managed strategies: Sprout Social
Best Social Media Marketing Agencies at a Glance
Social Media Agency | Starting Cost | Organic Social Media Services | Paid Social | Commitment Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $750 | ✓ | ✓ | 3 months, then month-to-month |
 | $99 | ✓ | ✕ | Monthly |
 | From approximately $120 | ✓ | ✓ | Per project or month |
 | $249 | ✓ | ✕ | Monthly |
 | $249 | ✓ | ✓ | 30-day free trial, then monthly |
Lyfe Marketing: Overall Best Social Media Marketing Agency
Pros
- Both paid and organic social media management
- All-in-one solution for social marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest
- No long-term contracts
- Free consultation and custom proposal
Cons
- Missing a simple and straightforward pricing structure
- On the expensive side compared to other providers on this list
When to Choose Lyfe Marketing
The experts at Lyfe Marketing can deliver an all-in-one solution for paid and organic social media, making it a great option if you don’t have the time or expertise to do it yourself. It’s also a great choice for small businesses that want to increase return on investment (ROI) by turning to experts instead of managing social in-house.
When to Opt for an Alternative
Pricing starts at about $750, which could be steep for bootstrapping startups and small businesses. You can choose your own less expensive adventure and fully control costs by outsourcing organic and paid social advertising to Fiverr Pros. However, it will take time to vet services and find the exact social media expertise you need.
If you plan to do a ton of posting, $99 Social offers the best pricing packages. Alternatively, if you want to combine reputation management and social, Social High Rise has you covered.
Lyfe Marketing is a top-rated, full-service social content agency. It stands out as the best overall social media agency for its wide variety of offerings, including organic and paid social media management. It’s the best for businesses seeking comprehensive paid and organic social media management services.
Lyfe Marketing Pricing & Features
Accounts have a one-time setup fee (which you can ask to have waived) and management fees of $750 to $7,000 per month for organic social media. This service includes the management of sponsored posts and follower ads, but you’ll have to pay the cost of any ad spend.
Social ad management plans start at $650, not including ad spend, and you can request a custom quote inclusive of both organic and paid services. As a client, you’ll have a dedicated account manager and 24/7 access to an analytics dashboard, custom content, monthly reporting, and a scheduled monthly call with your account manager.
As our top pick in our list of the best social media marketing agencies for small businesses, here are Lyfe Marketing’s features at a glance:
- Organic social: Set number of posts per month, content creation, social media calendar, page monitoring and responding, management of sponsored posts and follower ads. You can add additional networks to any plan for $150 each. Upper-tier plans also include videos and increased posting frequency.
- Paid social: This includes custom graphics, branded images, advanced targeting, ad creation, and bid management and optimization. Higher-tier plans also include videos.
- Account management: You’ll have a dedicated social media manager who will understand your business, goals, and objectives to develop a strategic social media marketing plan and continuously optimize, including daily account maintenance.
- Reporting: Access a 24/7 analytics platform to track account performance and monthly reports from your account manager.
- Contract length: There are no long-term contracts. Instead, it has an initial three-month contract. Thereafter, clients are on a month-to-month basis, and they can cancel anytime.
- Customer service: Lyfe Marketing has highly regarded customer service, with a team available by phone or an online contact form.
- Customer reviews: Lyfe Marketing has a high 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google from 100-plus reviewers. Positive reviews frequently note that users are pleased with the results Lyfe Marketing delivers and that their staff provides a good deal of attention.
Ready to learn more? Get a free consultation outlining a comprehensive social media management solution for your business by heading to Lyfe Marketing.
$99 Social: Best for High-volume Posting
Pros
- Low-cost services from $99 per month, including two social channels
- Detailed service and pricing menu—you know exactly what’s included
- Experts in organic social media
- High posting volume for social traction
Cons
- Reports and calls will cost you extra
- Facebook Ads are only available with the premium plan
When to Use $99 Social
When to Opt for an Alternative
While most agencies see reporting as part of the service, you’ll pay more for reports with $99 Social. If you don’t have the time or ability to track performance and progress yourself, going with a data-rich platform like Sprout Social or managed social media marketing agency services from Lyfe Marketing would be better.
$99 Social is a dedicated social media marketing agency that offers managed services at a low cost. What makes it unique is that it provides a package that includes posting of custom content three to five days a week starting from $99 per month, which is more frequent organic content posting than most agencies provide. It’s best for new and small businesses that want regular content posting for audience engagement and increased online brand presence.
$99 Social Pricing & Features
As its name implies, $99 Social offers managed services for as little as $99 per month. This package includes custom content created for your business by a content specialist who posts content seven days a week for one social profile. It also provides customer service via phone, email, and chat.
Advanced plans cost $198 and $297 per month for those who want more than one post per day, to use more than one platform, or for paid Facebook Ads (not including ad spend). Here are $99 Social’s features at a glance:
- Expertise and services: Organic social growth is $99 Social’s main area of expertise. However, it also offers quality Facebook Ad management services (with a minimum monthly ad spend of $100) for those who want to leverage both organic and paid social.
- Account management: A content specialist who is a social media expert manages the accounts. The content specialist is responsible for finding and creating content posted daily as a long-term strategy for organic social media growth.
- Reporting: The standard plan does not include reporting. Instead, it is available as an add-on for an additional $49 per month.
- Contract length: All plans are contract-free and on a month-to-month basis, and can therefore be canceled at any time. The company notes that it does not require a contract because it depends on retaining clients by providing high-quality service.
- Customer service: The support team is available by phone from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, as well as via email and chat. It also has an online help center that serves as a resource for potential and current clients.
- Customer reviews: It’s well-regarded by clients, as proven by testimonials and user comments across the internet.
Get a constant flow of custom content and your own social media manager to help with organic reach. Leave it to the social experts at $99 Social.
Fiverr Pro: Cheapest Social Media Marketing Agency Services
Pros
- Clear and competitive pricing
- Transparency with user reviews
- No long-term contracts
Cons
- Can be hit or miss—experiences vary by freelancer
- Requires due diligence to find top talent
When to Use Fiverr Pro
Small businesses willing to take a more active role can turn to Fiverr Pro to find social media marketing agency and freelance experts to work with. This allows you to find the exact provider you prefer based on the specific social channels and services you need and your budget.
When to Opt for an Alternative
If you don’t have the expertise to know a great social media manager when you see one, it’s best to go with an agency like Lyfe Marketing. Likewise, if you lack time to research freelance providers, agency experts are the better option, and you can still control costs by choosing a la carte services through companies like $99 Social.
Fiverr Pro offers the best of both worlds: expert social media marketing agency services plus competitive pricing and no long-term contracts. This makes it easy for startups and small businesses on a tight budget to outsource social marketing to experts. Plus, with Fiverr, you can see real customer reviews, so you know what you’re getting.
Fiverr Pro Pricing & Features
Pricing and plans vary by each Fiverr Pro, but expect to pay in the ballpark of $120 to $750 per project in management fees, not including any advertising spend. Services are prepackaged, so you always know exactly what you’ll get for a specific price. Second, you can see real user reviews for every Fiverr Pro, so you can choose a top-rated provider with confidence. Third, prices are competitive—as low as $120 to $150 per month.
Here are the features of finding your solution via Fiverr Pros:
- Expertise and services: There is a wide range of services and expertise levels offered by Fiverr. Purchase the service that provides exactly what you are looking for so you only pay for what you need.
- Account management: You’ll find that there are verified Fiverr Pros who are individual social media experts and agencies. Check with the providers to see how account management is handled.
- Reporting: It’s standard for providers to offer a monthly performance report. However, check with the providers to see how this report is delivered, the level of detail provided, and if strategy calls are included.
- Contract length: Fiverr gigs are offered on a project basis, so there are no long-term contracts. However, some providers do offer services on a subscription basis, so you don’t have to rehire your chosen expert every month.
- Customer reviews: Fiverr is a freelancer marketplace, so reviews vary from provider to provider. What doesn’t vary is the fact that every listing displays a real user review, so you can get a better idea of what it’s like to work with each provider.
- Customer support: Unlike the traditional social marketing agency, Fiverr customers get added support from Fiverr. So if something goes awry, you can depend on support from Fiverr to help resolve your issue.
Find the right provider for your business and social marketing goals by browsing Fiverr Pros now.
Social High Rise: Best for Facebook & Instagram Social Marketing
Pros
- A la carte pricing makes it more affordable for those who only need one service
- Unique offering of online reputation management
- Wide range of platforms included
Cons
- No paid social (organic only)
- Bundled social media and reputation management services require the purchase of the most expensive plan
When to Use Social High Rise
When to Opt for an Alternative
While your Social High Rise plan will include posting two to three times weekly on Facebook and Instagram, it doesn’t come near the frequency or value of high-volume posting with $99 Social. Twitter posting is also listed as a service, but Lyfe Marketing covers a broader range of social media platforms for marketing and advertising.
Social High Rise is a social media and digital reputation management agency that serves both sales and marketing as well as customer service-driven needs. It’s unique as it combines social media management and online reputation to help businesses build a strong brand presence, resulting in increased sales and customer growth.
Social High Rise Pricing & Features
Plans with paid and organic social start at $349 per month, but to get both social and reputation management, you’ll need the most expensive plan at $499 per month. Still, this is a lower price point than combined services through providers like Lyfe Marketing. It’s best for businesses that depend heavily on social and online reviews, like restaurants, consumer services, and hospitality businesses.
Services include posting two to three times weekly on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The Customer Delight package includes reputation management and will also monitor and respond to reviews on Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, Tripadvisor, and SocialMenu.
Here’s a quick look at the features of Social High Rise:
- Expertise and services: Its expertise lies within online reputation management. It involves managing brands via social media and other platforms where people talk about your business, from Google to Yelp.
- Account management: As a client, you’ll get a dedicated expert to manage your account, including strategy development to help you reach your goals.
- Reporting: Every month, clients receive their “wins,” which is Social High Rises’ version of monthly reporting. It details the overall account performance and standout customer engagements.
- Contract length: Social High Rise has a required minimum commitment of six months. After this, clients transition to a month-to-month basis and can cancel at any time. This payment term is one of the longer contracts required on our list. However, 12-month contracts are often standard within the industry.
- Customer service: Social High Rise’s customer team is reachable by phone, email, and online contact form on its website. Clients, however, get a dedicated account manager, so questions will generally be directed to this person. The representative is available during regular business hours from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
- Customer reviews: Social High Rise has a 4 out of 5-star rating on Google. Specifically, reviewers comment that it’s the best social media management agency for restaurants. They said that it allows businesses to spend their time doing what they’re good at instead of worrying about managing their online social presence.
Learn more about how your business can develop a better brand through online reputation and social media services from Social High Rise.
Sprout Social: Best for Self-managed Services
Pros
- Manage posting to five or unlimited social profiles
- 30-day free trial
- All plans include post scheduling, a content calendar, review management tools, social listening, Facebook advertising tools, and an all-in-one social inbox
- Competitive reports and performance dashboard
- Extensive resource library including webinars and tutorials
Cons
- No managed services
- Requires more time than fully managed agency services
When to Use Sprout Social
When to Opt for an Alternative
Sprout Social is loaded with tools for social posting, advertising, listening, reviews management, and more, but it’s still up to you to put the time in to use them. Those looking to hand off social marketing to experts or who lack the time needed to self-manage these services should go with an agency like Lyfe Marketing or Social High Rise instead.
Sprout Social is the best platform for small businesses able and willing to self-manage social as well as reputation and reviews. It simplifies social media management with advanced publishing, scheduling, and reporting tools. It also comes with customer relationship management (CRM) tools that automate customer responses and reviews and social listening tools to monitor your brand’s reputation online.
Sprout Social Pricing & Features
All pricing tiers of Sprout Social include tools to assist in paid and organic social media management, with no limits on how often you can post. The base plan costs $249 monthly and includes managing five social profiles, comprehensive management tools, monthly reporting, and review management. All tiers past the base plan allow unlimited profiles.
Here are Sprout Social’s features at a glance:
- Services: Sprout Social offers a range of tools that enable users to manage multiple social campaigns from a single intuitive interface, including bringing all communication into a single inbox. This includes a content calendar, content suggestions, a campaign planner tool, comprehensive analytics, and asset management tools.
- Expertise: Most social media marketing agencies don’t have extensive resource libraries, but as a platform rather than an agency, Sprout Social does. There you’ll find the tutorials and guidance you need to build and execute a solid social media plan that produces a return on investment.
- Account management: Clients do not get a dedicated account manager. However, you can schedule a video demo and access Sprout Social’s customer support to help you get the best return on investment.
- Reporting: Clients can access a dashboard, monthly profile performance reports, cross-channel performance reports, competitor performance tracking, and paid performance reports for optimizing ad spend.
- Contract length: Sprout Social has no long-term contracts. Pay on a month-to-month basis and cancel anytime if you find that it’s not the best solution for you.
- Customer service: Sprout Social boasts 24/7 customer support with a team that is available by email, online contact form, and social media. A live chat option is not available.
- Customer reviews: Sprout Social has a high 4.3 out of 5 stars on Google from over a thousand reviews. It won the Customer Choice Awards in 2021, and is commonly reviewed as the easiest tool to use for streamlining social media management.
Ready to master social media in-house? Simplify and streamline your process with Sprout Social.
How We Evaluated the Best Social Media Marketing Agencies for Small Business
Social media marketing agencies professionally manage social accounts—like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—for businesses to boost brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. Finding the right one for a small business can be challenging, however. That’s why we compared social media marketing agencies based on features, inclusions, reviews, affordability, and customer service.
The best social media agencies were evaluated using the following criteria:
- Cost and value for the money (including management and setup fees)
- Agency expertise, reputation, and customer reviews
- Plan features and inclusions
- Performance metrics and reporting
- Customer support
- Firsthand experience and expertise
Based on our evaluation, Lyfe Marketing is the best social media marketing agency for small business overall. They offer comprehensive services (paid and organic) for multiple social networks, helping you save money and increase your return on investment with expert strategies and implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What should I look for in a social media agency?
When looking for a social media agency, start with those that offer social media marketing on the channels your target audience uses most. Other things to look for are whether they offer a free consultation, transparency of pricing and what’s included, and the specific strategies they recommend for your business. It is also helpful to check performance statistics and metrics and whether they can provide you with a current client to speak with as a professional reference.
Which social media is best for small business marketing?
The best social media for small business marketing depends on the channels your audience prefers to use and where they engage with brands. Facebook has the broadest audience base worldwide, but younger audiences are more likely to engage with brands on apps like TikTok and Snapchat. Alternatively, business-to-business (B2B) brands should focus on LinkedIn and Twitter. Read our social media marketing guide for more information.
How much do small businesses pay for social media marketing?
The range of how much small businesses pay for social media marketing services is broad. For example, hiring a social media manager includes the cost of salary, benefits, and other employee expenses, whereas paying a freelance expert on Fiverr Pro could be under $100 a month. Other costs to account for are scheduling and monitoring software, copywriting services, graphics and images, and so on.
Bottom Line
Finding the right solution depends on your budget, your need for paid as well as organic social media services, and the number of social profiles you want to be managed. Our top pick overall for the best social media agency for small businesses is Lyfe Marketing. It offers multi-channel management, including both paid and organic social media. Take advantage of the free consultation to see if it’s the best agency for your small business.
