Social media marketing agencies build, manage, and grow online social networks on behalf of businesses in an effort to market their brand. We reviewed over two dozen of the top-rated agencies and chose the top six—including the best overall—based on performance, value, customer service, and features such as dedicated account managers, content creation, and reporting.
Top 6 Social Media Agencies for Small Businesses 2019
Social Media Agency | Best For |
|---|---|
(Best Overall) For businesses that want full-service organic and paid social media management | |
Businesses seeking management of multiple social media accounts at an affordable price | |
Businesses needing management of both their social media and their online reputation | |
Businesses looking to grow their social presence organically with daily posting | |
Businesses that want low-cost expert management for paid social ads on Facebook or Instagram | |
Businesses needing an easy-to-use tool to manage social media in-house |
How We Evaluated Social Media Agencies
Social media agencies professionally manage social accounts—like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—for businesses in an effort to boost brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. Finding the right one for your business can be challenging, however. That’s why we compared social media agencies and social media management services based on features/inclusions, reviews, affordability, and customer service.
The best social media agencies were evaluated using the following criteria:
- Services: We sought social media agencies that offer management of organic social campaigns, paid ads, or both for leading social networking platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. The platforms covered by the agencies in our list vary, but most at least include management of Facebook accounts.
- Affordability: We looked for agencies that are affordable for small businesses with low minimum budgets of no more than $500 and low to no setup fees.
- Features & inclusions: To determine value, we looked at the features and inclusions for each social media’s plans and packages to find those that offer clients the most, from strategy development and posting frequency to account manager access and reporting.
- Performance & reviews: The agencies on our list have proven performance with at least five years in business and a high average review from its customers. We favored those with exceptionally high reviews.
- Customer service: We looked for agencies that provide you with quality customer support, whether through a customer service team or a dedicated social media account manager.
After considering the criteria above, we determined that the best overall social media agency for small business is Lyfe Marketing. With pricing starting at $400 per month, it’s ideal for small businesses looking to maximize their social media marketing with organic social content as well as paid social ads.
Best Overall Social Media Agency: Lyfe Marketing
Lyfe Marketing is a top-rated full-service marketing agency. It stands out as the best overall social media agency for its wide variety of offerings, including both organic and paid social media management with pricing as low as $400 per month. It’s the best for businesses looking for low-cost paid and organic social media management.
Lyfe Marketing Pricing
Lyfe Marketing’s social media management and advertising services are offered on a fixed-rate monthly fee. It has a one-time setup fee of $150 and minimum monthly fee of $400. While management fees vary from business to business (based on custom quotes), on average, management fees run $400 – $1,000 per month, not including ad spend.
Lyfe Marketing Features
Lyfe Marketing is feature-rich with a wide range of social media marketing services, including both organic and paid advertising management across the following social networking platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Businesses get their own dedicated account manager and social media manager, as well as access to a 24/7 analytics dashboard, custom content, monthly reporting, and a scheduled monthly call with their account manager.
Account Management, Performance & Reporting
Clients of Lyfe Marketing get their own dedicated social media manager who works with clients to understand their business, goals, and objectives to develop a strategic social media marketing plan. They create custom content calendars while continuously working to optimize for growth by performing daily account maintenance. Clients have access to a 24/7 analytics platform, as well as monthly reports and a scheduled monthly call with their manager.
Contract & Terms
Lyfe Marketing has no long-term contracts, unlike many marketing agencies that require a 12-month commitment. Instead, it has an initial three-month contract. Once the three months are up, clients are then on a month-to-month basis and can cancel anytime with a written or digital notice for the following month.
Lyfe Marketing Customer Service
Lyfe Marketing has highly regarded customer service, with a team that is available by phone or an online contact form. Clients also get their own dedicated account manager who serves as their point person. From their account manager, they get a detailed monthly report that shows account performance information, as well as a scheduled monthly call to discuss performance, ideas, and strategy.
What Lyfe Marketing is Missing
Lyfe Marketing is missing a simple and straightforward pricing structure. Instead, every plan is customized to fit the needs of each business and while the flexibility is great, it can also make it difficult to gauge how much your plan will cost. Businesses looking for a clear-cut social media management plan for organic growth should try 99 Dollar Social, or Hibu for paid social management with no management fees.
What Users Think About Lyfe Marketing
Lyfe marketing has a high 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google from 100-plus reviewers. Positive reviews frequently note that users are really happy with the results Lyfe Marketing delivers and that their staff provides a good deal of attention to businesses of all sizes. Negative reviews mainly revolve around its web design services—not their social media management services.
Where to Find Lyfe Marketing
To learn more about Lyfe Marketing and all of the services it offers, visit them online. From its homepage, navigate to its “Our Services” menu option and select “Social Media Management” or “Social Media Advertising.” Alternatively, give it a call at 404-794-8964 to speak with a sales representative who can quickly answer all of your questions. Click here to get started.
Best for Managing Multiple Accounts at a Low Cost: Bearly Marketing
Bearly Marketing is a California-based social media agency that offers high-quality management of multiple social media accounts at a low cost; fixed-rate packages start at $245 per month. It’s best for businesses that want to fully outsource the organic social media management of several accounts to a dedicated specialist at an affordable price.
Bearly Marketing Pricing
Bearly Marketing offers packages on a monthly fixed-rate basis. Plans start at $245 per month for 12 posts per month on one platform and go up to $875 per month for 30 posts per month on four platforms. It also offers an à la carte Social Media Influencer package for an additional $200 per month.
Bearly Marketing Social Media Management Plans
Bearly Marketing Features
Bearly Marketing has a team of social media experts who give businesses the ability to take social media management off their plate and grow their social presence organically at an affordable rate. Clients get a U.S.-based dedicated social media specialist, custom content with professional graphic design, and monthly reports.
Account Management, Performance & Reporting
Social media accounts managed by Bearly are under the purview of a dedicated social media specialist who works with clients to understand their business and create custom content to grow their accounts. Clients get a monthly social report, which provides details on the account’s performance with information on key performance indicators, such as user engagement through likes and comments and the number of new followers.
Contract & Terms
With Bearly Marketing, there is no long-term commitment. Clients are contracted on a month-to-month basis and can cancel anytime with notice made by the 15th of the month. Even without a long-term commitment, businesses should plan to give a new agency at least 90 days to see the impact their services have on their business as it can take time to gain social traction. At the same time, not having a contract gives clients added freedom and flexibility.
Bearly Customer Service
Bearly Marketing is available by phone, email, or an online contact form. Clients get their own dedicated social media specialist, which serves as their own point person. Clients are also always welcome to visit their Manhattan Beach office, for those who are located in the area.
What Bearly Marketing is Missing
Bearly Marketing is missing paid social management services (advertising) as part of its standard social media packages. Though organic social media growth is the best for long-term success, many businesses use paid social advertisements as a way to boost their social presence and to promote products and services in the short term. Those looking for the best social media agency to manage both organic and paid social should consider Lyfe Marketing.
What Users Think About Bearly Marketing
Bearly Marketing has a perfect 5-star rating on Google Reviews. Reviewers frequently comment that they enjoy working with Bearly Marketing and that they are very friendly and helpful with great customized content. Many enjoy working with a small business that is attentive and gives them personalized service.
Where to Find Bearly Marketing
Visit Bearly Marketing online to learn more about them and the services they offer. On their homepage, hover over the “About Our Agency” tab and select “Social Media Management” from the drop-down options. Get started with Bearly Marketing today.
Best for Online Reputation Management & Social In One: Social High Rise
Social High Rise is a social media and digital reputation management agency. It’s unique as it combines social media management and online reputation to help businesses build a strong digital presence, resulting in increased sales and customer growth; plans start at $249 per month. It’s best for businesses that depend heavily on social and online reviews such as general service and hospitality businesses.
Social High Rise Pricing
Social High Rise offers three fixed-price packages starting at $249 per month for its basic online reputation management package which covers Yelp, Google+, Facebook Reviews, TripAdvisor, and SocialMenu. It offers two package add-on options for social media management of Instagram and Facebook for an additional $99 per month each.
Social High Rise Tiered Pricing & Features
Customer Service | Customer Experience | Customer Delight | |
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $249/month | $299/month | $449/month |
Reputation Management Platforms Included | Facebook Reviews, Google+, Yelp, TripAdvisor & SocialMenu | Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare & SocialMenu | Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Google+, Foursquare, TripAdvisor & SocialMenu |
Facebook Management Addon | $99/month | Included | Included |
Instagram Management Addon | $99/month | $99/month | $99/month |
Customer Service Plan
The Customer Service plan costs $249 per month and includes reputation management of Facebook Reviews, Google+, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and SocialMenu. Facebook and Instagram management add-ons are available for an additional $99 per month each. Every plan comes with an inaugural kick-off call, profile setup, a dedicated social media account manager, and monthly reporting.
The Customer Service plan is best for businesses in the hospitality and tourism industries such as restaurants, bars, or tour providers, looking for professional reputation management as opposed to social media management. This is because this plan is geared toward managing directory and customer review platforms that these types of industries depend heavily on to attract customers.
Customer Experience Plan
The Customer Experience plan costs $299 per month and includes social and reputation management of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and SocialMenu. There is also an Instagram management add-on available for an additional $99 per month. Like the Customer Service plan, it comes with a kick-off call, profile setup, a dedicated account manager, and monthly reports.
This plan is best for businesses that often receive input and engagement from customers on social channels, especially service-oriented businesses. This is because the plan covers both reputation management and management of their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Those that also want Instagram management will have to pay extra, though $99 is generally considered low for a monthly Instagram management service.
Customer Delight Plan
The Customer Delight plan costs $449 per month and includes everything from the Customer Experience plan, plus management of Yelp, Google+, and TripAdvisor. As with all Social High Rise plans, Instagram management is available as an add-on for an extra $99 per month. And as with the plans above, this one comes with an initial kick-off call, profile setup, a dedicated account manager, and monthly reports.
This plan is best for businesses that lean heavily on both reputation management (service companies) and social engagement to build and maintain a customer base. This would especially suit those in highly competitive markets that need to set themselves apart, as well as those with already active Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Contract & Terms
Social High Rise has a required minimum commitment of six months. After the first six months, clients are then on a month-to-month basis and can cancel at any time. This is one of the longer contracts required on our list. However, 12-month contracts are standard within the industry.
Social High Rise Customer Service
Customer service is available by phone, email, and an online contact form available on Social High Rise’s website. Clients, however, get a dedicated social media account manager, so questions will generally be directed to this person. He/she is available during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday.
What Social High Rise is Missing
Social High Rise is missing a paid social advertising management service. It is the only social media agency on our list that includes online reputation management, but those looking for paid social advertising will find Hibu to be a good alternative; it offers paid social management for businesses with advertising budgets as low as $250 per month.
What Users Think About Social High Rise
Social High Rise has a 4 out of 5 star rating on Google. Reviewers comment that it’s the best social media management agency for restaurants and that it gives businesses the ability to spend their time doing what they’re good at instead of worrying about managing their online social presence.
Where to Find Social High Rise
Learn more about Social High Rise by visiting it online. From its homepage, navigate to the “Features” or “Pricing” menu options to get more details on what the agency offers and what it can do for your business. Get started with a free consultation.
Best Option for Daily Posting: 99 Dollar Social
99 Dollar Social is a social media marketing company that offers social media account management at unbeatable prices. What makes it unique is that it offers a package that includes daily posting of custom content seven days a week for just $99 per month. It’s best for businesses that want regular content posting for organic social growth.
99 Dollar Social Pricing
99 Dollar Social offers one social media management plan for a fixed rate of $99 per month. This plan includes custom content created for your business by a content specialist, who posts content seven days a week for one social media account. It also includes customer service via phone, email, and chat.
99 Dollar Social Features
99 Dollar Social is a straightforward and no-frills social media marketing agency. It offers a plan that includes a content specialist who is responsible for creating unique content and posting it daily to one social media account. Compared to most social media management agencies, 99 Dollar Social is an incredible value with a very high posting frequency combined with a very low price.
Account Management, Performance & Reporting
Accounts are managed by a content specialist who is a social media expert. The content specialist is responsible for finding and creating content that is posted daily as a long-term strategy for organic social media growth. Reporting is not included in the standard $99 per month plan, but is available as an add-on for an additional $49 per month.
Contract & Terms
All 99 Dollar Social plans are contract-free and on a month-to-month basis; therefore, they can 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.
99 Dollar Social Customer Service
99 Dollar Social has a customer service team available by phone from 9 a.m. to 5 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.
What 99 Dollar Social is Missing
Given that 99 Dollar Social is a budget social media marketing agency, it doesn’t come with a lot of the features that higher priced agencies have, such as monthly reporting or scheduled calls. It also doesn’t offer paid social advertising. Businesses looking for a low-cost agency to build and manage paid social ads should consider Hibu instead.
What Users Think About 99 Dollar Social
Currently 99 Dollar Social does not have any online reviews of its service. However, it seems to be generally well-regarded by clients, as proven by testimonials and user comments across the internet.
Where to Find 99 Dollar Social
Learn more about 99 Dollar Social by visiting them online. From the homepage, navigate to the “What’s Included” tab to learn more about its social media management plan, or click “Get Started” to register. Click here to start your 14-day risk-free trial.
Best for Lost-Cost Facebook Ad Management: Hibu
Hibu is an international digital marketing agency that offers paid social advertising services for small businesses. It stands out for its Facebook social ad management service that has no setup or monthly fees included with ad spend, which starts at $250 per month. Businesses looking to advertise through Facebook at an affordable price should choose Hibu.
Hibu Pricing
Hibu has a small minimum required ad spend of $250 per month for social media marketing services that include Facebook and Instagram ad management. There are no setup fees, nor monthly management fees. This makes it incredibly affordable and allows businesses to fully allocate their budget to ad spend, rather than to monthly management fees.
While no ad management fees might seem suspect, Hibu indicated to us that they make money as an affiliate of advertising platforms. They bring on customers who choose to advertise with Facebook or Instagram; these platforms then pay Hibu for bringing them new advertisers. For more details about how the Hibu revenue model works, contact a Hibu representative directly.
Hibu Features
Hibu’s social media marketing clients get two dedicated account analysts who will build, manage, and consistently optimize paid social ads through Facebook Ads Manager, including ads for both Facebook and Instagram. Clients get access to a live online dashboard where they can view their account’s performance at any time as well as schedule calls with their analysts.
Account Management, Performance & Reporting
HIbu social media marketing clients get assigned to two analysts, both of whom serve as contact points. The analysts will call on days 30, 45, 60, and 90 of a client’s account to check-in, discuss performance and future goals, and to generally check that everything is running smoothly. Additionally, clients get access to a live online dashboard where they can view their account’s performance at any time.
Contract & Terms
Contract length varies from three to 12 months, depending on ad spend, and clients are on a month-to-month basis after the contract period ends. The general rule of thumb is that the lower your ad spend, the longer your contract. For example, a client with the minimum ad spend of $250 per month will likely have a 12-month contract.
Hibu Customer Service
Hibu offers quality customer service via phone, email, and live chat. Its phone support sets it apart from most large marketing agencies as it’s available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time on Saturdays. Also, calls are always answered by a person—not an automated machine.
What Hibu is Missing
Hibu is missing organic social management of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest, as well as a variety of paid social advertising options. This can be limiting for businesses that want both organic and paid social. Businesses seeking both should consider Lyfe Marketing.
What Users Think About Hibu
Hibu is well-regarded in terms of its low-cost social advertising services. Users like how affordable it is for professional management. On the other hand, users dislike that it requires a three-month contract minimum.
Where to Find Hibu
Learn more about Hibu by visiting its homepage, navigating to the “Digital Marketing” menu option, and clicking on “Social Marketing” from the drop-down. If you have any questions, get the conversation started with a Hibu representative to find out if Hibu is right for your business. Get your no-obligation consultation today.
Best Option for In-House Social Media Management: Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a leading social media management platform that gives businesses an alternative to social media agencies. It stands out for its comprehensive tools that give businesses the ability to manage their own social media with plans from $0 – $599 per month. It’s best for smaller, budget-strapped businesses looking to manage their social media in-house.
Hootsuite Pricing
Hootsuite offers both free and paid premium plans ranging from $29/month to $599/month. The free plan includes linking and managing three social profiles with up to 30 scheduled messages for one user. Premium plans include higher limits on social profiles, scheduling, and number of users as well as premium support and custom reporting.
Hootsuite Tiered Pricing & Features
Free | Professional | Team | Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $0/month | $29/month | $129/month | $599/month |
Number of Social Profiles | 3 | 10 | 20 | 35 |
Scheduled Messages | 30 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Number of Users | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5-10 |
Performance Reporting | Access to Basic Analytics Dashboard | Reports With Key Performance Indicators | Custom Analytics Reporting & Exportable Reports | Custom Analytics Reporting & Exportable Reports |
Customer Support | Standard | Standard | Standard | 24/7 |
Hootsuite Free Plan
Hootsuite’s free plan gives one user access to its social media management dashboard. It includes up to three social profiles, selected from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest. The free plans also include the ability to schedule up to 30 posts, performance and analytics data, and basic customer support.
The free plan is best for individuals such as bloggers using social media as a secondary marketing channel. It’s also good for businesses looking to test the waters and decide whether a social media management platform is right for them.
Hootsuite Professional Plan
The Professional plan costs $29 per month with annual billing. It gives businesses the ability to connect up to 10 social profiles with unlimited scheduling for one user. It also provides an upgraded version of analytics from its free account with key performance indicators and account stats.
This plan is best for individuals who are looking to use social media marketing more aggressively and strategically, as well as small businesses with one designated staff member who runs and manages social media accounts. This is because of its limited user access; while it includes a large number of social profiles and unlimited scheduling, it only serves one user.
Hootsuite Team Plan
The Team plan costs $129 per month with annual billing. It includes everything from the Professional plan such as unlimited posting, but with 20 social profiles and up to three users. It also upgrades analytics and reporting with custom analytics data so businesses can get the exact information that matters to them regarding their social media’s performance.
The Team plan is best for businesses with teams managing their social media accounts. This is because it includes up to three users, giving several staffers an easy way to manage social accounts collectively. This would likely include medium-sized companies with marketing teams comprised of several employees, each one charged with managing a separate social media account.
Hootsuite Business Plan
The Business plan costs $599 per month with annual billing. It includes up to 35 social profiles, unlimited scheduling, and up to 10 different users. It also includes premium customer support that is available 24/7 and the ability to export reports.
The Business plan is best for large companies that are comprised of multiple brands that each have their own corresponding social media accounts. It’s also good for nationwide or global franchises with many different locations, each with their own unique audiences and therefore a large number of different social profiles.
Hootsuite Customer Service
Hootsuite’s customer service team is available via email, as well as live chat on its site, Facebook, and Twitter. It has locations globally, so no matter what time zone you’re in, you will most likely have customer support readily available during normal business hours. It also has a comprehensive help center that answers common questions, helps troubleshoot any issues, and provides learning materials.
What Hootsuite is Missing
Hootsuite is a social media management platform, not a traditional social media agency, so it doesn’t include account managers that manage social accounts on their clients’ behalf. Those looking to fully outsource their organic social media management should consider 99 Dollar Social for content creation and posting for just $99 per month.
What Users Think About Hootsuite
Hootsuite has a high 4.5 out of 5 star rating on our reviews page. Positive reviews frequently indicate that the platform is very easy to use and makes managing many social media accounts in-house easy. On the other hand, some say the dashboard can be glitchy and could use updating.
Where to Find Hootsuite
Visit Hootsuite online to learn more about what it offers. From the homepage, click “Plans” from the menu bar for more details on inclusions for each plan, or start a conversation with a sales rep using the quick and easy online chat feature. Try Hootsuite with a free account today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What should I look for in a social media agency?
Every business should look for different things in a social media agency, as every business has different needs. However, there are some universal must-haves when it comes to social media agencies; these include industry expertise, quality service, responsive and helpful customer support, and an affordable price.
What are the best social media marketing tools?
There are so many great social media marketing tools available that help businesses do everything from design and schedule posts to create landing pages. However, the tools that are generally regarded as the overall best include Canva for creating graphics, Bitly for condensing URLs, BuzzSumo for social media monitoring, Leadpages for creating landing pages, and Hootsuite for social media management, planning, and analytics.
How do I set up a Facebook ad?
Facebook Ads are created and launched through Facebook Ads Manager. If you don’t have an Ads Manager account, create one. From your advertising dashboard, click “Create” to build a new campaign. Select your campaign objective and ad set, choose your audience, set your budget and schedule, create your ad, and finally, launch your campaign. For more help, read our step-by-step guide on how to use Facebook Ads Manager.
How much does Facebook advertising cost?
Facebook ads priced on a pay-per-click, or PPC, basis. This means that advertisers only pay when its audience interacts with an ad, such as a click, video view, or conversion (typically a form completion or sale). The average cost per click (CPC) for Facebook ads is $1.86 and the average small business advertising on Facebook spends around $1,000 per month. For more information, read our article on Facebook advertising costs.
Bottom Line – Social Media Marketing Agency
Social media agencies provide professional management of social accounts on behalf of businesses, giving them a way of building their online presence, increasing their brand awareness, and driving sales through social platforms. We sought to find the best social media agencies by evaluating dozens of the top providers; our criteria included the quality of service, affordability, customer service, and customer reviews.
We determined that the overall best social media agency is Lyfe Marketing—largely due to its broad service offerings, including both organic social media management and social ad management. It’s an affordable option with pricing starting at $400 per month. Businesses looking for expert management of organic and paid social should consider signup for Lyfe Marketing. Get started today with a free consult.
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