Similarities and differences between a social media agency and an influencer agency
What distinguishes a social media agency from an influencer agency , and conversely, what do they have in common? This is the question we were recently asked regarding our agency's presentation. It's a question less trivial than it seems, and one we'll try to answer as simply as possible in today's short post.
Similarities between a social media agency and an influencer agency
Objectives and audience
Let's start by outlining what the two types of agency have in common. Both share a common overall objective : to promote a brand, products, or services on social media to a specific target audience.
This similarity in objectives allows both types of agencies to work collaboratively to maximize results for their clients. Moreover, like So Bang, it's not uncommon to find agencies that define themselves as both influencer and social media agencies.
To achieve their shared goal, each agency will also use marketing strategies and techniques to create a strong online presence and engage their target audience. Are the methods used by the two types of agencies different? That's what we'll explore next.
Services
Social media agencies and influencer agencies offer a range of similar services to achieve their brand promotion and audience targeting goals.
First, they both offer marketing strategies specific to social networks. These strategies also cover common areas ranging from content creation to the technical management of the platforms on which the strategy will be deployed (community management).
Differences between a social media agency and an influencer agency
Distinct strategic approaches
Although a social media agency and an influence agency cover a very similar range of services in service of a common overall objective, the fact remains that the two types of entities proceed in fundamentally different ways to fulfill their mission.
Thus, social media agencies focus primarily on creating and managing content for social networks themselves, developing specific strategies for each platform. They work directly with brands.
For their part, influencer agencies specialize in identifying influencers and establishing strategic collaborations with them. This approach allows them to maximize brand reach and connect with an engaged audience through the influence of their chosen partners.
Methods for measuring performance and results
Social media agencies also differ from influencer agencies in how they evaluate their return on investment. Social media agencies often use metrics such as follower count and traffic generated to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Influencer agencies, on the other hand, focus more on metrics related to interactions between influencers and their audience, such as engagement rates.
Expertise in content creation
Social media agencies must have solid expertise in content creation itself. To achieve this, they employ community management experts capable of producing creative posts that they then distribute across platforms.
For their part, influencer agencies will identify external content creators (influencers) who will produce tailored content for them and the brands they represent. These collaborations result in partnerships governed by formal contracts that define the influencer's compensation based on their performance.
Credibility and transparency
Social media agencies must ensure that the brand is perceived positively and credibly on social networks. To do this, they implement monitoring to collect all opinions circulating about the brand they represent. For their part, influencer agencies must primarily ensure that their partnerships with influencers are transparent in order to maintain their credibility with their audience.
Social media agencies versus influencer agencies: key takeaways
As we have just seen, a social media agency and an influencer agency have many similarities, but they also have serious differences.
The emergence of influencers in the social media marketing sphere has notably led to the appearance of influence agencies whose job is to identify and regulate them in a clear and transparent manner.
Therefore, brands may wonder what type of agency they should work with. An influencer agency, a social media agency, or both? To answer this question, it's important for a brand to consider its actual needs, the nature of its audience, its marketing objectives, and its budget. While otherselection criteria exist, only then will it be possible to determine whether you need a social media agency, an influencer agency, or a combination of both to achieve your brand promotion and online engagement goals.
At So Bang, we've opted for a hybrid approach, allowing us to offer brands comprehensive support on social media. In fact, we're quite proud to have recently been voted agency of the year for our versatility and our "All-Inclusive Agency" model: Brand Platform + Advertising + Social Media and Influencer Marketing.