Mastering Social Media: Discover the Leading Social Media Management Agencies

Social media is a huge industry in South Africa, with an estimated 22 million users, and growing at an incredible rate (a whopping 19% increase from 2018 to 2019). 

Because of this, many businesses are looking to cash in and use social media as a platform to grow their business.

The thing is, doing it wrong can sometimes be more harmful than doing nothing at all. 

For many companies, the solution is to simply outsource their social media strategy to people who have the experience and personnel to handle it for them. 

How do you know who you can trust, though? 

Well, in this article we’re going to go over of the best social media management agencies today, and the reasons you’d want to go with them, so you can make an informed decision.

Addon

Overview: Addon is a specialist social media marketing agency with a variety of other digital marketing services on offer. They describe themselves as the cost smart alternative to an inhouse social media manager. 

What we like: We like that they’re specialised on social media marketing, as a specialist agency will always have more experience in the nuances of a field that can set your business apart. We also like their commitment to making world-class design work affordable, no matter the size of your business. 

Who they’re for: Go with Addon if you want an exceptional social media strategy with great design work. If your digital strategy is focused around social media, it’s always worth hiring a specialist in the long term. 

SCOPE Agency

Overview: SCOPE is a specialist social media agency offering services like influencer management, content marketing, social media marketing and more. They describe themselves as a “young, bold and creative” focused on using social media to take your business to the next level. 

What we like: We like that they’re a specialist agency with a distinct identity. We also like their clear enthusiasm and colourful approach, just take a look at their website. 

Who they’re for: If you want a vibrant social media agency full of young people bursting with new ideas, go with SCOPE. 

Social Media 101

Overview: Social media 101 is one of the leading specialised social media marketing agencies in the country. They offer a full range of social media services from influencer marketing and business training to regular social media advertising. 

What we like: We like their dedication to being the best at their specialization and offering a comprehensive set of services under the social media marketing umbrella you can’t find elsewhere. They also put out a lot of good content on the subject, check out their blog. 

Who they’re for: If you’re looking for the best social media strategy possible, and you’re willing to pay for it, consider Social Media 101. They do exceptional work, but due to their size can be pricey for smaller businesses. 

Akio

Overview: Although not a specialist social media agency, Akio offers a comprehensive set of social media services as part of their larger consultancy offering. They have a lot of experience with service-based companies and non-profit organisations. 

What we like: We like their tailored approach to constructing social media strategies, where they ensure their strategies are optimised to the platform and your business’ goals. We also like that they continue to optimise campaigns once they’re live. 

Who they’re for: Go with Akio if you need a full-service consultancy, that will still do your social media strategy justice. 

Shift ONE

Overview: Shift ONE is another great generalist agency, but with a dedicated social media and content marketing arm across all social platforms. They’re dedicated to being as honest and straightforward and it shows on their website. 

What we like: We like their honest and straight forward approach. When it comes to social media marketing, it can be easy to get misled by smoke and mirrors so it’s always important to partner with an agency you feel you can trust. 

Who they’re for: If you want an integrated agency that will be honest and straightforward with you throughout your social media strategy, go with Shift ONE. 

So Interactive

Overview: So Interactive is an independent agency dedicated to creating meaningful long term relationships with their clients. Their focus is around combining creativity, strategy and technology to create exceptional online campaigns. 

What we like: We like their website first of all, which has a stunning visual design. But more importantly, we like their dedicated social media team which specialises in creating great branded content and creating communities around your business. 

Who they’re for: Go with So Interactive if you want an agency with a balance of creative talent and strategic skill to manage your social media strategy. 

Focus Online

Overview: Focus online is a highly specialised digital agency focused on the luxury travel industry. Their business is based around boosting bookings for companies in this industry using digital marketing tools. 

What we like: We like their focus and commitment to the travel industry. Specialist agencies are almost always the best at their particular niche and Focus Online is no different. They offer a variety of tailor-made solutions and they know the industry inside and out. 

Who they’re for: If you have a luxury travel brand, and you want the absolute best service for your industry, go with Focus Online.

Hashtag South Africa

Overview: Hashtag South Africa is an established agency, with clients like multiple branches of the South African government. They offer a full suite of services including a dedicated social media strategy team. 

What we like: We like how they have systems in place from experience in the field, and that they still take the time to tailor-make each social media strategy to your business’ needs. 

Who they’re for: If you want an established company with a track record, you should look at Hashtag South Africa. One thing to note, though, is their prices may be a little high for new or smaller businesses. 

be-cause

Overview: be-cause is an “integrated communication and PR agency”. They’re different from the other agencies on this list as they’re more focused on the PR and communication side of marketing. Why are they on our list of the best social media management agencies then? Well, they still offer these services as part of their overall packages. 

What we like: We like that they’re dedicated to staying abreast of the latest trends in communication, including social media management. Their focus makes them great for industries where your marketing is very news-driven. 

Who they’re for: Go with them if you need an agency that can drive your communication across both traditional and online platforms, including social media content creation. 

CSA Sha-izwe

Overview: Charles Smith Associates Sha-izwe is another communication focused agency that provides digital marketing, PR and branded communication services. 

What we like: We like their cross-platform focus on effective communications and advertising. They’re another good option if you want an integrated traditional and online platform agency. They’re also the oldest company on this list, founded back in 1987.

Who they’re for: Go with them if your business needs communications focused services from traditional to online media, and you value companies with a rich heritage of experience in the industry. 

Conclusion

We hope this helped you decide on the best social media management agencies for your business. 

Whatever you pick, be sure it matches your business’ needs and situation. Don’t be afraid to shop around till you find the right fit. 

Reputable agencies are those that want you to be clients for twelve years, not twelve months. 

In case you were wondering, we also offer social media management services but specialising in creating leads and sales rather than generating content. 

If you’re looking for someone to create exciting content for your accounts, we’re probably not the right choice.

If you’re looking for an agency to help optimise and run your social media advertising strategy, feel free to contact us with the form below.
Else, check out the rest of the inSyte Blog for more content like this.