SMM vs. Marketing Agency: What’s Actually the Better Move for Your Brand?

Brittney Jones
May 26
3 min read

Updated: May 30

If you’ve ever found yourself spiraling on Google at midnight searching “do I need a social media manager or a marketing agency?”.. you’re not alone!

It’s one of the most common questions we get from business owners at all stages. On the surface, they might sound similar, but the support, strategy, and outcomes? Totally different ballgames.

Whether you’re a solo founder juggling all the things, or a CEO looking to scale your marketing without hiring 5 new people, let’s break down the difference so you can make the best move for your brand (and your sanity).

Social Media Managers

A social media manager is usually one person managing your content, captions, scheduling, and maybe a bit of community engagement. If you’re lucky, they’ve got some design skills or can whip up a high-quality reel or two.

But here’s the thing:

You’re relying on one person’s perspective to drive your brand voice, strategy, and growth.
You’re still expected to provide direction… they’re often executing, not leading.
They’re balancing multiple clients or internal roles, so you’re not always their top priority.
They might not have the depth of expertise (or tools) needed to scale your marketing with intention.

It’s a great option for brands in their early days, but for many, it becomes a short-term fix to a long-term need. OR, ends up costing waaaaaaay more in the long run!

Now let’s talk about agencies. A real marketing agency (hey girl hey, that’s us!) isn’t just showing up to post and ghost. We’re bringing the full squad.

When you work with a full-service agency like Socials & Stilettos, you get:

A team of experts (designers, strategists, copywriters, video editors, community building pros… the works!)
Creative collaboration that pulls from multiple brains, not just one person
Systemized processes and reporting to actually track your growth
Up-to-date trend knowledge because let’s be real, keeping up with the algorithm is a full-time job
A partner, not just a contractor. A team who actually cares about your business just as much as you do!

Marketing Agencies:

Your Built-In Dream Team

We don’t just press post,

we build iconic brands. Period.

🤔“But isn’t an agency way more expensive?”

Here’s the kicker: not really.

By the time you hire a full-time in-house content person, subscribe to all the tools, pay for training, and manage revisions… you’ve likely spent the same (or more) than you would with an agency.

And when you’re working with a seasoned team that already knows how to create results? You skip the guesswork. You skip the delays. And you skip the mediocre content that gets buried by the algorithm.

🚩Real Talk

We’ve had so many clients come to us after hiring a social media manager that just couldn’t deliver the results they were looking for. Not because they weren’t trying, but because they didn’t have the tools, experience, or support to handle the level of strategy the brand needed.

Whether it was slow turnaround times, inconsistent quality, or just never quite “getting it”... they realized what they really needed wasn’t a one-woman show. It was a full-circle dream team.

If you’re growing fast, scaling big, and ready to actually build a magnetic brand, It’s time to call in a marketing agency that knows what they’re doing and has the receipts to prove it.

Take the next stilettoed step: