Incast vs Shane Barker

Why brands weigh up different influencer marketing agencies

When you start looking for help with creators, it’s easy to land on names like Incast and Shane Barker and wonder which one actually fits your brand. Both focus on influencer work, but they support clients in different ways.

You’re usually not just asking “who’s better?” You’re asking who understands your niche, your budget, and how hands‑on you want to be.

This breakdown focuses on influencer agency services as the primary keyword, so you can see how each provider operates and where they’re strongest.

What these agencies are known for

Both providers sit in the world of influencer agency services, but they built their reputations differently. One leans toward structured, scalable campaigns. The other is often seen more as a specialist advisor and strategist with a personal brand.

Understanding this difference helps you see whether you need a larger execution team or a strategy‑heavy partner that works more like a boutique shop.

Incast in simple terms

Incast is typically viewed as a full‑service influencer marketing agency. It’s known for managing end‑to‑end campaigns, especially for brands that want reach on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Instead of just finding influencers, Incast tends to handle casting, negotiations, project management, and reporting. That makes it appealing if you prefer a “done for you” solution rather than building your own internal process.

Core services you can expect

Service menus evolve, but agencies like this commonly cover the main steps of influencer work. That usually includes planning, creator sourcing, and actual campaign oversight.

• Influencer discovery and vetting
• Campaign planning and creative direction
• Contracting and fee negotiation
• Content approvals and timeline management
• Performance tracking and reporting
• Sometimes, paid social amplification on top of organic posts

What matters is not the exact label they use, but that they’re set up to run campaigns at scale for multiple brands at once.

How Incast tends to run campaigns

Campaigns with a structured agency often start with a discovery call, followed by a written proposal. From there, a dedicated team or account manager usually coordinates everything.

You’ll typically see clear campaign timelines, influencer shortlists, and content plans. Brands often approve creators and content, but don’t have to handle daily back‑and‑forth messages with each influencer.

Creator relationships and network

Agencies at this scale rely on large creator databases and ongoing relationships with influencers or talent managers. Their value often comes from knowing which creators consistently deliver and how to match them with brand goals.

Over time, that network turns into faster casting, better pricing patterns, and more predictable results for certain verticals such as beauty, fashion, consumer tech, or gaming.

Typical clients that fit Incast

This style of agency often attracts brands that either don’t have internal influencer specialists, or prefer to save their team from heavy coordination work.

• Consumer brands needing multi‑creator or multi‑country campaigns
• Marketing teams already busy with paid ads and email
• Companies that want consistent, repeatable influencer programs
• Brands aiming for visibility and sales in competitive markets

If you’re looking for a bigger engine behind your campaigns, this type of partner usually fits better than a solo consultant.

Shane Barker’s consulting style

The name “Shane Barker” is strongly tied to an individual marketing expert who’s been visible online for years through content, speaking, and consulting work. Instead of a large, faceless agency, you’re often working within a smaller, more personal setup.

The focus here tends to lean toward strategy, thought leadership, and high‑touch support rather than just volume campaign execution.

Services often associated with Shane Barker

The offering can be broader than pure influencer work, because many clients come in through content on digital marketing, SEO, and branding.

• Influencer strategy and campaign planning
• Brand positioning and messaging support
• Consulting on which creators and platforms to prioritize
• Sometimes, managed execution with a smaller team or partners
• Audits of current influencer or content programs

Instead of a standard package, you may see more bespoke plans customized around where your marketing is already strong or weak.

How campaigns are usually approached

Projects with a consultant‑style leader often start with a deeper look at your overall marketing funnel. Influencers are then plugged in as one part of that bigger picture.

You might work through workshops, roadmaps, and phased campaigns. Execution can be more selective, with fewer influencers but tighter messaging and tracking.

Creator relationships and network

A personal brand in this space often builds a network through years of industry contact and reputation. That can mean more direct relationships with expert creators in niches like SaaS, B2B, or specialized consumer products.

Instead of huge rosters, the value may come from knowing which specific voices carry credibility in your niche and how to partner with them meaningfully.

Typical clients that choose Shane Barker

Brands here often want strategic help more than just bulk campaign management. They might be already running creators but feel results are uneven or hard to track.

• Brands needing a senior marketing mind to shape direction
• Companies testing influencers for the first time
• Teams that want education and knowledge transfer
• Businesses in specialized or B2B spaces wanting authority, not just reach

If you want to deeply understand why a certain creator plan makes sense, this style of partner can be a strong match.

How the two agencies really differ

Although both operate in influencer agency services, they feel different once you start working with them. The contrast is less about who is “good” and more about scale, style, and how closely you work with senior experts.

Scale and structure

A more traditional agency model is built around teams, internal processes, and the ability to run several campaigns at the same time. You’ll often deal with account managers and specialists.

A consultant‑driven setup is usually smaller. You’re closer to the main expert, but there may be fewer people for large, multi‑market rollouts.

Execution versus advisory balance

One approach is often execution heavy, handling day‑to‑day tasks like outreach, briefs, and approvals. That’s helpful if you lack capacity.

The other may lean more toward planning, feedback, and high‑level decisions, while using partners or your team for some of the ongoing coordination.

Client experience and communication

With a bigger operation, you’re likely to have structured reporting, dashboards, or regular status calls. The relationship feels like working with an external extension of your marketing department.

With a specialist consultant, communication can feel more direct and less formal. You might have deeper strategic conversations but fewer layers of people involved.

Focus of work

Agency models often emphasize campaign volume, international reach, and repeatable processes. They’re built for brands who want consistent programs over time.

Consultant‑led models may put more emphasis on sharpening your overall marketing, experimenting, and teaching your team how to run better campaigns long term.

Pricing and how work is structured

Neither side usually publishes simple price tags, because influencer work depends heavily on your scope, markets, and creator tiers. Still, there are common patterns that can help you budget.

How agency‑style partners usually charge

A full‑service influencer agency often charges through custom proposals that blend service fees with creator budgets. You might see fees structured around retainers, project‑based work, or a mix.

• Monthly retainers for ongoing management
• One‑off campaign fees for specific launches
• Separate influencer fees, which can vary widely
• Optional add‑ons like paid boosting or content usage rights

Costs rise with the number of influencers, the size of their audiences, content formats, and the number of markets involved.

How consultant‑style partners usually charge

Consultant‑led services often use strategy or advisory fees, sometimes with additional execution support billed separately. You may pay for a roadmap upfront, then choose whether to have that partner manage the rollout.

• Strategy or audit projects with clear deliverables
• Retainers for ongoing consulting and oversight
• Optional management fees if the consultant’s team runs campaigns
• Influencer fees paid by you directly or through the consultant

This model can be cost‑effective if you have an in‑house team that can implement plans once they’re created.

What influences cost the most

Regardless of which route you choose, several factors drive budgets more than the name on the contract.

• Number of influencers and their follower counts
• Markets and languages involved
• Content formats: static, video, live, or long‑form
• Usage rights, whitelisting, and repurposing plans
• Timeline speed and how many revisions you need

*Many brands underestimate how much creator fees and content rights contribute to final cost.* Building clear expectations early helps avoid surprises later.

Strengths and limitations to keep in mind

No agency or consultant is perfect for every brand. The key is matching their strengths to what you care about most: speed, control, scale, or depth of advice.

Where agency‑style partners shine

• Handling lots of creators at once for big launches
• Bringing in battle‑tested processes and templates
• Freeing your team from daily coordination
• Offering structured reporting and standardized updates

They’re particularly useful if your main challenge is bandwidth and you just want strong, repeatable execution with less stress on your team.

Where agency‑style partners may fall short

• Less direct access to senior experts on every call
• Processes that feel rigid if you like to experiment
• Potential for feeling like one client among many
• Higher minimum budgets for fully managed services

*Some brands worry about losing control or feeling distant from creators when an agency manages everything.* Clear communication and shared dashboards can ease that concern.

Where consultant‑style partners shine

• Close access to a seasoned marketer or strategist
• Deep input on brand story, funnels, and measurement
• Flexible, customized solutions instead of standard packages
• Ability to train and upskill your in‑house team

This approach works well if you want to understand the “why” behind every move and build internal capabilities.

Where consultant‑style partners may fall short

• Limited capacity for huge, multi‑market activations
• Less support for very manual tasks if your team is small
• Potentially slower execution if one expert is in high demand
• Need for your own staff to implement some recommendations

If your internal team is lean, you’ll want to be honest about how much implementation you can realistically take on after getting strategic advice.

Who each agency is best for

Once you’re clear on your priorities, it becomes much easier to see where each type of partner makes sense in the real world.

Best fits for a full‑service influencer agency

• Established consumer brands planning frequent creator campaigns
• Marketing teams with more budget than time or staff
• Companies wanting presence across several regions or languages
• Brands measuring success largely on reach, engagement, and sales lift

If you picture your ideal setup as “we brief the partner, they handle the heavy lifting, and we review results,” a full‑service approach aligns well.

Best fits for a consultant‑led setup

• Brands new to influencer marketing who need a smart starting plan
• Companies with in‑house marketers ready to execute work
• Businesses in specialist niches seeking authority and trust
• Teams wanting cross‑channel thinking, not just influencer work

You’ll get most value here if you see this partner as a senior advisor embedded with your team, shaping both immediate campaigns and longer‑term strategy.

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Sometimes, neither a full agency nor a consultant is the best first move. If you’re comfortable being more hands‑on, a platform solution can be a strong middle ground.

What a platform‑based option looks like

Tools like Flinque give you software for influencer discovery, outreach, and campaign tracking without requiring long‑term agency retainers. You still manage strategy and relationships, but with more structure and data.

• Search tools to find and filter creators
• Workflow features to manage outreach and briefs
• Centralized tracking of content and results
• Often, better visibility into creator metrics and rates

This approach suits teams who prefer control and learning by doing, but want to avoid the chaos of spreadsheets and one‑off DMs.

When a platform may be the better choice

• Your budget is modest, but you have time to manage campaigns
• You want to experiment before committing to large retainers
• You already have marketing staff who can own influencer work
• You value transparency into creator data and campaign details

You can always start with a platform, learn what works, and then bring in an agency or consultant later once you’re ready to scale.

FAQs

How do I choose between a full‑service agency and a consultant?

Start with your biggest gap. If you lack time and staff, choose a full‑service agency. If you need senior guidance, but can execute in‑house, a consultant‑led setup is usually a better fit.

Can smaller brands work with these kinds of influencer agencies?

Yes, but minimum budgets vary. Smaller brands often start with limited pilots, a consultant engagement, or a platform like Flinque before moving into larger retainers or multi‑market campaigns.

How long does it take to see results from influencer campaigns?

Awareness metrics like reach and engagement appear quickly. Sales and long‑term brand lift usually need several months of consistent campaigns, testing different creators, and refining offers or landing pages.

Should I let the agency choose all the influencers?

It’s best to collaborate. Agencies bring data and experience, while you know your customers and brand tone. Review shortlists, share clear brand guidelines, and ask for reasoning behind each recommendation.

Is a platform like Flinque enough without an agency?

It can be, if you’re willing to handle strategy, negotiation, and creator management. Many brands start with a platform, then add agency or consultant support once campaigns become more complex.

Conclusion: choosing what suits you

Picking between different influencer partners is really about your resources and comfort level. If you want campaigns largely handled for you, a full‑service influencer agency is often the smoother path.

If you’d rather invest in strategic thinking and build skills internally, a consultant‑led setup can be powerful. And if you prefer to stay fully hands‑on with the help of software, a platform like Flinque offers flexibility without big retainers.

Clarify your goals, your budget, and how involved you want to be day to day. Once those pieces are clear, the best choice usually becomes obvious.

Disclaimer

All information on this page is collected from publicly available sources, third party search engines, AI powered tools and general online research. We do not claim ownership of any external data and accuracy may vary. This content is for informational purposes only.