SmartSites vs BEN

Why brands put these two influencer partners side by side

Brand teams often weigh SmartSites and BEN when they want influencer marketing that feels less random and more dependable. You are likely looking for clear expectations on results, creative control, budget, and how closely an agency will work with your team.

This is especially true if you are moving beyond one-off gifted posts and want ongoing campaigns that drive measurable sales, signups, or app installs.

Table of Contents

• What each influencer partner is known for
• Influencer partner overview
  • SmartSites at a glance
  • BEN at a glance
• How SmartSites typically works with brands
• How BEN typically works with brands
• Key differences in style and focus
• Pricing approach and how work is structured
• Strengths and limitations to keep in mind
• Who each option tends to fit best
• When a platform solution like Flinque makes more sense
• FAQs
• Helping you decide what to do next
• Disclaimer

What each influencer partner is known for

The primary keyword for this page is influencer agency comparison. That is exactly what most marketers are quietly doing when they look at these two names.

Both are best known for helping brands show up inside content people already watch, whether that is YouTube videos, social posts, or other creator led formats.

They share some overlap, but they are not identical. One leans more into broader digital marketing and paid media. The other is more often associated with deep creator networks and entertainment driven work.

What each agency is known for in simple terms

SmartSites at a glance

SmartSites is widely known as a digital marketing agency with services that span web design, paid search, paid social, and search visibility work. Influencer support often fits into broader campaigns rather than standing alone.

In practice, that means influencer efforts are usually tied closely to landing pages, email flows, and paid ads that retarget the traffic creators send.

BEN at a glance

BEN, often associated with BENlabs, is usually positioned around creators, product placements, and AI informed decision making. It is particularly active in entertainment style content such as YouTube channels and streaming shows.

The focus is less about building your website and more about inserting your brand into places where fans already spend serious time watching and engaging.

How SmartSites typically works with brands

While SmartSites is not only an influencer partner, many brands loop it in when they want creators to support performance focused digital campaigns.

Services that can touch influencer work

Most of the company’s core offerings are not creator specific, but they often connect naturally with influencer outreach.

• Landing page design that turns influencer traffic into leads or sales
• Search and shopping campaigns supporting branded keywords
• Social ad campaigns using creator content as paid assets
• Email or SMS flows triggered after influencer driven signups

Influencer campaigns, when offered, are usually woven into this wider performance strategy rather than run in isolation.

Approach to planning campaigns

For brands that want creators involved, the team tends to look at your current traffic, funnels, and paid media first. The question becomes how creators can amplify what already works instead of building an entirely new silo.

Planning might include testing different creators, content angles, and offers while tightly watching lead or purchase costs.

How they tend to work with creators

SmartSites is not typically marketed as a talent management agency with a huge in house roster. Instead, it collaborates with creators in ways that serve performance goals and ad usage.

Brand teams often care less about celebrity names and more about whether the creator can speak to a niche that already converts.

Typical client fit

SmartSites is often a fit for companies that see influencer spend as one line in a broader digital budget. Common profiles include:

• Ecommerce brands that live and die by return on ad spend
• Local or regional service businesses wanting more leads
• B2B firms using content and webinars to generate sales calls
• Growing direct to consumer products needing better funnels

These clients usually want clear tracking, reporting, and integration with other channels rather than purely awareness plays.

How BEN typically works with brands

BEN is much more strongly tied to creators as the center of the work. Rather than starting with landing pages, it starts with audience, viewing habits, and content formats.

Services around creator led promotion

The company is associated with services such as:

• Matching brands with YouTube and social creators
• Managing integrated brand segments inside videos
• Product placement in shows, films, or streaming content
• Use of data and AI to find high potential placements

The focus is often on long term visibility and being embedded in entertainment, not only quick bursts of performance traffic.

Approach to campaign development

Planning often begins with your target audiences and where they already spend time. BEN then identifies creators and shows where your brand can naturally show up.

Campaigns may target multiple channels and formats at once, from mid tier YouTube channels to podcasts, depending on your goals and budget.

How BEN works with creators

The company is best known for its relationships with a wide range of creators, especially on YouTube. It helps structure integrations that fit each channel’s style rather than forcing rigid scripts.

That can mean everything from mid roll shoutouts to full dedicated videos, depending on the creator and brand fit.

Typical client fit

The agency commonly attracts brands that want to be part of culture and entertainment, not only performance campaigns. Typical profiles include:

• Consumer products leaning heavily on awareness and brand love
• Apps and gaming brands targeting very online audiences
• Streaming, media, and entertainment companies
• Larger advertisers comfortable with multi creator programs

These brands often want scale, reach, and credibility with hard to reach viewers.

How the two influencer partners really differ

The single phrase “SmartSites vs BEN” hides a bigger reality. You are not choosing between two nearly identical influencer shops. You are deciding between two different emphasis areas.

Channel mix and campaign style

SmartSites leans toward paid media, search, and conversion focused digital campaigns where creators support performance. BEN emphasizes creator relationships and placements as the heart of the program.

One starts from ad accounts and funnels. The other begins with audience behavior inside entertainment and creator ecosystems.

Depth of creator focus

BEN is widely recognized as deeper in creator and entertainment driven work. It invests heavily in choosing, briefing, and managing creators across platforms.

SmartSites tends to stay closer to media buying, landing pages, and performance tracking, with creators acting as one of several traffic sources.

Measurement and success signals

Both will care about results, but how success feels can differ. SmartSites is often evaluated on cost per lead, sales, and performance metrics.

BEN may be judged on reach, engagement, brand lift, and longer term influence on consideration, alongside short term results.

Scale and creative ambition

If you want your brand woven into major YouTube channels or entertainment properties, BEN is usually the more obvious choice. Its focus is scale and depth with creators.

If your priority is a tightly tracked digital system where influencers plug into existing ads and funnels, SmartSites often feels more aligned.

Pricing approach and how work is structured

Both options usually work on custom budgets rather than one size fits all packages. Influencer agency comparison often comes down to how those budgets are shaped and what you get in return.

How SmartSites typically prices work

Pricing usually reflects a mix of ongoing management and ad spend. Influencer related efforts, when part of the engagement, are folded into broader digital retainers or specific campaign fees.

Costs may be influenced by the number of channels managed, campaign complexity, creative needs, and your monthly media budget.

How BEN typically prices work

BEN tends to build budgets around creator fees, placements, and campaign management. You are essentially funding a portfolio of creator partnerships plus the strategy and operations that hold them together.

Prices vary based on creator tier, number of integrations, content formats, and whether you pursue product placements in larger entertainment properties.

Factors that raise or lower cost with either partner

• How many markets and languages you want to reach
• Number and size of creators you want involved
• Need for custom creative, landing pages, or video assets
• Length of engagement, from tests to always on programs
• How deeply reporting, attribution, and experiments go

Both typically expect a clear budget range before planning specific creator lists or media strategies.

Strengths and limitations to keep in mind

Both options have real advantages and tradeoffs. Knowing them up front helps you ask sharper questions during sales calls.

Where SmartSites tends to shine

• Integrating influencer traffic with paid search and social
• Building and testing landing pages to boost conversion
• Serving brands that think in terms of leads and return
• Helping smaller teams manage several digital channels together

One common concern is whether a broader digital agency will give influencer work enough focus compared with everything else it manages.

Where BEN tends to shine

• Deep reach into YouTube and creator communities
• Brand integrations that feel natural inside content
• Product placements that attach you to entertainment
• Using data to guide creator selection and placements

Some marketers worry that this kind of work can feel less tightly tied to short term sales, even when there are ways to measure impact.

Potential limitations with each

With SmartSites, the main limitation for influencer work can be depth of creator specialty if your focus is heavily entertainment driven. It excels more when creators are part of a full performance mix.

With BEN, the challenge can be cost and complexity for smaller brands that are not ready for large scale creator or placement programs.

Who each agency is best suited for

You might be the ideal client for one and a shaky fit for the other. It depends on stage, budget, and how you define success.

When SmartSites is usually a better fit

• You want one partner helping with paid search, paid social, and possibly SEO.
• Influencers are one piece of a conversion driven plan, not your only tactic.
• You care about building or improving landing pages for every campaign.
• Your leadership wants clear, numeric performance reports every month.

When BEN is usually a better fit

• You want to be part of popular YouTube or social channels your audience loves.
• You are comfortable investing in multi creator or placement based campaigns.
• You care about influence, cultural presence, and long term brand perception.
• You have internal teams to build landing pages and performance funnels.

When a platform solution like Flinque makes more sense

Not every brand wants or can afford full service agency retainers. Some teams prefer to keep control in house while using software to handle discovery and coordination.

What a platform based option looks like

Tools such as Flinque give you a searchable creator database, campaign workflows, and performance tracking without acting as an agency. Your team or freelancers handle strategy, outreach, and creative directly.

This can be attractive for hands on brands with marketing staff who are willing to get into the details.

When a platform may be the smarter move

• Your budget is modest, but your team has time to manage creators.
• You want to test many smaller creators before committing to big deals.
• You prefer flexible month to month campaigns over long retainers.
• You already have strong in house creative and media buying talent.

A platform approach is less about outsourcing and more about giving your internal team better tools to run influencer programs themselves.

FAQs

Is either agency better for small budgets?

SmartSites can sometimes be more workable for smaller budgets if you treat influencers as part of a tightly run digital plan. BEN is typically more attractive once you can fund multi creator or entertainment style programs.

Can I work with both options at the same time?

Yes, some larger brands use an entertainment focused partner for big creator moments and another agency or internal team for performance media. Coordination matters so messaging, tracking, and timelines do not clash.

How should I prepare before speaking with either agency?

Clarify your main goals, monthly or campaign budget range, target audiences, and examples of content you admire. Having rough timelines and internal approval processes documented also speeds up scoping and planning.

Do I always need an agency for influencer marketing?

No. Early stage brands often start by handling outreach directly or using platforms like Flinque. Agencies become valuable when you need scale, deeper creator relationships, and specialized operations support.

How long before I see results from influencer campaigns?

Some brands see traffic and sales within days of content going live, but stronger brand effects take months. Plan for at least several cycles of testing creators, messages, and offers before making big decisions.

Helping you decide what to do next

Your choice comes down to what you value most right now. If you need performance driven digital marketing where creators are one traffic source among many, SmartSites style support may feel natural.

If you want deep creator partnerships, cultural relevance, and placement driven visibility, a partner like BEN often makes more sense.

For hands on teams with tighter budgets, a platform based approach using tools like Flinque can offer control and flexibility without long term retainers.

Start by writing down your main goal, your budget range, and how involved you want to be. That simple exercise often makes the right path much clearer.

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.