SmartSites vs Shane Barker

Why brands weigh up different influencer marketing partners

You’re likely here because you’re choosing between two influencer-focused partners and want real-world clarity, not vague marketing language. You want to know who understands your audience, who can work with the right creators, and who will treat your budget responsibly.

In influencer work, the right agency can mean the difference between forgettable posts and long-term brand growth. Both SmartSites and Shane Barker’s consultancy are known names, yet they tend to help brands in slightly different ways.

The primary focus here is on influencer marketing agency services. We’ll walk through what each group does for brands, how they run campaigns, and who they’re best suited for, so you can move forward with more confidence.

What these marketing partners are known for
SmartSites: services and typical client fit
Shane Barker: services and typical client fit
How their style and focus differ
Pricing approach and how brands usually work with them
Key strengths and where they may fall short
Who each partner is best suited for
When a platform like Flinque may make more sense
FAQs
Conclusion: choosing the right path for your brand
Disclaimer

What these marketing partners are known for

SmartSites is widely recognized as a digital marketing agency that blends paid media, search, and creative work. Many brands also turn to them for social media campaigns that can include influencers as part of broader growth plans.

Shane Barker is best known as a strategist, consultant, and educator in influencer marketing, content, and digital growth. His name is strongly linked with thought leadership, speaking, and one-to-one or boutique-style advisory services.

So while both can support brand and creator work, they usually do it at different scales. One behaves more like a full digital shop with influencer programs added in. The other leans into tailored strategies and personal expertise around creators and partnerships.

SmartSites: services and typical client fit

SmartSites operates as a full-service digital agency. Influencer campaigns, when offered, generally sit alongside paid ads, search optimization, web design, and conversion work.

SmartSites core services

SmartSites is usually approached for multi-channel growth. That often includes influencers, but not always as the main attraction. Typical services include:

Pay-per-click advertising on search and social
Search engine optimization and content planning
Website design, landing pages, and conversion improvements
Social media ad creative and campaign management
Brand and performance analytics reporting

Influencer work in this environment tends to support a larger growth plan instead of standing alone. You might see creators used to boost paid social or to seed content that is later amplified with ads.

How SmartSites tends to run campaigns

Campaigns from larger agencies often begin with goals and numbers. Expect conversations about traffic, leads, and revenue before discussion of creator selection. Influencers are usually mapped to funnel stages and tracked like media channels.

SmartSites is likely to blend creative concepts with measurable performance. That might mean coordinating timelines with seasonal promos, retargeting traffic generated by creators, and testing different messages to see which ones help sales most.

Creator relationships under a broader agency model

Agencies like this commonly maintain rosters, networks, or recurring working relationships with creators in certain niches. They may not label themselves as a “talent agency,” but they know who delivers.

Creator outreach and management are often handled by dedicated team members. This can streamline negotiation, approvals, and performance tracking, though it may feel less personal than working directly with an individual strategist.

Typical client fit for SmartSites

Brands that turn to a broad digital agency for influencer programs often share a few traits. They want one partner to manage multiple channels and are looking for clear performance data, not just reach.

Mid-sized ecommerce brands wanting paid ads plus creator support
Local and regional businesses that need search and social growth
B2B companies exploring thought leader content and awareness
Teams that prefer one primary agency instead of multiple vendors

Shane Barker: services and typical client fit

In contrast, Shane Barker is often approached for his personal expertise rather than a large agency structure. Work can feel more advisory, educational, and strategy-heavy, even when campaigns are executed.

Shane Barker’s core services

His brand is tied closely to influencer marketing, content strategy, and digital growth. Common offerings include:

Influencer marketing strategy and campaign planning
Influencer selection, outreach, and collaboration ideas
Content strategy, including blogging and SEO-friendly pieces
Brand and creator partnership frameworks and playbooks
Workshops, training, and speaking around influencer best practices

This setup typically appeals to teams wanting to understand the “why” behind campaigns as much as the “what.” Education and structure are often part of the value.

How Shane Barker tends to run campaigns

Influencer-focused specialists usually start with audience, message, and relationship goals. Questions about who your customers trust and how they discover products can drive the plan.

You can expect more attention to creator-brand fit, storytelling, and long-term partnerships. Measurement still matters, yet the lens can be broader, including brand lift, community building, and ongoing collaborations.

Creator relationships in a specialist practice

Specialist consultants often invest heavily in understanding individual creators and niche communities. Long-term relationships can matter more than raw reach.

They may not work with thousands of influencers at once. Instead, they might curate smaller groups of highly relevant voices and coach brands on how to build repeat collaborations.

Typical client fit for Shane Barker

Brands choosing a named strategist usually want closer guidance and more custom thinking. They’re often ready to take influencer marketing seriously as a key channel.

Growing brands new to influencer collaborations
Marketers who have tried ad hoc creator work without results
Teams seeking education, playbooks, and upskilling
Brands needing clear messaging, positioning, and storytelling

How their style and focus differ

Putting SmartSites vs Shane Barker side by side helps highlight a few clear contrasts. Both can help with influencers, but they tend to sit in different spots in your marketing stack.

Scale and structure

A broad digital agency often has multiple departments. Your influencer campaigns may touch account managers, copywriters, designers, media buyers, and analysts. This offers more capacity and channel coverage.

A consultant-led practice is usually leaner and more focused. You get more direct access to senior thinking, but less of the “large machine” around paid media, web work, and deep production.

Primary focus and mindset

SmartSites is likely to treat influencer marketing as one lever in an overall growth system. Measurement, attribution, and multi-channel synergy are built into their thinking.

Shane Barker’s work leans heavily into influencers, content, and brand building. Paid media can support this, yet the heart of the work centers on people, stories, and community.

Client experience and communication

In a larger agency, you may interact mainly with an account manager. Processes are more structured, with set touchpoints, reports, and timelines. That can feel organized but somewhat formal.

With a strategist-led engagement, calls can feel like working sessions. There is more room for real-time feedback, brainstorming, and tailored advice. But project management resources may be lighter.

Pricing approach and how brands usually work with them

Pricing for influencer work is rarely one-size-fits-all. It depends on your industry, goals, and how deeply the team is involved. Neither side tends to use rigid software-style packages.

How larger agencies tend to price

Broad digital agencies usually mix retainers with project fees. You might pay a monthly amount for strategy and management plus campaign-specific budgets for influencers and paid media.

Costs can be driven by:

Number of channels under management
Campaign complexity and creative production
Influencer volume and fee levels
Reporting depth and analytics work

Influencer budgets are often integrated with overall media spend. A portion might go to creator fees, another portion to ad amplification, and another to agency management.

How specialist consultants tend to price

Consultant-style setups often rely on strategy retainers, one-off projects, or campaign-based fees. Education, playbooks, and internal training can be part of the scope.

Pricing is influenced by:

Level of direct access to the strategist
Depth of research and planning involved
Hands-on campaign execution versus advisory only
Extent of training and internal enablement

Influencer fees themselves still need separate budget. The consultant may help negotiate, but creator payments are usually passed through from your brand.

Key strengths and where they may fall short

No marketing partner is perfect for every brand. Understanding where each one shines and where they might not be ideal can help you avoid regrets.

Strengths of a full digital agency model

Ability to manage multiple channels alongside influencers
In-house creative, analytics, and performance teams
Clear reporting that connects influencer work to sales
Capacity to scale campaigns quickly across markets

The trade-off is that you may feel like one client among many. Campaigns can lean toward standard processes, especially at lower budget levels.

Limitations of a full digital agency model

Less room for highly experimental, risky influencer ideas
Potential for slower approval cycles and more layers
Minimum budget expectations that exclude smaller brands
Influencer relationships may feel more transactional

Many brands quietly worry they’ll pay for a big agency but end up working mainly with junior staff.

Strengths of a strategist-led influencer specialist

High-touch thinking from a recognizable expert
Deeper focus on creator-brand fit and storytelling
More education and knowledge transfer to your team
Flexibility in crafting tailored frameworks and playbooks

This kind of help is valuable when you want to build a durable influencer program, not just buy one-off campaigns.

Limitations of a strategist-led influencer specialist

Less built-in support for web design or large paid media buys
Execution capacity may be limited without additional partners
Dependence on the availability of a single person or small team
Less suited to extremely high-volume, always-on creator programs

Brands looking for a “plug-and-play” media engine may find a specialist setup too hands-on or strategic, especially if they just want quick reach.

Who each partner is best suited for

Once you know your goals, team size, and budget, it becomes easier to see which style of partner fits you better.

When a broad digital agency is usually a better match

You want one team to run ads, search, and influencer work.
Your main goal is measurable growth, not just buzz.
You’re ready with ongoing budgets and a clear sales target.
Your internal team has limited time for day-to-day campaign work.

This setup suits brands that view influencer collaborations as part of a bigger performance engine instead of the entire engine.

When a named strategist and influencer specialist fits better

You need a clear influencer strategy before scaling spend.
You want someone to help you avoid common creator mistakes.
Your team is willing to be involved and learn the process.
You care strongly about brand voice, creative, and relationships.

Here, the goal is often to build internal confidence and structure, then decide later whether to hire more staff or add a bigger agency.

When a platform like Flinque may make more sense

Not every brand needs a full service agency or a hands-on consultant. Some teams prefer tools that keep creator work in-house while still adding structure.

Flinque is an example of a platform-based option built for brands that want to handle influencer discovery, outreach, and campaign tracking themselves. It provides software rather than done-for-you services.

This route can make sense when you:

Have a marketing team willing to manage creators directly
Want transparency into every message, rate, and brief
Prefer to treat influencer spend like a flexible media line item
Are testing creator partnerships before committing to retainers

Platforms can also work alongside agencies or consultants. Some brands use them to centralize data even when strategy or creative is guided by external partners.

FAQs

How do I know if influencer marketing is right for my brand?

Influencer work makes sense if your customers spend time on social platforms and trust recommendations from creators. Start with clear goals, such as sales, signups, or awareness, then test with controlled budgets before scaling.

Should I prioritize reach or engagement when picking influencers?

Engagement usually matters more than raw reach. A smaller creator with a loyal, active audience can drive more sales than a large account with passive followers. Look at comments, saves, and repeat discussions about products.

How long should I run an influencer campaign?

Short tests can run for a few weeks, but real impact often appears over months. Many brands see better results when they invest in recurring partnerships instead of single posts, allowing audiences to trust repeated recommendations.

Can I mix influencer marketing with paid ads?

Yes, combining creator content with paid ads is often powerful. You can whitelist posts, run them as ads, and retarget engaged viewers. This stretches your best creator content and helps tie activity more directly to conversions.

Do I need a big budget to work with influencers?

You don’t need huge budgets to start. Micro and nano creators can be affordable and effective, especially for niche audiences. The key is being transparent about expectations, compensation, and success metrics from the beginning.

Conclusion: choosing the right path for your brand

Your choice comes down to how you want to run influencer marketing and how central it is to your growth. A broad digital agency fits brands seeking integrated performance across ads, search, and creators.

A strategist-led influencer specialist suits teams wanting deep guidance, education, and tailored frameworks. A platform like Flinque works if you prefer in-house control supported by software instead of retainers.

Start from your goals, budget, and desired level of involvement. Then pick the partner style that feels aligned with how you like to work, not just who has the flashiest case studies.

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.