SmartSites vs Whalar

Why brands weigh SmartSites against Whalar

When marketers look at influencer partners, they often end up comparing SmartSites and Whalar. Both help brands work with creators, but their strengths, style, and ideal clients are very different.

To keep things simple, this page uses the primary keyword phrase influencer agency choice. That phrase captures what most teams are really trying to solve: picking the right support for creator campaigns.

What each agency is known for
SmartSites overview
Whalar overview
How the two agencies differ
Pricing and engagement style
Strengths and limitations
Who each agency fits best
When a platform like Flinque makes more sense
FAQs
Conclusion
Disclaimer

What each agency is known for

Both SmartSites and Whalar touch influencer work, but they sit in slightly different worlds. One comes from a broader digital marketing background, the other is deeply rooted in creator culture.

Understanding where each one shines helps you match their strengths to your goals, budget, and in-house skills.

SmartSites in plain language

SmartSites is best known as a performance driven digital marketing agency. It focuses on web design, search ads, and paid social, with creator collaborations as part of a wider mix.

Influencer work here usually supports traffic, leads, or sales rather than being the only channel.

Whalar in plain language

Whalar is widely recognized as a creator first partner. The company works with social platforms, talent, and brands to build campaigns that live natively on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging channels.

It is often used by brands that want culture driven storytelling at scale.

SmartSites overview

Think of SmartSites as a full funnel digital partner that can plug influencer activity into a bigger performance plan. It is usually chosen by brands wanting measurable growth rather than pure awareness.

SmartSites core services

SmartSites offers a wide set of services, often under one roof, so brands do not juggle multiple vendors.

Website design and development
Search engine optimization
Google and Bing ads management
Paid social on platforms like Facebook and Instagram
Content creation and landing page optimization
Influencer outreach tied to traffic or lead goals

Influencer work is usually part of multi channel plans rather than a stand alone offering.

How SmartSites tends to run campaigns

Campaigns with SmartSites often start from performance goals. The team looks at where your buyers come from, what they click, and where they drop off.

Any creator work is asked to support these goals, not sit apart from them.

Typical steps might include strategy, creator shortlisting, content planning, tracking setup, and ongoing testing or tweaks.

Creator relationships at SmartSites

SmartSites may not position itself as a talent house, but it can help you find and manage creators that suit your brand and budget.

The focus is on alignment with your funnel, brand safety, and clear tracking, not building a celebrity style ambassador roster.

Typical SmartSites clients

From public information, SmartSites works a lot with small to mid sized businesses and growth stage brands. That includes ecommerce, local services, B2B, and healthcare, among others.

These teams often want one partner to handle traffic, leads, and sometimes creator support.

Whalar overview

Whalar positions itself around creator intelligence and large scale influencer activations. It works closely with major platforms and established creators as well as rising talent.

Whalar core services

Whalar focuses on creator led marketing, content, and social storytelling.

End to end influencer campaign planning and execution
Creator sourcing and casting across major platforms
Campaign management and content approvals
Measurement, insights, and creative reporting
Licensing creator content for ads and owned channels
Brand and creator partnerships, sometimes long term

Everything is oriented around building and scaling creator stories that feel native to each platform.

How Whalar typically runs campaigns

Work with Whalar usually starts with a brand problem such as awareness, favorability, or consideration in a certain audience. From there, they build a creator led idea that fits that goal.

Creator casting, content formats, and social platforms are chosen to support that idea.

Creator relationships at Whalar

Whalar is tightly connected to the creator world. It collaborates with a wide range of influencers, from niche experts to mainstream names.

The agency often acts as a bridge between brands, creators, and social platforms to ensure everyone benefits fairly.

Typical Whalar clients

Public case work suggests Whalar often partners with larger brands and global marketers. That includes consumer goods, technology, fashion, entertainment, and more.

These brands usually want big reach, platform first ideas, and strong creative standards.

How the two agencies differ

Although both can help with creator campaigns, their center of gravity is different. That difference matters for your day to day experience and outcomes.

Focus of the work

SmartSites is anchored in performance marketing and website centric growth. Influencers often support search, paid social, and conversion optimization.

Whalar focuses deeply on creator storytelling and cultural relevance, then ties back to brand metrics like awareness, favorability, and engagement.

Scale and reach

Whalar is built to run larger, multi market activations when needed, working closely with social platforms and top tier talent.

SmartSites tends to be more common with small and mid market businesses that want measurable returns on more modest budgets.

Style of collaboration

With SmartSites, you may spend more time looking at analytics dashboards, landing pages, and ad performance. Influencer work plugs into this picture.

With Whalar, more time is spent on creative ideas, casting decisions, content reviews, and social storytelling that matches your brand tone.

Client experience and pace

Performance driven shops often iterate quickly based on data. That can mean fast changes to paid support, landing pages, and the way creators send traffic.

Creator first partners may move in campaign waves, investing heavily in planning, production, and content rollouts.

Pricing and engagement style

Neither company works like a cheap software subscription. Both price around services, talent, and campaign needs.

How SmartSites usually charges

SmartSites typically structures fees around project work, ongoing retainers, or a mix. Influencer support may be rolled into broader digital programs.

Common pricing elements include agency time, media management, creative work, and any pass through creator fees.

How Whalar usually charges

Whalar tends to build custom packages per brand initiative. Costs depend heavily on the number and level of creators, markets involved, and content rights.

Budget lines usually include strategy, creator fees, production support, and campaign management.

Key factors that drive cost

Number of creators and their audience size
Content formats and production complexity
Markets and languages involved
Use of content beyond social, such as ads or website
Length of engagement, one off or ongoing

*Many brands worry about “hidden costs” in creator work, especially content usage rights and renewals.* Clarifying these early makes budgeting smoother.

Strengths and limitations

Both agencies bring real advantages, but they are not perfect for every situation. Knowing the trade offs helps you shape honest expectations.

Where SmartSites tends to shine

Strong focus on measurable performance and conversions
Ability to connect influencer traffic to optimized pages
Helpful for brands wanting one shop for web and media
Often a solid fit for smaller teams needing full support

On the flip side, influencer campaigns may feel like one channel among many, not the main creative engine of your brand storytelling.

Where Whalar tends to shine

Deep understanding of creator culture and platforms
Access to a wide range of influencers, including premium talent
Strong emphasis on native content that fits each app
Experience working with larger brands and complex approvals

Limitations can include higher minimum budgets and more time spent on creative layers, which may feel heavy to very lean teams.

Common concerns brands raise

*A frequent concern is whether results will justify the cost of creators and agency time.* That is why clear goals, tracking plans, and expectations about timeline are essential before signing any agreement.

Who each agency fits best

You will get more value when your needs line up with how each partner naturally works. Use the ideas below as starting points, not rigid rules.

SmartSites is often best for

Small and mid sized brands needing a strong website and ad engine
Companies new to paid media or scaling from low budgets
Teams that want influencers to support sales, not only awareness
Marketers who value one partner for design, ads, and creator outreach

If your team is lean and needs help across web, search, and social, a full service digital partner can feel easier than stitching many vendors together.

Whalar is often best for

Brands with clear positioning and bigger awareness goals
Companies wanting to tap into culture and trends at scale
Marketing teams used to working with agencies and long approvals
Campaigns that require high quality, platform native content

If your main goal is to shape how people feel about your brand in social spaces, a creator first specialist is usually a better match.

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Sometimes the best influencer agency choice is actually not an agency at all. A platform based approach can suit brands who want more control.

What a platform alternative typically offers

Tools like Flinque are built so brands can find and manage creators directly without committing to full service retainers.

Rather than handing everything to an external team, you run discovery, outreach, briefs, and reporting in one software workspace.

When this route can be a better fit

You have an in house marketer able to own creator campaigns
You want to test influencers with smaller budgets before scaling
You prefer keeping creator relationships direct, not through agencies
You like experimenting quickly without long contracts

This path works well for hands on teams ready to learn the details of creator campaigns and willing to manage the day to day themselves.

FAQs

Is SmartSites mainly an influencer marketing agency?

No. SmartSites is better described as a full service digital marketing partner that can include influencer outreach within broader web, search, and paid social campaigns.

Is Whalar only suitable for very large brands?

Whalar is known for bigger campaigns and global clients, but it can also support smaller projects. However, its strengths usually show best with brands ready for larger creator investments.

Can I work with both agencies at the same time?

Yes, some brands use one partner for web and performance work and another for creator storytelling. Coordination is key to avoid overlap, mixed messages, or double paid media spend.

How do I know what budget to set for influencer campaigns?

Start by clarifying goals, priority markets, and the number of creators you need. Then ask each partner to outline what is realistic at different budget levels, including creator fees and usage rights.

Should I choose an agency or manage influencers in house?

If your team is small or new to creators, agencies can handle complexity and risk. If you have time, skills, and patience to learn, a platform plus in house ownership may give more control and lower long term costs.

Conclusion

Picking between these partners is less about which is “better” and more about what you need right now. SmartSites leans into performance, websites, and multi channel growth that may include influencers.

Whalar leans into creator first storytelling, platform native ideas, and larger brand activations.

If you want help across web, search, and social with clear conversion goals, a performance focused agency will likely feel natural. If culture, reach, and storytelling come first, a creator specialist may be worth the higher investment.

For hands on teams with tighter budgets, a platform like Flinque can reduce agency costs while keeping you close to the day to day. Match your choice to your goals, budget range, and how involved you want to be in the work.

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.