SociallyIn vs IMA

Why brands weigh these two influencer partners

When brands start looking at influencer marketing agencies, they often end up comparing SociallyIn and IMA. Both work with creators, both promise growth, and both talk about data. Yet they feel very different once you dig in.

You might be asking: Who will really understand my brand voice? Who can handle the platforms I care about? And who will give me honest feedback instead of just chasing vanity metrics?

This is where a closer look at influencer agency services helps. Understanding what each team actually does day to day makes it easier to see which partner fits your goals, timelines, and budget.

Table of Contents

• What each agency is known for
• SociallyIn: services, style, and client fit
• IMA: services, style, and client fit
• Key differences in approach and experience
• Pricing approach and engagement style
• Strengths and limitations of each option
• Who each agency is best for
• When a platform like Flinque makes more sense
• FAQs
• Conclusion: choosing the right path for your brand
• Disclaimer

What each agency is known for

Before getting into details, it helps to know what these teams are generally recognized for in the market. That context can quickly show whether either is close to what you need.

SociallyIn in simple terms

SociallyIn is often associated with creative social media work, including influencer partnerships woven into wider content strategies. They are known for strong in-house production and campaign execution across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and beyond.

They also focus on community management and paid social, which can make influencer content feel connected to your other channels rather than a standalone tactic.

IMA in simple terms

IMA, also known as IMA Agency, built its name as a specialist in influencer collaborations with fashion, lifestyle, travel, and premium consumer brands. They position themselves strongly in Europe but work with global companies.

They emphasize strategy, creator matchmaking, and long-term partnerships between brands and influencers, especially on visually driven platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

SociallyIn: services, style, and client fit

SociallyIn is usually best understood as a social media agency that also leans into creator collaborations. Influencer work is part of a broader package, not the only thing they do.

Services SociallyIn typically offers

While details can change over time, their offering often touches several areas around social content. That mix can be useful if you want one partner handling multiple pieces of the puzzle.

• Influencer campaign planning and management
• Social media strategy and channel management
• Content production for short-form video and static posts
• Paid social amplification and targeting
• Community management and engagement
• Analytics and performance reporting

For many brands, this means influencer content does not sit on an island. It is tied to your wider content calendar, brand tone, and paid media plans.

How SociallyIn tends to run campaigns

You can expect a campaign with them to feel like a mix of creative studio and media team. They often start by defining content formats, key messages, and posting rhythm across your main channels.

Influencers are then chosen to plug into that content system. Instead of one-off posts, you might see a series of creator pieces that connect with your other organic and paid assets.

This approach usually works well if you want consistency between brand-owned channels and creator content, rather than very independent creator voices.

Creator relationships and style

SociallyIn does not present itself as a pure talent agency. Instead, they tend to work with a changing set of creators who fit the brief of each campaign.

You are not locked into a small, closed roster. However, this can mean a bit more time is needed up front for sourcing and vetting the right voices for your niche.

Because of their creative and production background, they may give more specific direction to influencers about framing, edits, and storytelling style.

Typical client fit for SociallyIn

Brands that benefit most usually share a few traits. They want a unified social presence, not just scattered collaborations.

• Consumer brands that need consistent content across channels
• Companies looking to combine organic, paid, and creator work
• Teams that want an agency to “own” social execution end to end
• Marketing leaders seeking fresh creative production plus influencers

If your main question is, “Who can manage all of social, including creators?” this style may feel natural.

IMA: services, style, and client fit

IMA is best known as an influencer-first agency. While they also touch strategy and content, creators sit at the center of their work, especially in style-conscious industries.

Services IMA typically offers

IMA positions itself as a partner for brands that want structured, brand-safe influencer programs. Their offering usually includes:

• Influencer discovery and selection across regions
• Campaign strategy and creative direction
• Contracting, briefing, and relationship management
• Content approval workflows and brand safety checks
• Event-based and experiential influencer activations
• Performance tracking and qualitative insights

The emphasis is on building polished, often premium-feeling campaigns around key launches or seasons.

How IMA tends to run campaigns

IMA often starts with audience and brand positioning. They look at who you want to reach, how you are seen, and which creator communities naturally align with that space.

From there, they build a creator lineup that can include macro influencers, niche experts, and sometimes celebrities, depending on your budget and category.

Campaigns may be structured around hero moments, such as product drops, fashion seasons, or global events, rather than a constant always-on flow.

Creator relationships and style

As a specialist influencer agency, IMA tends to cultivate ongoing relationships with a wide network of creators. This can speed up casting and negotiation in categories they know well.

You can expect more emphasis on fit, reputation, and long-term partnerships than on testing dozens of unfamiliar creators each time.

Because many of their clients are style or lifestyle brands, visuals and storytelling quality are given high attention.

Typical client fit for IMA

IMA often appeals most to brands that already see creators as a core marketing channel, not an experiment. They are comfortable treating campaigns as central pieces of their plan.

• Fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle brands
• Premium and aspirational consumer products
• Global companies wanting coordinated campaigns in multiple markets
• Teams whose main need is high-quality creator collaborations

If you want influencer work to be a key storytelling engine, this type of partner can be attractive.

Key differences in approach and experience

On paper, both are influencer-focused agencies. In practice, the experience of working with each can feel different in several ways.

Influencer-first versus social-first mindset

SociallyIn often starts from a social media perspective, adding creators into a broader content program. That can be ideal when you want one team managing channels, content, and influencers together.

IMA tends to start from the creator side. Social channels matter, but they are seen mainly as stages where influencers perform for your brand.

Neither is right or wrong. It simply depends whether you think of social media or influencer collaborations as the center of your strategy.

Campaign rhythm and time horizon

SociallyIn frequently supports ongoing, always-on content. Influencers can appear as repeating characters across your feeds, reinforcing a consistent tone.

IMA more often structures work around large launches, seasons, or themed campaigns, with bursts of activity supporting those moments.

If you prefer steady, year-round presence, one style may fit better. If you care most about big spikes around key dates, the other can shine.

Creative control and brand voice

With SociallyIn, there is often more emphasis on keeping brand voice consistent across all social outputs. Influencers may receive tighter creative direction and more detailed briefs.

With IMA, there is usually deeper focus on letting creators lean into their own voice within brand guidelines. This can yield content that feels more like organic posts from the influencer’s feed.

Your internal comfort with looser or tighter creative control should guide which model you lean toward.

Geography and category strengths

IMA is often associated with strong roots in European markets and global fashion and lifestyle ecosystems. That can be powerful if you want recognition in those spaces.

SociallyIn’s presence and case studies often lean into North American brands and broader consumer categories, though they can work beyond that.

Look at each team’s public client work. The brands you see there usually reflect where they are strongest.

Pricing approach and engagement style

Both agencies work in a service-based way, not with fixed software subscriptions. Budgets vary widely based on scope, influencer fees, and length of engagement.

How agencies like these usually price work

In most cases, you will see quotes based on a mix of management fees and pass-through costs. Management fees cover planning, sourcing, communication, and reporting.

Influencer fees pay creators for content, usage rights, travel, and similar needs. Depending on your goals, paid social amplification may be a separate budget line.

Larger, multi-market campaigns tend to move toward retainer-based relationships. Smaller brands may start with project-based scopes around specific launches.

SociallyIn’s typical engagement style

Because SociallyIn covers more than just influencers, pricing may bundle social strategy, content creation, and community management with creator work.

You might agree on a monthly retainer for ongoing social activity plus an additional budget for influencer fees and media spend.

This can simplify budgeting if you prefer a single figure covering most of your social presence, rather than juggling many vendors.

IMA’s typical engagement style

With IMA, the focus is usually centered on influencer programs themselves. Pricing often reflects the scope of creator involvement and the complexity of markets.

You will typically receive custom proposals that outline the number and tier of influencers, content formats, and campaign duration.

Brands that run several large campaigns each year may move to longer-term retainers to secure priority and continuity.

Strengths and limitations of each option

No agency is perfect for every brand. Understanding what each tends to do best, and where they may struggle, helps you avoid mismatches.

Where SociallyIn tends to shine

• Building a cohesive social presence across multiple platforms
• Combining organic, paid, and creator content under one plan
• Producing a steady stream of branded content, not just campaigns
• Helping teams that are understaffed on social execution

Many brands worry that hiring separate partners for social and influencers will create a fragmented voice. SociallyIn’s integrated model can address that fear by putting everything under one roof.

Where SociallyIn may feel limiting

• Less specialized purely in long-term influencer-only programs
• May not offer as deep a network in specific luxury or niche scenes
• Could feel too social-media-centric if you want standalone creator work

If you already have strong in-house social media capabilities, you may not need the broader services, which can complicate scope discussions.

Where IMA tends to shine

• Deep experience with fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle brands
• Strong focus on creator-brand alignment and storytelling
• Comfort with multi-market, multi-language campaigns
• Ability to work with a range from niche to celebrity influencers

For brands that already rely heavily on creators, this influencer-first mindset can feel like a natural extension of internal priorities.

Where IMA may feel limiting

• Less focused on day-to-day community management and channel ops
• Campaigns may be more launch-focused than always-on
• Style and category focus may not fit utilitarian or B2B brands

If you need help with constant posting, replies, and content outside influencer work, you may still need another partner or in-house team.

Who each agency is best for

To make the decision less abstract, it helps to visualize the types of brands that usually thrive with each option.

When SociallyIn is usually the better fit

• You want one partner to handle social strategy, content, and influencers.
• Your team is small, and you need execution help, not just ideas.
• You care about an always-on social presence more than big bursts.
• You want creator content to match your brand’s visual system tightly.

SociallyIn often suits teams who think, “We need our entire social ecosystem handled, and influencers should be a natural part of that.”

When IMA is usually the better fit

• You are a fashion, beauty, lifestyle, or travel brand.
• Creators are central to your marketing, not a side experiment.
• You run major seasonal or global campaigns tied to clear launches.
• You want access to experienced influencers with strong aesthetics.

IMA often appeals to marketing leaders who say, “We want standout creator campaigns that can anchor our seasons and launches.”

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Agencies are not the only way to run influencer programs. Some brands choose a platform-based model instead, especially as they grow internal skills.

Why some brands look at platform options

Platforms like Flinque are built for teams that want to manage influencer discovery and campaigns themselves, without full-service agency retainers.

Instead of outsourcing everything, you keep strategy and communication closer to your team, while using software to search, organize, and track work with creators.

This can be helpful if you have in-house marketers who are comfortable working directly with influencers and handling day-to-day details.

When a platform may suit you better

• You already have someone on your team focused on influencers.
• You want to test many smaller collaborations cost-effectively.
• You prefer building direct, long-term relationships with creators.
• You are wary of ongoing agency fees and want more control.

In that case, an influencer marketing platform can complement your internal resources, while agencies might still be useful for big, one-off campaigns.

FAQs

How do I know if my budget is enough for these agencies?

The best approach is to share your objectives and rough budget range in early conversations. Both teams usually tailor scopes. If funds are very limited, starting with a platform or smaller pilot project may be more realistic.

Should I choose one agency or work with several?

Most brands start with one main partner to keep messaging consistent and communication simple. As you scale across regions or categories, you might add niche agencies, but coordination becomes more complex.

Can these agencies help with TikTok and short-form video?

Yes, both are active on short-form video platforms. SociallyIn often integrates TikTok into broader social content plans, while IMA focuses more on creator-led storytelling adapted to each platform’s style.

How long does it take to launch an influencer campaign?

Timelines vary, but four to eight weeks from kickoff to first posts is common. This includes strategy, sourcing, contracts, content creation, and approvals. Very complex or global campaigns can take longer.

What should I have ready before contacting an agency?

Prepare a clear description of your target audience, key products, main markets, budget range, and timing. Any past influencer results or learnings are also helpful so the agency can avoid repeating past mistakes.

Conclusion: choosing the right path for your brand

Deciding between SociallyIn and IMA starts with one question: Is influencer marketing a piece of your social ecosystem, or the main engine of your storytelling?

If you want one partner to run social channels, content, and creator work together, SociallyIn’s integrated approach can be a strong match. It helps keep voice and visuals unified across everything you publish.

If your priority is polished, often global creator campaigns, especially in style-led categories, IMA’s influencer-first mindset may align better. They are built around casting, relationships, and campaign execution.

Budget and involvement also matter. Brands wanting to stay very hands-on or test many smaller collaborations might explore a platform like Flinque instead of, or alongside, agency partners.

In the end, the best choice is the partner whose everyday way of working matches your goals, team structure, and appetite for risk and experimentation. Ask detailed questions, request relevant case studies, and choose the path that feels sustainable for the next few years, not just the next launch.

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.