The Shelf vs Moburst

Why brands weigh influencer agency options

When you start looking at influencer partners, two names often surface: The Shelf and Moburst. Both work with brands that want to grow through creators, but they bring different styles, strengths, and ways of running campaigns.

Most marketers want clarity on three things: what each agency actually does, who they are best for, and how to avoid wasting budget on the wrong fit.

Influencer agency overview

The primary topic here is influencer agency services and how different teams shape campaigns for growth. Both agencies handle planning, creator selection, and campaign management, but they come from slightly different marketing worlds.

Instead of thinking “which one is better,” it is more useful to ask, “which one fits my brand stage, channels, and expectations for results?”

What each agency is known for

The Shelf is widely associated with creative, story driven influencer work across social platforms. They tend to highlight niche audiences, detailed briefs, and carefully matched creators who fit a specific brand story.

Moburst is better known as a mobile growth and digital marketing company that also runs influencer campaigns, especially when brands want app installs, user acquisition, or performance focused outcomes.

Both teams operate as service based partners, not do it yourself software. You work with strategists, account managers, and campaign specialists rather than logging into a tool and running it alone.

Inside The Shelf

Services and channels

The Shelf works heavily across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and blogs, with a strong push toward content that feels native to each channel. They usually handle end to end work from concept through reporting.

Typical services can include:

• Influencer strategy and campaign planning
• Creator sourcing and vetting
• Contracting and negotiations
• Content guidelines and review
• Campaign management and reporting
• Sometimes whitelisting and paid social amplification

How they run campaigns

Their style leans strongly toward story and concept. Campaigns are often framed around a clear narrative, seasonal hook, or cultural moment, rather than simple product unboxings or one off mentions.

They generally invest a lot of time into matching creators to audience personas and building campaign wide creative themes that span multiple posts and formats.

Creator relationships and network

The Shelf typically works with a wide variety of creators instead of only a fixed roster. That gives more flexibility to find niche voices in parenting, beauty, fashion, wellness, finance, and other verticals.

They often emphasize detailed creative briefs and communication, so creators know what the brand wants while still keeping their own tone and style.

Typical client fit

Brands that turn to this agency usually want:

• Strong storytelling and visually polished content
• Awareness and consideration, not only direct sales
• Campaigns across several influencer tiers, from micro to macro
• Help shaping brand voice on social through creators

Consumer brands in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, parenting, and home goods often find this style appealing, especially if they are building or refreshing their brand identity online.

Inside Moburst

Services and channels

Moburst began with a strong focus on mobile growth, app marketing, and performance media. Influencer work tends to slot into broader digital strategies that can include media buying, creative, and app store optimization.

On the influencer side, common services include:

• Influencer campaign strategy tied to growth goals
• Creator sourcing for app or product promotion
• Briefing and content review
• Tracking links, promo codes, and attribution setup
• Performance reporting and optimization

How they run campaigns

Campaigns often revolve around clear performance metrics. For brands with apps, they might focus on installs, in app actions, or signups. For consumer products, that could be tracked traffic, leads, or purchases.

This style tends to include more structured calls to action, landing pages, and testing of creative variations to find what converts best.

Creator relationships and network

Moburst usually taps into creators who can speak credibly about digital products, tech, gaming, fintech, and lifestyle categories that naturally align with mobile behavior.

They often mix larger creators for reach with smaller ones who test specific targeting angles or messages, adjusting based on performance data.

Typical client fit

Brands that lean toward Moburst typically want:

• Influencer work tied tightly to user acquisition goals
• Integrated campaigns with paid media and mobile funnels
• Detailed performance tracking and attribution
• Support for scaling app growth or digital services

Tech companies, app first brands, digital products, and startups chasing measurable growth usually line up well with this approach.

How the two agencies really differ

Even though both support influencer marketing, their roots shape how they operate. One leans into brand storytelling; the other leans into growth and performance.

Creative focus versus performance focus

The Shelf usually prioritizes content that builds emotional connection with audiences, creating a consistent look and feel for your brand across creators.

Moburst generally centers the campaign around measurable actions, like installs or signups, and treats influencer content as another performance channel to test and refine.

Where they plug into your marketing

The Shelf often sits closest to brand and social teams, shaping how you show up visually and narratively on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Moburst is more likely to plug into growth, digital marketing, or product teams, aligning influencer pushes with paid media, app store efforts, or conversion funnels.

Scale and campaign structure

The Shelf may build multi wave campaigns with a curated group of creators who tell a longer story over time, sometimes layering in blogs, Pinterest, or longer form content.

Moburst may structure waves of creator tests, iterating quickly based on what drives results, then doubling down on top performers while dropping weaker angles.

Pricing approach and engagement style

Neither agency publishes fixed, SaaS style pricing because influencer work involves many moving parts. Costs fluctuate with creator fees, content volume, and how involved the strategy team needs to be.

How brands are usually charged

Both agencies typically quote custom proposals. These can include:

• Campaign level budgets covering creator fees and management
• Monthly retainers for ongoing work and strategy
• Additional costs for paid amplification or content usage rights

For performance heavy work, you may also see budgets tied to specific acquisition goals, though this is still usually structured as project or retainer, not pure revenue share.

What influences cost most

Key cost drivers are similar for both:

• Number and tier of creators you want
• Platforms involved and content formats
• Geographic reach and language needs
• Length and complexity of the campaign
• How much testing and optimization is required

Performance oriented campaigns that require deeper analytics, attribution setup, or complex funnels can add to management time and therefore to cost.

Engagement style with your team

The Shelf often works closely with brand marketers on creative direction and messaging. Expect moodboards, concept outlines, and discussions about tone and fit.

Moburst is likely to talk more about KPIs, funnel metrics, and how influencer content lines up with other growth channels like paid social, search, or app store tactics.

Strengths and limitations

Every partner has trade offs. Understanding them upfront helps you avoid mismatched expectations and frustration later.

Where The Shelf tends to shine

• Strong creative concepts that feel cohesive across creators
• Niche audience targeting through tailored creator selection
• Visually polished content that can be repurposed on brand channels
• Story driven work that supports long term brand building

A common concern is whether this style will drive enough direct, trackable sales compared to more performance driven options.

Where The Shelf may feel limiting

• May not be ideal if your main goal is aggressive, short term user acquisition
• Storytelling heavy content can take more time to plan and approve
• Brands chasing only strict performance metrics may crave deeper attribution setups

Where Moburst tends to shine

• Strong fit for app and digital product growth
• Clear focus on measurable actions like installs and signups
• Testing mindset that adjusts creator mix and messaging quickly
• Ability to connect influencer work with paid media and mobile funnels

Brands sometimes worry that heavy performance focus could make content feel too much like ads if not balanced carefully.

Where Moburst may feel limiting

• Not every brand needs deep app or mobile performance expertise
• Campaigns optimized for conversions might overlook softer brand stories
• Some lifestyle brands may want more emphasis on long term image building

Who each agency is best for

Your ideal partner depends less on which name is bigger and more on what you want influencer work to achieve this year.

When The Shelf is likely a better fit

• Consumer brands in fashion, beauty, wellness, parenting, and lifestyle
• Companies wanting highly curated, on brand creator content
• Teams focused on awareness, consideration, and social presence
• Brands planning seasonal campaigns, product launches, or rebrands
• Marketers who care deeply about aesthetic, storytelling, and tone

When Moburst is likely a better fit

• App first companies that live or die by installs and user growth
• Digital products and SaaS with clear signup or trial goals
• Startups needing strict performance tracking from influencer spend
• Growth teams tying influencer into broader performance marketing
• Brands comfortable with testing, optimizing, and iterating quickly

Questions to ask yourself before choosing

• Is my top priority awareness, or do I need performance numbers right away?
• Do I want content we can reuse across ads and social for months?
• How comfortable am I with testing and changing direction mid campaign?
• Which internal team will own this relationship: brand or growth?

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Full service agencies are powerful, but they are not the only option. Some brands prefer more control and lower ongoing fees by using a platform instead of an agency.

What a platform based alternative offers

Flinque is an example of a platform that helps brands discover influencers and manage campaigns themselves, rather than paying for a full service team.

That kind of setup generally suits brands that have in house marketers willing to handle creator outreach, negotiations, and day to day management.

When a platform can be a better fit

• You have a smaller budget but want to test influencer marketing regularly.
• Your team is comfortable handling briefs, contracts, and tracking.
• You prefer to build direct relationships with creators over time.
• You want to avoid long agency retainers but still need structure.

On the other hand, if your team is already stretched thin, or you need heavy creative direction and strategic planning, an agency may still be worth the cost.

FAQs

How do I choose between these agencies if I am new to influencer marketing?

Start by writing down your main goal for the next 12 months. If it is brand building and storytelling, lean toward a creative focused team. If it is measurable growth or app installs, a performance oriented group may fit better.

Can I work with both agencies at the same time?

It is possible but can be complicated. Most brands benefit from having one lead influencer partner to avoid mixed messaging, duplicated outreach, and conflicting strategies across the same creators and audiences.

Do these agencies only work with big brands?

Both tend to work with funded startups, mid sized companies, and larger brands. Very small businesses with limited budgets may find it hard to match the minimum campaign or retainer levels these teams usually require.

How long does it take to launch a campaign?

Timelines vary, but you should plan several weeks for strategy, creator sourcing, approvals, and content creation. Rushing this process usually leads to weaker creator matches and more back and forth on content.

What should I prepare before talking to an agency?

Have a clear budget range, target audience, main goals, past marketing results, and any non negotiables around brand voice or legal terms. The more specific you are, the more accurate and useful the proposal will be.

Conclusion

Both influencer partners can drive results, but in different ways. One leans into creative storytelling and brand building, while the other leans into performance, growth, and mobile first outcomes.

If you care most about how your brand feels and looks across social, a creative heavy agency is likely your match. If your board or investors focus on signups and installs, a performance focused option may serve you better.

For hands on teams with tighter budgets, managing creators through a platform like Flinque can be a middle path, trading convenience for more in house work.

Ultimately, your best choice depends on goals, budget, internal bandwidth, and how closely you want influencer marketing tied to brand versus pure performance.

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.