When it comes to influencer marketing, the right partner makes all the difference. Whether your goal is to build brand awareness, drive sales, or create authentic connections, the success of your campaign depends heavily on the expertise, strategy, and service model of the agency you choose.
Sway Group has set the bar high in the world of influencer marketing. Known for delivering strategic, creative, and deeply personalized campaigns, Sway Group offers full-service management that brands can rely on for real results. Yet, in a market crowded with both tech platforms and agencies, many brands take the time to explore alternatives before making a decision.
The Top Full-Service Influencer Marketing Agencies
In this guide, we break down the top full-service influencer marketing agencies and show you why Sway Group remains the standout choice for brands serious about influencer marketing success.
The Shelf
The Shelf is a full-service influencer marketing agency with a strong emphasis on data-driven storytelling. Focused primarily on industries like lifestyle, fashion, and beauty, The Shelf combines audience insights with creative strategy to produce campaigns that resonate within very specific verticals.
For brands looking to connect with lifestyle-focused audiences, The Shelf’s expertise can be a valuable asset. However, their deep focus on specific industries may be limiting for brands outside of lifestyle or fashion. Brands seeking broader industry expertise or more complex, cross-category campaigns may find The Shelf’s niche approach less flexible than agencies like Sway Group, which offers a broader reach without sacrificing depth or creativity.
Obviously
Obviously is known for delivering large-scale influencer campaigns, backed by a proprietary tech platform that helps streamline influencer sourcing and campaign management. Their strength lies in their ability to execute quickly and manage a high volume of campaigns across multiple geographies.
However, their size can also be a downside for brands seeking more personalized, boutique-style service. While Obviously’s infrastructure supports scale, brands looking for a deeper, more hands-on strategic partnership often find agencies like Sway Group better suited to their needs. Sway Group’s high-touch, customized approach ensures that brands receive not just execution, but a strategic roadmap tailored to their unique goals, not a one-size-fits-all program.
Captiv8
Captiv8 is a full-service influencer marketing platform that combines managed services with a robust technology suite. Known for its data-driven approach, Captiv8 provides brands with in-depth insights into audience demographics and campaign performance, helping them optimize their strategies. Following its recent acquisition by Publicis Groupe, there may be changes to customer service as the company transitions under new leadership and integrates into the broader organization.
While Captiv8 offers powerful analytics, brands seeking high-touch strategic support may find the experience more tech-centric. Sway Group’s emphasis on collaboration and creative execution ensures campaigns are built around the brand’s unique narrative, not just the numbers.
Open Influence
Open Influence is recognized for its creative-led influencer marketing campaigns, helping brands tell engaging stories through a diverse network of creators. Their focus on authenticity and storytelling aligns well with brands seeking emotional connections with their audience.
Although Open Influence delivers solid creative strategy, Sway Group’s combination of creativity and rigorous campaign management provides brands with a more comprehensive partnership that consistently drives both engagement and business outcomes.
Billion Dollar Boy
Billion Dollar Boy positions itself as a creative agency for the influencer age, offering full-service influencer marketing with a strong emphasis on content production. They work across industries, helping brands craft tailored, visually compelling campaigns.
However, brands seeking a broader strategic partnership may prefer the depth of service Sway Group provides, combining top-tier creative work with deep audience insights and a commitment to delivering tangible ROI.
Izea
Izea offers a wide range of influencer marketing services, from micro-influencer activations to large-scale brand ambassador programs. Known for their early role in shaping the influencer marketing industry, Izea continues to support brands with managed campaign services.
Despite their extensive history, brands may find Izea’s approach more transactional. Sway Group’s model emphasizes partnership and strategy, providing brands with a more tailored, relationship-driven experience.
Linqia
Linqia focuses on performance-driven influencer marketing, combining storytelling with measurable results. Their platform uses real-time data to optimize campaigns and ensure that brands get the best possible return on their investment.
While Linqia excels in data-backed performance, its model can lean heavily on analytics. Sway Group integrates data with human insight and creative vision, ensuring that campaigns are not just efficient but also meaningful and aligned with brand values.
Ubiquitous
Ubiquitous is one of the newer agencies on the scene, specializing in influencer campaigns on fast-moving platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They have strong relationships with creators and excel at social-first activations.
While Ubiquitous is well-suited for brands targeting Gen Z or millennial audiences in visual, social spaces, their focus can be narrow. Sway Group’s broader industry expertise, combined with a platform-agnostic approach, enables brands to craft campaigns that are not only trendy but also strategically aligned with their broader business goals, making it a stronger choice for brands seeking both reach and relevance.
Audiencly
Audiencly operates largely within the gaming and entertainment verticals, delivering global influencer campaigns that tap into highly engaged, digital-native audiences. Their global reach and industry-specific expertise make them a strong contender in the gaming and tech space.
However, brands looking for broader consumer reach or campaigns across multiple verticals may find Audiencly’s offering too specialized. With Sway Group, brands gain access to a team with extensive experience across a diverse range of industries, including consumer products, parenting, technology, and finance, ensuring that campaigns are tailored to the brand’s unique market landscape.
Why Sway Group Remains the Best Influencer Marketing Agency
While agencies like The Shelf and Obviously deliver solid services, Sway Group continues to outperform by offering a level of strategic partnership and creative excellence that is rare in today’s influencer marketing landscape.
Sway Group is not a one-size-fits-all agency. Every campaign is built from the ground up based on brand goals, audience insights, and a deep understanding of what moves people. With a carefully curated influencer network, a focus on genuine relationships, and a team of creative strategists and data analysts, Sway Group delivers campaigns that not only meet KPIs but also build lasting brand equity.
Unlike tech platforms that require brands to manage much of the campaign logistics themselves, Sway Group offers true end-to-end management, allowing brands to focus on what they do best while leaving the creative and strategic heavy lifting to the experts.
In a market where authenticity, creativity, and measurable impact matter more than ever, Sway Group stands out as the partner that consistently delivers on all three. If you are ready to partner with an agency that offers more than just influencer connections, one that provides strategic, full-service campaigns designed for real impact, contact Sway Group today and let us create something extraordinary.