Last Updated: November 2, 2024
What Is Social Shepherd?
The Social Shepherd is a social media marketing agency founded in 2018. The company was started by Zoë Stephenson and Jack Shepherd. They hired their first employee just before the pandemic. By now, they have over 74 employees. Their office is located in Bath, England. They also have offices in London, New York, and Miami.
As a marketing agency, they claim that their primary goal is to deliver excellent marketing results and a high return on investment (ROI). But, have they been successful in this subject? If you’re keen to learn more about this agency, read our complete Social Shepherd review.
Social Shepherd provides a variety of services, including social media ads, social media management, video production, influencer marketing, Google ads, PPC, and more. They help business leaders and marketing teams create big ideas, whether for ongoing social media campaigns or large-scale projects.
Zoë and Jack believe in having specialists for each service instead of trying to do everything. For example, their social media managers focus only on organic content, strategy, and community management, rather than handling all aspects like paid ads and influencer work. This approach allows them to build a team that meets the specific needs of each client.
Social Shepherd Review: Pricing & Features + Best Alternative
Social Shepherd offers features for brands to collaborate with creators and provides tools for planning, finding influencers, negotiating deals, getting approvals, handling contracts, and making payments.
Let’s check them out …
Social Shepherd Features
Whether you need a single campaign or want a long-term partnership with influencers, Social Shepherd claims to offer a service for it. So, let’s take a closer look at its services:
#1 Discovering Influencers
Unlike other agencies that rely mostly on tech, Social Shepherd uses a more personal search approach to select influencers. They then use technology to confirm their research, ensuring the chosen influencers are a good fit for your brand based on their past performance and metrics.
It’s worth noting that Social Shepherd works with creators to produce UGC specifically for your social media channels. This content is suitable for each platform and is used on your brand’s channels rather than the creator’s.
On Social Shepherd, as a brand owner, you don’t have control over your plans. You can’t search for influencers, select them, or create your own campaigns. Instead, you have to connect with one of their specialists, and they suggest a service for you.
It might not be the perfect choice for you because as a brand you need to have control over who you collaborate with. So, what’s the solution?
In contrast, Ainfluencer gives you access to an extensive database of over 2 million influencers, with 10,000 new influencers joining every month. The platform’s transparency lets you see exactly how many options you have. Additionally, Ainfluencer provides detailed search filters, allowing you to narrow down your search by niche, location, gender, platform, and more, helping you find influencers that perfectly match your needs.
#2 Campaign Management
They claim to manage every aspect of a campaign, from strategy and influencer research to outreach, payment, and final reporting. You can only choose to be heavily involved or take a more hands-off approach. Whether you need a one-time campaign or ongoing support, Social Shepherd adapts to your needs with custom influencer marketing plans. So, you can’t handle things on your own.
If you prefer more control, such as selecting influencers or creating campaigns yourself, you might need to consider other platforms like Ainfluencer that offer that flexibility.
#3 Reporting & Tracking
They provide detailed reports, track results through discount codes and UTM links, and offer insights into social performance and brand impact.
#4 Social Management
Social Shepherd offers a full-service social media management solution for brands. Instead of letting you handle things on your own, they assign a team of specialists who take care of everything for you. This includes crafting social strategies, creating platform-specific content, managing paid social campaigns, running influencer campaigns, and monitoring analytics.
Their approach focuses on developing strategies suits to each social media platform’s algorithm, with an emphasis on growing brand presence and community engagement. You’ll work closely with their team, but they handle the planning, execution, and analysis for you.
#5 Paid Media
Their specialists develop a strategy across multiple channels, plan the media, create content, decide which platforms to use, and manage your budget. You work with one of their specialists, who guides you through their services and offers, handling all the details from start to finish.
Social Shepherd Pricing
Ontheir website, we couldn’t find any pricing section, but in one of their blog posts, they have mentioned that they offer four main social media marketing services. They aim to keep pricing clear and simple, so you don’t feel pressured into making decisions.
As they claim, the starting fee is £4,000 per month, but each proposal fits your brand’s needs, so the cost may vary. They offer an initial 3-month contract, and if you’re satisfied with the results, it turns into a rolling contract that can be ended with 28 days’ notice.
Moreover, the company prefer shorter contracts because it motivates them to deliver quality work and consistent results without neglecting clients.
This pricing might not be ideal for small or emerging brands. Their fee covers services like social media management, influencer marketing, and video production. However, the high starting cost could be a barrier, especially for businesses looking for more budget-friendly solutions.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective influencer marketing solution without the hefty monthly fee, Ainfluencer is a fantastic alternative. Unlike Social Shepherd, Ainfluencer is completely free to use, offering access to over 2 million Instagram and TikTok influencers. You can easily set up campaigns, send unlimited invitations, and negotiate deals directly on the platform. Plus, Ainfluencer provides built-in chat, secure payments, and detailed insights—making it a perfect solution for businesses of any size.
Social Shepherd Reviews: What Do Customers Say About Social Shepherd
There aren’t any reviews for Social Shepherd on websites like G2, which might mean not many people use it. On Glassdoor, the company’s employees have shared negative feedback. On Trustpilot, there’s only one review from a customer, and it’s also negative.
Let’s take a look at the following Social Shepherd review:
People might look for alternatives because the customer review on Trustpilot mentions unprofessional behavior and poor service. The reviewer said Social Shepherd doesn’t respond when contacted for collaboration, which can make it frustrating for businesses or influencers trying to work with them.
Now, let’s summerize all the pros and cons of this company.
Social Shepherd Pros and Cons
Pros
- The specialists in different tasks,
- Flexible campaign management from hands-off to hands-on,
- Focus on delivering measurable results and ROI.
Cons
- Too expensive,
- No self-service platform which might limit flexibility for some brands,
- No influencer database.
Well, you may need an alternative!
The Best Social Shepherd Alternative: Ainfluencer
Ainfluencer is a free platform that helps brands find and connect with Instagram and TikTok influencers. You can easily search for influencers based on their niche, location, or gender to match your brand’s needs. With access to over 2 million influencers, setting up a campaign is simple. Amazing right?
Moreover, Influencers can also reach out to you with their offers. You can chat, negotiate, and collaborate directly on the platform. It’s easy to use, making it a good option for businesses of any size. Still not convinced?
Here are some key features:
- A large and growing influencer database, with 10,000 new ones joining each month.
- Easy campaign setup, allowing you to pick influencers based on your needs.
- Unlimited offers, campaigns, and invitations.
- Search filters to narrow down results by platform, influencer size, gender, and location.
- Builtin chat for discussing offers and handling payments.
- Access to influencers’ previous work and audience data on their profiles.
- No need to share sensitive details like passwords.
- 24/7 customer support for assistance.
Ainfluencer also ensures secure payments and transparent transactions, making it a reliable choice for both brands and influencers.
| Features | Social Shepherd | Ainfluencer |
|---|---|---|
| Database of Influencers | N/A | +2M |
| Filtering | Keyword filtering | AI-powered search engine/
More than 20 filters |
| Pricing Options | On Request | Free |
| Influencer Search | ✅ | ✅ |
| Platforms | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube |
Instagram, Tiktok |
| Number of Invitations | N/A | Unlimited |
| Number of Campaigns | N/A | Unlimited |
| Campaign Management | No | ✅ |
| Detailed Insights | No | Yes |
Other Social Shepherd Alternatives
Here’s a list of other similar platforms you may consider instead of Social Shepherd:
1. Captiv8
It is a platform that helps brands connect with online influencers and creators through AI. Marketers can use it to discover influencers, create content, run campaigns, and track their performance. One of its key tools, called Insights, offers real-time data from popular social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Read Captiv8 Review
2. Upfluence
Upfluence uses AI, including tools like ChatGPT, to simplify managing influencer campaigns and communicating with creators. Its strong analytics and AI features make it stand out from other platforms.
Read Upfluence Review
3. BrandBacker
BrandBacker connects brands with influencers to promote products through blogs, videos, and social media. It offers tools to manage content, monitor performance, and assess the success of campaigns.
Read BrandBacker Review
Conclusion
Social Shepherd is a marketing agency offering services like social media management, influencer marketing, video production, and ads. They specialize in using a personalized approach to select influencers and manage campaigns, ensuring each project fits the client’s needs. However, there have been some negative Social Shepherd reviews.
So, if you’re looking for a more affordable and user-friendly alternative, Ainfluencer offers a free platform with a large influencer database, easy campaign setup, unlimited invitation and campaign creation, and secure payment options.
FAQs
This company offers different services based on their customers’ needs, such as managing their social media channels or creating content, running paid advertising, and managing influencer campaigns. Their approach is customized for each brand, using data and insights to shape their strategies.
The best alternative to Social Shepherd is Ainfluencer. It is a free platform that helps brands connect with Instagram and TikTok influencers. It provides access to a large influencer database with over 2 million influencers and offers easy campaign setup.
Unlike Social Shepherd, Ainfluencer allows unlimited campaigns and invitations without a hefty monthly fee. It also includes built-in chat, secure payments, and detailed insights, making it a user-friendly and affordable option for brands of any size.
