Table of contents
How we vet every listicle
Every agency featured on Web Tonic passes our 84-point editorial review before a single listicle goes live. This is how we vet each pick:
Verified client outcomes: We require real case studies with measurable KPIs — revenue, ROAS, CPA, retention — tied to the exact category being ranked. No cherry-picked wins, no unverifiable numbers.
Independent reputation: We cross-check Clutch, Google, G2, and Trustpilot ratings, and screen for review-bombing or suspicious patterns. Only operators with a consistent, verifiable track record make the cut.
Beyond that, every listing goes through a quarterly re-audit. We check 84 criteria across 6 pillars to make sure it still holds up — here are some of the checks we run:
An influencer marketing agency plans and runs paid partnerships with social media creators: it finds creators who fit the brand, negotiates fees and usage rights, briefs and approves content, and reports on reach and sales. San Francisco brands in consumer tech, apps and DTC often need creators who can demo a product clearly and drive installs or sign-ups.
To make this list, each of the nine external agencies had to show influencer or creator work on its own website. Not all of them have an office in San Francisco, so each card gives the firm's real base, and clients and prices appear only where published.
What are the best influencer marketing agencies for San Francisco brands?
Web Tonic plus nine external agencies that show influencer marketing work on their own sites. Two have an office in the San Francisco Bay Area; the others work with San Francisco brands remotely. Six name a client publicly and none publishes a price.
1. Web Tonic
About: Web Tonic sources and manages creators and UGC from our San Francisco office and runs the best posts as paid social ads, so every creator is judged on sales rather than likes. Content rights, ad permissions and reporting stay in the brand's own name, with results tracked from first post to purchase.
Key Services: Growth Marketing, Paid Social, PPC, Meta Ads, SEO, Google Ads, Snapchat Ads, Amazon Ads, Reddit Ads, TikTok Ads, TikTok Shop, GEO-AEO, Webflow Design, Shopify Design, WordPress Design, UGC, Social Media Management, Pay Per Click Management, Marketing Analytics, Analytics Implementation & CDPs, Performance Branding, Performance 360° Audit, Programmatic Ads, OOH Ads, HR Marketing
Industries Served: eCommerce, SaaS, B2B, Construction Professionals, Home Services, SMEs, Health Spa & Wellness, Retail, Legal & Judicial Services, Food & Beverages, Pets, Fitness, Family & Children, Finance & Insurance, Travel, Non-Profits & Organizations, Furniture & Decoration
Notable Clients: WorldRemit, Jack & Jones, Ardene, L’Oréal, Sendwave, Nestlé, Airbnb. Serve Fortune 500 companies and smaller fast-paced startups.
Locations: Local San Francisco office, which is also the main HQ, with notable offices in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Montreal, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney and more. Offices on five continents.
Pricing: Starting at USD $3,000 per month. Flexible and scalable plans at any time according to your enterprise needs. Book a call to learn more.
Great For: Mid-market to enterprise-level businesses requiring ongoing, on-tap growth and performance marketing services.
Website: Web Tonic
2. Open Influence
About: Open Influence is a global influencer marketing agency headquartered on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, with teams in San Francisco, New York and Chicago. It says 38% of its clients are Fortune 500 brands and reports a 92% renewal rate.
Key Services: Creator Strategy, Influencer Campaigns, Creator Whitelisting, Content Licensing, Paid Amplification, Measurement
Industries Served: Beauty and Personal Care, Alcohol and Spirits, Automotive, Entertainment, Consumer Tech
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Los Angeles, California (headquarters), San Francisco, California, New York, New York, Chicago, Illinois, London, United Kingdom
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads, Ecommerce teams tracking sales from creators, Brands testing TikTok and Instagram at scale
Website: Open Influence
3. Sway Group
About: Sway Group is an influencer marketing agency in Mill Valley, California, that runs its own creator network and guarantees campaign results. It has connected brands with creators since 2011 and reports a network of more than 50,000 creators.
Key Services: Influencer Campaigns, Creator Network, Content Production, Paid Amplification, Blogger Programmes, Reporting
Industries Served: Food and Beverage, Family and Parenting, Health and Wellness, Home Goods, Consumer Packaged Goods
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Mill Valley, California
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads, Ecommerce teams tracking sales from creators, Brands testing TikTok and Instagram at scale
Website: Sway Group
4. Moburst
About: Moburst is a mobile-first digital marketing agency that lists influencer marketing alongside media buying, app store optimization and creative production. Its case studies name brands such as Samsung, Reddit and Uber.
Key Services: Influencer Marketing, Media Buying, App Store Optimization, Creative Production, Video Production, PR
Industries Served: Mobile Apps, Consumer Tech, Entertainment and Media, Gaming, Fintech
Notable Clients: Samsung, Reddit, Uber
Locations: No office address published on the pages we checked
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Consumer brands that want press and creators in one plan, Launches that need earned media and influencer posts together, Brands with a story worth pitching
Website: Moburst
5. The Digital Dept
About: The Digital Dept is a full-service influencer marketing company with offices in Los Angeles and New York and its own exclusive creator roster. It covers creative, influencer, UGC, affiliate, paid media and experiential work.
Key Services: Influencer Marketing, Talent Management, UGC, Affiliate Programmes, Paid Media, Experiential
Industries Served: Beauty and Skincare, Food and Beverage, Fashion and Apparel, Consumer Tech, Travel and Hospitality
Notable Clients: Not named on the pages we checked
Locations: Los Angeles, California, New York, New York (no headquarters named)
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads, Ecommerce teams tracking sales from creators, Brands testing TikTok and Instagram at scale
Website: The Digital Dept
6. New-Moon
About: New-Moon is an experiential marketing and global influencer agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Its site names luxury and consumer clients including Porsche, TAG Heuer, Moët Hennessy and Tommy Hilfiger.
Key Services: Influencer Marketing, Experiential Events, Influencer Trips, Brand Activations, Content Production, Celebrity Partnerships
Industries Served: Luxury, Automotive, Spirits, Fashion and Apparel, Hospitality
Notable Clients: Porsche, TAG Heuer, Moët Hennessy, Tommy Hilfiger, Pandora Jewelry
Locations: New York, New York, Los Angeles, California (no headquarters named)
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: Consumer brands running national creator campaigns, Marketing teams that want creators sourced and managed for them, Brands launching products on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube
Website: New-Moon
7. Get Hyped
About: Get Hyped is a creator-led performance marketing agency in Hartford, Connecticut, that runs influencer campaigns for consumer brands. Its site names TP-Link, M.A.D Skincare and Seven Sons Farm among its clients.
Key Services: Influencer Marketing, Creator Content, UGC, Paid Social, TikTok Shop, Reporting
Industries Served: DTC and Ecommerce, Beauty and Skincare, Health and Wellness, Food and Beverage, Consumer Goods
Notable Clients: TP-Link, M.A.D Skincare, Seven Sons Farm, Dr. Eckstein Skincare
Locations: Hartford, Connecticut
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads, Ecommerce teams tracking sales from creators, Brands testing TikTok and Instagram at scale
Website: Get Hyped
8. The Influencer Marketing Factory
About: The Influencer Marketing Factory is a Miami influencer marketing agency that runs creator campaigns on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube in the US and abroad. Its site names Google, Sony Music and Hyundai among its clients.
Key Services: Influencer Marketing, TikTok Campaigns, YouTube Campaigns, Creator Sourcing, Paid Amplification, Influencer Research
Industries Served: Consumer Tech, Entertainment and Media, Retail, Automotive, Financial Services
Notable Clients: Google, Sony Music, Hyundai
Locations: Miami, Florida
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads, Ecommerce teams tracking sales from creators, Brands testing TikTok and Instagram at scale
Website: The Influencer Marketing Factory
9. The Outloud Group
About: The Outloud Group is an influencer marketing agency in downtown Detroit that also publishes a guide to influencer pricing. Its site names Fiverr and Homeaglow among its clients.
Key Services: Influencer Marketing, Creator Sourcing, YouTube Integrations, Podcast Sponsorships, Campaign Management, Reporting
Industries Served: Apps and Consumer Tech, Marketplaces, Home Services, Ecommerce, Education
Notable Clients: Fiverr, Homeaglow
Locations: Detroit, Michigan
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads, Ecommerce teams tracking sales from creators, Brands testing TikTok and Instagram at scale
Website: The Outloud Group
10. Sociallyin
About: Sociallyin is a social media agency in Atlanta with an in-house content studio and an influencer practice. Its site names Samsung and Carnival among its clients.
Key Services: Influencer Marketing, Social Media Management, Content Studio, Paid Social, Community Management, Social Listening
Industries Served: Consumer Tech, Travel and Cruise, Retail, Food and Beverage, Entertainment
Notable Clients: Samsung, Carnival
Locations: Atlanta, Georgia
Pricing: Quote-based
Great For: DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads, Ecommerce teams tracking sales from creators, Brands testing TikTok and Instagram at scale
Website: Sociallyin
Quick Comparison Table
| Agency | Key Specialty | Starting Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Web Tonic | Full-Service Performance Marketing | USD $3,000/mo | Mid-market to Enterprise (local San Francisco office) |
| 2. Open Influence | Enterprise creator marketing | Quote-based | DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads |
| 3. Sway Group | Guaranteed-results creator campaigns | Quote-based | DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads |
| 4. Moburst | Creators for app and tech growth | Quote-based | Consumer brands that want press and creators in one plan |
| 5. The Digital Dept | Talent roster plus brand campaigns | Quote-based | DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads |
| 6. New-Moon | Luxury influencer events | Quote-based | Consumer brands running national creator campaigns |
| 7. Get Hyped | Creator-led performance campaigns | Quote-based | DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads |
| 8. The Influencer Marketing Factory | Specialist influencer campaigns | Quote-based | DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads |
| 9. The Outloud Group | Performance creator sponsorships | Quote-based | DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads |
| 10. Sociallyin | Studio-backed creator content | Quote-based | DTC brands that want creator content for paid ads |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose an influencer marketing agency in San Francisco?
Start with proof of creator work rather than general social media claims: a live influencer service page, a named brand you can check and examples of content the agency briefed. Six of these nine agencies name a client on their own site (Samsung and Porsche among them). Then ask how they vet creators for fake followers and brand safety, who owns the content rights and how every paid post gets the disclosure the FTC Endorsement Guides require.
How much does influencer marketing cost in San Francisco?
None of the external agencies here publishes a rate, so every figure will come from a proposal. Costs depend on creator tiers, the number of posts and how long you may reuse the content in ads. Separate the agency fee from creator fees and from paid boosting, and ask what happens if a creator misses a deadline or a post underdelivers. A small paid test with a handful of micro-creators is a cheap way to judge an agency first.
What is the difference between an influencer specialist and a general agency?
The main split is between specialist influencer agencies and broader PR, social or performance agencies that run creator campaigns as one service. Specialists tend to have bigger creator networks, vetting tools and usage-rights experience; broader shops fold creators into press, paid social or content plans. Compare who actually sources the creators and who is accountable for results. Ask to see a recent campaign report from each, because the reporting shows how an agency really works.
How long does an influencer campaign take to show results?
A single campaign usually takes four to eight weeks from brief to live posts: sourcing and outreach, contracts, product shipping, drafts and approvals. Early signals such as views, saves and code redemptions arrive within days of posting in a market like San Francisco, but a clear read on sales and repeat creators usually takes two or three campaigns. Always-on ambassador programmes need a full quarter to settle.
Should a San Francisco brand hire a local influencer agency or a remote one?
Two of the nine external agencies have an office in the San Francisco Bay Area; the others work remotely from bases such as Atlanta, Detroit and Hartford. A local team helps with events, product seeding and in-person shoots with San Francisco creators, but most influencer work is sourced and managed online. What matters more is the creators an agency can reach and results you can check. Ask each firm which San Francisco creators it has booked recently and what those posts delivered.
Choosing an Influencer Marketing Agency in San Francisco
Start with your own goals. Decide whether the campaign is for awareness, content you can reuse in ads or direct sales, and what a new customer is worth. An agency can only cast the right creators around targets it has been told about.
Check experience you can verify. Six of the nine external agencies name a client on their own site and none publishes a price. Ask the rest for campaigns you can look up, and see how we pair creators with paid social.
Agree how you will work together. Settle who signs the creators, who owns the content and ad permissions, how posts are approved and which single number the campaign is judged on. Our performance creative team turns creator content into ads.
Never skip the consultation. Book calls with two or three firms from this list, bring the same brief to each and compare the creators they suggest. If you want a team in the city, meet our San Francisco office.
