Agency Social Media: Behind the Strategy

There’s an old joke in the agency world: the cobbler’s children have no shoes. Creative agencies that produce brilliant social media campaigns for clients are often terrible at their own social presence. Here’s why — and what the exceptions do differently.

Why Agencies Struggle

Client work always takes priority. The social media team is busy executing campaigns for paying clients, and the agency’s own channels become an afterthought. The result: sporadic posting, generic content, and a social presence that doesn’t reflect the agency’s actual capabilities.

What Works

The agencies that do social well treat their own channels as a proving ground. They experiment with formats, test emerging platforms, and use their own social presence as a laboratory for ideas they’ll eventually pitch to clients.

They also show process, not just polish. Behind-the-scenes content, work-in-progress shots, and honest reflections on campaigns generate more engagement than finished case studies. People want to see how the sausage is made.

Practical Tips

• Assign ownership — one person, not a committee
• Post consistently, even if it’s just twice a week
• Show the humans behind the work
• Have opinions about the industry
• Don’t just reshare awards — share failures too