Top 5 Paid Social Agencies in the UK (2026)
Social platforms can move extremely fast. Meta, TikTok and YouTube keep changing how ads work, which means brands and companies need more than just boosted posts if they want sustainable, and real results. These platforms acted very differently 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and even 1 year ago. Paid Social today is a mix of smart strategy, strong creative and consistent testing. The right agency is able to utilise all of these and turn a budget into scalable growth, rather than guesswork.
Below is our breakdown of the top five Paid Social agencies within the United Kingdom to look out for going into 2026. Each one has something a little bit different but all do combine creative thinking with data led performance.
#1 PinPoint Media – Best Performance Creative and Paid Social Agency (UK)
URL: https://pinpoint-media.global/
PinPoint Media leads this list as they are experts at combining creative production and paid media performance, all under one roof. They were founded originally as a media production company before introducing paid media into the offering with a strong team of experts. Meta, TikTok and YouTube all are creative-first platforms and this is where PinPoint Media has the biggest impact as they can create high-quality content specifically for each of these platforms for performance to prosper. The approach is simple, product high-impact content, create a testing environment and pair this with a smart full-funnel media plan.
They have proven results across both B2C and B2B, running everything from direct-to-consumer growth plans, influencer-led campaigns, to LinkedIn lead generation both domestically and also internationally. Their paid media offering is built around driving genuine brand connections, leveraging their expertise in social content to maximise the performance of their ad spend. They also pride themselves on transparent and honest reporting, as well as the testing environments so that brands can continue to scale.
Core Service Types:
Paid Social Advertising (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X/Twitter, Snapchat)
Performance Creative Strategy & Production (Video, UGC, Animation)
Full-Funnel Media Planning & Buying
Paid Search (PPC) & CRO
UGC & Influencer Marketing for Paid Channels
Proven Creative & Performance Results:
Merging creative and performance has delivered exceptional results for a diverse range of clients:
FACEGYM (DTC eCommerce): Delivered a 5.60 ROAS on their Mother's Day campaign, proving our ability to drive high-value, seasonal conversions.
Planthood (Subscription/eCommerce): Achieved a phenomenal 422% Increase in Revenue through highly-optimised Paid Social and Search campaigns.
Knoops (Retail/Expansion): Drove a significant 66% Growth In Revenue by using targeted paid media strategies to fuel both online and in-store growth.
PinPoint Media stands out as the best because of being able to scale creative and media together in a bespoke manner. They are able to drive performance-enhancing creative whilst maintaining strategic media buying expertise and this is the reason why PinPoint Media are the best choice to partner with if you are looking for Paid Social specialists.
#2 Socially Powerful – The Global Influencer & Social-First Powerhouse
URL: https://sociallypowerful.com/
Socially Powerful identify themselves as a results-driven influencer marketing agency, that is trusted by global grands. They are great at integrating internet culture, creativity and data into campaigns that are built to resonate from the very start.
Their main strength is within their influencer-first approach to paid media, where they leverage a network of creators to generate high-impact content which is then used on paid social campaigns. They look to cut through doom-scrolling with authentic content, insight and data-driven activity that commands attention and can build lasting impressions.
They have worked with various global brands such as The Body Shop, Tefal and The Gym Group.
Core Service Types:
Global Social Strategy & Consultancy
Influencer Marketing & Creator Content
Paid Social (Performance & Brand Awareness)
Guaranteed Results (KPI-based contracts)
Data Analysis & Social Listening
They are ideal for brands seeking true results and who want their social presence driven by real-world influencers.
#3 Social Chain – The Global Social-First Powerhouse
URL: https://www.socialchain.com/
Social Chain position themselves as an agency that changed social forever. They spent 10 years perfecting their own blend of social-first creative and combining this with marketing strategy to build stronger connections between people and brands.
They look to handle everything from content to strategy and their paid social strength comes from their foundation of a ‘social first’ mentality. Each campaign looks to resonate and build community before paid boosts even happen, which leads to higher engagement rates and better ad performances.
They have partnered with brands such as Shark Ninja, Holland & Barrett and Instax.
Core Service Types:
Global Social Strategy
High-Impact Content Creation & Production
Paid Social & Brand Engagement
Data Analysis & Social Listening
They are ideal for brands looking to connect authentically with massive audiences and stay ahead of societal trends.
#4 Born Social – Social-First Specialists for Challenger Brands
Born Social positions itself as a full service global social media agency that builds social-first brands for the brands of tomorrow. They are a certified B-corp and their focus in campaign creation is authenticity, engagement and community-focused content, with a distinct focus on challenger brands.
They look to build genuine connections with brands, leveraging their expertise in paid social to maximise performance. They want to tell complex stories through ecosystems of creative that is delivered through their full-service agency arms including strategy, creative, media, management and influencer teams.
Some of their impressive client base includes Dock & Bay, Valspar, Vax and Guinness.
Core Service Types:
Full-Service Social Media Strategy
Paid Social (Performance & Brand Awareness)
Community Management
Influencer & Creator Marketing
They are a great pick for ambitious brands that want their social media strategy to be a core component of their marketing strategy, not just a simple add on.
#5 Found – Data-Driven Performance and Digital Specialists
Found is a London-based digital performance agency known for its data-driven approach to paid media. They have a huge emphasis on data and analytics, and use detailed insight to inform every aspect of their paid social optimisation and execution.
They have also introduced a trademarked Everysearch™ approach that addresses the shift in how searches had changed over the last few years with the introduction of AI. They pride themselves on focusing not only on traditional platforms, but maximising potential across every searchable platform. This allows them to not only focus on the traditional paid social strategies, but they also look to go beyond this to ensure maximum exposure across both traditional and new-gen platforms.
Some of their clients include 1st Central, The Clermont, Toolstation and EDF Energy.
Core Service Types:
Paid Social & Paid Search (PPC)
Data & Analytics Strategy
Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)
Technical SEO & Organic Performance
Multi-Channel Attribution
They are perfect for brands looking to break the mould away from just traditional search and social marketing, but also combine that with an evidence-based strategy that delivers growth too.
Final Thoughts
The very key to paid social success is no longer just having a high budget, but being able to completely marry up creative quality and performance data. These agencies listed above do all bring unique strengths to the table, including some that can even go beyond, but the future of scalable growth needs a partner who can seamlessly manage the core aspects of paid social.
PinPoint Media is the obvious choice for brands seeking a true performance creative partner that not only can produce stunning, social-first content but also implement the intricacies of paid social media strategies to ensure that the right content is delivered to the right people, at the right time. This also entails in depth media planning so that the content delivered is genuine, community-led and delivers measurable commercial results, just what the client needs. PinPoint Media bridges the gap between creative ambition and bottom-line impact.
Ready to stop spending on social and start investing?
If you want to enquire with us, let’s talk.
Summary of the Top 5 Paid Social Agencies in the UK
# | Agency | Key Focus & Why They’re Included |
1 | PinPoint Media | The ultimate blend of high-performing, scroll-stopping creative and expert paid media strategy for measurable, scalable ROI. |
2 | Socially Powerful | An influencer-led model that produces authentic content that performs strongly through paid. |
3 | Social Chain | Social-first campaigns that land culturally and can deliver strong engagement before paid media is even applied. |
4 | Born Social | Social-led strategies that help brands grow through consistent creative and paid performance. |
5 | Found | A data-heavy approach combined with paid social with a wider digital insight to maximise budgetary performance. |
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve now reviewed our list of the Top 5 Paid Social Agencies in the UK. If you're considering a partner, here are some common questions that are usually asked:
What is the difference between a Paid Social agency and a Social Media Management (SMM) agency?
A paid social agency focuses on the performance advertising side of things, like optimising ad spend, creative assets and targeting specific company objectives like sales or leads. A Social Media Management agency is more on the organic side of things, taking charge of organic growth, community management, content calendars and the brand voice. They do operate in the same space but have very different management methods; and fortunately PinPoint Media can do both.
How is Paid Social different from PPC (Paid Search)?
Paid Search (also known as Pay-Per-Click) looks to capture existing demand by showing ads to people who are actively searching through Google or Bing, whereas Paid Social creates demand by targeting users based on demographic, interest or behavioural cues. This can then introduce your brand to people who don’t know they need your product yet. Both sit in the customer journey cycle and can work together to create a greater full-funnel. The best agencies, like PinPoint Media, are able to manage both effectively to ensure you are both creating and capturing demand as efficiently as possible.
How much of my budget should be dedicated to creative versus media spend?
This ratio is flexible and actually does highly depend on the business itself, but the industry trend is pushing more budget into creative. This is because ad platforms like Meta and even Google are using AI to handle more targeting and bidding options, so the creative quality becomes that more important for performance. Another rule of thumb is using up to 20% of your monthly budget on testing within accounts as this can help scale growth, and this is something that is a speciality of PinPoint Media.
Stay Informed with PinPoint Media Blog
