Where Brands Actually Find Their Social Media Help: 7 Marketplaces That Deliver Results
If you’re a business owner tired of managing Instagram posts at midnight or a marketer searching for reliable influencer connections, you’ve probably wondered where everyone else finds their help. The answer is simpler than you think. Several established marketplaces connect brands with social media professionals and influencers who can handle everything from content calendars to campaign management. This list focuses on platforms where real work gets done, not just where people talk about doing work. Whether you need a one-time campaign or ongoing management, these seven marketplaces offer different strengths worth considering.
- Legiit
Legiit started as a marketplace for digital marketing services and has grown into a reliable hub for social media management and influencer outreach. The platform lets you browse profiles of specialists who offer specific services, from YouTube channel management to Instagram growth strategies. What sets Legiit apart is its focus on marketing professionals who understand the technical side of social platforms, not just the creative elements.
You’ll find freelancers offering clear packages with defined deliverables, which makes budgeting straightforward. Many sellers have detailed portfolios showing previous campaigns and results, so you can evaluate their style before hiring. The platform also includes a rating system based on completed projects, giving you confidence that the person you hire has a track record. For businesses that want predictable costs and transparent service descriptions, Legiit removes much of the guesswork from hiring social media help.
- Aspire (formerly AspireIQ)
Aspire operates differently from typical freelance marketplaces by focusing specifically on influencer partnerships. Brands use the platform to search a database of content creators across multiple social channels, then manage entire campaigns from outreach to payment. The system includes tools for tracking performance metrics and managing contracts, which becomes valuable when you’re coordinating with several influencers at once.
The platform works best for companies running structured influencer campaigns rather than one-off posts. You can filter creators by audience size, engagement rates, and niche categories to find matches that align with your brand values. Aspire also provides relationship management features, making it easier to build long-term partnerships with creators who consistently deliver results. If your strategy involves ongoing collaborations with multiple influencers, this platform handles the administrative complexity that usually bogs down those efforts.
- Upwork
Upwork remains one of the largest freelance marketplaces, with a substantial section dedicated to social media managers and strategists. The platform’s strength lies in its flexibility. You can post a specific project, like a three-month Instagram campaign, or hire someone for ongoing hourly work to manage your accounts daily.
The search filters let you narrow candidates by their experience with particular platforms, industries, or types of content. Many social media professionals on Upwork have portfolios showing growth metrics they’ve achieved for previous clients, which helps you evaluate their actual impact rather than just their creative skills. The platform’s time-tracking and milestone payment systems provide structure for longer engagements. While Upwork charges service fees that increase your costs, the breadth of available talent and the built-in contract protections make it a solid choice for businesses that need flexibility in how they structure their social media support.
- Collabstr
Collabstr simplifies influencer hiring by letting creators list their rates publicly, similar to an online storefront. You can browse influencers by platform and category, see exactly what they charge for different types of posts, and book them directly without negotiating back and forth. This transparency speeds up the hiring process considerably.
The marketplace includes influencers from micro-level (around 10,000 followers) up to larger accounts, giving brands with various budget sizes access to partnerships. Each profile shows engagement rates and previous brand collaborations, helping you assess whether an influencer’s audience actually interacts with sponsored content. Collabstr handles the payment processing and provides basic campaign tracking, though it’s less comprehensive than enterprise platforms. For small to medium businesses that want straightforward influencer partnerships without complex campaign management tools, this marketplace removes friction from the process.
- Mayple
Mayple takes a curated approach by vetting social media marketers before adding them to the platform, then matching them to businesses based on specific needs and industry experience. Rather than browsing hundreds of profiles yourself, you describe your requirements and the platform suggests professionals who have demonstrated success in similar situations.
This matching process saves time but also means less control over who you consider. The trade-off appeals to business owners who’d rather have a shortlist of qualified candidates than sort through applications themselves. Mayple focuses on marketers who can develop strategy in addition to executing tasks, so you’re more likely to find someone who can advise on what content to create rather than just posting what you hand them. The platform works well for companies that need strategic guidance alongside execution, though the curated approach typically comes with higher costs than open marketplaces.
- People Per Hour
People Per Hour operates as a project-based marketplace where social media professionals create specific service offerings called “hourlies.” These fixed-price packages might include things like “7 Instagram posts with captions” or “Facebook ad campaign setup and management.” The structure works well when you know exactly what you need but don’t want to manage an hourly freelancer.
The platform has a strong community of UK and European freelancers, though it includes professionals from around the world. Many social media managers on the site offer tiered packages, letting you start with a basic service and upgrade if the relationship works well. The workstream feature provides a shared space for communication and file sharing, keeping project details organized. For businesses that prefer buying defined services rather than hiring by the hour, People Per Hour’s package structure provides clarity on what you’ll receive and what it will cost before you commit.
- Influence.co
Influence.co functions as both a portfolio platform for influencers and a marketplace where brands can find and connect with them. Influencers maintain detailed profiles showing their audience demographics, engagement statistics, and previous collaborations. The platform emphasizes authentic partnerships by providing tools that help brands evaluate whether an influencer’s audience actually matches their target market.
Unlike some marketplaces that charge subscription fees, Influence.co offers free access to its database, with paid features for more advanced campaign management. You can search by specific criteria like audience location, age range, or interests, then reach out directly to influencers who fit your needs. The platform also includes a media kit generator that influencers use to present their statistics professionally, making evaluation faster. For brands that want direct access to influencer information without paying platform fees for every collaboration, Influence.co provides a middle ground between DIY outreach and managed marketplace services.
Finding the right marketplace depends on what kind of help you actually need. If you want influencers for specific campaigns, platforms like Collabstr and Influence.co streamline that process. If you need someone to manage your accounts day-to-day, general freelance marketplaces like Upwork or specialized options like Legiit give you access to professionals with proven track records. The important thing is matching the platform’s structure to your workflow. Some businesses thrive with fixed-price packages, while others need the flexibility of hourly arrangements or ongoing partnerships. Try one that aligns with how you prefer to work, evaluate the results after a project or two, and adjust from there. The right marketplace makes hiring social media help feel less like a gamble and more like a reliable business process.