Strategy
Part of Social media content planning: a practical guide
Which social media content planning agencies to pick
A named shortlist of Canadian social media content planning agencies, with the criteria and checks that show which one fits your brand account.
What to take away
- Six social media content planning agencies to pick from cover most Canadian briefs.
- The Canadian shortlistMajor Tom, Konstruct Digital, OneNet, and Social Media Solutions.
- Add The Influence Agency for creator programs and MediaFace for Quebec French and English delivery.
- Score every firm the same way. Compare scope, named delivery team, market coverage, and rights. Do the same for price model and offboarding.
- Ask for a paid planning exercise on one real month before you sign a retainer.
- Match the agency to the work. Bilingual Quebec delivery, B2B subject-matter depth, and creator programs are different skills.
- Keep the evidence record beside the decision so a colleague can reproduce your reasoning.
The best social media content planning agency for your account is the one whose scope matches your audience, platforms, languages, and approval chain. No public evidence supports a single winner. What follows is a named shortlist of Canadian firms, plus the criteria that separate them.
Six agencies worth a look
Major Tom works from Toronto, New York, and Vancouver. Strategy, content, paid media, and web sit under one roof. Suits brands that want a single integrated team and can carry a full-service retainer.
Six agencies at a glance
Major Tom
- Base
- Toronto NY Vancouver
- Best fit
- Integrated brand
- Verify first
- Retainer scope
Konstruct Digital
- Base
- Calgary
- Best fit
- B2B industrial
- Verify first
- Interviewing skill
OneNet
- Base
- Toronto
- Best fit
- SMB site plus social
- Verify first
- Who writes
Social Media Solutions
- Base
- Toronto
- Best fit
- Community management
- Verify first
- Response hours
The Influence Agency
- Base
- Toronto
- Best fit
- Creator programs
- Verify first
- Disclosure rights
MediaFace
- Base
- Montreal
- Best fit
- Quebec French English
- Verify first
- Bill 96 review
Konstruct Digital (Calgary) works mainly with B2B and industrial clients on search, content, and paid social. It suits long sales cycles where subject-matter accuracy matters more than posting volume.
OneNet (Toronto) handles web, SEO, and social content for small and mid-sized businesses. It suits owners who want one vendor for the site and the feed.
Social Media Solutions (Toronto) focuses on community management, calendars, and reporting. It suits accounts that need daily response coverage more than campaign concepts.
The Influence Agency (Toronto) pairs content production with influencer and creator programs. It suits consumer brands buying creator work alongside organic posting.
MediaFace (Montreal) delivers French and English creative and social content. It suits Quebec accounts that need Bill 96 compliant French advertising reviewed by a qualified lawyer.
All six quote per project or per retainer, and none publishes a rate card. Ask for a written scope listing deliverables and hours. Retainers of this shape typically run from about CAD 2,500 to CAD 9,000 a month in most Canadian markets, with platform count, languages, and video volume driving the range.
Set criteria before reading proposals
Acquisition.gov's guide to a source selection plan says evaluation factors should reflect the need and include cost plus non-cost items such as past performance and key personnel. A private buyer can borrow the principle without copying federal procedure.
The FAR section on contractor performance information asks for objective performance records tailored to the work, covering quality, cost control, and timeliness. Request references that match the proposed scope, not a logo wall.
The four agency shapes
- Planning and production.Recurring briefs, calendars, copy, and design. Video, approvals, and reporting often sit here too. Confirm who supplies source material and who owns working files.
- B2B specialist.Expert-led content and executive programs. Test interviewing skill and factual review before you buy.
- Multi-market.Several provinces or languages. Verify the delivery office, local review, and time-zone coverage.
- Creator-led.Creator sourcing, briefs, paid amplification, and measurement. Confirm disclosure practice and usage pricing.
Quick comparison
Base
- Major Tom
- Toronto, Vancouver, New York
- Konstruct Digital
- Calgary
- OneNet
- Toronto
- Social Media Solutions
- Toronto
- The Influence Agency
- Toronto
- MediaFace
- Montreal
Best fit
- Major Tom
- Integrated brand and paid work
- Konstruct Digital
- B2B and industrial
- OneNet
- SMB site plus social
- Social Media Solutions
- Community management
- The Influence Agency
- Creator and influencer programs
- MediaFace
- Quebec French and English
Verify first
- Major Tom
- Retainer scope, team names
- Konstruct Digital
- Subject-matter interviewing
- OneNet
- Who writes versus who hosts
- Social Media Solutions
- Response hours, escalation
- The Influence Agency
- Disclosure, usage rights
- MediaFace
- Bill 96 review path
Audit the published evidence
The FTC advertising substantiation policy requires a reasonable basis before objective advertising claims go out. Apply the same test to any agency's stated results: ask what was measured, on which account, over which period.
The FTC guidance for marketers using reviews warns about fake feedback, selective requests, and hidden relationships. Ask each shortlisted firm whether it pays for placement in any list it appears on.
Separate provider claims, client statements, and measured records.
For Canadian work, add the checks that matter locally: CASL consent language on every lead form, PIPEDA handling of audience data, and CRA treatment of influencer gifts. Name the statute in the brief. Then send the contract to a qualified Canadian lawyer or accountant rather than deciding it yourself.
A useful set of planning examples shows what a finished month looks like before you commission one. Compare the agency's sample calendar against published planning benchmarks for posting cadence and response time, and treat your own analytics as the final word.
Common questions
Which agency is best for a Quebec account?
MediaFace, because it delivers French and English creative from Montreal. Bill 96 sets French-language advertising requirements, so have a qualified lawyer review the copy before launch.
Should agencies do free sample work?
No. Pay for a bounded planning exercise on one real month, with clear ownership of the output. A free pitch usually buys you a template, not a plan.
Can an agency ask to be added to this list?
Yes. Send current scope, markets, named delivery team, and representative work. Also send the pricing model and two references. Inclusion is not an endorsement or a paid placement.
How long before switching agencies?
Review ninety days of campaign records first. Strategy changes made before that review tend to repeat the problem you were trying to fix.
