Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 21.10.2025 
The Social Shepherd, a social media marketing agency based in Bath, has been named Social Media Agency of the Year (Large) at the UK Agency Awards 2025. Founded in 2018 by Co-Founders Jack & Zoe Shepherd, the agency has quickly become a benchmark for creativity, integrity, and sustainable, people-first growth in social media marketing.
Zoe Stephenson, Co-Founder & CEO, says: “We’re so proud to be called Social Media Agency of the Year, and it’s another incredible milestone in our journey so far. This recognition reflects the dedication, creativity, and culture of our team, and we’re excited to continue evolving as quickly as the social landscape does.”
This award comes off the back of The Social Shepherd being named Best UK Social Media Agency (Large) at the UK Social Media Awards in 2023 and 2024, solidifying the agency’s reputation for excellence. This year, more global brands have reached out to collaborate with the agency, largely thanks to strong word-of-mouth and proven results.
The award judges praised The Social Shepherd as: “A truly exceptional example of scaling with integrity. The speed of growth and calibre of accounts secured is impressive on its own, but what sets this agency apart is the parallel investment in culture. Initiatives like salary transparency and leadership training not only strengthen retention but reflect a genuine commitment to people-first growth.”
Over the past seven years, The Social Shepherd has built a reputation not just for results, but for redefining what it means to grow an agency responsibly. The agency’s culture is central to this success: salary transparency ensures every team member feels valued and fairly rewarded, while leadership training initiatives are designed to nurture internal talent, creating long-term career pathways. This approach has contributed to exceptional retention rates and a collaborative environment where creativity thrives.
In addition to cultivating internal culture, The Social Shepherd is increasingly recognised as a thought leader within the social media marketing industry.
The agency’s reputation has spread beyond the UK, with global brands actively seeking collaboration. This momentum is largely driven by word-of-mouth recommendations, reflecting both the quality of campaigns delivered and the strength of client relationships. By prioritising long-term partnerships over short-term wins, The Social Shepherd ensures that growth is meaningful and sustainable.
Since launching on Jack & Zoe’s dining table, The Social Shepherd has grown steadily, and over the past year alone, the UK team has expanded by 29.5% YoY, reflecting the agency’s continued ambition and drive for growth.
Looking forward, The Social Shepherd plans to refresh its brand to reflect its evolution and the ever-changing social media landscape. The initiative will focus on modernising the agency’s visual identity, amplifying its thought leadership, and continuing to set the standard in creativity, strategy, and culture. Combined with dedicated growth plans for the UK and US teams, this refresh signals the agency’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of the industry.
This recognition places The Social Shepherd among the UK’s top-performing agencies and reinforces its status as one of the fastest-growing names in social media marketing. Beyond awards, the agency continues to champion innovation, ethical growth, and people-first practices as the driving forces behind long-term success.
Jack Shepherd, Co-Founder & CCO, adds: “This award highlights our team’s continued hard work, creativity and strategic thinking they deliver for our clients, as well as what we’ve introduced as a part of our wider agency benefits and cultural values. We can’t wait to keep pushing boundaries, investing in our people, and evolving our brand to deliver exceptional results for clients across the globe.”
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