GILDED SOCIAL

What GILDED SOCIAL does

GILDED SOCIAL is a Syracuse, New York-based full-service digital marketing agency founded in 2011 and operating with 1-10 employees under CEO Scott Friedberg. The firm delivers three integrated service lines — Growth Marketing (paid advertising, email and SMS marketing, conversion rate optimization), Social Media Management (content creation, community management, influencer marketing), and Creative Services (websites, branding, graphic design) — to enterprise and mid-market clients across at least nine verticals including healthcare, manufacturing, legal, cannabis, wine and spirits, automotive, finance, technology, and recreation. Named clients include Würth Industry, Regenexx, FlynnStoned Cannabis Company, Anyela's Vineyards, and Vintage Breaks, indicating a deliberately horizontal, cross-industry client portfolio.

The company does not sell proprietary software, AI models, or a platform technology; its offering is human-led marketing execution structured around a "Strategy → Execution → Overdelivery" framework. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring retainer engagements for ongoing social media and growth marketing work, supplemented by project-based creative services such as website builds and branding. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and prospective clients are routed through a direct engagement model anchored by the company website, contact form, email, and a toll-free number (1-800-9-GILDED), with messaging emphasizing rapid onboarding ("Get started in 1 week or less") and a "Cancel anytime" policy that lowers commitment friction for smaller buyers.

The go-to-market motion relies on case studies as the primary demand-generation asset, supported by an active social presence on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, a newsletter subscription funnel, and a thought-leadership video interview series with Syracuse University Marketing Professor Mirza Tihic. No external funding, acquisitions, partnerships beyond the academic content collaboration, certifications, patents, or disclosed revenue figures appear in the source data, leaving the firm's scale and ownership structure largely opaque.

Name

GILDED SOCIAL

Legal name

GILDED™

Website

https://gildedsocial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GILDED SOCIAL is a Syracuse-based digital marketing agency offering growth marketing, social media management, and creative services to enterprise and mid-market clients across diverse industries, led by CEO Scott Friedberg under a retainer-based, full-service model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Paid Social Advertising Management (MPAAACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paid Social Media Buying (MPAAABAD), Influencer PR & Seeding (Gifting/Press Kits) (MPAAAHAG), Digital PR & Social Media Communications (MPAAADAJ), Paid Social Media Buying (BPAFABAD)

Keywords

• Social media management
• Growth marketing services
• Creative services
• Digital marketing agency
• Brand strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Social Media Management Services: Gilded provides ongoing social media management including content creation, social media management, and influencer marketing. This is a recurring service engagement, likely billed on a retainer or subscription basis.
2. Growth Marketing Services: Growth marketing services encompassing paid advertising, email and SMS marketing, and conversion rate optimization. Delivered as ongoing retainer engagements with measurable outcomes.
3. Creative Services: Creative services including websites, branding, and graphic design. These may be delivered as project-based (one-time) engagements or as part of ongoing retainer relationships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GILDED SOCIAL is a full-service digital marketing agency that delivers three integrated service lines: Growth Marketing (paid advertising, email and SMS marketing, conversion rate optimization), Social Media Management (content creation, community management, influencer marketing), and Creative Services (websites, branding, graphic design). The agency follows a three-step engagement model — Strategy, Execution, and Overdelivery — to help businesses acquire customers and build brand presence across digital channels.

Product overview

GILDED SOCIAL is a social media and growth marketing firm offering three integrated service lines: Growth Marketing (paid advertising, email/SMS marketing, conversion optimization), Social Media Management (content creation, community management, influencer marketing), and Creative Services (websites, branding, graphic design). These services are designed to work together, providing a comprehensive marketing solution from strategy through execution and creative production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Syracuse UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGilded's CEO Scott Friedberg participated in a video interview with Syracuse University Marketing Professor Mirza Tihic as part of an interview series discussing marketing fundamentals for growing businesses. The partnership serves as a thought leadership and content marketing initiative, with the full interview series available via email registration.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WebFX: Large, established full-service digital marketing agency offering SEO, PPC, social, web design, and CRO — competes with Gilded across all three service lines but at significantly greater scale and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• Single Grain: Full-service digital marketing agency delivering paid advertising, SEO, content, and CRO services to mid-market and enterprise clients — overlapping strongly with Gilded's growth marketing service line.
• KlientBoost: Performance marketing agency focused on paid acquisition, CRO, and creative testing — direct overlap with Gilded's paid advertising and conversion rate optimization offerings.
• SmartSites: Full-service digital agency offering web design, SEO, PPC, and social media services to SMBs and mid-market — same three integrated service pillars (creative, paid, social) as Gilded.
• Sculpt: B2B social media marketing agency focused on content, social management, and influencer-style programs for mid-market clients — overlapping directly with Gilded's social media management and influencer marketing offerings.
• Coalition Technologies: Full-service digital marketing agency providing SEO, paid media, web design, and social media — directly comparable integrated offering and similar mid-market/enterprise target.
• Straight North: Mid-market digital marketing agency offering SEO, paid media, web design, and creative services — comparable service mix and customer profile to Gilded.
• Lyfe Marketing: Boutique digital and social media marketing agency offering social media management, paid social, and content creation to SMBs and mid-market clients — directly comparable offering and target segment to Gilded.
• Disruptive Advertising: Performance marketing agency specializing in paid media, CRO, and lifecycle marketing for mid-market and enterprise — closely mirrors Gilded's growth marketing and paid advertising focus.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Full-service digital marketing agency providing web design, SEO, social media, and paid media to SMBs and mid-market — same integrated service model and customer base as Gilded.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gildedsocial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gilded-social
• Instagraminstagram.com/gildedsocial
• Xx.com/gildedsocial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GILDED SOCIAL