Why Oyster Creative Co. returned to HeyOrca after trying Sprout Social

Case study highlights

Industry: Marketing agency / creative communications agency

Number of clients: 10+

Company size: 10+ employees 

Favourite HeyOrca features: 

• Unlimited users
• Approval workflows
• Colour-coded content calendar
• Media library and mobile tools for on-site content
• Simple, client-friendly interface for reviewers and executives

Who is Oyster Creative Co.?

Oyster Creative Co. is a creative agency based in Pittsburgh, PA, built on curiosity and hands-on storytelling. Their team describes their work as “bringing great ideas from the muck to the main table,” uncovering the human stories that help clients build stronger brand communities.

They work with publicly traded companies, regional banks, nonprofits, and community-focused organizations; their experience spans athletics, tourism, design, and communications strategy.

HeyOrca vs Sprout Social

Oyster was already using HeyOrca when they decided to explore another social media management tool, hoping to streamline their workflow.

“We heard some chatter internally and externally about how there might be platforms with better analytics [than HeyOrca], so we decided to go to Sprout Social.”

At first, it looked promising.

But once the team started using it day to day, the cracks began to show.

“We found ourselves juggling content across multiple channels,” said Kylie McCracken, Director of Communications & Strategy at Oyster Creative Co. “With the new platform, we only had three seats for content creation, reviews, etc.”

Although Sprout offers social scheduling, the platform limits teams to just three external users, which made client collaboration tough for an agency like Oyster Creative Co. 

Without the unlimited internal and external users they were used to with HeyOrca, collaboration took a hit. 

What used to be a smooth, shared workflow slowly turned into spreadsheets, side threads, and a lot of back-and-forth.

“We couldn’t see the full picture, and keeping everyone aligned felt impossible,” Kylie added. “Approvals slowed down, work got duplicated, and hitting deadlines became a constant struggle.”

Then came the moment that sealed it. One of their clients reached out and said, “Hey, can we go back to HeyOrca? This just isn’t working for us.”

Between the growing internal friction and direct feedback from clients, it became clear something had to change. Oyster didn’t need another workaround – they needed their collaborative workflow back.

So they decided to return to HeyOrca.

And almost immediately, things felt easier again.

How HeyOrca helped fix fragmented workflows

Oyster’s return to HeyOrca brought their creative team and clients back into one unified workspace – where planning, reviewing, and approving content finally felt effortless again.

“These other social media management platforms exist, but for us, we love HeyOrca,” said Georgia Streitman, Communications Strategist at Oyster Creative Co. 

Getting back on track was quick, and it came down to a few features the team realized they can’t live without:

A clear, shared calendar

With colour-coded planning and simple visual cues, everyone (from interns to executives) sees what was scheduled, where approvals sat, and what needs attention. The calendar is the central source of truth for every project.

Approval flows that support compliance

Many of Oyster’s clients require multi-layered reviews. HeyOrca gives their team a structured way to move content through each stage without losing momentum.

“HeyOrca is really, really great for the approval process. I think that has helped us the most.” Kylie shared.

Unlimited users changed everything

Access was no longer a constraint. Oyster added their creative team, writers, account leads, owners, client-side marketing teams, business leaders, and full compliance departments.

“We don’t have a limit on the chairs we have access to. Our full creative team is in HeyOrca; writers, account leads, owners,” said Kylie. “And from the client side, their entire marketing communications team, business leaders, and compliance department. Everyone essentially has access to the calendar.” 

This level of inclusion reshaped collaboration. Stakeholders participate without training or technical barriers.

Simple tools that encourage participation

Clients and partners could comment, edit, and approve with little friction. 

“The ease of use, accessibility, and how simple it is to comment, edit, or approve a post have made a huge difference in our organization,” shared Georgia.

A dedicated space for inspiration 

The Inspo Library gives Oyster’s team a central hub to stash their lightbulb moments – from trend ideas to visual references.

 Instead of losing ideas in camera rolls or spreadsheets, everything is saved right where the content creation happens.

Tools for on-the-go capture 

With Text-to-Library, the Oyster team, their clients, and their event attendees can upload photos to their HeyOrca media library by text message. 

This helps the team capture real-time moments instantly and build a bank of images that are ready to use.

The future for Oyster Creative Co.

With HeyOrca at the centre of their content operations, Oyster regained the clarity and structure their work needed. 

The team now moves through planning, collaboration, and compliance reviews with confidence.

Clients stay informed. Stakeholders stay connected. And Oyster’s creative team can focus on strategy and storytelling, knowing their workflow actually supports them – instead of slowing them down.

“HeyOrca has completely changed how we work as a team. We can plan, review, and approve content without the chaos, and our clients notice the difference, too,” said Kylie.

The shift wasn’t just about adopting a tool. It was about returning to a system that empowers their work, strengthens client relationships, and makes the entire creative process smoother for everyone involved.

Ready to see how HeyOrca can streamline your social media workflows? Start your free trial.