Influencer marketing has a lot of moving parts. Your brand need to find influencers who can genuinely represent you. You need ways to work with those influencers on a campaign. Plus, you want to have a goal for each campaign. That’s not to mention an overarching strategy to make sure all the pieces fit together. And let’s not even get started on the logistics of negotiating payments. Working with influencers can be complex. So it’s no surprise a fair number of brands and marketers turn to an influencer management agency for help.
What Is an Influencer Management Agency?
An influencer management agency provides services to marketers and brands that help them launch and manage influencer campaigns.
Specific services offered can vary from agency to agency. However, you can usually expect an influencer management firm to offer some combination of the following:
Access to influencers
Some agencies represent or manage influencers directly, while others put together voluntary networks. Additionally, some agencies limit the influencers they work with to specific niches, follower counts, or engagement rates.
Influencer marketing software
It’s not uncommon for an influencer management agency to provide its clients with some sort of proprietary software. The software can help brands that might have smaller budgets organize their campaigns. For brands with larger budgets or greater needs, the software can be used in conjunction with managed services.
Strategy assistance and guidance
What does your brand hope to get from influencer marketing, and how will it go about getting it? An influencer management agency can often provide help creating a strategy. And, they can help your marketing campaign stay on track.
Range of content types
Influencers work on different platforms and in different formats. An agency should give you access to a range of content, from blog posts to videos and from Instagram posts to tweets.
Analyze and assess campaigns
An agency should look back over your recently completed campaigns and help your brand see what worked, what didn’t, and what can be changed going forward.
Reasons to Use an Influencer Management Agency
Whether your brand is completely new to influencer marketing or has tried it in the past, there are several benefits to partnering with an agency that specializes in influencer management and marketing.
Flexibility
One reason to work with an agency is that the services it provides can be flexible. That is, you can often pick and choose the services you use based on your current needs and budget.
Brands that are on a very tight budget might decide to use an agency’s software on a pay-as-you go basis. That way, the brand only pays for influencer marketing help when it needs it, and can adjust its needs based on its budget.
Scalability
As a brand grows, an agency can grow with them. For example, a brand might find so much success working with influencer marketing that it is able to bump up its budget and really dive in. In that case, it can take advantage of the full, managed services offered by an agency.
Expertise
Another reason to work with an influencer management agency is that doing so gives your brand access to people who really know their stuff when it comes to influencer marketing. The staff at agencies often have years of experience in the industry. Additionally, some of the more established companies have been around for 10 years.
Support
One last reason why it might make sense for your brand to use an influencer management agency is that the agency can serve as an intermediary between your brand and influencers. Instead of having to hunt down and connect with influencers directly, you can use the agency’s roster or marketplace platform to connect with influencers who are a good match for your brand.
The networks of influencers provided by agencies really takes the guesswork out of the process of finding an influencer. You’re not stuck wondering if an influencer is available, if they have experience, or if they’re a person your brand can afford to work with. The information is all there at your fingertips when you work with an influencer management agency.
What to Look For in an Influencer Management Agency
Ready to start the search for the right influencer management agency? Here’s what to look for:
Influencers
You want an agency that will be able to connect you to the right type of influencers. Generally speaking, the more influencers an agency has a connection with, the better, as you’ll get more choice and won’t be pressured into working with someone who’s not an ideal fit.
Platforms available
Unless you want to limit your campaigns to a single platform, it’s a good idea to find an agency that provides services across all social platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and others.
Services offered
Are you looking for a purely DIY influencer marketing experience, or do you want some expert advice and guidance? Some platforms or agencies are software only, others are managed services only, and a few combine both software and service.
Experience/reputation
What are other people saying about the agency? Does it have a list of past or current customers, and if so, do you recognize the brands on that list? It’s also worth finding out the history of the company, including the professional background of any employees you’ll be working with.
Choosing the Right Influencer Management Agency for Your Needs
Finding the right influencer management agency is as important as finding the right influencers for your campaign. Once you’ve created a short list of agencies that seem like a great fit, get in touch with them to learn more about the services they offer.
It’s a good idea to have an agency walk you through its products and services and answer any questions you might still have. You also want to get a sense of how flexible the agency is, and whether it’d be able to adapt if your needs change in the near future.
When picking out an agency to partner with, it’s always a good idea to look before you leap. Get all the information and details possible, and see if you can try a demo of their services before you make a final decision.
