What to Know When Hiring an Influencer Marketing Agency

If you haven’t heard, influencer marketing is here to stay. In fact, influencers have never been more valuable to brands.

Why? Simply put, influencer marketing is one sector of social media marketing that has seen consistent growth over the years. The market grew from $1.7 billion in 2016 to $13.8 billion in 2021. Social media consumption is at an all time high and is only expected to grow even more with the increasing popularity in short TikTok videos and the ability to hyper-target social media ads.

The most successful influencers have demonstrated tremendous grit through social platform changes, new platform launches (TikTok), trend changes and interruptions to daily life (ahem, pandemic). Those who have persisted and adapted to the ups and downs of being a professional content creator have earned big brand contracts and paved the way for what influencer partnerships can look like.

While influencer marketing can yield tremendous results for your business, it requires more work than you might think. The good news is that the right agency can help you navigate an influencer marketing partnership. Rather than shooting your shot with an influencer, an agency can help you build strong, lasting relationships with the right people.

So, let’s start with the basics — what do you need to know before hiring an influencer marketing agency?

What Influencer Marketing Agencies Do

You and your team may feel confident enough to venture into influencer territory on your own, especially if you have an in-house marketing team. But you might not realize what you’re missing out on by going it alone. Working with an agency doesn’t just offload the work onto someone else’s plate. You’ll also gain access to invaluable expertise in a highly nuanced industry.

If you’re beefing up your social marketing efforts…

Hiring an agency to take on a portion of your marketing strategy is very convenient. Especially when you’re adding something new to your marketing plan, you’ll need the extra hands to get it off the ground. Rather than burdening your own team, an agency can easily step in and take on that workload. This opens up your in-house team to do what they do best.

If you’re not here for the cringey ads…

An agency will deliver quality work with authenticity at the forefront. Seasoned influencers know when to say no to a partnership that doesn’t feel right or isn’t a fit with their brand. However, influencers that are just starting out might say yes to something that isn’t a natural fit. Forcing credibility doesn’t work and followers can see right through an awkward ad.

Unfortunately, a cringeworthy influencer campaign can do more damage than good for your brand. While the influencer may be able to recover, you would be left doing damage control. Lean on an agency for their expertise when recruiting influencers if you want to avoid the cringe factor.

If you know the value of relationships…

An agency will help you build a strong rapport with the influencers you choose to work with, beginning with recruitment, campaign development and ongoing campaign support. Throughout a campaign, influencers may have input, questions or other follow-up emails. It’s important that this communication is managed in a meaningful and efficient way.

If an influencer likes working with your brand—it’s easy, enjoyable, and they “click” with your team—they’ll be more likely to work with you again. An influencer who works with a brand multiple times becomes an extension of the brand and is one of the best advocates to have in your corner.

If you want to see the numbers…

An influencer marketing agency will never leave data on the table. You may be creating the most engaging content, but if it’s not optimized, no one will see it. How do you know if anyone is seeing your content? Say it with me: “Data!!” Measuring the success of an influencer campaign is crucial to learning and adapting. Click thru rates, cost per lead, conversion rates, traffic leads, etc. If you’re like…???? , an agency will likely have a data nerd on the team who is like, ???? .

How to Choose an Influencer Marketing Agency

An agency search can feel daunting, but it’s not as overwhelming as you might think. In fact, when you find an agency that makes you feel calm and confident, you’ll know it’s the one!

Big Picture Stuff

It’s fun to talk about creative ideas and specific Instagram stories, but don’t forget to funnel into it. An agency should think strategically when it comes to an influencer marketing plan. Every idea should support the overall goal of your campaign. It’s also important to think of the big picture in terms of your partnership with an agency. Do you see your business and the agency growing together? Do your 5-year visions align? Choose an agency that’s in it for the long haul.

Niche Teams

An influencer marketing campaign can yield great results for your brand, which is why you want the best social media experts working for you. But what about content creation, data analysis, copywriting and creative direction? All of these areas of marketing are crucial to building a cohesive and beautiful campaign. An ideal agency is one that has specific skill sets in many areas of influencer marketing.

Undivided Attention

If you’ve ever worked with someone who makes you feel like you’re the only client they have, you know how assuring and special it is. While it’s a fact that an agency works with multiple clients, it’s still important that you receive undivided attention throughout your partnership. Building that trust starts with the first email communication. Do you feel rushed? Do you feel like you’re a burden? If so, it may be a sign of a future strain on your relationship. Find an agency that is a champion for your business.

The right agency can take your influencer marketing to the next level. To see if we’re the right fit for your team, contact us at Commit Agency today.