What Is a Marketing Influencer Agency?

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• What Is a Marketing Influencer Agency?
• What Does a Marketing Influencer Agency Do?
• How Should You Pick a Marketing Influencer Agency?

Ever since the emergence of Instagram, the popularity of influencers has risen. Influencers are essentially people who have a large following on social media. Along with original content, they share sponsored posts, usually promoting products that fit within their personal brand, lifestyle, or aesthetic. Here, we explain how marketing influencer agencies connect brands to this relatively new kind of marketing.

What Is a Marketing Influencer Agency?

A marketing influencer agency is a type of advertising firm that connects brands to people with large online followings. They have the expertise to launch an influencer campaign that will reach a brand’s target audience. Many of these agencies for influencers have the ability to pair brands with influencers who can authentically represent the brand. Since many people trust what influencers have to say and go to social media for purchasing advice, many brands have the right idea when it comes to this type of marketing.

Image via Pexels by Daria Shevtsova

What Does a Marketing Influencer Agency Do?

A marketing influencer agency does the following things:

• Create relationships — They work to facilitate a professional relationship between brands and influencers. Sometimes finding an influencer who accurately represents your brand can be a challenge. Marketing influencer agencies have the expertise to get you connected to the right social media personality.
• Strategize — Depending on your needs, a marketing influencer agency can build your influencer campaign from start to finish. They can meet with you and the influencer to discuss the purpose of the campaign and what kind of posts you want to see. They’ll go over everything from tone to imagery. They’ll also help you decide which channels to advertise on, such as Instagram or YouTube.
• Define the target audience — Each influencer has a different demographic of followers. An agency for social media influencers can help you decide which demographics you should try to reach with your influencer campaign. You may create messaging for a different target audience than your more traditional marketing campaigns.
• Vet influencers — Since this person is representing your brand, you want to ensure that they are a legitimate influencer. Some bad players fake their social status by purchasing fake followers. An agency can do the work to ensure an influencer has a real following and that they have a clean background. They’ll make sure this person has a history of sharing content that aligns with your brand’s values.
• Negotiate contracts — Knowing how much to pay an influencer is challenging when first getting into this type of marketing. An influencer agency has a better idea of fair rates and can work to negotiate fair terms and conditions with influencers.
• Manage communications — Rather than having to reach out to an influencer directly, your marketing influencer agency can do it for you. If you ever have any comments or questions for the influencer, they can be your liaison for any communication.
• Stay up to date on trends — Social media moves at a rapid pace, and it’s not always easy to know what the latest trends are. Since an influencer agency works directly in this world, they’re going to know the latest things your brand should be a part of. Likewise, they know which trends you should stay away from.

How Should You Pick a Marketing Influencer Agency?

Follow these steps when picking a social influencer agency:

1. Learn About Their Contacts

Get to know who influencer management agencies work with. See if you can request a list of their top influencers. This can give you a better idea if they have experience working with influencers who have impressive followings. If you already have a specific influencer in mind, then all you need to do is figure out what agency they work with.

2. Get To Know Their Strategy

Feel free to meet with a variety of agencies to get to know all of their strategies. Learn how hands-on they are with the entire campaign process. Ask how they choose which influencers to partner with, and make sure to inquire about their vetting process. Prior to signing on with an agency, learn who your account manager will be, how often you’ll receive progress reports, and what specific services they provide.

3. Ask To See Previous Campaigns

A quality marketing influencer agency will have a portfolio of its previous work. Find out who the agency has partnered with in the past. Look into what kinds of campaigns the agency has experience with. You may find a campaign that you would like to emulate for your own brand. Make sure the agency’s past work is somewhat in the style you’re looking for.

4. Search for Customer Reviews

Try to find what clients are saying about influencer agencies. See if other brands have had positive experiences with the agency you’re looking into. You should be able to find reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp. You could even reach out to one of the agency’s clients directly to hear what they have to say. Check if the agency has shared any customer testimonials on its website.

5. Explain Your Needs

Before agreeing to any kind of business relationship, make sure the agency understands your needs. Be very clear about what you expect from its team and what you hope to achieve by working with them. For instance, many brands hope to increase brand awareness among a particular target audience. Other brands may have the goal of making more online sales. Whatever you aspire to do, make it known by everyone you work with.

If you think that an influencer marketing campaign would benefit your brand, consider partnering with a marketing influencer agency or an experienced marketing professional with this specialty. They have the skills and expertise to create an authentic social media presence for your products and services.

Knowledge Base: Social Media Marketing