You’re looking for an influencer marketing agency to work for. How do you know which one is right for you?

Do you already have a network of influencers or brands that you'd like to work with? Your interests and experience should match the topical niches that the agency specializes in. You ideally would want to to be placed with a client where you're already consuming a lot of content to successfully pair the right creators to the right brands!

I would advise my clients to ask for proof of work on the said niche they claim to be able to help you with. It's worth mentioning that can be as simple as a collection of deliverables that they were responsible for, or a case study. With it, you can know if they spent some time preparing that, or in the better case, already had that upfront for your review, it protects your brand from just money-hungry agencies who will say yes to anything without knowing how to actually help. The same can be asked on the interview process when you want to see if they are on the relevance/size you wish to work with!

Check feedback boards to see how employees were treated in the past and if their compensation are what you are looking for. Secondly, it's great to talk with colleagues who used to work at said agency to inspect their experience. Take everyone's feedback with a grain of salt as personal experiences usually don't provide you with a fair picture/biased opinion, balance those opinions to help you make a decision about their overall reputation!

Understand what makes this agency different than the others that do similar work. Do a deep dive on their brand. Understand their audience, their clients, their mission, values and how they position themselves as an agency. Check what they do around Black History Month, International Women’s Day and Pride month, for example. Review their compensation and factor things beyond the salary including benefits and wellness plans and don’t be afraid to do some digging to learn about the company culture.

I would say if you are keen on working with the influencer marketing industry, you should do a ''background check'' on the agency's culture/values. A lot of influencer marketers/agencies can fall to greed instead of great values because it can be tempting to exclude it to profit. Check the company's testimonials on feedback platforms on how they treat their staff, it can go a long way to prevent you from joining a bad environment/work place.

When choosing an influencer marketing agency, consider their technological capabilities and their culture towards working with influencers. Advanced technology streamlines campaign management and provides valuable insights. Look for agencies that prioritize genuine relationships with influencers, fostering authenticity and collaboration. By selecting an agency with both technological prowess and a positive influencer culture, you can maximize campaign effectiveness and achieve your brand objectives.

You can look always at the job description to see how you compare to the skillset requested for the positions you are applying for. The ones you see repeating a lot through vacancies you would like to apply/work, you go about learning them online/courses to help improve your odds!

Here most job openings nowadays don't declare salary expectations upfront on their postings, I would suggest if you get contacted for an interview call, to ask at the end of it if the range they are willing to give for that position/benefits to see if it's worth your time to keep going down the interview process. It saves everyone involved a lot of time if it's not up to what you are looking for, thank them for their time and move on!

Selection is a very difficult thing. For several reasons, the most important of which is that the review may be fabricated and not true. It requires real experience that reflects the effectiveness and compatibility of this agency. Research agency reputation, approach, and culture. Seek growth opportunities, gather feedback, consider factors like location and benefits, to find the right fit for your career goals and lifestyle.