Picking an influencer marketing agency is easier when you evaluate them the same way a media buyer evaluates a plan: casting rationale, negotiated rates, contract terms and reporting. The pitch deck is the easy part.
Questions to ask on a first call
How do you build a shortlist? What's your average negotiated saving vs asking rate? What's included in your fee vs charged separately? Who owns the content and for how long? What does your wrap report actually contain?
Red flags
Follower-count-only casting, no written contract templates, unclear fee structures, reluctance to share past wrap reports, and any agency that promises specific view counts. Deliverables and effort are commitments. Views are not.
How to compare shortlists
Line up two or three agencies against the same brief and compare the shortlists. You'll learn more from the casting rationale than from any pitch document.