The Agency Bottleneck: How Our Industry Is Burning Out Creators (and Ourselves)
Burnout has become a buzzword in influencer marketing. Everyone’s talking about creators hitting the wall. The pressure to stay relevant. The non-stop posting. The performance anxiety. And all of it is real.
But there’s a second, quieter burnout happening too. One that doesn’t get headlines. And that’s the burnout happening inside agencies.
If you’re running an influencer agency or managing talent day to day, you already know this. The emails don’t stop. The briefs get messier. The expectations get higher. The timelines get shorter. And more often than not, we’re the ones absorbing the stress from both ends.
Agencies were built to support creators, advocate for fair deals, and bring structure to the chaos. But somewhere along the way, we also became part-time therapists, late-night negotiators, and unpaid strategy consultants. And now, we’re hitting our own limit.
Agencies Are Absorbing Too Much
Let’s be honest. A lot of what used to be the brand’s responsibility has shifted to agencies. Campaigns come in without clear goals. Deliverables change midstream. Usage rights get tacked on last-minute. And when creators push back (rightfully so) it’s often the agency that has to manage the fallout.
We try to keep the peace. We try to make it work. But too often, we’re smoothing over cracks that shouldn’t be there in the first place. We’re giving extra rounds of feedback for free. We’re agreeing to timelines that aren’t realistic. We’re afraid that if we push back too hard, the deal will vanish.
And that fear is exactly what keeps the system broken.
Over-Servicing Is a Symptom of Deeper Problems
Agencies are saying yes too much. Not because we’re weak, but because we care. We care about our creators. We care about our brand relationships. And we care about doing a good job.
But over-servicing has become the default in influencer marketing. And it’s slowly wearing down the very people trying to hold this industry together.
We’re not just chasing briefs. We’re pitching ideas, reviewing scripts, handling contracts, managing payments, chasing usage terms, and following up on product tracking, often with no additional compensation. That’s not “going above and beyond.” That’s unpaid labor. And it's being normalized.
The Mental Load Is Real
Running an agency used to be about deal-making. Now, it feels more like emotional triage. We’re not just negotiating fees. We’re managing the stress levels of everyone involved.
Creators are exhausted. Brands are under pressure. Budgets are shrinking. Expectations are rising. And the agency? We’re trying to protect everyone without falling apart ourselves.
That invisible labor; the calls, the reschedules, the explaining, the chasing, the advocating has weight. And no one really talks about it until someone quits, downsizes, or burns out.
What Needs to Change
We’re not writing this for sympathy. We’re writing it because something’s got to give.
Agencies can’t keep working like this and expect to survive. If we want to protect creators and still run sustainable businesses, we need to reset the way this industry operates. That means:
Charging for strategy. If your agency is building a campaign plan, you should be paid for it. Not just if the deal goes through. Always.
Setting clear scopes. Unlimited feedback rounds and ambiguous deliverables need to be a thing of the past. Clarity protects everyone.
Building in buffer. No one should be expected to turn around a 3-month project in 10 days. Fast timelines are a choice, not a norm.
Saying no more often. If a campaign isn’t fair, isn’t ready, or isn’t respecting your time, walk away. That’s not a loss. That’s leadership.
Creating space for rest. Not just for creators, but for your team. Breaks should be part of your workflow, not something you “get around to.”
A Final Word
This industry has always moved fast. But fast isn’t the same as healthy. And right now, influencer marketing might need a reset, not just for the creators in front of the camera, but for the people working behind it too.
We’re not perfect. But we’re learning how to protect our energy, value our time, and lead with clarity. It’s not always easy. But it’s necessary.
The future of influencer marketing depends on sustainable systems. That starts with the people building them.
