What it takes to be an influencer agent.

Let’s talk about influencer agents. Above everything else, we are agents and managers to influencers. Not just any influencers, but some of the most influential influencers on social media today. So what does it take to land a role like this, and what does the day-to-day of the job encompass?

This is one of the most common questions we get from people that isn’t related to influencer marketing campaigns, and so we thought, what better way to address it than to make it a topic of an insight post?

Broadly speaking, what is an influencer agent?

The role may sound elusive, but the overarching concept behind being an influencer agent is simple: representation. Influencers are busy people, and they enlist the help of agents to sit in meetings for them, negotiate their rates, and in general, be the fact of the influencer’s operation. Agents are part of agencies, like Dalton Street. For greater context on what influencer agencies do, read this previous post of ours on the topic.

The influencer agent role is one that has become more and more commonplace over the past decade as influencers have become engrained in our society and visible in the many forms of media we consume.

Understanding the role

We’ve already touched on some of the responsibilities of an influencer agent, but let’s more closely examine the duties and expectations of someone sitting in this role. These can be summarized easily in several bullet points:

• Managing influencer relationships: An agent is always looking to build new relationships and cultivate existing relationships — both with influencers and with others working in the industry.

• Negotiating contracts and campaigns: Ensuring the influencer an agent represents is getting compensated fairly is a huge component of being an agent. This requires terrific negotiating skills.

• Planning, executing marketing strategies: Agents are always planning how they can involve their creators in marketing campaigns. Additionally, agents work on behalf of brands, as well, and are thinking about which influencers to involved in those campaigns.

• Logistics and communication: Lots of times, an agent is also doing tasks like booking hotels and plane tickets, arranging press junkets, communicating with partners, and much more on behalf of this influencer clients.

• Monitoring campaigns performance and analytics: Much of the time, agents are also keeping up on the performance related to past and current marketing campaigns their clients are involved with.

Of course, there are other responsibilities an influencer agent possesses, but these are the major areas we wanted to at least touch upon before moving on.

Key skills and qualifications

There isn’t an “influencer agent school”, as it were, but we do look for some key skills and qualifications when recruiting an influencer agent. Essential skills include:

• Strong communications skills — both written and verbal.

• Strong negotiating skills.

• Ability to build relationships and be willing to network.

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

• Must have high levels of knowledge in digital marketing and advertising.

• Must be incredibly well-versed in social media platforms and trends.

• Strong understanding of influencer culture and the industry as a whole.

While it helps to have a degree in marketing, business, or a related field, it’s not necessary, though previous experience in the industry is strongly recommended. Perhaps most of all, we think most agencies are looking for someone who is excited to be in the role and someone who keeps abreast of trends in the industry.

It also helps to have a terrific personality, and the ability to be radically transparent.

So what’s the day-to-day like?

Now that you hopefully have a better understanding of what an influencer agent is and what it takes to be in the role, what is the day-to-day like?

We asked one of our very own agents, Meg Smith, what her days are like at Dalton Street. Here it is in her own words in Q&A format:

Dalton Street:
What’s a day-to-day like for you as an influencer agent?

Meg:
Well, one of the great things about the job is that it’s never the same every day. I personally try to structure my day in such a way where the flow remains consistent, but the actual meat and potatoes of the day is always different.

Dalton Street:
So, how does that play out?

Meg:
Usually, I start my day with email, like most people. I’m looking at internal memos, and I’m also keeping an eye out for a correspondences I’ve received from clients or on behalf of clients. We are constantly receiving emails from brands and other organizations looking to work with creators we represent, so I’m spending a lot of time vetting requests, asking questions, and just generally queuing tasks related to that.

Then I’ll start outreach to clients and seeing if they want to take certain jobs, or what their thoughts are on participating in various projects. I’m also keeping in touch with other talent to ensure things are running smoothly, seeing how they are doing and if they have any ideas for things they want to work on.

Dalton Street:
What’s else?

Meg:
The email is always coming in, but once I’ve worked through the brunt of it, I’m catching up with partners at brands to see what they need. “Ok — you need 5 influencers in the travel niche,” for example, and I’ll start looking for influencers that match their needs, reach out, negotiate terms, and so on.

I’m also actively spending a huge part of my day pitching my clients to various brands for their consideration for upcoming campaigns. I’m always advocating for my talent and trying to get them some amazing opportunities, and when I succeed, it’s like just the best feeling you could ask for.

Dalton Street:
So what part of the day are we on right now? Is it almost lunch time?

Meg:
Ha! I told you, it depends! Sometimes by this point it is lunch time. Other times, it’s still 9:45 a.m. I’m on Pacific time, so depending on the needs of the company, I might be starting my day at 5 a.m. to keep up with what’s happening on our east coast operation. Maybe that means a morning meeting, maybe it means a Teams call with a brand or creator.

Dalton Street:
Are the meetings frequent?

Meg:
The meetings are constant. There is probably not a day that goes by that doesn’t include a meeting with someone. Thankfully here at Dalton Street we keep internal meetings at a minimum, but meetings with external stakeholders are a regular occurrence. We’re talking about campaigns, or maybe a brand is vetting one of my influencers and wants to know all about them. Video calls are just the way clients prefer to communicate these days, as opposed to email or phone.

Dalton Street:
So what’s going on in the afternoons?

Meg:
Putting together and reviewing contracts, negotiating, and lots of research and communications with outside stakeholders. A bunch of things, really. It can be incredibly fast-paced, especially during the holiday season when brands are scrambling to get booked with influencers.

Dalton Street:
Does work follow you home?

Meg:
To some extent, it does. A lot of that has to do with the fact that we operate internationally. So if I have a meeting with a client in Tokyo, I have to make accommodations in my own personal schedule to meet them at the time that is most convenient to them. Also, remember I mentioned the emails? They’re always coming in, so I like to see what’s happening outside of work hours. I’m not required to, but I do this job because I love it. It’s fun.

Dalton Street:
What would you say is most fun about it?

Meg:
It’s just fun to be a part of marketing campaigns. It’s fun to meet all sorts of people at the brands we work with. And it’s super interesting to meet popular influencers and get to know them on a personal level, you know?

Dalton Street:
Alright, final question: what’s the hardest part of the job?

Meg:
Hmm. I would say two things. The first would be the competitiveness of the business as a whole. I am often fighting viciously on behalf of my clients, and that can take a toll on me. The second thing would be the downside of operating internationally like I mentioned about the meetings. Someone in Asia might want to meet on Monday morning at 8 a.m., which means I’m getting ready, preparing for it, and taking the call on a Sunday afternoon. But it comes with the territory. You have to be hungry for it. You have to like the rush of things and accept that no day is going to be the same.

Challenges and opportunities influencer agents deal with

Meg did a pretty good job explaining some of the challenges of the role, but what else is involved?

Agents are expected to be able to find the right influencers for campaigns. They’re expected to stay up-to-date with industry changes. And perhaps most challengingly, managing influencer expectations and demands.

But if you, as an agent, can fathom the challenges, there are many doors to opportunities. These include growing and being recognized in the business, building a personal brand and reputation that will follow you, and being able to network and collaborate with diverse talents.

We’ve also found most of the people doing agency work are high sociable. So if you like talking to people, it’s a great line of work.

Tips for aspiring influencer agents

So you’re looking to pave the way to a career in influencer marketing as an agent. How do you get started? There isn’t a clearly-defined path, frankly, but a good first step is trying to start with a strong foundation in marketing and public relations. It’s important to gain experience working within the industry first before working as an agent.

It’s also tremendously helpful if you try to build a solid network of contacts in the industry — influencers and brands alike. Prioritize clear communication and relationship-building.

Another tip? Know your stuff! Stay informed about trends and changes in the industry. Know what’s going on with each of the social media platforms, even the ones you don’t directly work with.

Finally, be flexible and open to new opportunities. You may be offered a position that isn’t exactly what you want, but consider whether it has the potential to take you where you want to go. Will it let you meet the people who can help you out in your career?

Final thoughts

Working in influencer marketing is challenging and exhilarating. It offers limitless opportunities to engage with interesting people from all backgrounds, and allows you to express your creativity in various ways. It really is fun, but the work can be demanding. Most of all, it requires keen optimism and resiliency.

When you finally make it as an influencer agent (or even in the industry), be sure to say hi to our team! We always love meeting new people.