So I’m at that point where I know I need a US agency partner, but I’m genuinely uncertain about how to evaluate them. Back home, I have trusted relationships I’ve built over years. Here? I’m starting from zero, and I can’t just rely on referrals from people in my network because, well, I don’t have a network here yet.
I’ve had a few agencies reach out, and they all say the right things. They talk about market expertise, influencer connections, creator networks—everything sounds good. But how do I actually separate the ones who know what they’re doing from the ones who are just good at selling?
I’m also wondering: should I be prioritizing agencies that understand the Russian market specifically? Or should I focus on finding the best US market expert and teach them about who we are? Because those feel like opposite strategies.
What did you actually look for when you were vetting partners? What questions did you ask that actually revealed whether they knew what they were talking about?
This is the question I get all the time, and honestly, the best vetting happens through conversations, not credentials. Here’s what I’d do: ask every potential partner for 3-5 case studies specifically from brands doing what you’re trying to do. Not just “successful campaigns”—cases where they worked with a brand entering a new market or working across languages.
Then ask to speak with those brands directly. Not a call with the agency present—get their contact info and call them. Ask: Did this agency meet deadlines? Did they proactively solve problems or wait for you to escalate? Would they work with them again?
Second thing: personality fit matters more than people admit. You’re going to be talking to this person multiple times a week. If you don’t feel like you can have tough conversations with them, it’ll break down.
I actually love connecting people to vet partners—that’s kind of my thing. If you want, I can introduce you to a few people I know who’ve gone through this exact process. They can give you the unfiltered truth about agencies they’ve worked with.
You need to separate marketing claims from actual performance data. When an agency says they have “influencer connections,” ask for specifics: How many creators? At what engagement rates? Average audience sizes? Their best-performing campagns, in terms of actual ROI?
Here’s my framework for evaluating agencies:
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Historical performance in your category. Do they have experience with brands similar to yours? Not just brands entering the US market—brands specifically in your product category.
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Measurement capability. Can they show you exactly how they measure success? If they can’t clearly articulate their attribution model, walk away. That tells you they don’t actually track what works.
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Team turnover. This is a red flag nobody talks about. Ask about their team stability. If you’re getting assigned an account manager and that person leaves in six months, that kills continuity.
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Pricing transparency. Good agencies will give you a clear breakdown of what they charge for. If the proposal is vague, keep looking.
I’d also ask them point-blank: “Show me a campaign that didn’t work and what you learned.” If they claim everything succeeds, they’re either lying or they’re not taking smart risks.
Specifically on the Russian market question—I wouldn’t prioritize finding someone who knows Russia. I’d prioritize finding someone excellent at what you need (influencer marketing, UGC, whatever), and then assess whether they’re intellectually curious enough to learn your market quickly.
Real talk: I made the mistake of hiring an agency that looked great on paper but had zero actual experience with hardware/tech expansion into Europe. They were good at what they did, but it wasn’t what I needed.
What actually worked was finding an agency through a trusted introduction. Not a referral—an actual introduction from someone who knew both me and the agency. That one degree of separation matters because someone’s vouching for them with their reputation.
But here’s the thing—even with a good intro, I did a small pilot with them first. We ran one campaign, limited budget, 30 days. That told me everything: Do they meet deadlines? Do they understand what I’m trying to build? Can we communicate effectively across time zones?
I’m also going to be honest: the agencies that immediately asked me about my target customer and how we’d measure success were the ones I trusted more than the ones who started selling me on their capabilities. Questions are better than pitches.
One more thing—find an agency that can connect you with other resources. Like, a good agency doesn’t try to be everything. They know which creators to tap, which media buyers to work with, which compliance specialists matter. That network is actually more valuable than their claim to fame.
Okay, here’s how I evaluate agencies when I’m bringing on partners (because I do this from the other side sometimes): first meeting should answer three questions: Do they understand the problem we’re solving? Do they have a realistic timeline? Are they honest about what they don’t know?
The agencies that survive my vetting process are the ones that push back respectfully. If you tell them you want something and they immediately say yes without asking clarifying questions, that’s a warning sign. They’re not thinking critically about your challenge—they’re just trying to win the business.
On the Russian market thing: hire for excellence in what you need, then test their ability to learn. A top influencer marketer who’s never worked with Russian brands can learn faster than an mediocre marketer who has worked with Russian brands.
I’d also suggest asking them: “Tell me about a client where things didn’t go as planned and how you salvaged it.” The answer tells you everything about their problem-solving capability and honesty.
Last thing: negotiate for transparency. Build into your contract that you get access to all platform dashboards, all communication with creators, all performance reporting. If an agency resists that, it’s a red flag.
What’s your timeline for this? That’ll actually inform which type of agency can help you best.
From a creator’s perspective, I can tell you which agencies actually understand influencer marketing and which ones fake it. Here’s what separates them:
Good agencies know creators as individuals—their styles, what content performs for them, which brands they’ve turned down and why. Bad agencies treat creators like a resource to be optimized.
When you’re vetting an agency, ask them this: “Tell me about three creators you’ve worked with. Not just the campaign results—tell me why you matched them with particular brands.” If they can’t articulate the individual reasoning (not just audience size), they’re not actually building relationships with creators. They’re just buying reach.
Also, ask them about their turnover with creators. Do the same creators work with them repeatedly? Or do they burn through new creators every campaign? That tells you a lot about the quality of the relationships.
Honestly, the best agencies are the ones who introduce you to the creators early—before the campaign even fully forms. Because creators should have input on the creative direction. If the agency wants to hide that process from you, keep looking.
I’d also recommend asking if you can attend a creator call if they’re representing you. See how they talk to creators behind the scenes. That’s who they actually are.
You’re asking the right questions, which suggests you already know you need to dig deeper than surface-level conversations.
Structured vetting process: Create a scorecard. List the capabilities you actually need (influencer network, UGC expertise, paid media buying, whatever). Then grade each agency prospect against those specific criteria, not just their general impression.
Second, request a working session before you hire them. Tell them you want to spend 2 hours with them and their team mapping out what your first 90 days would look like. See how they think. Do they ask good questions? Do they make assumptions or do they validate them? Do they have a framework for decision-making or are they winging it?
Third, talk to their actual account team, not just the business development person. An agency can pitch beautifully but if the people executing your work aren’t sharp, you’re in trouble.
On the Russia question: I’d hire for complementary skills, not overlapping ones. You know Russia. Hire an agency that knows the US market deeply. You’ll learn faster that way, and you won’t pay a premium for redundant expertise.
One last thing—ask them about their client churn rate and why clients stop working with them. The answer reveals a lot about realistic expectations and where relationships break down. This is essential for a cross-border partnership where communication is already complex.