Okay, so I’m a few weeks into serious US market exploration, and I keep running into the same wall: how do you actually vet partners when your entire network is back home?
I’ve been reaching out to agencies, and they all sound great on the call. But I have no real way to know if:
— They actually understand my product category (or are just good at sales calls)
— Their influencer network is as strong as they claim
— They’ll actually prioritize my campaign or if I’m just another client
— Their pricing is market-rate or if they’re inflating because I’m “international”
I’ve asked for references, obviously. But a reference from an agency is… well, it’s a reference from an agency. They’re not going to give me someone who had a bad experience.
Some people have suggested finding partners through the community on this platform, but I’m realizing that’s not actually a complete filter either. Has anyone actually found a systematic way to evaluate US-based agencies or partners when you’re starting from zero credibility in the market?
What actually made you feel confident about a partner before you committed budget?
This is such an important question, and honestly, there’s no perfect filter. But I have a few things that have worked for me.
First—don’t just take references. Ask for case studies from past clients in your category. If they’ve worked with DTC fashion brands before, great. But if you’re in fintech and they’ve only done CPG, that’s a different skill set. Push on that.
Second—ask to speak with a client they haven’t pre-vetted for you. I know, awkward. But I’ve done this, and sometimes I get someone on the phone who doesn’t have a prepared answer, and that’s actually really informative.
Third—start small. Don’t commit to a full campaign with an untested partner. Run a small pilot together. Maybe one influencer partnership, or a short-term retainer. See how they communicate, how responsive they are, and how they actually perform compared to what they promised.
I’m also part of several Slack communities and WhatsApp groups with other founders who’ve expanded to the US. Those informal networks are goldmines. People will tell you the real story off the record.
Do you want me to connect you with a few people I know who’ve done this successfully? Sometimes one conversation can save you months of trial and error.
One more thing—LinkedIn is your friend here. Look at the agency’s recent case studies and the people tagged in them. Reach out directly to those people (not through the agency). People are usually way more honest when they’re speaking as individuals, not as references.
Also, check their team composition. Do they actually have people who specialize in your market? Or are they generalists who do everything? Specialists are worth more.
Here’s the analytical approach: ask for their historical performance data across multiple campaigns, not just wins.
Specifically:
— Average ROI across their last 20 campaigns (not cherry-picked ones)
— Performance breakdown by influencer tier (macro, mid, micro)
— How often they hit their promised deliverables on time
— Attribution model they use (and whether it’s credible)
— Average campaign duration and what “success” looks like in their contracts
If an agency can’t pull this data quickly, that’s a red flag. If they can pull it, look for patterns. Are they consistently delivering 3-5x ROI, or is it all over the place? If it’s all over the place, they might just be inconsistent.
I also cross-reference their claims with third-party data when possible. HubSpot, G2, even Reddit threads sometimes. You’d be surprised what people actually say about agencies when they’re not on a sales call.
What vertical are you in? That matters a lot for vetting. Different verticals have very different agency qualities.
I’ve been burned by this exact thing, so I learned quickly.
Here’s what I do now:
Red flags:
- They promise specific results upfront. No one can guarantee that.
- They only want to talk about bigger budgets. Good partners prove themselves at any scale.
- They don’t ask many questions about your business. If they’re just pitching services, they’re not thinking strategically.
- Slow communication or generic responses.
Green flags:
- They ask specific questions about your target audience, unit economics, and what you actually need.
- They can point to case studies in your space, with real numbers.
- They’re willing to do a small pilot first.
- References who actually pick up the phone and speak candidly.
- They’ve been in business for at least 3-4 years (agency churn is real).
My approach: I do a working session with a potential partner before I officially hire them. I’ll say, “Here’s my challenge. Let’s brainstorm together for an hour.” Watch how they think. Do they ask good questions? Do they propose actual strategy, or just suggest throwing money at influencers?
The partner we ended up working with was actually recommended by someone else at our platform here. They weren’t the flashiest pitch, but they understood our market and our constraints immediately.
How much budget are you thinking of deploying in your first US campaign? That matters for which tier of partner actually makes sense.
Alright, full transparency: I’m on the agency side, so take this with that grain of salt.
Here’s what separates good agencies from the rest:
1. They ask about your constraints, not just your budget.
Good agencies want to know: timeline, competitive landscape, what you’ve already tried, what failed. Not-so-good agencies just want to know the budget size.
2. They’re specific about methodology.
Ask them to walk you through exactly how they’d approach your market entry. What’s their creator vetting process? How do they measure success? What’s their fail-safe if a campaign underperforms?
3. They’re transparent about risk.
Influencer marketing isn’t deterministic. If an agency promises guaranteed results, run. The good ones say, “Here’s our playbook, here’s what we’ve seen work in similar situations, and here’s how we’ll iterate if it doesn’t.” That honesty is worth so much.
4. They’re willing to start small.
I always tell potential clients: “Let’s do a 30-day pilot for 40% of what a full campaign would cost. We’ll prove ourselves, and if it works, we scale.” If an agency resists that, they’re probably not confident in their own work.
5. They have case studies in your vertical.
If they’ve never worked in your space, they’re learning on your dime. Not ideal.
One thing I tell founders: the partnership matters less than the person you’re actually working with. Ask who your day-to-day contact will be. Request a call with them before you commit. Most agencies worth working with will do that.
What’s your timeline looking like? That’ll determine which type of partner you actually need.
Also—about pricing: US agency rates for influencer management typically run $3k-10k/month for a small account, depending on scope. If someone’s quoting you way outside that, ask why. Either they’re seeing value you don’t understand yet, or they’re overcharging.
Non-negotiable with partners: clear contracts. No vague terms. Deliverables, timeline, performance metrics, payment schedule. If they resist putting things in writing, that’s a problem.
From my side as someone who works with agencies: ask them about their creator relationships. Do they actually know the creators they work with, or are they just sending generic briefs?
Good agencies? Their creators actually want to work with them. Bad agencies? Creators dread seeing campaigns from them because the briefs are vague and the feedback is slow.
You can kinda tell this from a quick conversation. When you ask an agency about a specific creator they love working with, do they have a real story about them? Or do they just say, “Yeah, they deliver good content”?
Creators are the actual ones delivering value, so if an agency doesn’t invest in those relationships, that’s a problem.
Also, here’s something most founders don’t ask: conflicts of interest. Is the agency working with your competitors? Sometimes that’s fine, but sometimes it means they’re spreading themselves thin or can’t give you full attention.
Let me add one structural thinking piece: the right partner for discovery might not be the right partner for scale.
For discovery (first 3-6 months), you might want a smaller, scrappier agency that thinks deeply about strategy and isn’t afraid to iterate. Low overhead, high responsiveness.
For scale (6+ months, proven playbook), you might want a larger agency with deeper creator networks and operational horsepower.
So when you’re evaluating, ask yourself: what phase am I in? And does this partner make sense for that phase?
I’ve seen founders pick a big agency early and get frustrated with slow turnaround. Or pick a small agency and then hit a ceiling where they can’t scale operations. Knowing what you need now is half the battle.
Last thing: ask for transparency on how they get paid. Commission-only partners might incentivize bigger spend over better results. Retainer-only partners might not have skin in the game. Hybrid models tend to work better. Make sure their incentives align with your actual goals, not just campaign volume.