What a managed influencer campaign includes, from brief to report
A managed influencer campaign covers eleven things: brief, creator sourcing, vetting, shortlist with fixed fees, contracts, creative brief, product dispatch, content approval, posting schedule, creator payouts with TDS and disclosure, and a report. For a 20-creator local campaign, that runs about 14 days from approved shortlist to live posts, with the report a week after the last post.
The eleven pieces
- Brief. Product, audience, geography, objective, budget range, dates, must-say and must-not-say. Ten minutes on a form.
- Sourcing. The agency searches its database and the open platforms for creators who match, not by follower count but by audience and content fit.
- Vetting. Audience location, 30-day engagement, comment quality, growth pattern, past brand work and category conflicts, checked by a person.
- Shortlist with fees. Each creator with the reason they fit and a fixed fee. You approve, swap or drop. Nothing is billed before this.
- Contracts. Deliverables, dates, approval rounds, disclosure, usage rights if any, and what happens if they don't post.
- Creative brief. The three things every post must include, tone, hashtags, the disclosure tag, and examples. Not a script.
- Dispatch. For barter and product campaigns, tracked shipping so nobody is waiting on a courier when they should be shooting.
- Content approval. Every reel comes to you before posting. One round of changes is normal; two is the limit that keeps the schedule.
- Posting schedule. Staggered over two to three weeks so the campaign builds, with reminders and chasing handled by the agency.
- Payouts and compliance. Creators paid on time with TDS deducted, ASCI disclosure on every post, one GST invoice to you.
- Report. Per-creator views, reach, saves, comments, link clicks where trackable, cost per view, with insight screenshots. Live during the campaign, final within a week of the last post.
What it looks like on a calendar
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0 | Brief received |
| 1 to 2 | Shortlist with fees sent; you approve |
| 3 to 5 | Contracts signed, creative brief sent, product dispatched |
| 6 to 12 | Creators shoot; content comes to you for approval |
| 12 to 26 | Posts go live in waves; dashboard updates daily |
| Last post + 7 | Final report |
National programmes follow the same steps in waves of 50 to 100 creators, typically one wave every two to three weeks.
Want a shortlist instead of a search?
Send a ten-minute brief. A vetted creator shortlist with fixed per-creator fees comes back within 48 hours.
What is usually not included
Paid amplification (running the posts as ads) is billed as media spend. Professional video production for the brand's own channels is a separate line. Celebrity talent fees are pass-through with a management fee. Anything else described as "extra" in a proposal, especially reporting or content approval, is a sign the agency is unbundling basics.
How to judge it afterwards
Three numbers: cost per view against your paid media benchmark, the share of creators who posted on time (above 90 percent is good), and the action you asked for, whether that is footfall, DMs, installs or coupon redemptions. If the agency can't give you those, the campaign was managed but not measured.
Talk to a person, not a database.
Tell us what you are promoting and where. A reply within one working day, no commitment until you approve creators and fees.
Frequently asked
How long does an influencer campaign take?
About two weeks from approved shortlist to first posts for a local campaign of 10 to 30 creators, with posts running over two to three weeks after that. National programmes run in monthly waves.
Who owns the content after the campaign?
The creator, unless the contract grants usage rights. If you want to run posts as ads or use them on your own channels, that is agreed and priced up front.
What if a creator doesn't post?
A managed agency replaces the creator at no extra cost or refunds that creator's fee. This should be in the contract before you approve the shortlist.