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Want to start an influencer and creator agency?

— Knowing talent is not enough. You need a business that creates value for creators and brands.

If you want to found an influencer agency, a talent management agency or a creator marketing business, start with a clear choice: who do you want to help, and what service will you offer? This guide helps you shape the project before presenting it to potential clients, collaborators or partners such as Opificio137.

Propose your project

01

Talent management or influencer marketing?

Talent management starts with the creator: professional growth, commercial opportunities and managing collaborations. In influencer marketing, the client is the brand: strategy, profile selection, content coordination and campaign evaluation.

You can work on both sides, but make roles, interests and responsibilities clear. A vague promise like “we do everything on social media” makes it harder for a client to understand why they should choose you.

  • Choose a niche where you have skills, relationships or a distinctive perspective.
  • Define who you sell to, what you deliver and what is not included.
  • Set out how you select creators: fit, audience quality and reliability, not just follower count.

02

Building an offer and a business model

Talent representation may involve fees linked to collaborations; services for brands can be charged per project or through ongoing engagements. Agree on the model with the parties involved and make sure it can sustain the operational work.

Before setting a price, account for team time, production, tools, collaborators, revisions and collection times. Separate the agency fee from the budget for creators and other campaign expenses. High revenue does not automatically mean a positive margin.

03

Putting structure around collaborations

A campaign needs a process: brief, selection, proposal, agreements, approvals, publication and reporting. Clarifying these steps reduces misunderstandings and makes it possible to handle more projects without relying on scattered messages.

Ask qualified professionals to review agreements on fees, exclusivity, content use, licence duration, cancellations and payments. Commercial communications must follow applicable rules on clearly identifying advertising; check guidance from the relevant authorities and industry bodies, including AGCOM and IAP. This guide is not a substitute for legal or tax advice.

04

Finding your first clients without impossible promises

Start with a clearly scoped project, agreed objectives and an easy-to-read report. Document how you selected profiles, what you produced and what results you observed. Do not attribute sales to a campaign unless you have a way to measure them.

A credible portfolio can begin with a few well-presented projects. Avoid made-up figures and unauthorised claims about collaborations: a solid reputation also depends on accurately describing what you have actually done.

05

From a personal project to a business

As the work grows, you may need administrative support, a professional network, workspace and advice on your business model. These are areas in which Opificio137 operates as an independent Italian holding in the creator, experience and community economies.

Our portfolio includes Good Vibration, which works in talent management, and LAD, which produces content. We do not sell a standard package for starting an agency: we consider projects and new collaborations individually. Tell us what you want to build and what contribution you are looking for.

What to tell us

Before you get in touch, prepare these points.

  • The niche and the kinds of creators or brands you want to work with.
  • Your initial services, revenue model and main costs.
  • Your team’s skills and the relationships you have already developed.
  • Your first projects or the assumptions you want to validate.
  • Why you are looking for a partner and what support you need.
Send your proposal by email

Related portfolio companies

See the full ecosystem and services at Opificio137.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know lots of influencers to start an agency?

Having many contacts is neither enough nor always necessary. What matters is defining a credible service, understanding the market and being able to manage projects. If you want to represent talent, build clear relationships with creators based on mutual agreement.

How much does it cost to start an influencer agency?

There is no single cost that applies to everyone. It depends on the legal structure, team, tools, production, professional services and working capital required. Prepare a budget and speak to an accountant before making commitments.

Can Opificio137 fund my agency?

Investment is part of what we do, but we assess every proposal individually. Presenting a project does not guarantee funding, a place in our portfolio or access to the clients of other companies.

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This guide is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for legal, tax or financial advice. Every proposal is assessed individually, with no guarantee of investment or collaboration.