Agency or working directly with creators
For marketing teams weighing how much of the process to take on themselves.
In short
At one or two collaborations a year, working directly usually holds up. Across a dozen creators, multiple deadlines and contractual work, the cost of in-house time grows faster than an agency fee. The dividing line is not the budget - it is the number of parallel processes somebody on your side has to run.
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- Rokmates
What actually takes the time
The "fee versus no fee" comparison ignores that the operational work does not disappear - it moves to the brand team. It is worth counting before the decision is made.
The scope somebody has to take on
- Creator selection with the reasoning behind every name.
- Negotiating terms and rates, separately with each person.
- Contracts, paperwork and usage rights.
- Coordinating production and approval rounds.
- Keeping publication dates.
- Settling payments with creators.
- Reporting against the agreed metrics.
With one creator that is a few hours. With fifteen it is several weeks of a full-time role, spread across someone who also has other work.
The comparison
| Dimension | Directly | Through an agency |
|---|---|---|
| Visible cost | Creator fees only. | Fees plus operational work. |
| Hidden cost | Brand team time, spread over many weeks. | Lower - the process sits with the supplier. |
| Access to creators | Limited to people you find and reach yourself. | Broader, with a history of previous work. |
| Contractual risk | On the brand: contracts, rights, settlements. | On the supplier, within the agreement. |
| Control | Full and direct. | Through approvals at agreed stages. |
| Scaling | Hard - each additional creator repeats the whole process. | Easier - the process already exists. |
Which option, when
Working directly makes sense when
- You run one or two collaborations a year with creators you already know.
- You have someone with time to coordinate and experience with contracts.
- The direct relationship with the creator matters to you in itself.
An agency makes sense when
- The campaign spans many creators and several platforms at once.
- You need selection beyond the circle of people you already know.
- Paperwork, usage rights and settlements should sit outside your team.
- You want comparable reporting across campaigns under one methodology.
The middle option
The split does not have to be binary. A common and sensible arrangement is creative in-house with selection, negotiation and coordination on the supplier side - or the reverse: selection in-house with production outsourced.
The scope is agreed up front and it drives the price. It is worth stating clearly who decides at each stage.
Frequently asked questions
Does an agency raise creator rates?
In a transparent model, creator fees and agency work are separate lines in the quote, so you can see which is which. If an offer gives one figure with no breakdown, it is worth asking for one.
Can I start with a single trial campaign?
Yes. Every area is available both as a one-off and on an ongoing basis. A single project is a normal way to test the working relationship before a longer commitment.
What stays on my side when working with an agency?
The decisions: approving the goal, the direction, the creator list and the finished material. Negotiations, contracts, coordination, deadlines and reporting sit with the supplier.
Related services
Related services
Not sure how much of the process to hand over?
Tell us how many creators you are planning and what team you have. We will say which split makes sense here - including when that is working directly.
Tell us about your goal