The Secret to Securing Repeat Bookings as an Influencer
- Handled Agency
- Mar 27
- 6 min read
In conversation with Tamara McCleary, we explore insider strategies for success in the influencer industry, from securing repeat bookings to increasing earning potential.Gain insights on building relationships, transparency, and diversifying income streams for long-term growth.
What has your career journey been like so far?
I started out as a runner, working on talent shows like The Voice UK and Britain's Got Talent. I was always interested and inspired by people who were ambitious, colourful and really wanted to hone their talents. I worked on various campaigns with companies like The Digi Fairy, Channel 4 and Complex Networks before starting my own consultancy, where I’ve led social content ideation, concepting and provided strategic oversight for brands, artists and agencies, such as Burberry, Tiwa Savage and D1SRUPT.
What led you to exit your 9-5?
To be honest, I was bored in my last role and I wanted to pick projects that were innovative, exciting and wouldn’t stifle my creative output. When I was working in-house for brands, there were a lot of guardrails and red tape, specifically in casting, where eurocentric beauty ideals dominated. Similarly, within influencer marketing some brands were only willing to work with a select pool of creators. Working for myself as a consultant means I’m able to bypass some industry biases, creating inclusive and diverse campaigns from the top down. This has given me the opportunity to cast talent that I wouldn't have been able to whilst working in-house.
What qualities do you look for when casting talent for a campaign?
It depends on the brief. For beauty campaigns, I look for unique features. They don’t have to be the stereotypical standard of beauty. I’m looking for talent with confidence, steez, style and distinction. I wear many hats and when a client requests casting direction, one of the key elements for me is casting talent that feel new and fresh. I cast digitally for most of my projects and being able to translate what you can do online in an IRL shoot environment is key. It shows you can show up outside of a familiar setting like filming in your bedroom and bring the same energy and personality to a campaign.
What’s your favourite campaign that you’ve worked on and what made it so special?
I've always enjoyed working on Adidas campaigns because they really trust the teams they work with. It always helps when the client that you're working with ‘gets you’ and your vision. When a client trusts you to bring the right elements to a campaign, it makes the process much more rewarding. I get a lot of joy from working on large global projects because it means my work is being seen worldwide and making an impact.
Have you noticed any obvious disparities in the influencer pay gap in your career?
I think it comes down to knowledge. The industry is an ecosystem and each individual has a responsibility to work towards making it fairer and more transparent. Brands and agencies have a responsibility to ensure fair pay, but influencers and their agents also have a responsibility to own their careers and educate themselves on industry rates. This can be anything from asking peers what they're being paid or tapping into resources like the Influencer Pay Gap or SevenSix Agency’s yearly report on influencer pricing. As an influencer you need to ensure you can deliver the level of service based on where you’ve tiered your pricing in the industry.
We're seeing a resurgence of TikTok influencers being transparent about pay. Bran Flakezz recently shared how he earned $768,000 last year and was transparent about how he would negotiate with brands if he was a Black female influencer. When I build and implement processes for brands and agencies, I ensure that they have a tiered system and framework that can be used across departments which is backed by data, yet has human nuance so that they are paying creators with parity regardless of gender, colour and race.
What’s an insider tip you can give influencers?
You never know who’s watching so keep posting.
You never know which brand's moodboard your work is on so keep posting.
You never know which casting director has your face saved in their IG folders.
You never know what campaign manager has your content saved in their TikTok saves as content I love.
Keep going, because with consistency + elevation it’s only a matter of time before the reach outs roll in.
What is the lowest fee and the highest fee you’ve paid an influencer?
Zero would be the lowest when working on a gifting basis. The highest can go into the millions because once you've secured a retainer, your earning potential is higher. It's a bit like the saying “how long is a piece of string?”. It depends on the nature of your work. If all an influencer is doing is posting paid content like reels, TikToks, or UGC, that will typically keep them within a certain pay bracket.
I advise creators to think of their most followed social platform as their store front. That is only one part of your franchise, what else are you selling once people are locked in? Things like YouTube and TV shows, podcasts, books, products, panel talks, co-ownership and creating your own IP increase your earning potential. Sticking to one service without diversifying your income, is not going to significantly grow your revenue.
How do you support the talent you consult for?
One of the key things I encourage influencers to do is create their own products and build their community alongside brand collaborations to establish a steady income stream. This could be anything from an ebook to offering masterclasses based on their expertise. Having multiple income streams that can be ticking over whilst you sleep is a great way to take the pressure off solely relying on brand collaborations.
Without a community that engages you can't really scale up financially. For creators that want to earn more, the key to that is community. Talent like Uche Natori are the blueprint for creating strong, engaged and loyal communities.
How do you get repeat bookings as an influencer?
It's really important to build positive relationships with people within the industry. Being pleasant, professional and easy to work with is just as important as the quality of your content. No brand manager wants to book talent that are difficult to work with. The market is so saturated now and there are many more influencer options available for brands to cast. It is so key to show gratitude, interest in the campaign and be pleasant. The brand managers make the decisions on whether or not you get booked on the next campaign, not your peers. That being said, if you're represented by an agency, going with an agent that is able to build great rapport with brands, is proactive and responsive will also help secure repeat bookings.
What do you wish more influencers knew?
I wish more influencers understood that sometimes, success is impacted by doing the basics consistently well. When I say the basics, I mean things like delivering your work on time so that the campaign can go live on time. Surprisingly, many influencers fall flat on that. If you’re not able to meet a deadline, communicate that directly to the brand or through your management. Behind-the-scenes, a lot of time and budget is spent on making campaigns a success. When influencers are blasé about following the brief, delivering their work on time or even turning up to an event, it doesn't reflect well on their personal brand or reputation.
Creators using ChatGPT
One thing creators should be privy to is that ideas are currency in today’s fast growing creator economy. If you can pitch an amazing idea to a brand, you never know what sort of budget that can unlock.
That said, if you’re simply copying and pasting a brief into ChatGPT and submitting the answer, brand managers will know. If the same brief has gone out to multiple creators and you’re all coming back with identical AI-generated ideas, it doesn’t reflect well on you. If you’re using AI, take the time to train yourself on it. Learn how to use it as a tool to enhance your creativity rather than replace it.
Any game-changing tools, resources or networks creators should tap into?
I’d recommend the following reports, creators and podcasts:
Bran Flakezz - Speaking about pay transparency
Unboxed Podcast by Jordan Schwarzenberger
Eugene Healey https://www.instagram.com/eugbrandstrat/?hl=en - Culture analysed through the lens of a brand
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