The Cirqle – Influencer Marketing Platform

Let's admit it, as an online influencer; life can be tricky. Blogging is a newborn career opportunity, a path that keeps developing and finding its way into the narrative of the big marketing world. Luckily, there are Influencer Marketing Agencies and platforms that help make our lives as bloggers/ online influencers easier. Bring us work and enables us to deep-dive into our historical performance. It also provides tips and tricks on what (not) to do.

It is the absolute key to working with agencies and platforms that are reliable and trustworthy. The most important thing you need to remember when choosing one is a strong connection with the organisation—an organisation whom you can trust. I have tried many influencer agencies and platforms in the past that did not satisfy me at those points. Therefore, I decided to exclusively collaborate with an agency that values and respects my expertise. Beyond that, an agency helps me drive more business and values my output based on verifiable data. That is why I've chosen to partner with The Cirqle. An agency that brings about 10-15 new campaigns every week from some of the biggest global brands.

If you're unfamiliar with The Cirqle, you may want to check out their website here: www.thecirqle.com.

1. You are in the "Inner Cirqle".

Let me start with this: The Cirqle team is simply the best. Their campaign managers are on-point and give you guidance and accurate answers to your inquiries. It would be best to have this when you have to make things work before specific deadlines. Not to mention that The Cirqle team treats you more like a family member, with respect, and as part of their inner cirqle. Not as an outsider who only does the work for them and helps bring in the cash. A big PLUS-point!

2. Measure your impact through your Profile

You have your private Profile where you can see your growth and showcase the previous brand work through the platform. You can connect your social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and even Google Analytics to your website. This makes it possible to create a complete profile, including all the verified data and analytics, increasing the chance that a brand will decide to work with you.

Also, you can share your Profile outside of the platform, which makes it easy to get in touch with brands and show them a complete profile in the glimpse of an eye. Best of all: all numbers are verified, and brands know that.

3. Ready to choose campaigns

The Cirqle team works hard to provide us with ready-to-choose campaigns from cool brands from all around the globe. We need to review and read the campaign briefing and determine whether the campaign is the right fit. Based on that, you decide if the drive is a match for you and your future endeavours. When you have decided that you would like to participate in a particular campaign, you can press the "Apply for the Campaign" button. This way, I got the opportunity to work with many local and international brands.

4. Pitch it yourself!

Feeling creative and ready to create your campaign for the most excellent brands, you can create a unique campaign and pitch it to the brand of your choice through The Cirqle Influencer's Dashboard. The Cirqle has broad connections and brands onboard, which makes it easy for us to contact them and address your very own campaign idea to the brand.

5. You can be yourself.

Creativity is the Holy Grail here. Of course, there are guidelines and campaign briefings, but actually, you can design your own experience within set boundaries, and it is welcome to be creative while creating content. This aspect is often missing at other agencies. A guideline is good, but too much of it will make the content less creative and unique. At this point, I can always be myself when working with brands through The Cirqle.

I asked the Cirqle CEO, Steven Lammertink, these three questions to help you know more about the company's spirit and DNA from an Insider.

1. What makes The Cirqle different from other influencer agencies? Except of course above reasons I mentioned above?

Influencers and Brands can connect through a marketplace at pre-defined rates in a transparent, direct and efficient way.

As an influencer, you can see upfront what you are getting in return when you deliver specific tasks. Tasks can be 1 Instagram post, one blog post, etc.

The platform's openness cuts out the mediators and doesn't have agents taking substantial fees from our collaborative work.

Our mobile app allows influencers to i) track their growth, ii) join campaigns and iii) pitch to brands daily.

2. If you may build a profile, how does an Ideal Online Influencer look?

In terms of; platforms, they use, reach, engagement, knowledge on the technical aspect, etc. Please ignore the 'model cliché' appearances such as beautiful or handsome.

Our ideal influencer is an individual that is perceived as credible and thus shares authentic, relevant and reliable content. While we look at a person's reach and the platforms they use, it is more important to us that an influencer is someone who heavily engages with their online followers and is seen as a trusted source of information.

3. What are your 3 Golden Tips for the Influencers?

1. Make sure that the identity of the brand you are collaborating with aligns with your value proposition! Suppose you apply for a campaign that does not match your Profile. In that case, the collaboration is likely to be perceived as persuasive, harming the credibility of both the influencer and the brand.

2. Be open and honest about your collaborations!

3. Be accessible! Your followers want to build a relationship with you, even if this is one-sided. Thus interact and engage with your followers.

Thanks to these brands for the handsome gift box:

Rosefield Watches Inez Cashmere Marie-Stella-Maris Stox Energy Nølson Shirt