Effective Work Sample Exercises for Hiring Top Influencer Marketing Managers

In today's digital landscape, influencer marketing has evolved from an experimental tactic to a cornerstone strategy for brands seeking authentic connections with their target audiences. The Influencer Marketing Manager role has become increasingly critical, requiring a unique blend of creative vision, analytical prowess, and relationship-building expertise. Finding the right talent for this position demands more than reviewing resumes and conducting standard interviews.

Traditional interview methods often fail to reveal a candidate's true capabilities in executing influencer campaigns, negotiating partnerships, and measuring ROI. Work samples provide a window into how candidates approach real-world challenges they'll face in the role. By observing candidates in action, hiring managers can assess their strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and practical skills in a way that hypothetical questions simply cannot match.

The most effective Influencer Marketing Managers combine data-driven decision making with creative storytelling and relationship management. Through carefully designed work samples, you can evaluate a candidate's ability to identify the right influencers, craft compelling campaign briefs, negotiate mutually beneficial partnerships, and analyze performance metrics to optimize results.

The following four work sample exercises are designed to evaluate the essential competencies required for success in an Influencer Marketing Manager role. Each exercise simulates a real-world scenario that your new hire will likely encounter, providing valuable insights into their capabilities and working style. By incorporating these exercises into your interview process, you'll be better equipped to identify candidates who can drive meaningful results through influencer partnerships.

Activity #1: Influencer Campaign Strategy Development

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to develop a comprehensive influencer marketing strategy aligned with business objectives. It tests their strategic thinking, creativity, and understanding of how influencer marketing fits into the broader marketing ecosystem. The best Influencer Marketing Managers can craft campaigns that not only generate engagement but also drive measurable business results.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with a brief that includes: your brand overview, target audience demographics, a specific product/service to promote, campaign objectives (e.g., brand awareness, lead generation, sales), budget parameters, and timeline.
• Include any brand guidelines, past campaign examples, and performance benchmarks to give context.
• Allow candidates 24-48 hours to prepare their strategy before the interview.
• Designate 20-30 minutes for the candidate to present their strategy, followed by 15 minutes for questions.
• Ensure the evaluation panel includes marketing team members who would collaborate with this role.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Develop a comprehensive influencer marketing campaign strategy for the provided brief.
• Your strategy should include: campaign objectives, target audience analysis, influencer selection criteria, content direction, platform recommendations, timeline, budget allocation, and KPIs for measuring success.
• Prepare a 20-minute presentation outlining your strategy, including the rationale behind your recommendations.
• Be prepared to discuss how you would adapt the strategy based on different scenarios or constraints.
• Include at least one creative concept that demonstrates how influencers would engage with the product/service.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide one specific aspect of the strategy that was particularly strong or innovative.
• Offer one constructive suggestion for improvement, such as budget allocation, influencer selection criteria, or measurement approach.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5-10 minutes revising that portion of their strategy based on the feedback, explaining their thought process as they make adjustments.

Activity #2: Influencer Identification and Evaluation

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to identify appropriate influencers for a campaign and evaluate their potential fit and impact. It demonstrates their understanding of influencer ecosystems, audience alignment, and content quality assessment. Effective Influencer Marketing Managers must be able to look beyond follower counts to find authentic voices that resonate with the target audience.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario with a specific campaign objective and target audience.
• Provide access to an influencer discovery platform if possible, or allow candidates to use publicly available tools.
• Prepare a sample budget range and campaign timeline.
• Allocate 45-60 minutes for this exercise during the interview.
• Have a list of influencers you've worked with or considered in the past for comparison.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Identify 5-7 potential influencers across 2-3 platforms (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) who would be appropriate for the campaign.
• For each influencer, provide:
• Brief profile overview (platform, content focus, audience demographics)
• Engagement metrics and why they matter more than follower count
• Content style analysis and brand alignment
• Potential risks or considerations
• Estimated cost range based on industry standards
• Rank your selections in order of priority and explain your reasoning.
• Prepare to discuss how you would approach these influencers and what initial pitch you would use.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Highlight one particularly strong influencer selection and explain why it demonstrates good judgment.
• Provide feedback on one selection that might not be optimal, explaining potential concerns.
• Ask the candidate to reconsider this selection, either by suggesting an alternative influencer or by explaining how they would mitigate the identified risks.

Activity #3: Influencer Negotiation Role Play

This exercise evaluates a candidate's negotiation skills, relationship management abilities, and understanding of partnership terms. It reveals how they balance brand needs with influencer expectations while building positive, productive relationships. Strong negotiation skills are essential for maximizing campaign value while maintaining positive influencer relationships.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a detailed influencer brief including deliverables, timeline, usage rights, exclusivity requirements, and initial compensation offer.
• Assign a team member to play the role of either the influencer or their manager/agent.
• Brief this person on common objections to raise (e.g., rate concerns, usage rights limitations, competing brand conflicts).
• Allow 15-20 minutes for the negotiation role play.
• Provide the candidate with the brief 30 minutes before the exercise to allow for preparation.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the influencer brief and prepare your negotiation strategy.
• Your goal is to secure the partnership while:
• Staying within budget constraints (or justifying any increases)
• Ensuring all required deliverables and rights are obtained
• Maintaining a positive relationship for potential future collaborations
• Addressing any concerns raised by the influencer/agent
• During the negotiation, demonstrate active listening, problem-solving, and creative compromise.
• Be prepared to discuss contract terms including payment structure, content approval process, performance incentives, and exclusivity periods.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one effective negotiation tactic the candidate employed.
• Suggest one area where their approach could be improved or where they missed an opportunity.
• Give the candidate a chance to address the specific concern or objection again with a revised approach based on the feedback.

Activity #4: Campaign Performance Analysis and Optimization

This exercise tests a candidate's analytical abilities, data interpretation skills, and strategic thinking for campaign optimization. It demonstrates how they translate metrics into actionable insights and make data-driven decisions. The best Influencer Marketing Managers continuously refine their approach based on performance data to maximize ROI.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a mock campaign performance report including:
• Campaign overview (objectives, influencers used, content types)
• Performance metrics across platforms (impressions, engagement, click-through, conversions)
• Cost breakdown by influencer and platform
• Audience demographics and behavior data
• Include some clear successes and some underperforming elements
• Provide industry benchmarks for context if possible.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the campaign performance data provided.
• Prepare a brief analysis that includes:
• Key performance insights and trends
• Identification of top-performing influencers, content types, and platforms
• Analysis of underperforming elements with potential reasons
• ROI calculation and assessment
• Recommendations for optimizing the current campaign
• Strategic recommendations for future campaigns based on these learnings
• Be prepared to explain which metrics you prioritize and why.
• Create a simple one-page dashboard highlighting the most important insights and recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Highlight one particularly insightful observation or recommendation from their analysis.
• Suggest one additional area of analysis or a different interpretation of the data they might consider.
• Ask the candidate to spend 5-10 minutes incorporating this feedback into their recommendations, explaining how this new perspective impacts their optimization strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allow for each work sample exercise?

Most of these exercises require 45-60 minutes to complete properly, with additional time for feedback and discussion. For the campaign strategy exercise, we recommend giving candidates 24-48 hours of preparation time before presenting. The entire work sample portion of your interview process should ideally be contained within a single interview session of 2-3 hours, focusing on the 1-2 exercises most relevant to your specific needs.

Should we use real brand information or create a fictional scenario?

While using real brand information creates authenticity, it's often better to create a simplified version of your actual brand scenario. This protects sensitive information while still providing relevant context. Ensure the scenario is detailed enough to be realistic but simplified enough that candidates without insider knowledge can succeed.

What if we don't have access to influencer discovery platforms for the identification exercise?

The exercise can be modified to use publicly available tools and platforms. Candidates can use Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or other social platforms directly to identify potential influencers. The focus should be on their methodology and evaluation criteria rather than the specific tools used.

How should we evaluate candidates who have experience in different industries?

Focus on transferable skills rather than specific industry knowledge. A candidate with strong analytical abilities, creative thinking, and relationship management skills can quickly adapt to a new industry. During feedback, acknowledge industry differences and assess how quickly they incorporate new information into their approach.

Should we share these exercises with candidates in advance?

For exercises requiring significant preparation (like the campaign strategy development), provide details 24-48 hours in advance. For other exercises, a brief overview of what to expect is sufficient. The goal is to assess how candidates perform with reasonable preparation, not how they handle complete surprises.

How do we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates from underrepresented groups?

Review all materials for inclusive language and examples. Ensure scenarios don't require cultural knowledge specific to certain groups. Provide clear evaluation criteria focused on skills rather than style or cultural fit. Consider offering accommodations for candidates who might need them, and be consistent in how you administer and evaluate the exercises across all candidates.

Finding the right Influencer Marketing Manager can significantly impact your brand's digital presence and marketing ROI. By incorporating these practical work samples into your interview process, you'll gain valuable insights into candidates' capabilities beyond what traditional interviews reveal. These exercises evaluate not just what candidates know, but how they apply that knowledge to real-world scenarios they'll face in the role.

For more resources to enhance your hiring process, check out Yardstick's AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also explore our example job description for Influencer Marketing Manager for additional insights.

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