There are two ways to hire a creator in Italy: go through a marketplace or find and contact them directly. They cost differently, but not in the way people assume.

What direct outreach really costs

Time. Finding profiles, vetting them, writing, waiting for a reply, negotiating, clarifying rights, handling payment and the invoice. For a first campaign with three creators, that is easily two working days of a marketing person. The creator costs less, the process costs more.

What a marketplace costs

A fee, in exchange for four things: profiles with visible prices and timings, a single conversation channel, a payment structure, and a written record of what was agreed. The value is not finding people, it is reducing the number of steps between the request and the delivered video.

Where the risk sits

In direct: paying someone you do not know upfront, or delivering with no written agreement on rights. Most problems in Italy start here.

In a marketplace: picking the wrong profile because the listing is well made. The fix is the same in both cases, ask for an unpublished sample.

Which to use for a first campaign

The marketplace, for a practical reason: the first campaign exists to learn what works, not to optimise unit cost. Reducing variables matters more than saving a fee.

When direct starts making sense

Once you have worked with the same person two or three times, the relationship is stable and the scope is clear. At that point the process weighs little, because there is nothing left to negotiate.

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Frequently asked questions

Which costs more?

Direct, in internal time.

What does a marketplace give you?

Visible prices, one channel, a written record.

What should I ask for either way?

An unpublished sample and the rights in writing.

When should I switch to direct?

After two or three jobs with the same person.