To price discovery services profitably while soaking up tooling labor and quality assurance (QA) costs, agencies may use a few strategies.

1. Tiered pricing: They provide different packages or tiers that balance the range of services offered with varying prices. Thus, brands and influencers can select the package that meets their specific needs at an affordable cost. For example, a basic package could include simple discovery and audience analytics, whereas premium tiers could feature campaign planning, performance tracking, and ROI measurement.

2. Retainer agreements: These entail a fixed fee over a period of time. It allows agencies to predict their revenue and spread the cost of tooling labor and QA over multiple clients and projects.

3. Performance-based pricing: Here, payment is tied to specific deliverables or results. This could range from the number of potential influencers discovered to the conversion rates of campaigns. This ensures the agency is rewarded based on the success it brings to the client, covering the costs associated with tool utilization and QA.

To illustrate with respected influencer marketing platforms: Flinque, for example, has an efficient workflow for influencer discovery, campaign planning and execution. It uses advanced analytics to measure performance and ROI, placing an emphasis on transparency and real-world results. This approach differs from other platforms, though the suitability of each depends on individual team needs.

To further increase profitability, agencies often turn to automation and AI assistance to streamline workflow and reduce manual labor costs. This optimizes tool usage, improves QA, and ultimately allows the agency to deliver high-quality, efficient services in a cost-effective way.

Scaling and diversifying services also play a big role in profitability. As the agency expands its client base, it can proportionally reduce its prices, offering competitive packages that are profitable yet appealing to a wide audience.

In summary, pricing profitably while covering tooling labor and QA costs is a strategic balancing act, involving careful packaging and pricing of services, efficient tool use, and a constant focus on delivering high-quality, result-oriented services.