When influencers invest their time into their brand and leave the negotiating to talent management, the net result is an increase in their brand value.
Anywhere you turn, you can read about the rise of social media influencers. From brands working with influencers to promote products or services and from micro influencers investing in their content to become top influencers, influencer marketing isn’t just a trend. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, influencer marketing “…is expected to continue its upward trajectory this year to potentially become a $6.5 billion industry.”
But what does this mean for content creators? As digital marketers themselves, creators have invested in their personal brand, creating authentic content that attracts an audience who is interested and engaged. Along the way, successful influencers begin to attract more partnership offers than they can manage alone.
Content creators often know their value for partnerships but they aren’t lawyers. They don’t have backgrounds in contract negotiation, nor do they have the time to invest in learning how to effectively negotiate deals. When a content creator reaches a specific level of engagement and following and begins receiving paid brand opportunities, it’s time to consider the idea of having a talent management team.
Time Is the Most Valuable Asset
Influencers are most valuable when they create. Talent management allows influencers to focus on their strengths without distraction. Timmy Ham, known on Twitter and Instagram as iamsloth, never realized how badly he needed management until he signed with FYI Talent Management, powered by Find Your Influence.
“Having management has kept me organized and I come off way more professional than ever before,” explained Ham. “I also love having someone in the middle that can stick up for me and what I deserve as a creator.” Ham had represented himself since 2012 and explains, “…having management now makes it feel like I have a team and it’s WAY more fun!!” With a management team in place, Ham now reinvests that time into his creative process.
Long-Term Brand Partnerships
Oftentimes brands will engage with influencers to execute a single campaign. From footwear to technology and from beauty to travel, influencer campaigns are always more successful when the influencer can become a longer-term brand ambassador. “The more often the target audience sees the influencer sharing content about the product, the more likely it is to drive a purchase,” explains Katie White, Talent Manager with FYI Talent Management.
Lauren Garcia, known on Instagram as WhatLolaLikes, is also represented by FYI Talent Management. “Management has helped me look at brands on a larger level, looking at the big picture and creating longer partnerships,” Garcia explained. Instead of single campaigns for a brand, FYI Talent has helped to establish ongoing brand partnerships for a variety of brands including but not limited to Pampers.
Brand Growth
When influencers invest their time into their brand and leave the negotiating to management, the net result is an increase in their brand value. Jane Ko, a food and travel blogger known as ATasteofKoko, found her revenue increase as a result of having management. “I use to pull over on the side of the road to hop on brand calls and have to sign contracts on my laptop in the car,” Ko explained. “After signing with FYI Talent, I was able to work half as much and increase my revenue by 3x!”
Ham had a similar experience after signing with FYI Talent Management. “I am making a lot more money per-client because the team is so good at negotiating.”
FYI Talent Management works with talent booking, advertising/PR agencies and brands directly to represent, guide, secure and help execute partnership deals for some of social media’s top-tier influencers. The talent managers have experience in licensing, commerce, branded entertainment and philanthropy work. If you’re an influencer interested in learning more about how FYI Talent Management could represent you, simply contact Tami Nealy, tami@findyourinfluence.com