What Does an Influencer Manager Do?

An influencer manager runs the business side of a creator's career so the creator can focus on making content. That usually means finding and closing brand deals, setting rates, reading and negotiating contracts, handling invoices and late payments, and planning how the creator grows. Most managers are paid a share of the deals they help close rather than a flat fee.

The short version

Think of a manager as your business partner. You make the posts. They make sure the posts pay, the terms are fair, and the next deal is lined up. Make Influence describes a manager's work as strategy, content direction, brand relationships and career advice, often for a small roster of creators.

Below is what that looks like week to week.

1. Finding and closing brand deals

This is the part most people picture. A manager:

• Answers brand emails and sorts real offers from spam and scams
• Pitches brands that fit your lane and your audience
• Builds relationships with brand teams so they come back for more
• Gets the brief right so you know exactly what to make, when and where

A good manager also says no for you. If a brand does not fit your audience, a bad deal can cost you trust with followers that took years to build.

2. Setting your rates

Most new creators either undercharge or have no idea where to start. A manager prices each deal based on your views, engagement, platform, the amount of work, and what the brand wants to do with the content afterward.

Influencer Marketing Hub lists the things that push a price up, including how many deliverables there are, tight deadlines, extra revision rounds, usage rights for ads, and exclusivity. A manager makes sure each of those is priced in instead of thrown in for free. For the numbers, see our guide on how much to charge for a sponsored post.

3. Reading and negotiating contracts

Brand contracts are where creators lose the most money without noticing. A manager reads every line and pushes back on terms like:

• Usage rights. How long the brand can use your content and where. Superfiliate's guide notes that paid ad licenses are often set at 30, 60 or 90 days, and that longer terms can change price and exclusivity.
• Exclusivity. Whether you are blocked from working with competitors, for how long, and which brands count as competitors.
• Payment terms. When you get paid and what triggers payment. Superfiliate lists net 15 or net 30 as typical.
• Revisions and approvals. How many rounds of edits you owe.
• Renewals. What happens if the brand wants to keep going.

Our brand deal contract checklist goes through each one.

4. Running the business side

The boring work matters. Managers often handle:

• Invoicing and keeping track of what each brand owes
• Chasing late payments so you do not have to send awkward emails
• Scheduling so you never miss a posting date
• Disclosure checks. The FTC says creators must clearly disclose brand relationships, including free products, and that the disclosure needs to be hard to miss, not buried in a pile of hashtags. A manager helps make sure every sponsored post does this right.
• Records for taxes. The IRS says people who work for themselves usually must file if net earnings from self employment are $400 or more, and often pay estimated tax during the year. Clean records make this much easier.

5. Building your brand

Brands pay more for creators with a clear identity. Managers help with:

• Positioning. What you are known for and who you are for
• A media kit with honest, up to date numbers. See how to make a media kit
• A content plan that mixes sponsored and regular posts so your feed does not feel like an ad wall

6. Planning your growth

More reach usually means better deals. A manager may help with a posting rhythm, collaborations with other creators, which platforms to focus on, and reading your analytics to see what works.

What a manager does not do

Know the limits so you can spot someone who oversells:

• They cannot make you go viral. No one can promise that.
• They should not charge you up front. Pfeiffer Law's rule is never to pay your manager up front, and the FTC warns that any agency asking for money to represent you is a scam.
• They may not be allowed to act as your agent everywhere. In California, the Labor Code defines a talent agency as anyone in the business of finding or trying to find work for artists, which generally needs a license. Our guide on talent manager vs talent agent explains the difference.

How managers get paid

Most take a commission. Make Influence says managers typically take 15 to 20 percent of a deal. Pfeiffer Law puts the range at 10 to 20 percent or more and suggests asking for the cut to be on net (after expenses) instead of gross. Read how much influencer managers take before you agree to a number.

How Plane Site helps

Plane Site Talent Management does all four parts of this job: paid sponsorships, contract negotiation, brand and business work like your media kit and invoicing, and growth from 0 to 1M. Every client also gets a guaranteed minimum monthly income deal from Day 1, with each sponsorship paid on top. Talk to us about the details, see our influencer page, or book a call.

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