Pillar: Creator Business | Read time: 5–6 min | CTA: Apply for Management
This one is for the creator who’s been wondering but hasn’t asked yet. We’re answering it directly.
The question we get asked more than any other
“When should I get a manager?” It comes up in our DMs, at events, in conversations after panels. And the honest answer might surprise you — because it’s not about hitting a follower count. It’s about where you are in your business.
We’ve worked with creators at 8,000 followers who were more than ready. And we’ve seen creators at 200,000 who weren’t there yet — not because they weren’t talented, but because the foundation wasn’t in place. Management works best when there’s something to build on and someone ready to build with you.
So here’s what we actually look for. Not the metrics. The real stuff.
Signs you might be ready
- You’re getting brand inquiries but don’t know how to respond, negotiate, or evaluate whether they’re worth your time.
- You’ve accepted a deal that felt off — too low, too broad, too unclear — and you didn’t have anyone to ask.
- Your content is consistent and your audience trusts you, even if the numbers aren’t huge yet.
- You know what kind of creator you want to be, but you’re not sure how to get there strategically.
- You’re spending more time on admin, outreach, and emails than you are on actually creating.
Signs you might not be ready yet — and that’s okay
- Your content is still figuring itself out. Managers can’t define your niche for you — that has to come first.
- You haven’t posted consistently enough to have a real body of work to pitch to brands.
- You’re not sure what you want from your platform yet. Management without direction just creates busy work.
None of these mean you’ll never be ready. They just mean there’s work to do first — and that work is worth doing before you add another person to the picture.
What a manager actually does (and what they don’t)
A good manager is not a personal assistant. They’re not someone who posts for you or tells you what to make. What they do is handle the business side so you can focus on the creative side.
At IGM, that means pitching you to brands that are the right fit — not just whoever will pay. It means negotiating your rates with real market knowledge behind us. It means reading contracts before you sign them, pushing back on unfair terms, and advocating for you in conversations you’re not in the room for.
Management should feel like having someone genuinely in your corner. Not someone taking a cut to forward you emails.
What we look for when we take on a creator
We’re selective — not because we want to be gatekeepers, but because we only take on creators we can genuinely serve. When we review applications, we’re not just looking at follower count or engagement rate. We’re looking at:
- Does this person have a clear point of view?
- Is there an audience that trusts them, even if it’s still growing?
- Are they coachable? Do they want to build something long-term?
- Does the kind of work they create align with brands we can realistically pitch?
If that sounds like you, we’d genuinely love to hear from you.
📱 Social snippet: “You don’t need 100k followers to need a manager. Here’s what actually matters.”
