5 Tips to Find a Business Manager for Content Creators

So you’ve got your channel off the ground. You’ve worked hard to produce some good content and get it out there, and things are going well; you’ve got plenty of good ideas and you’re beginning to build a decent following online. Maybe you’ve even got a bit of a community going on Discord.

But how do you take things to the next level? Producing the content can take up so much of your time and energy; it’s not just the time spent creating the content. There’s the editing, processing, and uploads to deal with. So how do you keep growing your channels, deal with all the business stuff, and still have time to concentrate on what you love doing? One way that works well for a lot of content creators, whether they’re gamers, influencers, or making viral reaction vids, is to get a business manager.

A business manager will deal with all the financial stuff that you may not be so good at, or just not have time for yourself. They’ll have a specific business plan for content creators and will, for example, negotiate with brands or other collaborators, and handle any contracts you’re involved with. They’ll make sure everything’s above board and fair, get you a good deal or renegotiate a better one, cover all the legal bases, and so on.

And, if they’re experienced enough, they can also build connections with other business people in the industry. You’ve probably got great relationships with other streamers, gamers, and content creators already, but a business manager is likely to have a wider network they’ve spent longer building. This can be useful for finding people or companies that can help you make your ideas come to life, especially when you might not have a clue where to look for them.

Most importantly, your business manager might have solid expertise that’s specific to your industry or niche. You might be a brilliant gamer but, if that’s all you’ve been focused on, you’re probably a bit in the dark about how the gaming and content industry works, let alone the recent trends. A business manager will help you navigate all that stuff; they might even offer some good tips on how best to publicize your content and reach a wider audience, both on and offline.

But the main thing is, they leave you time to focus on what you’re good at—putting great content out there. So you can get back to finding exactly the right sound you’ve been looking for, or getting that evil voice right for your next upload.

If you decide a business manager is what you need to rev up your career, here are some tips to remember when searching for someone to represent you:

✅Keep an eye on your incoming communication—emails, DMs, Discord messages and so on. Some managers are actively on the lookout for content producers and will contact the ones they think they can help. If you’re making a name for yourself they may come to you.

✅Check out business networking sites like LinkedIn. Not only will business managers have their profiles on there, but you may also be able to check out their portfolio and have a look at other content producers or gamers they’ve worked with.

✅Ask around your own network. You’re likely to have built up a decent set of connections with other content providers, subscribers or followers, and they may be able to recommend somebody they’ve worked with. A personal, firsthand recommendation is always the best possible way to find a good business manager.

✅If you can, get out to some of the content creators’ fairs and events that are going on now; VidSummit, VidCon, Playlist Live and others are all cool platforms bringing people from the streaming, gaming and content community together. They’re a great place to network and swap content creator business cards with some familiar online faces. It’s also the best way to find out the latest industry news, to see who’s breaking through and what’s hot right now. And you never know, you may meet a business manager at one of these events.

✅If nobody’s coming to you or you can’t find somebody through recommendation, you could put the word out yourself and advertise. That said, this shouldn’t really be your first choice. First, you’ll need to do your research and identify the best places to advertise; on any good platform, you’ll almost certainly have to pay for the service. Then, you’ll have to narrow down your options, interview them and find out about their experience for yourself—not easy if you don’t know the right questions to ask.

It might be tempting to hire the first person who talks a good game and promises to make you the next Ninja or Pokimane. But a good business relationship needs more than big dreams and big promises. Talk one-to-one with anybody you’re thinking about hiring to make sure you click and will get on well. Business savvy comes first, but getting on as people matters too. Also, every content creator’s business model will be different, so being on the same page about what you want out of the collaboration is also important.

There’s no single content creator business plan template that works for everybody. So, for example, try to find somebody who is at least familiar with—or even an expert on—your platform of choice. You don’t want to be working with a YouTube specialist if your main focus is Twitch: they’re very different platforms in terms of business models, advertising revenue, algorithms, and more. So your business manager should be happy to come up with a business plan for content creators, but adjust it to work specifically for you.

Leaving the business to the manager gives you the freedom to concentrate on your content. Remember, you got into gaming in the first place to have fun, right? And you still want to do that, even if you’re streaming and creating content professionally.

Voicemod has all the tools you need to change your voice and sound how you want, keep the fun in your streams and make everything sound professional. So if you’re just looking to anonymize yourself, or you want to be a pilot, a robot or even an orc, Voicemod’s Artificial Intelligence lets you be exactly what you want. Download it for free, and get on with what you’re good at, leaving the boring stuff to your business manager.