# How influencer agencies and talent managers work An influencer agency represents creators in their dealings with brands: it finds and vets offers, negotiates, and handles contracts, deliverables and payments, while helping the creator grow their personal brand. It usually takes a commission on the collaborations it manages. The talent manager is the person who looks after all of this day to day. By [Amalia Mariotti](https://amagency.eu/en/about-us/amalia-mariotti/), Founder & CEO · Updated: 26 October 2026 · https://amagency.eu/en/guides/how-influencer-agencies-work/ ## What an influencer agency does Talent management – representing influencers and creators – exists for a simple reason. Once brand offers start piling up, handling them well takes time and skills that have little to do with making content. Answering enquiries, working out which ones make sense, discussing fees and rights, reading contracts, hitting deadlines, invoicing and chasing payment: it’s a second job. An agency takes all that on and also brings in collaborations the creator would never have found alone, because it talks every day to brands and agencies looking for creators. At Amagency this is the work of our Talent Management division, which represents creators on Instagram and TikTok, mainly in fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Not every agency works the same way. Some manage large numbers of creators with an almost purely sales-led approach; others, such as boutique agencies, look after a smaller roster, with a closer relationship between talent and manager. For the creator, the difference shows in the quality of the offers, the care taken over contracts and the time they get. ## What a talent manager does day to day The talent manager is the creator’s point of contact with brands. Their main tasks: - reviews incoming offers and turns down those that don’t fit the creator’s profile; - finds new collaborations by introducing the creator to brands; - negotiates fees, formats, timings, usage rights and exclusivity; - checks contracts with the legal team and keeps track of their deadlines; - coordinates briefs, content approval and publishing; - handles invoicing and payments, collaboration by collaboration; - works with the creator on positioning and the profile’s editorial direction. ## Building the personal brand A good talent manager thinks beyond the next collaboration. They help the creator work out what they want to be known for, which brands suit their audience and which offers – however well paid – could erode their community’s trust. It’s long-term work: the strongest partnerships happen when brand and creator choose each other. ## How to join a roster Every agency has its own criteria. At Amagency there are three steps: an application with your social profiles and a short introduction; a meeting to get to know each other and talk through goals and expectations; and a written representation proposal setting out the terms. We look at authenticity, content quality and community engagement more than follower count. The meeting works both ways. The creator sees how the agency operates and which brands it works with; the agency sees whether the profile fits the roster and whether it can genuinely help the creator grow. It’s the right moment to ask every question you have about the contract. ## The management contract: what to check Before signing with any agency, read these points carefully and ask for anything unclear to be explained. - Exclusivity and scope: does the agency represent you for all collaborations, or only on certain platforms or in certain industries? - Term and termination: how long the agreement lasts and how you can end it. - Agency commission: the percentage and which collaborations it applies to. - Payments: payment times and a statement for every sum received. - Direct offers: what happens when a brand contacts you without going through the agency. - Brand contracts: who signs them and who checks them. ## When an agency makes sense If collaborations are few and occasional, you can manage them yourself. An agency becomes useful when offers grow, when contracts get more complex – with usage rights, exclusivity and campaigns across several platforms – or when you want to build a longer-term path with more established brands. Be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed earnings or a set number of collaborations: no one can credibly do that. ## The rules apply to creators too In Italy, all promotional content must be immediately recognisable as advertising, even when the payment is a free product. Creators with at least 500,000 followers or 1 million average monthly views on a platform must also meet the obligations of the Guidelines and Code of Conduct issued by AGCOM (Italy’s communications regulator), including registering on its list of relevant influencers. A serious agency helps creators comply in every collaboration; you’ll find the details in our guide to AGCOM influencer rules in Italy. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you need a minimum number of followers to join an agency? It depends on the agency. At Amagency we look mainly at authenticity, content quality and community engagement; follower count is one factor, not the only one. ### How much does an influencer agency take? Usually a commission on the collaborations it manages, which varies from agency to agency. At Amagency the percentage is shared openly before you sign and written into the contract. ## Sources 1. [AGCOM, FAQ su Linee guida e Codice di condotta per gli influencer (2026)](https://www.agcom.it/sites/default/files/media/allegato/2026/Allegato_B_operativo_influencer.pdf) ## Related case studies - [The Bridge: Influencer marketing and events](https://amagency.eu/en/digital-marketing/the-bridge/) ## Further reading - [AGCOM influencer rules in Italy: brand and creator duties](https://amagency.eu/en/guides/agcom-influencer-rules-italy/): AGCOM influencer rules in Italy: how to disclose ads, gifts and events, who counts as a relevant influencer, the AGCOM list and what brands must do.