How YouTube talent managers are helping shape the future of the influencer industry

Select Management

With YouTube creators building bigger and bigger careers, the need for talent managers to assist in scaling their various online ventures has increased.
Talent managers help their clients secure brand sponsorships, advise clients against promoting products that could damage their careers, and assist in selling direct-to-consumer products, among other functions.
Check out our inaugural list on the top 14 talent managers for YouTube creators and influencers.

When an influencer wants to take easy money to promote the latest detox tea for weight loss, it's often a talent manager who steps in and advises them that it might not be such a great idea.

The best talent managers are there to help clients make smart choices and construct a lasting brand. With YouTube creators taking over the influencer space, earning income through brand deals and scaling their engaged audiences into a full-time business, managers can be a key to success for many.

Talent managers advise clients against making choices that could damage their careers and help in operating companies and selling direct-to-consumer products. Some even own product lines under venture arms.

Reed Duchscher, who managers creators like MrBeast (24 million YouTube subscribers), told Business Insider that he focuses on helping clients create and structure new businesses and build out their internal teams.

"One core reason I think YouTube talent managers are important is due to the fact that most successful channels are run by young people," he said. "We're seeing 15- and 16-year-old kids garner hundreds of millions of views each month, before they even graduate high school. We help them avoid the pitfalls of working through this industry."

Managers earn revenue by receiving a cut of the influencer's earnings, which typically ranges from 10% to 20%, depending on how much the manager does for the client, according to industry insiders.

See which talent managers made Business Insider's inaugural list of power players:

The top 14 talent managers for YouTube creators and influencers who are shaping the future of digital media

And for more on the business of being an influencer, and a breakdown of how YouTube creators make their money, check out these Business Insider Prime stories below: