How to vet an OFM creator before you sign: checks and red flags
By the OFM.Market team · Published · 2 min read
Short answer
Vetting a creator starts with the checks you cannot skip: a government ID that matches the person, a confirmed age of 18 or over, and the creator's own informed agreement to the arrangement. After that, agencies look at reliability, willingness to follow direction and references from earlier managers, and treat evasive answers and a string of short agency stints as warning signs.
The checks you cannot skip
- Age and identity. Look at a government ID, compare it with the person on a live video call, and record the details. Everyone who appears in content needs the same check. OFM legal basics explains the record-keeping rules.
- Consent. The creator should understand the arrangement, who will have access to the account and which content is and is not part of it, and should be able to say no. Pressure to decide fast, or someone else answering for the creator, are reasons to stop.
- Ownership. Confirm the content is the creator's own, or that they hold the rights to use it.
What agencies look for
Guides on recruiting say much the same thing: looks matter less than whether the person will do the work. The traits named most often are business sense, reliable content production, willingness to follow instructions and a good work ethic.
New account or established creator?
An established creator comes with proof and an audience, and sometimes with habits and expectations to work around. A new account lets you build from the start but takes longer to pay back. One agency guide reports two to four months for creators built from zero. Assess each case. Do not rule either out.
Creators with a following elsewhere
Creators with a large social audience they have not monetised are described as the most immediately promising, and also as the most demanding: they have a brand to protect and expect a more professional offer.
References
Ask for references from earlier managers or agencies, and ask them four things: did the creator deliver content consistently, how did they take feedback, were deadlines met, and would the reference work with them again. A creator who will not name anyone, or whose references are vague, is telling you something.
The qualifying call
- Why are you looking for management now, or why leave your current setup?
- What have you tried, and what happened?
- How much content can you produce each week, and what are your limits?
- What do you expect from us, and what worries you?
Listen as much to how someone talks about past partners as to what they say. Vague or accusatory answers are the red flags the guides mention most.
Red flags
- Three or four agencies in under a year
- Refusing to share references or any ID
- Evasive answers about who controls the account today
- Missed calls and slow replies before signing
- Asking you for money before any work has been done
- Asking you to guarantee results
Start with a trial
Ask for a first batch of ten to twenty varied pieces of content so you can judge style and quality, and consider a short initial term with a longer one after it. Some agencies offer a trial of about 90 days. Whatever you choose, put it in the contract.
On OFM.Market, our team interviews every creator and reviews each profile before an agency can acquire it. The interview covers goals, hours a day, English and content.