Late or missing payments are not new for creators and agencies when it comes to working with brands for social media marketing and both parties are all too familiar with Net 30 payment terms, but what if your agency or small business didn’t have to wait to get paid and payout creators for their work when it’s complete? With Lumanu, talent managers and agencies can pay creators with EarlyPay, creating reliable business partnerships with top talent.

Lumanu’s EarlyPay allows talent managers and agencies to get paid earlier than the standard 30-, 60-, or even 90-day payment terms that brands set for creative partnerships. For talent managers and agencies, EarlyPay can also help improve cash flow, especially if your contract stipulates that you don’t get paid until your creative contractors get paid.

As a manager, it’s important to be invested in your talents’ career trajectory and the growth of their small business. Being able to promise an early payday to your talent for their work will continue to show that you’re invested in their goals and financial success.

Here are six reasons why paying creators early can help you build more profitable creator partnerships.

1. Late Payments Cost Extra

Now that social media marketing has become more established and robust, creators and talent managers are wising up to improved payment systems and more efficient payment processes. Just as a utility company will charge an added fee for a late bill payment, influencers are adding late fees to their contracts.

For brands that don’t budget appropriately and pay their partners on time, they may incur late fees and spend more money on one project than they budgeted for. For talent managers or small businesses and agencies, late payments can be costly, too. They may need to spend more time tracking down invoices and following up with brands, meaning they are losing out on time spent securing new deals. 

On the flip side, some creators and their managers may offer incentives for paying early, like an early pay discount or tighter project turnarounds. Plus, EarlyPay improves cash flow management, allowing talent managers and agencies to access working capital for new project resources or contracting new creative partnerships.

2. Delayed Upfront Payments = Delayed Projects

 Many creators are moving toward a payment model that requires at least a deposit, if not the project total, upfront to prevent missing payments and improve cash flow. While paying upfront shouldn’t be a problem for brands with a well-planned marketing budget, it does mean that a delay in paying the deposit or invoice means the project deadline is delayed, too.

Think about it — a creator working with five brands this month is going to first start work on projects that have already collected the deposits or payments. For an influencer, it’s not a smart business move to start work on something when the company could go ghost with the payment.

3. Reliable Payments Lead to Priority Treatment

 On the same note, talent managers are keen to sign new project contracts with brands that reliably pay creators’ invoices on time or even early. For talent managers and even agencies, they don’t see payment until the creator’s invoice is paid. Managers and agencies are going to put deals from brands they know will pay on time — or, major bonus, early — first for their creative partners. 

When an influencer is preparing their content calendars for the month, they’re also going to prioritize projects that are already paid for or are always paid on time by brands. Those companies that have a habit of paying invoices late are likely to be put on the back burner.

4. Spend Less Time Tracking Down Invoices

 Sometimes, things fall through the cracks. For businesses, that might mean a freelancer’s invoice that your team forgot to pay. But when payments are missing, an agency will spend a lot more time (and money) following up with accounting and responding to frustrated creator emails.

Talent managers may even need to hire accounts receivable personnel to track down late or missing payments, an added cost that may be reflected on future project invoices billed to brands.

Forgetting to pay invoices or not properly budgeting to pay creators on time creates inefficiencies for everyone, from the influencers, to their talent managers, to the brand. Time is money, and time wasted tracking down invoices and payments could be better spent on creating viral, profitable content.

5. Early Payments Afford Better Resources

 Of course, brands are happy to provide resources, like their products, to help an influencer create great sponsored content. But think about it like this: a creator who has received a deposit or upfront payment for their work may be inclined to buy extra props or nicer camera lenses before shooting content for the project at hand. When that money is directly in their bank account sooner, that capital is ready to be used on resources for the job at hand.

 Those that are short on cash with an invoice that won’t be paid for 90 days may still offer great content, but they might be less inspired or even financially able to go all-out when creating for the brand. Influencers don’t want to have to put charges on their credit cards when they could have that money directly in their accounts with a tool like EarlyPay. Higher quality content is key to persuading audiences to make a purchase and help the company earn more profits from new customers.

6. EarlyPay is the Way Forward

 Payment terms are just fine, but you’re going to build better working relationships with creators if you pay early or if you work with a platform that allows the creators to receive payments early (even when you’re still waiting for your marketing budget or accounting team to clear the payments).

Creators, talent managers, and creative agencies offering similar services don’t want to wait 30, 60, or 90 days for their invoices to be paid. Utilizing EarlyPay allows talent managers and creative agencies to better manage their own cash flows, ensuring there’s enough capital at hand to pursue more opportunities for your creative partners.

 Now, as a talent manager or agency, you can pay creators through Lumanu EarlyPay, which allows influencers to collect their money immediately after their work has been completed. For businesses and talent managers, you can easily pay influencers, split payments, track invoices, and more all in one place. Not only that, but you can even collect payments from brands early with EarlyPay, rather than waiting up to 90 days before you and your creators can get paid.

Pay influencers instantly, improve creator relationships, and maximize your cash flow — schedule a call with us today!