The life of an influencer manager: Interview with newbase CEO Lena Nießen

In the past few years, we’ve seen the relationship between public figures and their fans change quite a bit. Influencers, especially those who stream, give their communities the opportunity to be a part of their lives and make fans (or viewers) feel more connected to their person than ever before.

For some, the lives of influencers and streamers may seem pretty carefree and stress-free, but in reality, it takes a lot of organizational work to manage the lives of these individuals.

Lena Nießen, who dedicates her life to artist management, is the Founder and Managing Director of the German artist agency newbase, which manages big German influencers including Kevin “Papaplatte” Teller and the comedy duo Space Frogs. We spoke to Lena about her career and her impressions of the influencer management industry.

All that glitters is not gold

Fragster: Can you briefly tell us how you came to influencer management?
Lena: I’ve been interested in online and social media for a long time. I started in the industry eight years ago with a YouTube network in artist management. I quickly realized that I really liked the combination of organization, creativity and empathy, and after a short time, I took over the management of the gaming area. The job sparked a passion in me that I never thought I could find in a job.

What three things does anyone starting out in your industry need to know?
All that glitters is not gold. There are many ‘experts’ who aren’t really experts. Artists with apparently large reach may have bought their following. Customers might try to get advantages for their inquiries under the wrong pretences.

Not everyone is competitive. Work with your industry peers, not against them, and find your allies to learn from and with each other. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. If you do, talk openly about them and learn from them.

What would you do differently if you started in your industry now?
Right from the start, I would select people in whom I invest my time more closely and listen more to my gut feeling.

No day is like the other

What does a typical day as an influencer manager actually look like?
No two days are the same, but if I had to sum it up it would be as follows: At the beginning of the day, I discuss the most important projects and updates with my team of seven. Then, emails are screened, prioritized and processed. In between, there are calls with our brand and agency partners and update calls with our artists, in which we discuss their content, projects and campaigns. If there are campaign uploads on our artists’ channels, they will be prepared and posted together. In addition to these classic agency days, there are often events, shoots or special projects, sometimes multiple times a week.

After several positions, you became Managing Director and Founder of your own company newbase, what inspired you?
Since I have accompanied and helped shape the development of artist management at several agencies from the very beginning, there came a point at which I wanted to use the experience I had gained for my own idea of ​​management. As Kevin aka. Papaplatte, who was a longtime friend of mine at the time, approached me in 2020, it just felt right. As if the right time had come to take this step together.

What were the biggest challenges at the beginning and afterwards?
The biggest challenge was jumping over your own shadow. I’ve often had the thought in the back of my mind, but I’ve always looked for reasons why it wasn’t the right time. Believing in yourself and not letting the ‘what ifs’ hold you back was a leap in the deep end. However, from the moment I made the decision, I didn’t doubt for a second that it was the right move.

Afterwards, the biggest challenge was my own resources. We plan very diverse projects, products and events, but due to the amount of effort that needs to be involved, not all of them can be realized at the same time. Finding the right time management for my artists, employees and myself — who would prefer to do everything at the same time — was a challenge at the beginning.

It’s about the art and the people behind the artist

How do you actually determine the ‘value’ of an influencer or a campaign?
The value of a campaign is calculated based on the reach of the artists, the production effort, the duration, the platform and the scope of the campaign’s display. Determining the ‘worth’ of an artist is a bit more complex. The quality and frequency of the content, brand safety, awareness and authenticity, the target group (demographics and areas of interest), as well as reach all play a role.

Where do you think influencer marketing will develop in the next 10 years?
It will become increasingly specific to individual artists. Close collaboration with an artist where you focus on increasing the quality of the content, brand building, products around the creator, etc. It’s not just about marketing, it’s about the art and the people behind the artist.

What do you enjoy most about your job and what is the most annoying?
Spending every day with people who are close to my heart and living out our creative dreams together, for which I am very grateful. Sounds cheesy, but it’s actually the best. Of course, the most annoying thing is the paperwork, but I have s great support in the team.

False ‘experts’ hurt the industry

If you look at the development of the influencer scene in recent years, what positives and negatives do you notice?
I noticed positively that the industry is diversifying. Different genres and artists get the platform and a voice, which gives viewers the opportunity to discover communities they feel they belong to without being confronted with prejudices and pigeonholes.

On the negative side, I notice that many ‘experts’ have appeared in the industry in recent years who loudly convey their ‘knowledge’ to the outside world. However, this ‘knowledge’ is very often outdated, inefficient or wrong in terms of content. These people cause lasting damage to the industry because they give the wrong image to the outside world.

If you could do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and is there a mistake that you regret?
I wouldn’t do anything differently because every step — both positive and negative — has brought me to my current position. If I had to name one point, it would be to have more faith for my gut from the start.