What an agency really takes over
The biggest misconception is that an agency "helps you grow". That is too vague to base a decision on. Concretely, an agency takes over one thing above all: the chat with your fans.
That sounds like little and is in fact most of the work. On Maloum around 80% of revenue happens in chat, not in the feed. But that is also where the effort sits: answering messages, remembering preferences, finding the right moment for an offer, across hours, days and time zones.
On top of that usually come the timing and sending of PPVs, bringing in new traffic, and evaluating what works and what does not. Content production almost always stays with you — that is the point many people get wrong. An agency takes the writing off your hands, not the creating.
You give up a share of your revenue and get time back, and at best more revenue from the same fans. Whether that pays off depends purely on whether the agency brings in more than its share costs.
When you are better off without an agency
Nobody else writes this for you, because most texts on the subject come from agencies. There are clear cases where you earn more alone.
You have few chats and the time for them
As long as you look after your fans well yourself and the chat is not eating you alive, every share you give up comes straight out of your earnings without anything being added. At the start that is almost always the case.
You enjoy writing yourself
Some creators are simply better in the chat than any chatter, because they tell their own story and fans notice. If that suits you and you enjoy it, you would be handing away your strongest lever.
You want to keep control of the tone
Your fans think they are talking to "you". If it matters to you that it really is you, an agency is the wrong route — even a good one does not write like you, it writes like your persona.
The tipping point is easy to recognise: when messages sit unanswered at night and on weekends, when you notice fans dropping off because you reply too late, or when you want to grow without being online around the clock — that is when an agency starts to pay off.
How to spot a good agency
Not by the branding. The slickest website tells you nothing about what happens with your fans. These four things do.
They can show you numbers
An agency that knows what it is doing can tell you what it has achieved with comparable creators — verifiable, not as a promise. Anyone speaking only in superlatives either has no numbers or no good ones. Ask specifically.
They work with a system, not group chats
Ask how your fan information is stored and how the handover between shifts works. If the answer is "we have a Telegram group for that", it means your fan gets someone in the morning who knows them and someone in the evening who starts from zero. Fans notice, and it costs you money.
They are transparent before you ask
Split, deliverables, term, termination: a serious agency puts that on the table unprompted. Vague terms are not negotiating room, they are a pattern.
They also tell you what they don't do
Anyone answering "yes of course, we do that" to every question is telling you nothing about their actual work. Clear boundaries are a mark of quality.
If you want to know how the other side looks at you: Finding Creators for Your Maloum Agency covers how agencies pick their creators. Knowing that makes you considerably more confident in the conversation.
Six questions for the first call
Write them down. The answers tell you more than any pitch.
1. What is the split and what exactly does it include?
Both belong together. A low share for little service is worse than a higher one where the chat genuinely runs well.
2. Who specifically writes with my fans?
A fixed team or rotating freelancers? How are they trained? You are handing your community to strangers, you are entitled to know which ones.
3. Where does my fan data live and can I get at it?
This is the question that reveals most about professionalism. And it decides whether you walk away empty-handed if you ever split up.
4. Which numbers do I get to see, and how often?
You should be able to follow what happens in your name and what it brings in. An agency that cannot or will not show you either has no system or something to hide.
5. How long am I tied in and how do I get out?
Short notice periods are a good sign: anyone doing good work does not need to hold on to you.
6. What happens to my content and my accounts?
Usage rights, access, passwords: settle that in writing before anyone gets access, not afterwards.
Whatever is agreed verbally does not exist in a dispute. Get the split, deliverables, term, data access and content rights in writing. To actually review a contract, get legal advice — this article does not replace it.
Red flags that should end the conversation
These four are not a matter of taste. If one of them shows up, the conversation is over.
Money upfront
Joining fee, starter package, charges for courses or equipment: an agency earns from your success, not from you. Anyone collecting first has their business model with creators, not with fans.
Specific revenue promises
Nobody can credibly guarantee you a number, too much depends on content, audience and timing. Anyone who does it anyway is selling you something right now.
Time pressure
"The spot is only free this week." An offer that only works under pressure does not work. Take the time you need and talk to more than one agency.
No clarity about your own numbers
If nobody can or will tell you what happens in your account and what it earns, you are working blind. Regardless of anyone's good intentions, that is not an acceptable situation.
Looking for an agency that fits you?
Enquiries from creators come in to us all the time. We do not manage creators ourselves, we build the software agencies work with — which means we know a lot of them. Message me on Telegram and I will point you to an agency with free capacity.
Frequently asked questions
Do I even need an agency as a creator?
Not necessarily. If you have few chats, enjoy writing them yourself and find the time, you earn more alone because no share is taken. An agency pays off once the chat eats more time than you have, once messages sit unanswered at night and on weekends, or once you want to grow without being online around the clock.
What does a Maloum agency actually do?
Usually it takes over the chat with your fans through a team of chatters, handles the sending and timing of PPVs, brings in new traffic and evaluates what works. Content production almost always stays with you. What exactly is included varies a lot, which is why it belongs in writing.
What does an agency cost me?
Serious agencies work on a revenue share: they take a cut of the revenue they help produce. Upfront payments, joining fees or charges for equipment and courses are not standard in this industry and are a clear warning sign. If the agency only earns when you earn, the incentives line up.
How do I spot a dubious agency?
By four things: it wants money upfront, it promises you specific revenue figures, it stays vague about the split or the deliverables, or it puts you under time pressure. Add to that long contract terms without a fair exit and any refusal to give you access to your own numbers.
How do I find a suitable Maloum agency?
Through referrals from other creators, through the agency's own visibility, or through a referral service. Enquiries from creators come in to UserFlow all the time. We do not manage creators ourselves, we build the software agencies work with and therefore know many of them. If you are looking for an agency you can reach out on Telegram at @user_flowde.
