Influencers Vs. Content Creators | What is the difference?

Influencer and Content Creator are often used interchangeably, however, they do have distinct differences and similarities. These distinctions dictate the way they show up in the creator economy and social media landscape. Their strategies and goals will differ depending on their angle.

If you want to be a successful influencer, content creator, or both know the differences so you can play to your strengths.

The difference between a Content Creator and an Influencer is Content Creators create content and Influencers influence their communities. A Content Creator’s primary focus is their craft while Influencers prioritize building and nurturing their communities so that they can influence purchasing decisions. The way you create, spend your time, and pitch will depend on if you are an Influencer and/or Content Creator so let’s dive into it.

What is an Influencer?

According to Influencer Marketing Hub, An influencer is someone who has “the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience.“

Chances are you’ve influenced your friends and family on restaurants, clothes, and products. If so, you are an influencer – to some degree.

An Influencer’s purchasing power can be accredited to their ability to develop and nurture relationships on various social media platforms.

They are relatable to their audience and they’re often considered social media personalities. An Influencer’s community is invested in their lives, which often results in influenced attitudes and behaviors towards products and services.

Brands work with Influencers on Influencer Marketing Initiatives. They usually track clicks, traffic, and sales when working with Influencers on brand campaigns.

From a number perspective influencer categories are below:

Mega Influencer: 1 million+ followers on their social media channels.
Macro Influencer: 100,000 and 1 million followers.
Micro Influencer: 10,000 and 100,000 followers
Nano Influencer: 1,000-10,000 followers

Examples:

https://www.instagram.com/donnyanegerablog/

https://www.instagram.com/corinthsuarez/

https://www.instagram.com/choosingchelsea/

What is a Content Creator?

Content Creators, simply put create content. Their goal isn’t necessarily to influence purchasing decisions on their accounts but to create content for brands to use on their various platforms.

Brands work with content creators because they’re intrigued by their work, not their following.

Content creators can be influential; they know what kind of content their audience loves and the mediums in which they like to consume content. The point is, their main objective is to create high-quality content that converts.

Content Creators are graphic artists, writers, photographers, videographers. Their work tells a story, solves a problem, and entertains through written, audio, and visual formats.

They work closely with marketing teams to create collateral that is in alignment with the brand’s marketing goals and needs. Often they strategize and there’s back and forth as they work in tandem to create short & long-form content.

From a brand perspective, they utilize creators in their content marketing initiatives.

Examples:

https://www.instagram.com/karenxcheng/

https://www.instagram.com/sociallysage/

https://www.instagram.com/malyssaugc/

How to work with brands as an Influencer and/or Content Creator

As an Influencer or a content creator, the way you work with brands will differ. I’ve broken it down for you below:

If you are pitching as an influencer – your bread and butter is your community and your ability to influence and monetize your community. When you pitch a campaign idea to a brand you’ll highlight the strengths of your community. You may even include screenshots proving how engaged your community is.

If you are pitching as a content creator – your sweet spot is your high-quality content. Your campaign pitch will highlight your creative expertise. When pitching, you may include a portfolio of flexing your unique ability to create fast-paced cuts that leave viewers wanting more.

Let’s put this into practice:

A beauty brand is getting ready for its fall launch. They hire content creators to write about their products and create compelling videos for the brand to use in ads and on their website. Next, they hire an influencer to promote their product. The beauty brand gives the influencer a discount code to share with their audience to drive traffic and sales. The marketing team may also hire a Content Creator and Influencer hybrid to take their content to the next level and build awareness of their new product.

Protip: if you are an influencer & you’re looking to add another revenue stream, upsell brands with a content creation package. This would be content that they can use on their platforms that you do not have to post on your social media accounts. The brand wins because they get even more content that they can use and you win because this could lead to a longer-term and more sustainable revenue stream/partnership. It’s a win-win.

Should You be an Influencer or Content Creator

This depends on your strengths.

Do you already have a loyal community & is your engagement rate high? If so, influencing may be a perfect fit. Are you an amazing writer or videographer? If so becoming a Content Creator may be the best avenue.

I’ve chosen to pursue both Influencing & Content Creation for a couple of reasons

1. I love sharing with my community (you <3) the products and services that I’m currently into & often y’all are v receptive. On the other hand, the way my anxiety is set up, I cannot guarantee that I’ll be consistent on social media platforms and unfortunately consistency is v important as an influencer.
2. From a Content Creator standpoint – I’m obsessed with everything about it. Conceptualizing short and long-form content, utilizing trends to my advantage, and incorporating my love for aesthetics are my bread and butter. My work is A-1 steak sauce and I love not being beholden to the algorithms at bay.

Personally, I love the sweet spot between being an Influencer and a Content Creator. Both roles are in alignment with where I currently am and where I want to be.

If you are still not sure what’s best for you, try both, and see which avenue is the most fruitful.

Tools for Content Creators and/or Influencers

The Content Creator and Influencer Tech stack also have some similarities and differences. Below I’ve outlined tech tools based on your title.

Content Creator Tools

• Semrush for Keyword Research
• Grammarly to proofread long-form content copy
• VidIQ/Tube Buddy for YouTube SEO & Analytics
• Headline Analyzer to help you write better headlines improve content
• Patreon as a paid membership platform to sell your content.

Influencer Tools

• InfluenceKit to track campaign stats
• Creative Market: for social media templates and graphics
• AspireIQ Influencer Marketing platform to connect with brands.
• CapCut to create short form videos
• LikeToKnowIt for your community to shop your looks

Final Thoughts

To re-cap, Influencers and Content Creators are different.

Influencers influence their communities purchasing decisions and behaviors while content creators create high-quality content for brands to utilize on their platforms.

You can be one or the other or you could be both. The key is to know the differences between the two and to leverage your strengths. Are you looking for your next collaboration? Check out this Collaboration Platforms list to book your next campaign.

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