- Content creator vs influencer: what is the difference, and how do they overlap
- Published 03/11/2023
- 10 min Read
- Written by Julia Shandrokha
Table of contents
Influencer marketing involves partnering with influencers or digital content creators to promote a brand. However, it’s essential to understand that influencers and content creators are not synonymous. Despite their similarities, they have distinct roles. The choice between collaborating with an influencer, a digital creator, or both depends on the specific needs and objectives of your business. It’s crucial to discern the differences to make informed collaboration decisions.
In general, a content creator is primarily recognized for the quality and type of content they produce, while an influencer is known for their personal brand and the impact they have on their audience.
In this article experts from Famesters, a full-cycle influencer marketing agency, will delve into the real difference and similarities between creators and influencers, and explore how brands can effectively collaborate with both types to maximize outreach and impact. We know how to select the right influencers and creators for your campaigns and also provide fraud protection to make sure your brand collaborates only with reliable contractors.
WHAT IS A CONTENT CREATOR?
A content creator is someone who produces content for digital platforms like social media, blogs, and websites. Their main goal is to create engaging and high-quality content tailored to their audience’s interests, such as tutorials, photography, or “day in the life” videos. They specialize in specific niches and share their passions and expertise through various mediums such as writing, videos, and music. While their content might attract followers, their primary motivation is personal inspiration and storytelling. These creators prioritize their creativity and view themselves as artists. Their content reflects their unique brand. Due to their dedication to producing top-tier content, they often attract deeply engaged audiences, regardless of size. But even without followers, their intrinsic drive to create remains undiminished.
Types of content creators
Content creation involves crafting original material, ranging from text and images to videos and audio, to engage an audience. This content serves multiple purposes, such as education, entertainment, or promotion. The most common types of content creators are as follows:
- Bloggers: writers who focus on specific topics or niches.
- Vloggers: these creators produce videos, often concentrating on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
- Podcasters: individuals or groups that produce and distribute audio content.
- Graphic designers & illustrators: create visual content through design and artwork.
- Photographers & videographers: produce visual content through capturing moments or creating video narratives.
- Musicians & bands: offer audio content in the form of music.
- Game streamers: produce video content that captures their gaming experiences.
- Chefs: craft and share content around recipes or cooking demonstrations.
- Brands & organizations: many businesses, institutions, and media entities create content as part of their marketing or branding strategies.
In essence, content creators can be individuals or entities, and they use various mediums to communicate and engage with their audience. A good example of a content creator is Tara Stiles who is a well-known yoga content creator on YouTube with about 325,000 subscribers under the handle @TaraStilesYoga. Her valuable content is organized into various playlists catering to different session goals, and while it’s aesthetically pleasing, it remains informative and valuable.
Another example is Coach Rac who has dedicated his life to baseball. After finishing his own playing career, he transitioned to TikTok to offer coaching advice. Since 2020, he’s provided a wealth of information to young players, covering everything from mental strategies to daily drills. His content serves as an essential guide for young players aspiring to enhance both the physical and mental aspects of their baseball skills. Regardless of his follower count, his passion ensures he’ll keep producing baseball content. A glance at his TikTok reveals mostly unsponsored, organic posts, though occasionally he’ll recommend specific programs or gear.
WHAT IS AN INFLUENCER?
An influencer is a person who has built a reputation in a specific niche online and primarily grows their brand by sharing their life on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These individuals often showcase their lifestyles and promote products that match their personal brand, with some amassing thousands or millions of followers.The core of influencer content is inspiration. They aim to motivate their followers using relatable snippets of life, often featuring products or services. Influencers have a significant impact on their audience’s purchasing decisions, with 82% of people trusting social networks, including influencers, more than branded content. Brands recognize the trust influencers have with their audience, and seek collaborations, allowing them to introduce products seamlessly to these dedicated followers.
Thus, influencers are very capable of swaying their followers’ choices based on their own preferences and lifestyles. Examples include fitness enthusiasts promoting specific protein shakes, beauty experts sharing affiliate links for products they use, and fashion gurus tagging brands in their daily outfit posts. Essentially, influencers showcase their lifestyles and indirectly promote products and services they personally use.
Let’s take Molly-Mae, for instance. She is a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle influencer on Instagram with over 6.8 million followers under the handle @mollymae. She posts visually appealing content highlighting her outfits and products, aiming to inspire her audience to buy similar items. While her posts receive active engagement, the discussions are not very topical.
Types of influencers
- Macro-influencers: with followers often in the millions, they boast a wide reach and are prevalent in mainstream categories like fashion, beauty, travel, lifestyle, and fitness.
Read more on the topic:
- Micro-influencers: possessing a following in the thousands or tens of thousands, they cater to niche audiences, usually focusing on specialized hobbies or interests.
Read more on the topic:
- Nano-influencers: these influencers have less than 10,000 followers but maintain a highly engaged, niche-specific audience. They’re typically seen as experts in their domains.
Read more on the topic:
- Mega-influencers and celebrities: renowned personalities often from the entertainment industry, such as actors, musicians, or athletes, with a massive and diverse follower base.
Read more on the topic:
In essence, creators create and share content, while influencers inspire through their content.
Creators primarily produce content for its own sake and the joy of sharing online, while influencers create content to amplify their personal brand on social media. While one is driven by creativity, the other is motivated by building a personal brand.
It means that the real difference between creators and influencers is in their primary intentions: influencers aim to enhance their personal brand, showcasing their lifestyle and persuading followers to buy specific products or services. In contrast, content creators focus on producing engaging and informative content for their audience, emphasizing the information rather than their personal brand.
| Content Creator | Influencer |
| The primary focus is to create content | The primary focus of the influencer marketing industry is to maintain popularity status by growing an audience, promoting products, and influencing followers |
| Most of their content is original content from the creative minds of the person behind the account | Most of their content consists of sponsored posts and brand partnerships |
| Being a thought leader, sharing knowledge, and providing value are the driving forces | Being popular, adhering to trends, and showing off their products from popular brands are the driving forces |
Source: Niche Pursuits
CONTENT CREATOR VS. INFLUENCER: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF BRAND COLLABORATIONS?
Brands can leverage both content creators and influencers to achieve different objectives. When it comes to brand collaborations, businesses typically engage with content creators to produce content for marketing purposes, whereas they collaborate with influencers to leverage their audience for product awareness and driving sales.
Essentially, the decision to work with content creators or influencers is not mutually exclusive, as both can offer unique benefits to help achieve the brand’s goals.
Benefits of working with content creators
Partnering with content creators is ideal for producing valuable content such as videos, podcast episodes, blog posts, or high-quality product photos that can be shared on the brand’s website, blog, and social media platforms.
Emphasis on quality
Creators prioritize content quality over quantity. They dedicate time to ensure content aligns with their creative vision, resulting in well-thought-out, high-level output due to their expertise.
Niche brand legitimization
Creators are deeply embedded in their niches, earning respect from peers and experts. Collaborating with them allows brands to benefit from this credibility. Moreover, creators often possess knowledge in creative strategy and marketing specific to their niche, enhancing campaign value.
Loyal audience engagement
Creators have cultivated trust with their audience, making their endorsements influential. Collaborations can lead to higher conversions because recommendations from creators are akin to trusted friend suggestions. However, creators are selective about partnerships, ensuring only genuine, aligned brand recommendations, which further boosts audience trust and interest.
Read more on the topic:
Summing it all up, if your brand and products require top-notch content, additional beyond what your team produces, you should consider hiring a digital creator to leverage a creator’s distinct style for your branding. Besides, content creators often become very influential in their niche, thus bringing more value to partnerships with brands.
Benefits of collaborating with influencers
Enhanced brand awareness
Influencers can significantly extend a brand’s reach. Their endorsements circulate content across various platforms, garnering attention from their vast follower base. This widespread sharing, combined with influencers’ credibility, amplifies brand visibility.
Broader audience access
Influencers have diverse followers spanning different demographics, regions, and interests. Collaborating with them provides brands with access to a broader spectrum of potential customers beyond their niche, enabling outreach to varied audiences.
Advancing marketing goals
Influencers play a pivotal role in both short-term and long-term marketing strategies. Immediately, they offer a more authentic and engaging content approach, transforming casual viewers into loyal followers. Over time, as influencers evolve into brand ambassadors, a synergistic relationship forms: as the influencer’s popularity grows, so does the brand’s, creating a mutually beneficial digital community driving growth for both.
Wrapping it up, working with an influencer is ideal when you aim to boost brand visibility and credibility, or tap into new audiences, seeking to connect with consumers.
OVERLAP BETWEEN CONTENT CREATORS AND INFLUENCERS
Hopefully, we’ve made it clear what is the difference between a creator and an influencer. Now it’s time to add that the distinction isn’t absolute. While content creators and influencers have unique characteristics, they can overlap. Many individuals embody elements of both roles, with some leaning more towards one side. Not all influencers solely promote their brand – they can also focus on creative storytelling. Similarly, creators might produce content with promotional elements. Essentially, there’s a spectrum where creators and influencers often intersect.
For instance, Cassey Ho of Blogilates began as a content creator, sharing pilates videos and recipes. Over time, she has gained a significant following, leading her to promote brands and establish her own brand, showcasing how one can be both a content creator and an influencer simultaneously.
Considering both creators and influencers for marketing
Why both? Depending on campaign goals, brands might opt for creators or influencers, but the most potent strategy often involves harnessing the strengths of both.
Influencers are akin to generalists in their niches.They cover a wide range of subtopics within their niche, giving them a broad perspective.They might not delve deep into every detail but have a comprehensive overview. With their vast audiences, they can reach a variety of potential customers and have experience in brand partnerships. That makes influencers ideal for widespread brand promotion.
At the same time, creators are specialists, deeply invested in honing a specific craft. Their dedication results in compelling content that can have lasting impacts for brands.Their expertise and the affection their audience has for their content make collaborations extremely valuable. Partnerships with creators yield content with longevity, serving brands for extended durations.
In essence, combining the broad reach of influencers with the depth and expertise of creators can produce a dynamic marketing strategy that resonates in a most powerful way. Here at Famesters you will meet a team of dedicated experts who know very well how to find the most relevant content creators and influencers, and conduct a successful A to Z influencer marketing campaign for your brand.
EVOLUTION AND PERSPECTIVES OF INFLUENCER MARKETING
Previously, influencer marketing focused mainly on individuals with large followings endorsing products. Today, the emphasis has shifted to ‘creators’—people who craft content, stories, and genuine product endorsements, offering a more authentic touch than traditional marketing. Brands succeed when they form long-lasting collaborations with influencers whose values and missions align with theirs. These influencers are more than just endorsers; they are capable content creators and storytellers who amplify the brand’s narrative in a way that resonates with consumers.
To manage these diverse partnerships effectively, brands need to invest in the right tools. These tools facilitate the tracking, communication, and management of partnerships. This is exactly what you can find at our full-cycle influencer marketing agency.
Remember, that today’s consumers are savvy. They can easily differentiate between genuine endorsements and paid promotions.Therefore, the relationship between a brand and creators or influencers should be based on trust and mutual benefit. Brands must see them as allies, not just another marketing expense. The more authentic and genuine the relationship, the more believable and effective the content will be. Otherwise, you risk losing your audience’s trust.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
When elaborating your marketing strategy, you can opt for influencers, content creators, or both, each offering distinct outcomes. Choosing between digital content creators and influencers depends on your marketing goals. For audience expansion, influencers might be ideal. Collaborating with them gives you content that showcases your product. On the other hand, digital creators are excellent for creating marketing materials. Partnering with content creators provides specialized content like blogs, videos, or podcasts about your brand. Before collaboration, define your campaign goals to determine the right fit.
At the same time, there’s significant overlap between content creators and influencers, with many playing dual roles. Both offer unique benefits, and brands don’t necessarily have to choose between them. It’s possible to find influential content creators who produce quality content and have a loyal, trusting audience. However, finding such professionals can be challenging. The Famesters influencer marketing agency is ready to connect your brand with credible influencers who deliver both high-quality content and effective promotions to their audience.
Contact us via email [email protected] if you want to launch an effective influencer marketing campaign on the most popular social media platforms. Here at Famesters we are ready to do all the work for you: from researching the market and assessing your competitors, to finding and connecting with the right influencers in your niche, and not forgetting about thorough reporting and evaluating the results. We manage every stage of your advertising campaign, controlling timing and compliance, and monitoring the ongoing results in real time. You will get detailed performance reports and analytics. Don’t hesitate to leverage the Famesters experts’ experience in favor of your brand promotion!
TAGS :
