An influencer vs. content creator–we usually see or hear these words when we are online, or you probably came across a TikTok content creator on TikTok trends. Have you ever wondered what these words mean to consumers or marketers? Are they the same? How do their roles vary from each other? To some, it can be confusing, right?
With much online content, one may wonder what sets them apart as the two sound alike. One thing is shared between them, they both have thousands or even millions of followers, and they have the potential to help your business thrive because a brand cannot exist without having content.
It is considered that not all people understand the differences. Content creators and influencers are two completely different things.
This article will tell you what you want to know about influencers and content creators. You need to know about these people as they help you maximize the impact of your upcoming marketing strategies.
Why Shouldn’t We Confuse an Influencer from a Content Creator?
Knowing their differences can help promote your brand because you can decide what you will get. Sometimes these roles can overlap, and there are instances where you can find an influencer that is a content creator too.
Let’s first assess their differences.
1. By Definition
A. The Influencer
If someone has millions of followers on social media, do you think they are an influencer? Well, that’s not always the case.
An influencer is a person who has some influence over their followers. It’s the makeup artist who proudly advertises her new lipstick or a tech guru who flaunts his new gaming laptop.
Influencers have an impact. Influencers persuade people to support a business, purchase a specific item, or take other actions. Influencers are powerful due to their reputation and popularity.
In marketing, influencers can affect other people’s purchase choices due to their established relationship with the target market. Usually, influencers have a dedicated audience, depending on their niche.
B. The Content Creator
On the other hand, a digital creator is someone who produces material for social media like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Content creators view their work as their job. Their responsibility is to create content, not to exert influence.
Content creators are renowned for producing stunning, expert-caliber content that stands out from others.
This may include the writers, illustrators, graphic artists, photographers, and videographers you might come across as examples of content creators on different social platforms.
These people are great at creating unique content and not necessarily attracting followers, but the stakes are high for content creators who want to stand out online, given that there are many content creators.
Content creators also grow their number of followers to stay competitive, but that doesn’t count for marketing purposes. The primary job of a content creator is to be creative, and you should be invested in their work rather than popularity.
2. By What They Do
Now that you know the definition of an influencer vs. content creator, let us dig deeper into their jobs and responsibilities.
A. The Influencer
Influencers function in many ways. Their main objective is to “influence” the audience. They make an effort to cultivate enduring bonds with their supporters. They work hard to ensure a solid online presence and boost their postings’ engagement.
Influencers also take company sponsorship to promote their products, services, or even ways of life. Influencers post reviews, product photographs, videos, or paid advertising on their social media profiles in exchange for cash or free benefits.
These sponsored posts account for a significant portion of the income earned by many influencers, but not all of them are wealthy enough to live off of sponsorships. Some people do it as a side business, while some do it to get notoriety and social prestige.
To help ease their work, here are the specific tools influencers use:
- Social Media sites to post their content and to grow audience reach
- Canva to create graphic designs and illustrations or even edit reels
- Remove bg of images to erase the background of photographs and create powerful visuals
- Influence. co to collaborate and search for sponsoring brands
Image from Pexels
B. The Content Creator
A content creator makes strategic content development plans. This can vary from keyword research, audience targeting, social media management, scheduling of online publications, and other digital marketing initiatives.
Content creators do not just work alone; they partner with different people like business owners, brand managers, agencies, and other clients to ensure they collaborate on creating SMART outputs that reach their goals and objectives.
Most content creators have excellent skills in content marketing. They are storytellers, online marketers, and content managers and usually have expertise in a particular field they are good at.
Here are the specific tools content creators use for their projects:
- WordPress to edit, create, and publish content for publishing.
- Grammarly to detect errors and further improve writing
- SEO tools like Ahrefs to know the latest keyword and search trends
- AnswerThePublic to find blog and topic ideas
Image from Pexels
3. Their Skills
As creatives, both of them seem to overlap. Various skills connect influencer vs. content creator. Both of them are tech-savvy and have the ability in audience management.
A. Influencers
Most influencers are great communicators. In this digital world, live videos are popular with audiences as they offer live interaction between the influencer and the audience. When an influencer knows how to connect and interact with their audience, they become more influenced and engaged, which is why public speaking skills are needed by most influencers when they are in life.
Influencers are also skilled at utilizing social media platforms. These platforms are considered the lifeblood of their profession. Influencers need to tailor their content based on the content platform. Some influencers are quickly choosing one medium or two depending on their familiarity.
B. Content Creator
Content creators are great at planning to stay organized and beat deadlines. It is a crucial ability for most content creators. Time management is also needed for this kind of job, with a lot of content to create for various websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and website blogs.
Any type of content must start with research. Content creators have the research skills necessary to sift to research on the internet and back up their work as content creators. Research skills are also handy when determining what kind of content is appropriate for a social media network.
Another skill of a content creator is SEO. One of the best ways to increase natural traffic into content is through SEO. Search results will be on top by optimizing your content, and content creators don’t need to spend much time promoting it.
Behavioral psychology is the secret to understanding why particular people are drawn to specific sorts of posts. It explains why some posts are shared while others are not. It enables influencers to connect with their audiences in the most efficient ways. Understanding psychology helps in the success of an influencer.
Image from Unsplash
4. Their Volume of Followers
Another difference between influencers vs. content creators is their number of followers.
A. Influencers
There are no criteria or a fixed number of followers for a person to be considered an influencer. No number is needed to achieve influencer status. The figure can differ significantly depending on the category, and here is a rough estimate according to Izea.com per category:
- Nano-influencers have 1,000–10,000 followers. Nano-influencers are social media users and not professional influencers. They usually have less reach and post content-specific content.
- With between 50,000 and 500,000 followers, mid-tier influencers are a known subset of influencers. These influencers typically maintain high levels of engagement with their followers and have a lot of experience developing relationships with them through their content.
- Mega-influencers have more than 1 million followers, which is the largest. Although they frequently have less interaction and influence over their audience than other kinds of influencers, they often are celebrities with well-known names and tremendous reach.
B. Content Creator
Digital content producers do not necessarily need to have a following, but if they also serve as influencers, they should. A content creator who has a following of fewer than 1,000 people is referred to as a “nano-influencer.” The better, though, is the larger number of followers. But a brand could gain more from micro-influencers. Today, micro-influencers have been at the top of the wave since they are less expensive for firms to use as paid advertisements while remaining just as effective when used in tandem.
However, in the modern sense, the term “content creator” is often used interchangeably with the term “influencer” if the content producer has a large audience that appreciates and values their work, and that is one factor that contributes to the confusion.
5. Their Salary
Another difference between an influencer vs. a content creator is how much they are earning doing their work
A. Influencer
For an influencer, there are different factors that contribute to their rate of service. Most influencers do not set a specific rate for their pay, but they pattern the pricing decision based on what the company has to offer.
The following factors impact their rate:
Social Media Platform
Since each social media platform has a distinct audience and various creator tools, they all have distinctive user bases. Some influencers charge the same for the same post across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Field of Specialization
Finding an influencer specializing in their work sector is essential. Would you believe a beauty influencer who suddenly began discussing investment products if they have no expertise in it? Influencers have a niche and must know who to tap based on their capability.
Type of content
The price will also depend on the content you’re asking the influencer to produce. This is because influencers must invest time, effort, and resources into creating the content, and various forms of content call for multiple requirements. Will it be a video? A podcast?
B. Content Creator
A content creator’s salary varies depending on the content they produce. In an article published by Climb the ladder, a content creator in the US may expect to make between $40,000 and $80,231, with an average income of $52,591.
Several ways impact how content creators make money:
Type of Content
is more likely to cost depending on the content type. This is partly because preparation of the material, like artwork, is frequently more involved, time-consuming, and necessitates a deeper comprehension of buyer or customer personas.
Skills and Experience
As they gain expertise, freelance content creators raise their prices as many other professions do for the services of seasoned creatives instead of rookies who are just starting and building their portfolios.
Expertise in the field
Most marketers look for creators who are practitioners or industry experts. Creatives with strong industry credentials and significant subject matter experience in specific disciplines, like a design manager or senior business writer, typically charge higher rates.
Image from Pexels
Why does your company need an influencer or a content creator?
Now that you know the differences between an influencer and a content creator in this dominated social media landscape, you may understand why businesses hire them for their marketing strategies. These brands reach out and connect to their audiences by publishing content made by their creatives and influencers. An infographic or an Instagram reel can increase sales for your brand.
There is a significant need for content among brands. Visitors land on your web page via content. Your company must strategize your content based on your market needs. As a business owner, you should know better your current state. The goal is to become aware of your business practices. Audiences are drawn to authenticity and high-quality content. To succeed in the global content marketing game, place greater emphasis on optimized, personalized content. One thing is for sure, influencers and content creators generate a return of investment.
