Since the early days, there have been many names given to those stand-out users on social media, many of which seem to match the platform: Viners, Musers, Pinfluencers, YouTubers, and so on.
A broader term emerged in 2011 that seemed to stick and encompass them all: creators.
Then as Instagram and every Instagram influencer agency began picking up momentum in 2014 and it democratized content, a new word started to take hold: influencers.
Generating and distributing content was fast and easy. We started seeing the emergence of a new wave of social stars, tastemakers, thought leaders, and enthusiasts that amassed big followings on the platform.
But, are all influencers content creators?
No. The difference between the two is that content creators possess the skills to craft high-quality digital media content.
Content Creator vs Influencer: Key Differences
Though both content creators and influencers leverage digital content to engage others and nurture online communities, they serve distinct purposes. The primary difference between the two lies in their goals:
- Content Creators focus on crafting authentic, high-quality digital media that resonates with people sharing similar interests, values, and lifestyles. Their primary goal is connection and engagement.
- Influencers, while also creating content, focus on building relationships with brands to guide their followers toward informed buying decisions. Influencers prioritize collaborations that help them monetize their audience through brand partnerships.
Despite their differences, both creators and influencers must possess the skills to engage audiences, utilize leading social media platforms effectively, and build trust through authentic content. However, understanding this distinction is crucial when choosing the right partner for your campaign.
Influencer vs Content Creator: Which is Right for Your Campaign?
Working with an influencer agency and working with a content creator will produce very different results. So, how do you find the right partner for your campaign? The answer lies in your campaign goals, the platform where your audience spends the most time on, and your budget.
If your goal is to foster long-term audience engagement or produce visually stunning, shareable media, content creatorsare the better choice. Content creators are skilled at producing quality media like illustrations, videos, and designs that can be repurposed across your brand channels.
On the other hand, influencers are ideal for campaigns that aim to drive purchasing decisions or amplify specific products or services. Influencers have the ability to create trust with their followers, providing validation and recommendations that feel personal.
The Benefits of Working with a Content Creator
- High-Quality Media Production: Content creators are experts in producing engaging digital content such as videos, photos, illustrations, or other creative media that can be leveraged for both organic and paid campaigns.
- Authentic Engagement: Since content creators primarily focus on connecting with people sharing similar values and lifestyles, they are particularly adept at fostering authentic engagement.
- Creative Freedom: Creators often bring a unique creative perspective, which can result in more visually appealing and innovative marketing campaigns that stand out in saturated digital spaces.
The Benefits of Working with an Influencer
- Increased Brand Trust: Influencers often have dedicated followers who trust their opinions and recommendations, which means that their product endorsements carry significant weight in terms of driving sales.
- Amplification Power: Influencers are effective at getting your product or message in front of large audiences quickly, and their content can often go viral due to their established network of followers.
- Targeted Reach: Many influencers have niche audiences that allow brands to reach specific demographics, often with more precision than traditional media.
The Role of Influencers and Content Creators in Your Strategy
It is important to note that many marketers are using influencer marketing as part of their content marketing strategies, as digital creators have become a cost-effective source for content creation at scale.
“The continued rise of specialty content creation- brands having a deeper understanding and appreciation for an influencers skill set as a creator- and strategically tapping into that content creation and creativity for scroll-stopping campaigns (ie. illustrators, designers, videographers, etc.)”
– Deanna Baisden, Creative Strategist
Marketers are always looking to become more efficient with their dollars. Many are opting for programs that include the ability to repurpose content on their brand channels, as well as to identify best performing content to put paid media behind it and reach their desired audience.
Organic reach is on the decline due to an over-saturation of content and changing algorithms. Paid social across any platform such as Facebook influencer marketing can ensure that an influencer campaign reaches the right audience despite the tricky algorithms.
“What paid social offers in powerful targeting and conversion capabilities, it also lacks in trust and validation. Audiences simply don’t want to engage with branded content, and while the use of ad-blockers is on the decline, more than 40% of social media users take advantage of these tools to limit their exposure to ads. Despite the widespread use of ad blockers, the average Facebook user clicks on eight ads per month — evidence of the opportunity in paid social.
The marriage of influencer marketing and paid social is a great way to make the most of this opportunity. Influencers provide the trust and validation to drive sales, while the targeting power of paid social ads helps amplify influencer content, enabling brands to reach the right customers, with the right message, at the right time.” – Eric Dahan, Open Influence CEO (Influencer Marketing Hub)
Leveraging Creators Beyond Social Amplification
Old – Universal Pictures
In this campaign, Universal leveraged content creators to drive pre-release awareness around M. Night Shyamalan’s newest film, “Old.”
Check out this case study to see how artists across the globe inspired and engaged audiences.
Bose
To highlight the QuietComfort Earbuds and as a means to get closer to doing what you love, Bose partnering with passionate content creators to share how the QuietComfort earbuds allow them to tune out the noise and tune into their passion.
The result? Eye-catching and memorable visual storytelling.
Coke
In this campaign, Coke partnered with 6 content creators to create high-quality, repurposable video and photo content to be used in support of Coca Cola “Traditional” and Coca Cola “Coke Zero” products across several seasons.
Each Coke Float influencer created unique content to showcase Summer, Fall & Holiday spins on the traditional “Coke Float” recipe, with the ingredients shifting season to season.
Each Fooding influencer re-created 4 recipes provided by the brand to showcase Fooding “Moments” and Fooding “Meals” enjoyed during the Fall and Winter seasons.
If you’re interested in reaching your audience with celebrities, thought leaders, content creators, or influencers, feel free to contact us. Open Influence is a global influencer agency full of creative thinkers and social media gurus. Drop us an email at social@openinfluence.com or message us on any of our social media channels.
