If you’ve found this blog post then the title is probably something you’ve asked yourself. Maybe you’ve even considered which title, content creator or influencer, might be right for you?

So today I’ll help you gain a little more insight into this billion dollar industry so you can know once and for all, the difference between a content creator and an influencer.

P.S. if you’d like to see/hear the video version of the blog post just scroll to the bottom.

But first, let’s make sure we understand some context.

Before the advent of the internet, and even more-so social media, our influential people were we people saw on tv and in magazines. They were celebrities, politicians, singers, actors, musicians, etc. They were people with more “obvious” talents or skills, which were showcased in highly produced and staged environments. They were people we knew very little about personally, but grew to love for some reason or another – usually their talent + the mystic of folks in high places.

But thanks to the internet, and platforms Youtube, Instagram, and now Tik Tok, the on-goings of regular people’s everyday lives have become enough to turn your average Joe/Joanne into one of the most influential people on the planet overnight.

When I first heard the term “influencer”, some time around 2012, I had some pretty strong assumptions about who could be an influencer and what it is that they actually do. As it turns out I was not only wrong, but also pretty narrow-minded about this whole influencer thing. And being a content creator, well, that’s something I hadn’t even heard of until I set out to become one myself.

So what’s the big deal about being an influencer?

The influencer industry is a BOOMING business, growing by the millions each year.

And early on, many influencers were simply just marketing tools. They were people who were going to collaborate with big name brands to sell you products.

As the idea of being an influencer grew more popular, we started to see different types of influencers gain traction, but two distinct types of influencers stood out:

• The “Instagram baddie/model”
  • Content is usually centered around their looks and sex appeal
• The “picturesque” influencer
  • Content is usually centered around their lifestyle and keeping it all together with minimal effort + the products they endorse

Both of these categories come with their own pros and cons – some for good reason, some because people are just haters. But as we saw in 2020 during the height of the Black Lives Matter Movement, these types of influencers weren’t going to cut it anymore. Influencers were being called out for not using their platforms. Folks were also called out for making disingenuous apologies or statements.

People wanted to follow influencers and creators they felt they could genuinely connect to; people who cared about the same issue that their followers do.

This tension has led a lot of people who showcase their work online to shift how they identify; with many more people preferring to be known as a “content creator” or even more simply, just a “creative”.

But what exactly is a content creator?

The difference between content creators and influencers

According to one of the top influencers in the web and entrepreneur Neil Patel,

In a nutshell, content creator is a broad term describing someone who produces some form of content, including but not limited to blog posts, videos, photography, and reels.

Influencers can also create such content, but they’re better known for their connection to their audience (i.e. the “influence” they have on their followers.”

Neil Patel

Final Thoughts + The Video

As we learned today, influencers fit under the content creator “umbrella”. And many people are starting to use them interchangeable, especially as more creatives are taking the plunge and stepping in front of the camera.

So, is there a difference between content creators and influencers?

Sort of.

Do these titles really even matter?

Not really.

But in my opinion, what matters most is how you use your platform to inspire, entertain, and serve others.

If you want to learn more about how to get started as a content creator, you should definitely check out this blog post.

Video Version of “What’s the difference between a content creator and an influencer?”

xoxo,

Taryn Allyssa