We all know them. We follow their daily lives, engage with their posts – and sometimes even buy products they promote. But have you ever thought about who is an influencer and who is a content-creator? Do you even know the difference and why it matters? This article will give you a short summary of the key features of both concepts and why it is important to be able to differentiate between the two.

INFLUENCERS

Influencers are popular people on social media or other platforms, who share content with their community to support brands and their goods. They advertise products via postst, photos, videos or other forms of media. Their focus lies on the engagement with and establishment of a community. Due to the close interaction with their followers, they develop a certain influence when it comes to the purchase decisions of their community. Brands are interested in them because they often represent a certain target group or  niche-group the brands normally would not have access to. Their importance lies in the effect they have on their followers and the ability of companies to monetize that effect.

Influencers not only promote products and brands on their profiles, but also let their community participate in their lives. They offer their followers a behind-the-scenes look, taking them along when they go to the gym, cook their dinner or go on vacation. “Authentic” content, or the illusion of it,is necessary for influencers to build a community and to generate brand awareness.

WHAT SKILLS DO THEY NEED?

• photo editing
• video editing
• social media management
• audience management
• live streaming
• promotion
• knowledge about advertising
• niche expertise in a particular industry

CONTENT-CREATOR

Like influencers, content-creators create all kinds of posts, videos, photos etc. However, rather than focusing on gaining followers or establishing a community, they focus on the content. Content-creators can be photographers, movie makers, writers, and artists who produce content on Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms. A creator focuses on a certain topic and uses methods like storytelling to share content via video, picture, text, or audio. Brands like to work with creators because their content is often of high-quality, creative, and original. Unlike influencers, content-creators focus on one certain product or strategy they excel at.

WHAT SKILLS DO THEY NEED?

• above-average writing proficiency
• SEO
• digital marketing
• storytelling
• handling content management systems
• content research
• keyword research
• audience research
• broad knowledge of a particular industry

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Influencers and content-creators are two different jobs, although they seem quite similar. And while they do share some overlaps, they differ in the intention of the creators. While influencers try to persuade and influence their community to buy a certain product in support of a certain brand, content-creators focus on the content and not the range or attention of followers. Influencers produce content, but their expertise lies in generating attention and clicks on social media postings. Content-creators focus on the high-quality production and knowledge of their content, which brands then purchase to gain customers.

Furthermore, while influencers are paid for their size of community and range, content-creators are paid for their actual work in creating content. Additionally, the influencer as a person is important for advertising the product, while the product that a creator advertises is foregrounded. Creators therefore are not necessarily people with a big following or audience.

Influencer	Content-Creator
popular person on social media	(popular) person on social media
connection with community	no big community needed
wide range used for product/brand promotion	authentic and creative content used for product/brand promotion
“influenced” = the community	“entertained and educated” = the community
“influencer” = showcaster	“creator” = performer

DIFFERENCE IN TERMS

The term content-creator is preferred in contrast to the term influencer in the social media world, as the term influencer has negative connotations. Influencers influence their audience to generate attention and clicks. In contrast to content-creators, their content differs in quality and expertise. This difference suggests that influencers are incapable of producing high-quality content. However, there are influencers that do produce high-quality content; consequently, they can be called content-creators as well.

Did you know that many members of Gen Z identify as creators, and therefore see content-creators as role models?

CREATOR ECONOMY

Apart from the obvious overlaps mentioned, there is one common thing both influencers and content-creators like to do: starting their own brand. Influencers can already draw on their community and range to sell a certain product, like merchandise. Content-creators can benefit from their skills as photographers, movie makers, or artists. The concept of influencers/creators launching a brand is called creator economy.

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SOURCES:

• Influencer vs. Content Creator – Was ist der Unterschied? | Betaphase Café
• Influencer:innen vs. Content Creator: Wo ist eigentlich der Unterschied? | segmenta futurista
• Content Creator vs. Influencer: Das ist der Unterschied | Business Insider
• Content Creators vs Influencers – Similarities and Differences | Trend
• Digital creators vs. influencers: Which performs better for your brand? | Curastory
• Content Creators Vs. Influencers | Dash Hudson
• Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Content-Creator und einem Influencer? | Neil Patel