The distinction between influencers and creators is a topic of ongoing discussion in the creative economy and the advertising industry.
There are now more methods to distinguish between the two sorts of talent as the business develops and captures a larger portion of the marketing pie. One phrase is thought to be a more upscale form of marketing, while the other focuses more widely on producing content for various platforms. As the kinds of information expand across channels, from virtual avatars to artificial intelligence, perhaps additional clarity and updating are also required.
(Performance marketing versus branding creation is another way to look at the difference.)
Let’s take a closer look at particular kinds of influencers and producers, as well as some of their subcategories.
According to Ana Arnet, head of influencer and affiliate at Wpromote, “creators’ and influencers’ output isn’t always interchangeable.”
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According to Arnet, “creators are used by brands because they can create unique, platform-native content that feels more genuine and increases brand awareness.” “In contrast, influencers can provide some of that, but their ability to reach a pre-existing audience makes them perfect for making an instant impact.”
Since many producers now run companies outside of social media content creation, some people also think the word “influencer” is becoming obsolete. Others believe that the definition is based on the way the brand and its creator or influencer engage with their audience. Sometimes it just depends on who you question, but the terms are frequently used interchangeably.
According to Becky Owen, global CMO of influencer agency Billion Dollar Boy, “the landscape has significantly evolved, even though [the term influencer] was once accurate to describe individuals sharing their personal lives and subtly influencing behavior.”
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These digital natives fall into three main types, according to Owen: makers, creators, and influencers. While creators “blend their personal brand with exceptional production skills” frequently on Instagram Reels with various digital content that includes animation or art, influencers use their personalities and content to grow their following on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Makers are a new category that experiments with AR and other 3D designs in their content and employs cutting-edge technology to produce virtual or AI influencers.
One factor to examine is strategy.
The manner that agencies and companies utilize either term also frequently depends on the effort’s content strategy. Influencer marketing is used extensively with clients, but Zac Hunter, public relations manager at integrated agency Vladimir Jones, differentiates it into four levels: nano, micro, macro, and celebrity. Hunter stated, “This tiered approach enables us to create comprehensive influencer strategies that are applicable to campaigns and event activations.”
The agency might, for instance, employ “a community organizer, a celebrity spokesperson, and a musician with 350,000 Instagram followers within a single unified influencer strategy.”
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The global head of social at Monks, Amy Luca, also pointed out a different approach for influencers and creators. While creators tend to concentrate on creative ideas, cooperation, and may be in-house at the organization, influencers, which are more in line with an older model, represent a pay-to-play and transactional endeavor, according to Luca. Depending on the parameters of the one-time or ongoing collaboration, creators may be more costly than influencers in this situation.
“Everyone creates content,” Luca told Digiday, adding that influencers usually publish to their audience while producers don’t always post to their own channels.
Luca also highlighted Monks’ strategy of developing brands on social media rather than only advertising products, which is a shorter-term tactic. According to Luca, “to not get any brand value out of it is a waste” because creating content requires a lot of work.
AI differentiation
The rise of AI avatars and virtual influencers can occasionally make the distinctions even more hazy. Depending on who created it, are they still seen as influences or creators?
According to Nate Harris, vice president of product innovation at creator marketing platform CreatorIQ, “influencer marketing is one of the few digital marketing channels that does not center around a designer or an advertiser, but rather a person.” “As AI influencers appear in the market, this distinction becomes increasingly significant.”
Because AI “is made by the industry [and] must wear the industry term,” Harris maintains that AI influencers cannot be creators. Simply put, AI influencers are not human, and their content may come across as “contrived” if it attempts to pass for human-produced.
Whatever label is used, one thing is certain: the industry has a different perspective on creators and influencers and will keep developing those differences.
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