As we wrote in this blog post, working with people who are happy to advocate or promote your brand provides trust, influence and personality.

If those people have developed a community and a following, they're classed as an influencer.

But you may have heard another term for these people - 'creators'.

How is a creator different from an influencer?

There is some confusion here.

Some may write that they're the same thing - that individuals have started to reject the term influencer, due to it's link with them being 'paid to say' by brands, and calling themselves 'content creators' instead.

But there is indeed a difference - and it all comes down to the planning and delivery of content:

📣 Influencers tend to deliver content 'off the cuff' with no set frequency, often with more emotional or reactive content

📅 Creator content is usually planned out, posted to a more strict schedule with a considered and balanced message

⏱️ Influencers' posts (and stories, and reels, and TikToks, and YouTube shorts... etc etc!) can often be shorter and snappier

⏲️ Creator posts (and stories and... you get the idea!) can be longer, with multiple clips stitched together. TikTok is an excellent platform for this kind of content

📱 Influencer content is nearly always shot with a phone, with an organic look and feel, rather than paid promotion - and delivered to social media (Instagram, TikTok etc)

📹Creator content can also often be shot on phone, and delivered to social media - but many creators will also be active on YouTube with higher quality content shot and edited with professional equipment

Even though she creates regular long-form videos on YouTube, SSSniperWolf's positioning on Instagram is very influencer-like, with off-the-cuff snaps of her personal and professional life

Matt D'Avella positions himself as a creator on Instagram as well as through his regular YouTube content. His content is curated, considered and highly polished

As we always say - consider what is right for your brand:

✅ Do your want your message to have an urgent feel to it, or a considered review?

✅ Do you feel your message can be conveyed in a quick reel or story? Or a longer, in-depth YouTube testimonial?

✅ Will your audience respond to polished video content or more natural phone-shot content?

✅ What platform does your audience primarily use?

There is no wrong direction to go here- working with influencers or creators (or both!) has HUGE benefits as they are both a platform to build positivity around your brand.

🔗 Outside of DMs and email, here are some services that you can use to find your perfect collaboration:

• Upfluence Influencer marketing, affiliate programs, creator management, user generated content, brand ambassadors

• Influencer Matchmaker matching brands with the world’s top influencers and celebrities

• MiniSocial a fully-managed platform that pairs brands with micro influencer creators

• #paid Get consumers talking about your brand and buying your products with creator marketing.