While the influencer marketing industry is set to be worth more than $32bn globally in 2025, we still struggle to differentiate whether this growth is still driven by Influencers, or Content creators.
So here comes the important question - what’s the difference between Influencers and Content creators?
We think it’s a bit of a stupid question, there is no difference! The actual difference is probably your own perspective on the topic, and how you see working with either influencers or creators for your brand.
It might depend on what year you're asking it
Another perspective is time - Influencers was the dominant term in the 2010’s, with the rise of Instagram and all the personalities that grew with it - in 2010. It was only 2013 when Instagram launched videos, for 15 seconds. And 2013 when they copied Snap’s features and launched Stories. Longer form videos on IGTV didn’t launch until 2018, when users could upload videos 10 minutes long (it’s worth noting that Reels can only be 3 minutes nowadays).
While Instagram originated as a more photo-led version of Facebook, it started with us all sharing photos of our lives. As Influencers grew their followers, you could now follow the lives of people you didn’t know, but see their lives playing out on your phone. Influencers started working with brands, and were seen as people who could “influence” others to buy your products. Pretty simple really.
The rise of TikTok changed the rules of social
In 2020, everything changed. Yes, COVID, blah blah. But also TikTok blew up outside of China. TikTok worked completely differently to Instagram in one key way - it doesn’t care how many followers you have. If your content gets traction, lots of people will see it. While we were all stuck at home making videos, a new set of influencers were making a name for themselves - people creating all kinds of video genre - dancing, comedy sketches, music, sports, street interviews, every genre you could imagine. Now called Creators.
Creators were focused on making lots of video content that would get seen - not by your followers, but anyone on the platform. Working the algorithm to gain views because the rules on TikTok were different. People followed trends instead of people, as following people wasn’t a pre-requisite of using the app.
Creators since 2020 have made an industry out of working with brands - while the basic rules are the same, the content rules are new - the content has to be great, can’t be salesy, it has to keep people watching - otherwise it won’t work.
The Recommendation Age
While TikTok changed our experience of content, Instagram has increasingly followed suit - now 40% of Instagram’s feed is “recommended content”, algorithmically served up videos that Instagram hopes you like. Some people are referring to this as the Recommendation Age, where our content is no longer from people we know and follow, and moving towards a purely recommended basis, using machine learning and data to give viewers what they will like. So we have 2 different approaches which are now converging into one. Creators on TikTok tend to make content for Instagram too, and Influencers will often post on TikTok too.
So when you think about Creators, the same set of content rules has to be followed by Influencers too - that is if Influencers are actually different from Creators at all.
At the end of the day, they’re both people making content on social media, creating audiences. Brands work with both. Both use the same social platforms.
So what’s the difference? Nothing, really.
I hope that clears it up.
