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What's Your Creator Type?
Influencers, Bloggers, Vloggers—what's the difference?
Isabel Sterne
October 02, 2023
Hi Creators,
In the last issue, we explored what a creator is.
In case you missed it, a creator is anyone who creates (mindblowing, right?) and in the context of the creator economy it’s anyone who monetizes their creations through sponsorships, ads, subscriptions, donations, etc.
This week we’re getting into the different types of creators because as it turns out, there are a lot.
One Google search for “creator” yields thousands of results, including influencers, streamers, podcasters, YouTubers, TikTokers, Bloggers, Vloggers, curators, etc.
It goes on forever. On top of that, there are all sorts of rules about who falls into what category.
Creators, Influencers, What’s the Dif?
In trying to figure out the difference between “influencer” and “creator” I came across several definitions, including:
“All influencers are creators, but not all creators are influencers.”
According to New Yorker reporter Kyle Chayka, “For Quinn, the difference in terminology comes down to success: influencers are already famous; creators are striving to be.”
In the same article, the author, Chayka, asserts that “creator” is the successor of “influencer,” another fluff word to describe the same thing: “anyone who is producing any form of content online.”
At Influencer Marketing Hub, they believe: “Creators make content for the sake of making content and sharing it online. Influencers make content to grow their personal brand and highlight their lives on social media.”
And over at creator-management platform GRIN, they believe: “The ultimate goal of creators is to connect and engage people with similar goals, values, and lifestyles. While influencers do those things, they also prioritize their brand partnerships and leverage online communities to guide more informed buying decisions.”
If you’re confused, you’re not alone…
On top of all this, there are also all sorts of ways to classify influencers based on follower count.
For instance, GRIN defines an influencer as “an individual with an influential, engaged, and large following (at least 1,000 followers) on social media.”
And according to Hootsuite, 1,000 is only the beginning. At that point, you are nothing but a lowly “nano-influencer.”
1,000–10,000 followers = Nano-influencer
10,000–50,000 followers = Micro-influencer
50,000–500,000 followers = Mid-tier influencer
500,000–1,000,000 followers = Macro-influencer
1,000,000+ followers = Mega-influencers
So, let me get this straight, a creator is anyone who creates content online, but is only really considered a creator in the creator economy if they’re monetizing their content. And they might be an influencer, but they might not be depending on their follower count and which definition you’re using.
This is all starting to feel like one of those SAT questions I got wrong…
If you want my opinion, which you must since you’re still reading this, then I’d argue that most creators start creating content with the goal of influencing in some way.
It’s also important to note that “influence” doesn’t have to mean convincing people to buy something, it could also mean influencing people to broaden their perspective.
For instance, we’re starting to see new labels like “Cultural Creator,” which, according to Megan Ingram of Ingram Digital Consulting, is someone who, “use[s] their content for good most often trying to improve the quality of life in a society. They’ve been the driving force behind new marketing trends and spotting new opportunities getting people to actually talk about trends, topics, and issues.”
On top of all this, there are sub-classifications for creators based on their intentions, medium, platform, and approach.
Jay Clouse of Creator Science suggests creators can be categorized as one of the following:
Creator-entertainer
Creator-educator
Creator-edutainer
You could go down rabbit holes with all these definitions and rules for days, so let’s keep it (kind of) simple and break it down in five ways:
What is your intention as a creator?
Educate
Entertain
Disrupt
Create community
What kind of content do you create?
Art
Video
Audio
Writing
Which platform(s) do you use?
YouTube
TikTok
LinkedIn
Instagram
Substack
etc.
How do you monetize?
Courses
Consulting
Brand partnerships
Subscriptions
Digital assets
Community memberships
Ads
Affiliate marketing
What is your creator archetype?
Here are a few examples:
The Performer
The Virtuoso
The Bellwether
The Maker
The Iconoclast
The Technophile
The Enthusiast
The Teacher
The Insider
The Outsider
The Expert
The Newbie
The Observer
The Cryptographer
The Convincer
Now what?
You could have ten labels at once—it doesn’t really matter, but these categories are helpful to keep in mind as you continue to grow. They can help guide you on what tools and platforms to use and ways you can monetize.
What type of creator are you? Reply to this post and let me know. Or, if you aren’t a creator, what types of creators are you most interested in working with?
🛠️ Creator Tool of the Week: Creators Calculator
If you want a fast and simple way to see how many followers, views, or subscribers you would need to meet your monthly revenue goals, check out Creators Calculator. It’s free to use and is a great way to get an at-a-glance understanding of what it takes to earn across top creator platforms.
📚 What I’m reading:
🎥 Creator Video Tip of the Week: How to Use the Eyedropper Extension + Canva to Create Color Palettes
This is only my second YouTube video ever…and I’m still figuring it all out. Go easy on me.
📰 Creator News
YouTube recently unveiled a new suite of products for creators, including:
DreamScreen - “AI-generated image or video screens for Shorts”
YouTube Create - “A new editing and production app for mobile creators”
AI Insight - “Tools to spark inspiration and help creators decide what to make their next video about”
🧠 Thought of the Week
So much of developing your brand is about creating trust through familiarity.
That’s why creating and sharing content consistently matters.
Be more familiar than the rest.
Hope you all have a great week. See you next time!