Everyone wants to be an “influencer”, right? Who wouldn’t want to pay their mortgage by posting a quick picture on Instagram? No wonder a third of children now aspire to be vloggers given some are earning more than solicitors. The new reality of what this career takes may come as a shock.
We used to see (what were then referred to as) influencers post a picture or video of a product, usually gifted but occasionally on a paid basis. These were always very clearly paid partnerships, especially once legalisation around the influencer marketing industry was introduced, with creators publishing exactly which brands, regularly sticking out like a sore thumb from their other content. YouTubers kicked this off, with the likes of Tanya Burr, Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes all monopolising the UK market incredibly early on. Then 2010 saw Instagram launch. Fast forward, say, five years and it became the ultimate mechanism for influencers to make money.
Tanya Burr, an original member of the ‘British YouTubers’ group who gained a cult following
These individuals are now referred to as “content creators” for good reason. Content creation used to be associated with big boy productions such as television, film or movies. Consider everything that goes into these outputs and then picture a one-man band doing this. While we may see a post and caption, behind this has been a briefing, strategy planning, content planning, production, editing, copy drafting, brand liaison, sign off and scheduling. That may be what goes into a post itself, now think about everything else that needs managing around this. Finance management, HR, legal, career progression, networking, and keeping up to date with social media developments – just a few things that have come front of mind but not an extensive list at all. Some content creators have management, which takes a cut of their income, but for the most part these individuals are a marketing agency encapsulated into one body. Content creators must wear many hats that most of us don’t consider, and be an expert in every field too.
Despite this, the field’s exponential impact on brands has allowed the content creator market to boom. For example, our influencer platform Klear provides us with over a million content creators to research and partner with. As new platforms emerge this is only set to grow. TikTok entered our lives roughly two years ago and formed a whole new sector of content creators with a completely different strategy. While some existing creators added TikTok to their offering, a host of new niches arose. From those who make a living creating ASMR by washing their hair to those who arrange (and rearrange) their fridge for enjoyment, more and more creator sectors are, well, being created. The content creator business model is also now merging into our general entertainment remit. Take Saffron Barker and Joe Sugg appearing on primetime Saturday night television on Strictly Come Dancing or KSI and Logan Paul’s boxing match, earning them an estimated £150m. Colliding our two worlds as a PR and social media agency, now even a specific magazine for content creators, ‘Blogosphere’, exists.
Blogosphere magazine
What used to be straightforward content posting has evolved into a full business model, with creators broadening their strategy to offer more to both their audiences and brands. Those who have been in the game a long while now provide paid-for influencer marketing courses or have launched their own management agencies. Meanwhile, those who have dominated niches have branched out in them to build on their careers, for example, Grace Beverly’s incredibly successful activewear brand, Tala, or 2LG Studio presenting Changing Rooms.
2LG Studio presenting Changing Rooms
The content creator remit now goes far beyond posting on social media and brands need to therefore understand the breadth of influencer marketing, considering it as a fundamental tool in the marketing mix. Looking into our crystal ball, we don’t see many content creators open to working on a gifted basis come six months’ time. And those that do, as we are already seeing, will no longer accept control over content and messaging. Besides, this is the career that content creators have spent years crafting. Would you offer your employer the same level of work without a salary?
