Digital creators and influencers are now the faces of many brands. We love them, brands adore them, and clearly, they have an impact.

But what exactly is a digital creator?

Let’s find out!

In this post, I’ll tell you exactly what digital creators are, how they’re different from influencers, and how you can become one.

What Is a Digital Creator?

Simply put, a digital creator or content creator creates digital content, like videos, blogs, photos, or podcasts, and shares them online.

Think of them as experts in their fields who share content online to educate their followers.

It can be anything from product reviews, tutorials, challenges, trends, or podcasts. The goal is to educate and entertain.

You’re probably wondering how digital creators are different from influencers. Let’s talk about that for a minute.

Digital creator vs. influencer

Influencers share content, too, but their main goal is to influence opinions and buying decisions.

Influencers have a personal brand and use it to sway their followers’ choices; they’re not necessarily experts in their fields. They can sway opinions because of their relatability and trust built over time, which is more influential than formal expertise.

Here are some key differences:

	Digital Creators	Influencers
Focus on	Creating content that is educational, entertaining, or informative.	Promoting products, services, or lifestyles through their personal brand.
Content Style	Centered on a specific skill, hobby, or topic. The content itself is the main product, showcasing expertise or creativity in the field.	Content often showcases lifestyle, personal opinions, and endorsements that influence follower behavior.
Engagement	Around content themes, techniques, and discussions related to the subject matter.	Around promoting a lifestyle, personal image, and interaction with brands.
Earn from	Ads, sponsored content.	Brand deals, sponsorships, and promotions.
Audience include	Fellow enthusiasts/ learners interested in the same topic.	Followers who value their opinions and lifestyle choices and may emulate them.
Examples	Tom Scott, Adam Ragusea, CGP Grey	Kim Kardashian, Kendel Jenner, Christiano Ronaldo

Of course, a person can be both.

When a digital creator builds a large and engaged audience, they naturally become an influence because their followers trust their opinions.

For instance, Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty is both a digital creator and an influencer.

As a digital creator, she started off by posting makeup tutorials and beauty tips on YouTube and Instagram. As more people followed her, she became a big influence in the industry.

Why Are Digital Creators Important to Brands?

Because digital creators are both experts and people trust their opinions, partnering with them offers many benefits for brands. Let’s explore more reasons.

• They’re experts

Having in-depth knowledge and skills in specific areas earns creators credibility with their audiences, making brand partnerships with them more trustworthy.

Take Peter McKinnon’s example. He knows cameras, shooting techniques, and post-production processes inside out, which makes his audience trust him.

Also Read: Using Influencer Marketing for Digital Communities

And because Peter is seen as an expert, his recommendations carry weight. If he praises a particular camera or editing software, his followers will likely consider purchasing it.

This is why brands like Canon and Adobe collaborate with Peter by providing him with gear to review, sponsoring his content, or featuring him in promotional projects. These partnerships help the brands tap into their credibility and influential reach, effectively engaging their audience.

• They give brands access to niche audiences.

Digital creators and their followers share a common interest in the same topic. This increases engagement, making their audiences ideal marketing targets.

So, brands use digital creators to reach their target audience and get their message across to the right audience.

For example, Mark Rober is a former NASA engineer who makes educational science videos. His videos are watched by over 54.9 million people on YouTube.

Recognizing the opportunity, NASA collaborated with Mark to promote STEM to a younger audience—a segment not tempted by traditional NASA marketing efforts.

The partnership helped NASA reach a new generation of potential scientists and engineers entertainingly and uniquely.

• They’re trendsetters

When a digital creator promotes a product, it becomes a must-have overnight.

For example, when James Charles released his eyeshadow palette in collaboration with Morphe, it sold out quickly, and many makeup enthusiasts used it in their collections.

• They use creative storytelling to educate their audience and promote products.

Digital creators use personal stories and narratives in their content.

Personal stories stand out, evoke emotions, and make content more memorable. Plus, when consumers feel a personal connection, they’re more likely to engage with it.

How to Become a Digital Creator?

You can become a digital creator in any niche people like, no matter how unique. But if you want to do well and make good money, you must strategize.

• Choose a niche and get educated on it

Think about what naturally interests you or what you’re passionate about.

Your passion will keep you interested, and your enthusiasm will also be evident in your content.

Think about what you love to do or have always wanted to do. It can be anything like RC cars, technology, or even miniature cooking shows.

Immerse yourself in learning about the topic. You can do this through formal education, online courses, reading books, watching tutorials, or studying other content creators in the same field.

The goal is to establish credibility by building a solid foundation of knowledge. Your content will also reflect your depth of knowledge. You don’t need to be an expert to start, but you need to know enough, and your content must be entertaining and

Consider the example of Simone Giertz, “the queen of shitty robots.” She doesn’t have any academic qualifications in robotics or engineering; all her expertise comes from hands-on experience making YT videos for her channel.

Now, Simone has a following of 2.72M and is well-known in the maker and tech communities.

• Adopt a business mindset.

To become a professional digital creator, treat yourself like a proper business.

This means:

• Being professional, meeting deadlines, and ensuring high-quality content.
• Defining what you want to achieve with your content, whether it’s growing your followers, earning money, or brand collaborations.
• Focusing on one social media channel where your target audience is most active.
• Plan your content ahead of time. Think about what you’ll post, when you’ll post it, and how it will help your audience and your business goals.

Once you kick off, regularly check how your posts are doing. Use social media analytics to understand what’s working and what’s not. Then, optimize accordingly.

Also Read: Understanding the Creator Economy

• Build your brand

Decide what you want to be known for. Make sure it reflects who you are and what you’re passionate about.

• Choose a color scheme, and set a tone for your content that makes you instantly recognizable. Use a consistent visual identity across all your content and profiles.
• Understand your audience: learn what they like, need, and expect from your content. Use tools like Google Trends, social media hashtags, or forums related to your topic to identify market gaps you can fill.
• Study your competitors’ content and engagement strategies for ideas that might work for you.

Don’t worry about perfection. You’ll improve over time as you find your unique voice, learn what you’re good at, and understand what your audience enjoys most.

• Think outside the box.

There are 207 million content creators active today.

But, only those who think creatively and offer something unique differentiate themselves—because their content captivates and retains better.

Zach King and Matt D’Avella are perfect examples of creative digital creators who have carved out unique niches by being unique.

In his videos, Zach King uses visual tricks and illusions to wow his audience. On the other hand, Matt D’Avella leverages his filmmaking skills to create videos on minimalism and self-improvement.

To spark your creativity, think about what you can offer that’s different. Test different content forms or explore lesser-known subjects. If you’re good at storytelling, consider how you can weave that into your videos or posts.

• Get better at communication.

A digital creator’s success depends on their ability to engage with their audience.

The best creators communicate clearly and compellingly, drawing their viewers and keeping them interested and engaged.

You also need to consider that, as a creator, you’ll collaborate with brands on sponsored content. So, you need strong communication skills to negotiate deals and market yourself.

The better you are at communication, the more effectively you can simplify complex topics into clear and engaging stories. This makes it easier for your followers to understand and enjoy even the toughest subjects.

Here’s how you can become better at communication:

• Become a good listener. Interpret audience feedback to guide content adjustments and innovations.
• Practice public speaking. Do videos, podcasts, or live interactions to improve your ability to articulate thoughts clearly and confidently.
• Study communication techniques. Analyze how successful communicators engage with their audience, manage their public relations, and convey their messages.
• Improve Non-verbal Communication. Since digital content heavily relies on visuals, enhance your non-verbal cues like body language, facial expressions, and eye contact in videos. Regularly review your videos to identify and adjust any elements that make you seem uninviting.

Ready To Become A Digital Creator?

Remember, becoming a digital creator is more about grit and consistency than anything else. Work on your skills, knowledge, and content creation capabilities. Set a regular schedule for creating and posting your content, and stick to it even when progress seems slow.

Don’t worry about perfection. Many creators are far from perfect, yet they’ve carved out a niche and following due to the entertainment value of their content.

Be professional from the start. Pay attention to your audience, and refine your approach according to their feedback. Push your creative boundaries and experiment with new ideas to keep your content fresh and engaging.

Best of luck, and see you on the other side!