TLDR: Influencers, content creators and UGC are all different, although share some similarities. Each has unique pros and cons. Choosing which to incorporate into your marketing plan depends on your goals, budget and available resources.
Social media has evolved quite a bit from its initial form and function. What started out as spaces to connect and share content with friends has since exploded into some of the biggest marketing platforms for businesses. Not only that, but they’ve also given birth to new types of marketing and content. If you’re a part of any online community, you’ve likely heard terms like “influencers”, “content creators” and “UGC”, but with so many similarities between them, it's easy to get confused and wonder if they’re all just different words to mean the same thing. So let’s break it down:
Influencers
Use of the term “influencer” has become ubiquitous within social media chatter and most people have an idea of what it is, but let’s clarify it in marketing terms. The defining features of an influencer are having many social media followers and, as a result, the ability to influence the opinions of others. Influencers are often trusted experts in their particular niche, like food, travel, technology or fitness, and many have leveraged their posts to their niche audiences to build successful and lucrative careers via brand partnerships. The fact that these individuals are (more or less) ordinary people and NOT celebrities gives their endorsements a (seemingly) authentic and relatable edge (despite the fact that they are paid for their promotion). According to a study by Morning Consult, people are more likely to trust or take recommendations from Influencers than celebrities.
The results of influencer marketing speak for themselves. Per Jeff Foster for Convince&Convert,
“On average, businesses generate $6.50 in revenue for each $1 invested in influencer marketing. 70% make $2 or more, and 13% make $20 or more. Most businesses get solid results from influencer marketing, with just the bottom 18% failing to generate any revenue.”
But businesses aren’t the only ones profiting. These partnerships are mutually beneficial; the brand gains access to a targeted customer segment and the influencer not only gets paid, but the more companies they work with, the more highly they're regarded in their communities. And not surprisingly, a larger number of followers on a platform translates to higher remuneration.
There are different designations of influencers based on the size of their Instagram following:
All influencers are content creators. They need to be in order to authentically communicate in the way their audience has come to expect. But it's important to understand that not all content creators are influencers, which brings us to…
Content Creators
Social media content creators are currently defined as individuals who create and share digital content on their channels to their subscribers/followers. They can range from artists, musicians and athletes to different types of professionals or experts in their fields. It’s understandable that people confuse influencers and content creators because there is some crossover:
But once again, while all influencers are content creators, not all content creators are influencers.
And the key difference is their purpose.
While both create content to connect and engage with their audiences, only influencers are doing so in order to partner with brands and leverage their online communities to guide consumer behaviour (and often receive financial compensation for doing so). Content creators produce and share content simply for the love of what they do and to build communities of like-minded people. If a content creator is open to brand partnerships, brands can leverage their expertise and unique skills, diversify their content and potentially reach new or different audiences.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content (or UGC) refers to original, brand-specific content created by social media users and either shared on one or more platforms by the creator themselves, or purchased and used by the brand only. UGC can take various forms like still images, videos, testimonials, etc. and falls into one of two categories - organic or paid.
Organic UGC is content that average, everyday customers create and share freely on social media. Anyone can be an organic UGC creator. For example, if a customer shares a photo of themselves enjoying a meal at a specific restaurant, or shares a video of how much they love a specific product. While the quality of this content may vary, it is seen as more authentic because it has been done without prompting or payment, backed by the fact that, per ExpertVoice,
“92% of people are more likely to trust a recommendation from another person over branded content.”
It’s great free promotion for brands, especially if they can leverage it on their own social channels.
Paid UGC is exactly what it sounds like - content created and produced in exchange for money. Brands can have more input with this type of UGC as it is now a business transaction, so the creators may be held to higher standards of quality. The finished product will likely be more polished and curated than organic UGC, but when customers know that money is involved, the authenticity may be called into question.
So are all paid UGC creators influencers? Interestingly, no. The big difference between the two is that UGC creators are sought after for their work alone, not their audiences. When brands turn to influencers, they are not only looking for great promotional content but also reach via their audiences.
Which Is Best?
Each has its own pros and cons. While the effectiveness of influencers is impossible to deny, access to their followings can come with high price tags. Content creators are masters of their crafts and experts in their respective fields and may be able to provide a unique perspective, but may not have the reach of influencers. Organic UGC is great because who doesn’t like FREE promotion? But with no money involved, brands have little to no control over the final product, and while paid UGC offers more control, it doesn’t give brands access to the same type of exposure as an influencer partnership. It all depends on what a brand is trying to achieve and the budget or resources they have available to work with.
Sources:
https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/influencer-definition-maximize-impact
https://grin.co/blog/content-creator-vs-influencer-whats-the-difference/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/user-generated-content-ugc/#:~:text=User%2Dgenerated%20content%20
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2025/01/08/love-them-or-hate-them-social-media-influencers-are-here-to-stay/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/ugc-creator/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/influencer-marketing-stats
https://www.convinceandconvert.com/influencer-marketing/influencer-marketing-for-businesses/#:~:text=Influencer%20Marketing%20Delivers%20a%20Strong,failing%20to%20generate%20any%20revenue.
https://pro.morningconsult.com/analyst-reports/influencer-marketing-trends-report
https://www.expertvoice.com/business/
https://www.tintup.com/blog/user-generated-content-definition/
