influencer vs. content creator and everything in between.
What the hell am I? and what the hell are you? And what the heck do we wanna be?
“In five years—no, no, in ten years—I want to delete my entire Internet presence.” If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of having a drink with me, you’ve heard this come out of my mouth.
I, like all other people, have a complicated relationship with social media. I understand that to follow the career path I want, it’s been useful thus far—nothing life-changing, but definitely opportunities that would have never crossed my desk otherwise! Especially as I dive deeper into using it as a tool for promotion and connection. I worry: will it become a beast that I need to feed forever? To stay relevant, top of mind? Is relevance crucial to my success?
At this stage, yes, I do believe so!
I wrote a post just a few weeks ago hyping up the value of the internet and social media as a:
promotional tool
a way to uncover your own creativity and share it with the world
Maybe gain some recognition
and allow opportunities into your life that would have otherwise never come your way.
All of the above are ways in which I’ve used social media and kind of figured out my place in a very busy internet-sphere.
On the positive side of the spectrum: it’s a connector, a community builder, a portfolio, a learning machine. It’s given me more opportunities than I could have ever imagined. It’s connected me with amazing new friends and taught me more than I thought possible.
But on the other side of the spectrum: it’s a time suck, a divider, a propaganda machine, a distraction, an addiction.
I think it’s the addiction that concerns me most. I think about my eighty-year-old self often—what she’d want to look back on and see. I’m sure maybe she’d find some fun and enjoyment in the strides I made online. She’d enjoy the community, for sure. But I think she’d rather I just read another book. Watched another movie. Sat in the park with my feet really feeling the grass, rather than spend that hour mindlessly scrolling.
And again, I say all of this as a beneficiary of these tools. If you’re reading right now, it’s really you more than the channel giving me purpose, agency, a confirmation that my thoughts might mean something.
But BACK TO MY ADDICTION!! Hehe My anxiety loves the mindless scrolling. My phone is the perfect avoidant tool. Bad feeling? Pick up the phone. Frustrated with writing? Pick up the phone. Bored? Pick up the phone.
And each time I do, I’m introduced to a different world—a new nugget of news, intel, entertainment. It’s not inherently negative in that way because I am thoroughly entertained.
Because there are SO MANY ways to be entertained with social media
I watch a hilarious skit, learn a new skill, discover an underrepresented history, watch a funny dance, cry over an older couple adventuring around the world. All of these “Creators” make it possible.
So it’s safe to say my feelings oscillate intensely between the positives and negatives of social media.
Who do you want to be on the internet?
By understanding the different ways in which you can utilize social media and position yourself are important to define if you’re interested in going down this path!
Here’s how I see the world wide social web of “Creators”:
The Usual Suspects
Influencer – We know these folks. They’re usually beautiful, they get sent on brand trips, and they’re often the face of a lifestyle we’re supposed to aspire to. Their content often blends personal life, travel, make up, home decor, health, wealth + sponsored content and aspirational storytelling skills.
I think this is broad too, you can influence folks in a lot of ways, to watch a film, to go outside, to eat healthy, to go to therapy, read a book, drink more water.
Micro-Influencer – These creators have smaller (but mighty) followings and can be highly niche. Sometimes they feel more authentic than their macro counterparts. They’re influential within their communities - which are sometimes broad lifestyle to very specific to subjects like: anime, books, nature, travel, horror, debt, marketing, botox - you name it. There’s a niche and there are micro-influencers focused on those things.
UGC Creators (User-Generated Content Creators) – This often feels like a crossover between influencer and content creator. I often equate UGC creators to being their own standalone marketing agency. Brands come to them for relatively cheap and pay them to make inventive, native-feeling social content about their products or services. TikTok Shop has exploded this space, and these creators can be the “main character” of their videos—or completely absent, creating product-focused content that’s just as compelling. That’s an impressive feat in itself.
Newer Suspects
Artist – To me, this is someone utilizing this tool purely as a portfolio of their work. You don’t know much—if anything—about their day-to-day lives. They aren’t posting regularly or talking to the camera. Their page becomes a version of their work studio online. You only see what they want you to see, when they’re ready for you to see it. Maybe you catch a behind-the-scenes video of them at work. It ends there, though.
Curator/Critics - this to me is a person who gathers and shares content without necessarily creating it themselves while also including solid opinions and takeaways. These creators excel at finding the best, funniest, most fashionable or most informative things on the internet and sharing them with their audience. Think of them like digital editors or tastemakers—they're jumping off of the original pieces of content to talk about bigger trends, etc and are instrumental in shaping what people see and engage with. I think a lot of curators can be found in every micro-influencer niche as well.
Content Creator – This feels like the umbrella term that covers much of the internet today. These folks produce a steady stream of content, whether that’s tutorials, entertainment, education, or unique niches. It’s a business model, and the range is wide.
A few sub groups IMO!
Teachers – Educating audiences in everything from home renovation to feminist theory. Within this I’d also say there are activists and political personalities.
Performers – Actors, dancers, comedians, sketch artists, storytellers. They’re entertaining to me in the format we most know and oftentimes they’re hoping this can catapult them into the bigger stages/screens.
Opinionists – Think hot takes, commentary, cultural criticism, reaction videos. I think these people can become “curators”.
Journalist/Investigator - dig deep into stories, conduct investigative reporting, or offer thoughtful, in-depth analysis. Covering breaking news, trends, or specific industries, and their content often feels more formal or researched. This can blur into the realm of “opinionists,” but the focus here is on objectivity and fact-based content, even if the voice is still distinct.
Memers - while not always thought of as traditional "creators," memers shape the tone of internet culture, often influencing trends, language, and humor across platforms. My favorite account is @AssistantsvsAgents obviii
Streamers - this is not something I really dig much into but i think there’s a big future in this and more LIVE content overall - whether that’s gaming, discussions, art, or just casual chat. Streaming has become a huge category on platforms like Twitch and YouTube - Highly interactive communities where they engage with their audience IN REALL TIME.
Rage Baiters/Conspiracy theorists - uh yeah, lol the manosphere at large.
Vloggers - usually documenting their personal life, experiences, or adventures. A much more more intimate, diary-like format where their personality and day-to-day actions take center stage. I think vloggers make the cross back and forth between influencer but feel much more closer, relatable to their audience in a honest way - a la Emma Chamberlain.
Podcasters - becoming a more visual medium every single day. It’s often wild to see how MASSIVE some podcast followings are and how they did not transfer them over to social until very recently. But to me a podcaster conversation points can be kind of grouped above.
There’s so much cross pollination possible in all of these, of course, but for our conversation, I think most people are torn between:
Artist vs. Content Creator
Either in a path that follows the teacher or performer or even into a vlogger mode if you’re interested in filming your process like S&Q Films does. There are so many ways to show up online now as a creative nowadays.
The lanes are endless, and that’s both exciting and overwhelming. What used to be a more linear path for artists—make the thing, find a gallery/publisher/studio/agent/manager/gatekeeper—has now been cracked open but is also still just as confusing. You can show your process. You can build your own audience. You can test, iterate, and share your work without waiting for permission.
But I think what people often fear—myself included—is that blurry line where the identity of artist starts to dissolve into content creator. Is it when brand deals come into play? When you start to consider “audience retention” or “posting cadence” or “what’s trending” as part of your process? Have you officially lost the title of “pure artist” when you begin monetizing?
Or is that just the inevitable evolution?
I think the answer depends on your goals and your mindset. If you’re using the tools to amplify your work—if the content exists to support the art, not the other way around—it can be incredibly powerful. But if you wake up one day and realize you're creating more for the algorithm than for yourself... that’s when it gets murky. That’s when the beast starts asking to be fed.
For the first time ever I had a real big viral video a few weeks ago, and it resulted in getting a good chunk of payday from tiktok and that DEFINITELY had me wondering like… how do I repeat this pattern? Do I want to? Should I really be focusing on that instead of writing? It’s a slippery slope for sure!
For me, I am trying to walk that line intentionally. I want to be informative, helpful, and generous with what I’m learning. I like sharing what I’ve figured out about marketing, pitch decks, social campaigns and from all the amazing producers I work with while also talking about writing, about screenplays, about the industry—especially because I’m still in the thick of it.
I’m not some guru on a mountaintop handing out finished scrolls. I’m a person actively striving to make screenwriting my full-time career. And if documenting that journey helps someone else, or brings the right person to my work, then the trade-off feels worth it.
So yeah. I’m in it!!! I’m complicit in it. And I’m still enjoying it—while also trying to combat the negatives and somehow get a hold of my addiction. HEHE!! And maybe, just maybe, this tool will lead me to the place where I can happily delete it. That’s the dream, right? Create the work, share it with the world, and then quietly go read a book in the park. Until then, as always folks, stay delulu with a plan!!