When Did Everybody Become a Content Creator? [Let’s Discuss]

The Future Belongs to Creators

Do you consider yourself a creator? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. According to a recent Vox article, more people than ever are referring to themselves as “content creators.” From social media influencers to fashion designers, that term encompasses a wide breadth of professions.

Regardless of their specialty, the most successful content creators of our generation can teach job-seekers and corporations a thing or two about digital marketing. But what does it actually mean to be a content creator? Who’s using that term and is it a fair description for the work creators produce and the grind behind turning your life into a cycle of self-promotion?

In this episode, Charli and Haley discuss the merits of the term “content creator”, why so many people are referring to themselves as one, the expectations versus the reality of becoming an online personality, and the invaluable skills we can all learn from content creators, regardless of what we call them and who they are.

Key Takeaways

• [00:55] - Have you heard?
  • [01:03] - Instagram is now releasing Amber Alerts.
  • [03:23] - Apple announced updates to their new operating system. One new feature is the ability to copy and paste items out of Apple photos.
• [07:03] - Today’s main topic: When did everybody become a content creator?
  • [08:39] - Content creator is such a vague term it’s unclear what work aspiring content creators are actually producing.
  • [09:17] - Because content creator is a catch-all term, is it the creators referring to themselves as such or are there certain types of creators that more commonly call themselves content creators?
  • [12:18] - It seems like everyone has become a content creator these days, whether they signed up for it or not. And regardless if you chose to become one, every person with an audience on social media is responsible for the content they share.
  • [13:47] - The boundaries of who and who isn’t a creator have become increasingly irrelevant.
  • [14:11] - While working as a content creator is an exciting and stimulating option, many don’t realize the 24-7 workload that comes along with it. Boundaries as a creator aren’t just important, they’re essential.
  • [17:56] - Because the term content creator is so vague, many startups label themselves as a “creator-first” platform. However, not every “creator-first” company serves creators properly.
  • [20:29] - Creators, particularly social media influencers, are in the unique position of relying on their personality for financial success.
  • [21:59] - Content creator skills are in-demand across all industries and all platforms.
• [30:58] - A sneak peek at next week’s episode.

Quotes

[16:22] - “There’s a lot of FOMO around content creation because it seems so easy to do – and it is so easy, really, to be a creator. We have the tools on us right now, you probably have it in your pocket. But, it’s also really difficult to make money from.” ~ @charliprangley

[20:10] - “That is where I think the creator economy right now is. There are so many people that are jumping in to take advantage of it and not truly understanding the problems that creators have.” ~ @haleyjani

[28:53] - “Those are the skills that content creators are really, really, really exceptional at. They’re really exceptional at showing their business and the marketing component and being themselves.” ~ @haleyjani

Links

• Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube
• Whitney Manney
• I’m A Creator. You’re A Creator. We’re All Creators! When Did Everybody Start Calling Themselves Content Creators?
• Instagram
• Meta
• WWDC22
• Apple
• Adobe
• MagSafe Charger
• Nike
• TikTok
• Joshua Holmes
• Nathan Barry
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Creator Sessions

Connect with our hosts

• Charli Prangley
• Miguel Pou
• Haley Janicek

Stay in touch

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Every week we celebrate a win from a listener.

Tell us about a recent launch, milestone, or success (big or small!) right here and we might just shout you out in the next episode: https://convertk.it/listenershoutout.

Start building your audience for free

With ConvertKit landing pages, you can build a beautiful page for your project in just a few minutes. Choose colors, add photos, build a custom opt-in form, and add your copy. All without writing any code! Check out landingpages.new to get started.