What is a YouTube content creator?

What is a content creator

Did you know there are over 51 million content creators on YouTube? And as of January 2022, 29,000 YouTube channels out there have over 1 million subscribers.

With around 2.6 billion monthly active users on this insanely popular video-sharing platform, becoming a YouTube content creator is undoubtedly one of the best ways to become a creator.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the role of a YouTube content creator, how YouTube content creators are different from other content creators and much more!

What is a YouTube content creator?

What is a content creator

What exactly does it mean to be a YouTube content creator?

Commonly referred to as YouTubers or YouTube creators, these individuals regularly create YouTube videos to share with their audience on the popular social media platform.

These days, there are thousands of YouTube content creators producing videos on literally any and every topic you could possibly think of – from travel vlogs, makeup tutorials, and healthy recipes to fashion inspiration, game reviews and music – you name it.

People often refer to YouTubers with loads of subscribers to their YouTube channels as influencers, just like those who have a following on Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms. However, creators often don’t like being called influencers. They don’t always “influence” others or don’t want to come across that way.

What does a YouTube content creator do?

On the surface, you might think that a day in the life of a content creator would be pretty fun and exciting. 

It is! 

But making effortless-looking content requires hours of hard work and brain power too. 

When it comes to the creation of your favorite TV show, a whole team is involved in creating the final product: writers, editors, actors, producers…the list goes on.

But unless you’ve got millions of subscribers, you’re likely working on your own. 

So…what do YouTube content creators do?

Generally, YouTube content creators:

  • Film high-quality content for their audience
  • Edit and upload content
  • Write and research upcoming video content
  • Plan social media posts
  • Create infographics and thumbnails
  • Share content across social media platforms
  • Strike exciting brand deals
  • Network to broaden their contacts in the industry
  • Complete day-to-day channel or page administration

So as you can see, YouTube content creators have to take on a whole load of tasks to create seamless content for their audience. And, each day involves developing skills and learning new things to make even better content to keep their audience engaged.

What different content creators are there?

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What’s involved in the role of a content creator will depend on the type of content you’re producing. 

An independent social content creator who uploads gaming videos on YouTube will have pretty different day-to-day tasks than a content creator who writes blog posts for a company website.

So, you know what a content creator on YouTube is…but what makes them different to content creators on other platforms?

What is a web content creator?

A web content creator writes content for landing pages, sales copy, blog posts and much more. 

This content is often used to inform and educate readers about a product, service or brand to generate sales. 

What is a podcast content creator?

Did you know there are currently over 850,000 active podcasts? So as you can imagine, these vary widely in the topics they cover. 

Depending on the scale of the podcast, these content creators could be working alone or amongst a team. 

Often the roles involved with being a podcast content creator include:

  • Overseeing production
  • Guest research and scheduling
  • Audio Production
  • Writing future content

You might also find that a podcaster films their podcast for their YouTube audience. So there can be a crossover between podcast content creators and YouTube content creators. 

What is a social media content creator?

What is a social media content creator

Social media creators use their social media platforms to share marketing messages. 

The content they produce will depend on their niche and the platform they favour.

What is a content creator on Instagram?

A content creator on Instagram – or an Instagram influencer – is an individual or brand that creates visual content for an audience. 

As Instagram is a visual platform, content creators tend to focus on health, fitness, beauty, travel and fashion content where the audience can be drawn in by eye-catching and polished images and videos. 

The role of an Instagram content creator often involves:

  • Planning and scheduling content
  • Photographing, filming and editing content
  • Writeing engaging captions
  • Striking relevant brand deals
  • Networking to increase their following and contacts in the industry
  • Creating infographics
  • Communicating with their audience
  • Completing day-to-day administrative tasks

What is a content creator on TikTok?

A content creator on TikTok is quite similar to an Instagram content creator, but with the focus being on video content instead:

  • Be on top of all the changing trends to allow their content to be seen by others
  • Film and edit videos
  • Research and plan future content
  • Interact with their audience through comments and TikTok Live
  • Negotiate brand deals
  • Complete day-to-day administrative tasks

What is a content creator on Twitter?

A content creator on Twitter is quite different to other platforms due to its text-based nature. 

This makes Twitter a great place for bloggers, comedians, news sites and politicians to convey messages about topics they’re passionate about.

How much do YouTube content creators make?

How to make money on YouTube

Believe it or not, many people still don’t consider making money on the internet a real job.

But in reality, there are countless successful YouTube content creators and social media influencers who are making a fortune in this industry.

There are many stories of professionals that have chosen to quit their conventional sought-after careers to pursue the exciting opportunity of being a content creator, and they’ve never looked back.

But how much Youtubers make depends on a variety of factors, including the methods they use to earn money from their YouTube channel, how many subscribers they have, and how many people view their videos.

On average, the national salary for a Youtuber in the United Kingdom is $38,175 or £31,595 per year. However of course this average is taken from a huge range. There are lots of creators who are just starting out and barely earn anything. Not enough to do it full-time, at least. On the other end of the scale, however, there are big creators who earn millions every year!

To give you an idea, YouTubers typically make an estimated $3-$5 per 1,000 video views, but this varies significantly from channel to channel.

See below for more of the many ways that content creators make money on YouTube.

How do you monetize your YouTube channel?

Man holding up cash shows how to make money on YouTube

Why wouldn’t you want to earn money from your hard work and monetize your YouTube channel?

There are quite a few different ways you can earn money from your YouTube content, but first, you’ll need to sign up for the YouTube Partner Program, where you’ll have access to a wide range of income streams, including ads, subscription fees and other great features that generate some hard-earned cash. 

To find out more about how to monetize your YouTube videos, take a look at our handy guide.

What equipment is needed to start a YouTube channel?

what is required to become a content creator

If you’re looking to produce content that’s high-quality and professional-looking, you will need the right video-recording equipment and editing software.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the equipment you’ll need to start creating your own content for YouTube:

  • A good camera
  • A microphone
  • A tripod
  • Video-editing software, like iMovie, Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

Of course you’ll also need some music to soundtrack your videos. It’s super handy to have a stock subscription for access to a bunch of tunes that you can use as much as you like. With a Lickd account, you’ll have access to over 100,000 royalty-free stock tracks. And this isn’t your bog-standard stock music: this is an extensive collection of the very best stock music around, previously used in movies and TV series. 

The big game changer, however, comes when you start using mainstream music. Recognizable tunes will resonate better with your audience, giving you more views, comments, likes, subscribers, and ultimately ad revenue. With Lickd, you’ll be able to license over 1 million mainstream tunes from the likes of Sia, David Guetta, Anne-Marie, Megan Thee Stallion and many more. Of course, there’s no need to worry about copyright claims, as a license with Lickd gives you legal permission to use this music. Meaning you can still monetize your videos, even with copyrighted music!

The bottom line

Becoming a successful YouTube content creator isn’t as easy as it may seem – you’re going to want to give it your all. It can be stressful at times, but the struggles are certainly worth the reward.

But most importantly, enjoy the process! There is so much to learn, and you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun along the way.

Using high-quality music in your videos will help you grow your channel and connect with your audience, so don’t skimp on that part!

Sign up today to unlock a 14-days of free stock music and 25% off your first mainstream track.

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