Want to get truly creative? Hire content creators, and listen to them

The label ‘influencer,’ in other words, refers to their reach. But what about their craft?

The nature of content creation has changed drastically over the years. Today, creators are increasing their reach by channeling true creative freedom. MrBeast, for example, has become the most subscribed YouTuber, ventured into the FMCG and fast-food industries, and devised a new meaning for content creation with his big-budget, high-quality productions.

Then you’ve got independent filmmakers and journalists like Johnny Harris bringing cultural nuances to life through stunning visual content. Over on Twitch you’ll see high-octane streamers like Kai Cenat, who recently smashed the platform’s subscriber record with a 31-day livestream.

On TikTok, Estrid is a brand making waves with messages of empowerment, self-love, and positivity. It’s a stark contrast to the way that shaving brands used to advertise, not all that long ago (essentially shaming you for having body hair). Brands can now get diverse creators to ‘take over’ their TikTok channels, empowering them to create content that feels authentic to them. As a brand, Estrid understands creative freedom and putting creators first – a powerful means of connecting on social.

The evolution of creation

Now, brands working with creators often get the full package: producers, editors, data analysts, and niche experts, all built into one partnership. The technical skills and production values that many creators bring to brand partnerships are core ingredients to influencer marketing success. They are creatives at their core, and they understand how to shoot, edit, and narrate, on top of their original USP.

Competing in an open market, content creators have had to be clever, curating unique ideas in order to stand out in a saturated space. With the creator-sphere constantly evolving (AI integration, new social platforms, new technologies), creators have needed their versatility above all other attributes.

First came the shift to short-form. Then everyone felt like they needed a podcast. Then it was live streaming. Now it’s AI. This industry is non-stop, and yet content creators continue to rise above expectations with new and exciting content.

Learning from creators

So often, when a brand first starts working with an influencer, it can be a tightly controlled affair, with strict briefs and expectations. Unfortunately, this almost always results in average, or even poor, influencer content.

Creators are artists of their own craft. Brands can be guilty of throwing too many obstacles in the way, siphoning the excitement from a creative brief.

Still, some brands have been bold enough to recognize the true potential of the modern creator, opting to appoint them in brand ambassador and creative director roles.

Creators have spent years honing their craft and cultivating their audiences to the point where they understand exactly what works and what doesn’t. It should come as no surprise that content creators have some seriously bright ideas on how to bring a creative brief to life.

Leveraging creators the right way

For the launch of Deep Silver’s 2022 outing of the Saints Row game franchise, we were tasked with generating hype while drawing in new audiences outside of gaming. If you’ve ever played open-world role-playing games, like Grand Theft Auto, you’ve probably wondered what it would be like for some of those in-game scenarios to transpire in real life. Well, that’s what we made happen. With the help of creators Josh & Archie, we hacked the UK music charts. Thanks to Drew Dirksen, we got to see a real-life police chase. And, if not for Memeulous and ImAlexx, we never would have seen a Saints Row-themed car roll out of a real auto shop.

For every videogame, there’s a publisher eager to ship their product out under the ‘early release’ pretense, relying on creator streams, walkthroughs, and other gaming mediums to generate hype around launch. Saints Row needed to break the system, and to do that we needed the right creators who could reflect that in their content.

This campaign highlights the importance of giving creators the space and freedom they need to create. The creator space is incredibly saturated; new ideas and ways to stand out are difficult to attain but crucial, nonetheless. Content creation is a sink-or-swim environment, and failure to come up with new and innovative ideas can see a drop off in followers. That’s why we’re always seeing exciting content being pushed out across social.

Content creators have to be everything in one package. They have to be versatile, and ready to adapt to changes around the corner. Creators can’t be afraid to experiment with new content formats or distance themselves from industry trends. For brands looking to work with creators, think of it as a collaborative partnership rather than a didactic one – or you could be standing in the way of achieving something groundbreaking.