As the digital marketing ecosystem continues to evolve, so do its many career paths. If you’re handling your brand’s marketing strategy, you’ve likely considered hiring a social media content creator.

At the moment, your social media manager is likely also in charge of content creation. But in today’s social media landscape, the roles of a manager and a creator are very different.

Hiring for a role you’ve never filled before can be tricky, especially when it’s a role that’s still emerging within its discipline. If you want to level up your social strategy with a social media content creator, here’s everything you need to know about what they do and why their work makes a difference for your brand’s socials.

What is a social media content creator?

A social media content creator is a professional who develops, produces and publishes content specifically designed to engage audiences across social platforms. These specialists combine creative skills in visual design, videography, copywriting and brand storytelling to drive meaningful audience connections and business results.

Most content creators create across several different social media platforms but specialize in one or two of them like Instagram or YouTube. Some might specialize in a particular form of content, like short-form videos or ephemeral posts.

On the surface, that seems limiting. In reality, it’s anything but. Social media trends and functionality change daily. A social content creator’s focus on their chosen channel or format gives them an unparalleled understanding of what works on their preferred networks.

Content creator vs. social media manager

While there is some overlap between social media content creators and social media managers, they are different professions.

A social media content creator produces and edits content. A social media manager defines strategy and manages profiles.

The key distinctions include:

  • Content Creator: Focuses on creative production, filming, editing and visual storytelling

  • Social Media Manager: Handles strategy, community building, scheduling and customer care

  • Combined Impact: Specialized roles deliver superior results compared to one person managing everything

Two (or more) social roles are vital for bigger brands because of how essential social marketing has become. According to Sprout Social’s 2025 Content Benchmarks Report, brands post 9.5 times per day on average. Juggling the creation and publication of that much content across multiple social networks—on top of a social media manager’s administrative and strategic workload—is no small feat.

This is why the job role of a social media content creator must be clear for hiring departments. On The Arboretum, Sprout’s community forum, Claire.P explains that she’s a senior social media manager who’s had to educate her company about how important it is to have separate content creators to rely on for content production.

Sprout's community forum recently discussed why these jobs should be considered separately

Content creator vs. influencers

But what about influencers? This is where it can get a bit more confusing, as some influencers call themselves content creators. The main difference here is the purpose of their content.

Influencers create content to influence people, usually by sharing their lifestyle or expertise. Their content is designed to encourage people to buy certain products or to promote an aspirational way of life. They work independently and manage their own small communities.

A social media content creator doesn’t just create content to influence, but also to inform, educate, raise awareness, express creativity and more. Their content is less about them as an individual and more about the content itself.

Molly-Mae Hague has a significant following across all social media platforms and is one of the biggest social media personalities in the UK. Her style of content is very personal, often promoting fashion or her own brand of products, and she’s therefore considered an influencer.

Molly-Mae is an influencer who posts relatable content on her social channels

Meanwhile, Super Eyepatch Wolf is a YouTuber who makes long-form video essays about popular TV shows that attract millions of views. His videos are made to educate and entertain, and he’d typically be considered a content creator.

SuperEyepatchWolf focuses on the quality of the videos he creates and would therefore be considered a content creator

If you’re still unsure about the distinctions check out our article on digital creators vs. influencers.

When in doubt, remember: social media content creators can be hired as internal employees. While they can work as external contractors like influencers, large companies should consider building an internal content creation team.

What does a social media content creator do?

Working as a social media content creator is a dynamic role that can change depending on several factors. Typical responsibilities include:

  • Coming up with creative and unique content ideas that are clearly aligned with a brand’s wider social strategy

  • Producing this content through filming, creating visuals, copywriting descriptions and more

  • Editing content before publication, considering the target audience and SEO

  • Adapting content so it can be used across different social networks

  • Collaborating with social media managers to keep track of content calendars and review analytics

  • Monitoring current social media trends for potential brand fit

Benefits of hiring social media content creators

Hiring an internal social media content creator can transform the way your social media team operates. Here are some of the key benefits this role can offer your brand.

More audience insights

Hiring a content creator means you have someone who regularly creates content for your social profiles. They’ll begin to fully understand the uniqueness of your target audience and what they expect from your social content.

By bringing your content creation in-house, you’ll receive the engagement on a channel you own, which is better for brand-building and making improvements based on analytics. Your internal social media content creator can also collaborate with your social manager and wider marketing team, as they’ll have access to all of your performance data which they can use to influence improvements to your entire digital strategy.

But contracting a creator instead of hiring them internally is also beneficial from an audience perspective. You might be able to reach more followers than usual by cross-posting a campaign on their profile, and they may be able to bring audience insights to your team that you haven’t yet considered.

More timely and relevant content

Social media is a time-sensitive arena; trends and memes come and go every week. An internal content creator gives you more flexibility with your social profiles, streamlining your content creation and publishing workflows.

Having an internal creator allows you to jump on trends quickly. According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, 27% of consumers believe that brands using viral trends in their content is only effective if it’s published within the first 48 hours of a trend happening.

A circle graph breaking down consumer reactions to brands jumping on viral trends. The majority (40%) of consumers think it's cool. 33% of consumers think it's embarrassing. 27% of consumers think it's only effective in the first 24 to 48 hours of a trend's lifespan.

Besides being reactive, an internal social media content creator supports your brand by being a proactive marketer. They’ll understand current trends, and should also be able to identify which trends will be most relevant for your brand and audience. This can help your brand hop onto the right trends before they become outdated.

Whilst it can be easier to jump on trends with an internal creator, you can still work with external creators on trendy content. Creators are often very aware of the trends occurring within their audience and can work with you to capitalize on them quickly if you have a strong working relationship.

More creative and engaging content

The core role of a social media content creator should be to create content. Because the job is so focused on content creation, they have more time to be creative and to consider new angles for your content output.

This can often lead to more interesting ideas, and more engagement with your social strategy. Talented creators will often have a proven track record of success with content ideas, and they’ll be able to use this expertise to support your brand.

More capacity for creative execution

By employing a content creator alongside a social media manager, they can share responsibilities. Expecting a creator to also do the work of a manager, or vice-versa, can lead to burnout.

Hiring a content creator is a vital step in building a successful social media team. Once formed, this team can work together to deliver better results for your brand.

When to hire a social media content creator

Four clear signals indicate when your company needs a social media content creator:

  • Overworked team: Your current team spends all their time on daily management instead of strategic innovation

  • Declining engagement: Your content performance plateaus or decreases, signaling need for fresh creative perspectives

  • Content format gaps: You recognize the value of videos or Reels but lack the skills, equipment or capacity for production

  • Volume limitations: You want to post more frequently but lack the creative bandwidth for consistent, quality content

Finding the right social media content creator

If you’re interested in hiring a social media content creator, there are a few different ways you can go. Depending on your needs you can:

Hiring Option

Best For

Key Benefits

Considerations

In-house Creator

Larger brands, companies with 50+ employees

Brand alignment, full creative control, integrated workflows

Higher cost, long-term commitment

Agency Partnership

Mid-market companies with complex needs

Diverse expertise, scalable resources and industry insights

Less brand intimacy, higher costs

Freelance/Contract

SMBs, specific campaigns, testing new formats

Lower cost, specialized skills, flexible arrangement

Limited availability, less brand integration

Either way, you need to find the right social media content creator for your business. These tips will help you evaluate candidates and match a creator with your brand.

Searching for content creators

Finding content creators is the first major hurdle. You can advertise for the position like any other job — if you’re advertising, download our social media manager job description templates, which include a digital content creator role description that’s ready to personalize.

Search through creator databases with defined campaign goals to filter candidates effectively. Sprout Social Influencer Marketing uses AI-powered discovery to identify creators whose audiences authentically connect with your brand, filtering by demographics, interests, engagement rates and content performance metrics.

Key platform advantages include:

  • AI-powered matching: Advanced algorithms connect you with creators whose audiences align with your target demographics

  • Performance analytics: Built-in metrics tracking for campaign ROI measurement

  • Integrated workflows: Seamless collaboration tools within your existing social media management platform

Sprout Social Influencer Marketing helps you find content creators

Make sure creators understand your audience and values

Using a tool also means you can filter creators based on factors like audience sizes. Review a creator’s profile yourself, and check whether their values align with your brand’s. You should be looking for obvious examples of profanity or controversy, but also if they support certain causes or controversial figures.

Make sure to also share your brand style guidelines with them, including your TOV, previous campaigns and other documents.

Review their portfolio

An experienced content creator should have a portfolio of work to show to potential employers or collaborators. Request this from everyone you’re considering, and review the content they’ve already created.

This will firstly give you a good idea of the types of content they’re experienced in, and how creative their ideas are.

Jonpaulsballs is a unique Instagram content creator who makes custom footballs (soccer balls) using various shapes and materials. Pepsi saw his previous content and decided to contract him for a campaign promoting their new Pepsi Smart Can, working within his usual content style.

An collaborative Instagram post from @pepsiglobal and @jonpaulsballs depicting a ball sewn to look like the Pepsi logo.

Portfolios should also include success metrics. Compare these metrics across different portfolios to determine how successful a creator has been so far, and crucially how well they understand their success.

It can be just as important to review which metrics a creator has focused on. This shows you how well they understand each platform, and should give you an indication of whether they can support and collaborate with your social media manager on tracking performance.

How brands can collaborate with social media content creators

The best way to work with a social media content creator will depend on if you’ve employed them, or if they’re a contractor. Below, we’ve given some clearer advice on how you can collaborate with creators who are working for you as contractors, rather than as employees.

Be clear on expectations when contracting creators

If you’re contracting a creator for a specific campaign, apply transparency to your campaign goals.

Explain exactly what deliverables you need from them, and which KPIs will determine success. Share this in a campaign outline before a project starts, so they have plenty of time to understand your expectations.

Make sure to also share your brand style guidelines with them, including your TOV, previous campaigns and other documents. The more information you can give a creator, the easier it should be for them to understand your brand and what you expect from them.

Prioritize diversity and inclusion

It’s no secret brands have struggled to diversify the talent they work with and employ. This is a significant issue from a social and a business standpoint. Inclusive campaigns bring unique perspectives to your content, broadening your reach beyond any single group of consumers.

Creators from different backgrounds are also able to apply their unique life experiences and perspectives to the content they make. Make sure your collaborations consider and amplify voices that aren’t always heard.

Trust and respect your creators

To reap the full benefits of hiring social media content creators, you need to give them creative freedom. Remember: you’re relying on their perspective and unique voice. Stifling that can hurt both your brand and your relationship with a creator.

Much like with influencers, working with creators is a two-way street. Respect them as individuals, and find a way of merging their creativity with your brand’s ethos. Your collaboration should work wonders for your brand, but it should also be rewarding and valuable for them in their careers.

Ready to hire a social media content creator?

Trends and consumer preferences are changing faster than ever before. Social media content creators are tapped into the zeitgeist and can help your brand stay relevant and differentiated across social channels.

For everything else you need to know to evolve your social media strategy, check out the latest edition of The Sprout Social Index™. You’ll find data-backed insights on what people want from brands and what other marketers are doing to keep up.

Ready to find the perfect creator for your brand? Start a free trial or request a demo to explore how Sprout Social’s creator discovery tools and collaboration workflows can streamline your content strategy and amplify your social impact.

Social media content creator FAQS

What's the difference between hiring in-house vs. contracting a content creator?

In-house creators integrate fully with your team culture and brand strategy, while contracted creators provide campaign-specific expertise and fresh perspectives without long-term commitment.

How much should I expect to pay a social media content creator?

Full-time creators earn salaries comparable to marketing specialists in your region, while freelancers charge hourly or project-based rates depending on deliverables and expertise level.

Should content creators also handle community management?

No—content creation and community management require different skill sets and focus areas. Separate specialists deliver better results and prevent burnout.

How do I measure the success of hiring a content creator?

Track engagement rates, reach, video duration and website traffic from their content using Sprout Social’s analytics to connect creator performance directly to business ROI.