Everyone keeps telling businesses they need a content creator. But what does that actually mean, what should you pay for one, and do you even need one in the first place?

The term content creator has become a bit of a marketing free-for-all.

One person might use it to describe somebody filming TikToks on their phone. Another might mean a professional videographer. Someone else could be talking about an influencer, photographer, copywriter or social media manager.

Helpful.

For business owners, that can make working out what you actually need unnecessarily confusing.

Do you need someone to turn up once a month and film Reels? A photographer to refresh your brand imagery? A videographer to produce polished adverts? An influencer with an audience of their own? Or someone to manage the whole social media machine once the content has been created?

In this guide, we’ll explain what a content creator is, what a social media content creator actually does, how they differ from photographers and videographers, how much they cost and how to work out whether hiring one is worth your money.

At Content Chef, we’re big believers in frank advice. So, if you don’t actually need a content creator, we’ll tell you that too.

What is a content creator?

A content creator is someone who produces material designed to inform, entertain or engage an audience.

For businesses, that can include:

• Social media videos
• Reels and TikToks
• Photography
• Product content
• Interviews
• Blogs and written content
• Graphics
• Podcasts
• Website content

Which is where the confusion starts.

“Content creator” isn’t really one specific job anymore. It’s an umbrella term covering a fairly ridiculous number of skills. Someone who writes SEO blogs could technically be a content creator.

So could somebody filming restaurant Reels on an iPhone.

So could a photographer shooting a national campaign.

Same label. Very different skill set.

What is a social media content creator?

A social media content creator specialises in producing content specifically for platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Their work commonly includes short-form video, photography, Reels, TikToks, interviews, behind-the-scenes content, product demonstrations and other platform-specific creative.

A good social media content creator should understand more than how to make something look nice.

They should also understand why somebody would stop scrolling for it.

That means thinking about:

• The opening hook
• Video length
• Platform trends
• Framing and composition
• Editing style
• Captions or on-screen text
• What actually suits the brand
• What the audience is likely to care about
• And crucially, what happens after somebody watches it.

What does a social media content creator actually do?

This varies wildly.

Some content creators are essentially one-person production teams. They’ll come up with an idea, shoot it, edit it and hand over the finished video.

Others are primarily creators on camera.

Some specialise in UGC.

Others have professional photography and videography experience and can move between quick social content and more polished commercial work.

This is why asking “How much does a content creator cost?” is a bit like asking how much a car costs.

Are we talking about a 2009 Fiat Panda or a brand-new Ferrari?

Both technically get you from A to B.

The experience is somewhat different.

Content creator vs photographer vs videographer: what’s the difference?

There’s plenty of crossover, but they aren’t necessarily the same thing.

A photographer specialises in still imagery. Think product photography, headshots, lifestyle imagery, food photography, interiors or large-scale brand campaigns.

A videographer specialises in moving image and will generally have deeper technical experience around cameras, lighting, sound, storytelling and post-production.

A social media content creator usually works specifically around content designed for social platforms. They might use professional cameras, phones or both depending on what the content needs.

And a social media manager is another thing altogether.

They might develop the strategy, plan the content calendar, write the copy, schedule posts, manage the channels, analyse performance and report on what’s working.

That person may also create the content.

But they might not. Welcome to marketing job titles.

So, what does your business actually need?

This is the question that matters more than the title.

If you need fresh headshots and product imagery for a new website, hire a good photographer.

If you’re producing a polished brand film or advertising campaign, you probably want an experienced videographer or video production team.

If you need somebody regularly capturing quick, platform-first Reels and TikToks, a social media content creator could be exactly what you need.

And if you need the ideas, photography, videography, content creation, copywriting, scheduling and strategy all handled together, hiring each skill separately can start getting messy.

That’s one of the reasons we built Content Chef the way we did.

Our team includes social media content creators, professional photographers, videographers, copywriters and social media specialists. So, the person creating the visual content isn’t operating in a vacuum. There’s a wider strategy behind why we’re making it in the first place.

You get the visuals and the logic behind them.

What is UGC, and is a UGC creator the same as a content creator?

Not quite. UGC stands for user-generated content.

Traditionally, that meant content genuinely created by customers. Think of somebody buying a product and uploading a video about it without being asked.

Nowadays, businesses also pay UGC creators to make content that deliberately looks and feels like customer-created material.

That might be:

• A product demonstration
• An unboxing
• A testimonial-style video
• A “day in the life” clip
• A talking-to-camera recommendation

UGC can be incredibly useful because it often feels less like traditional advertising.

But you’re generally buying the content, rather than access to the creator’s audience.

That distinction matters.

What’s the difference between a content creator and an influencer?

A content creator is primarily being paid to make something.

An influencer is generally being paid for the content and access to their audience. Of course, plenty of people are both.

A micro-influencer might create an Instagram Reel for your product and publish it to their own followers. Depending on the relationship, smaller creators may sometimes work in exchange for a product, experience or other benefit rather than a traditional fee.

At the extreme end of the scale, the numbers get slightly ridiculous.

Hopper HQ’s 2024 Instagram Rich List estimated that Cristiano Ronaldo could command around $3.432 million for a sponsored Instagram post, while Kim Kardashian was estimated at around $2.172 million per post. These are industry estimates rather than confirmed fees for individual campaigns, but they give you some idea of how dramatically influencer pricing can scale with audience size.

So yes, technically both your local creator filming a 30-second skincare Reel and Cristiano Ronaldo are playing in the same broad ecosystem.

The invoices may differ slightly.

How much does a social media content creator cost?

The frustrating but accurate answer is: it depends on what you’re actually buying.

At the simpler end, UK UGC creators can start around £50-£150 per video, while more established creators commonly charge several hundred pounds. Higher-production or talent-led work can run into the thousands, particularly once usage rights, paid advertising rights, multiple edits or more involved production are added.

But that’s only one type of content creation.

You might instead be paying for:

• A half-day shoot
• A full-day shoot
• Professional photography
• Professional videography
• Several edited Reels
• Actors or models
• Location hire
• Drone footage
• Scripting
• Storyboarding
• Editing
• Paid usage rights
• Ongoing monthly content creation

Or all of the above. That’s why comparing content creator prices without comparing the deliverables is fairly pointless.

One person might quote £150 for a video shot on a phone.

Another might charge significantly more but include creative development, professional cameras, lighting, sound, editing, multiple versions and commercial usage.

Neither is automatically better. They’re different products.

Is it cheaper to hire a content creator in-house?

Sometimes. If you genuinely have enough work to keep somebody busy every week, hiring internally can make a lot of sense.

But remember that the cost isn’t just the salary.

You might also need cameras, lenses, lighting, microphones, editing software, computers, training and additional marketing support.

Current UK salary estimates also show just how broadly therole can be defined. Glassdoor puts the average base salary for a Social MediaContent Creator at roughly £27,000-£28,000 a year, with reported salaries varying significantly by experience andlocation.

And one person still won’t necessarily be brilliant at:

Photography. Videography. Editing. Strategy. Copywriting. Graphic design. Analytics. Paid social. Being on camera.

If they are, guard them with your life.

Should you hire a freelancer, content creator or social media agency?

There’s no universally right answer.

Hire a freelancer if...

You have a clear brief and need a specific skill or occasional support.

That could be a photographer for a one-off shoot, a videographer for a campaign or a creator to produce several Reels.

Hire someone in-house if...

You produce enough content to justify a permanent role and want somebody immersed in the business every day.

Hire a social media agency if...

You need several disciplines working together. This is where an agency content creator can look slightly different from a standalone creator.

At Content Chef, for example, content creation can sit alongside:

• Social media strategy
• Photography
• Videography
• Copywriting
• Scheduling
• Publishing
• Community management
• Reporting
• Paid social

So, rather than simply receiving ten videos and wondering what to do with them, there’s a plan behind how the content gets used. It’s the visual with the know-how.

How doyou hire a social media content creator?

Before asking for the prices from a social media content creator, work out exactly what you need them to do. Then ask these questions.

What kind of content do they actually create?

Look beyond the word “content creator”. Do they specialise in quick phone content? Professional photography? Video production? UGC? Editing?

Their portfolio should answer this fairly quickly.

Do they understand your business?

A technically perfect video that feels completely wrong for your brand is still bad. Ask how they research businesses, audiences and competitors before creating anything.

Do they come up with the ideas?

Some creators expect a complete brief. Others can conceptualise, script, storyboard and shape the content themselves.

Neither model is wrong, but you need to know what you're paying for.

What happens after the shoot?

Find out how many edits you receive, what formats they’re supplied in, whether raw footage is included and whether changes are charged separately.

Who owns the content?

Check your usage rights. This becomes particularly important if you plan to use the content in paid advertising.

Can they create different levels of content?

A business might need a quick Reel today and a polished website film next month.

If that sounds familiar, look for somebody or a team that can comfortably do both.

Do you need creation or management?

This is the big one. If all you need is somebody to create the assets, don’t pay for social media management you don’t need.

But if nobody internally has the time or expertise to develop the strategy, write the posts, publish the content and analyse the results, content creation alone probably won’t solve the problem.

Does a small business need a social media content creator?

Not necessarily. There, we said it.

Plenty of small businesses can create very effective content themselves. If somebody within the company is comfortable filming, understands the audience and actually has time to do it consistently, brilliant.

You might simply need occasional professional photography or videography to supplement what you already create. (Something we can help with on an ad-hoc basis, too.)

But hiring a social media content creator starts to make more sense when:

• You consistently run out of things to post
• Nobody has time to film
• Your best work rarely makes it onto social media
• Your content looks noticeably weaker than the business itself
• You’re relying heavily on stock imagery
• You want to create more video but don’t know where to start
• Social media keeps falling to the bottom of somebody’s to-do list

If three or four of those sounded familiar, there may be a conversation worth having.

Is a social media content creator worth it?

A good one can be. But only if the content has a job to do.

More videos do not automatically equal better marketing. The right content might help you demonstrate a product, introduce your team, build trust, generate enquiries, improve a website, support advertising or simply give people a reason to remember your business.

The wrong content is just another file sitting in Google Drive. That’s why we’d always start with the objective rather than the camera.

Sometimes you need a content creator. Sometimes you need the whole kitchen.

“Content creator” might be one of the broadest job titles in marketing right now. And ultimately, the title matters a lot less than what you need somebody to create.

You might need a freelancer to film three TikToks. You might need professional photography and videography for a new website.

Or you might want somebody to take the entire thing off your plate, from the strategy and creative ideas through to filming, editing, copywriting and publishing.

That’s where we come in.

At Content Chef, our in-house team combines content creators, photographers, videographers, copywriters and social media specialists, giving businesses the option to pick a single service or bundle everything together.

No need to hire five different people and create another five WhatsApp groups.

If you’re weighing up what kind of content support you actually need, take a look at our photography and videography services or social media packages.

And if you still haven’t got a clue which route makes sense, give us a shout.

We’ll tell you. Even if the answer is “you probably don’t need us yet”.

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Written by Daryl Charman