Content creator: what it is, what they do and how they earn

track.lt editorial team · 2026-10-11 · 5 min read

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Content creator, influencer and UGC creator: what is the difference
Which jobs hide behind this name
What is needed to start
What a content creator earns from
Expectations: what to expect in the first months
Advertising and taxes from the first euro
Frequently asked questions
Sources

“Content creator” are the words used today to introduce themselves by a teenager with a TikTok account, a person who films ads for companies and a podcast host alike. All three are right: a content creator (in Lithuanian, turinio kūrėjas) is someone who regularly creates texts, photos, video or audio recordings for the internet. The only difference is who they create for and who pays for it.

In this part of the guide – how a content creator differs from an influencer and a UGC creator, which jobs hide behind this name, what is needed to start and what the money is actually earned from. No promises: most creators earn nothing in the first months, and that is normal.

In short

Content creator is the broadest term: the influencer and the UGC creator are varieties of it.
To start, a phone, daylight and clear sound are enough; expensive equipment does not speed up the first results.
Income almost never comes from a single source: it is sponsors, commissions, orders, platform payouts and your own products.
Platform payouts have thresholds. For example, YouTube shares advertising revenue only once you reach 1 000 subscribers and a viewing threshold.

Content creator, influencer and UGC creator: what is the difference

	Content creator	Influencer	UGC creator
What they sell	The content itself or attention to it	Their audience's trust	Content for the brand's channels
Where they publish	On their own channels, on the client's channels or both	On their own account	On the client's accounts and in its ads
Is an audience necessary	Depends on the direction	Yes	No
Who usually pays	The platform, sponsors, clients, buyers	Brands	Brands and agencies

In practice the boundaries blur. The same person films a review for their own channel on Monday, an ad for an online shop on Tuesday and writes a newsletter on Wednesday. So it is worth thinking not “who am I” but “who pays me for what”.

Which jobs hide behind this name

Your own channel. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, a blog, a podcast or a newsletter on one topic. The income appears latest of all, but the channel remains yours.
Content for clients. Short videos, photos and texts for companies' accounts. You are paid for the work, no audience is needed.
Social media management. The creator not only creates but also plans, publishes and replies to comments. This is already a service with a monthly fee.
Expert content. A specialist – a coach, an accountant, a gardener – creates content about their field and gets clients through it.
Recommendation content. Reviews and comparisons with affiliate links, for which a commission is paid.

What is needed to start

Skills

Telling one thought clearly. One post – one idea. This matters more than editing effects.
The first seconds. TikTok states that for most users interactions carry the most weight in recommendations, including watch time. If a person scrolls past within a second, nobody will see the rest of the post.
Simple editing on a phone: trimming, adding subtitles, levelling the sound.
Writing. The caption, the headline and the subtitles are text, even if you create videos.
Reading the numbers. The platform's statistics show what works. Without them you are creating blind.

Equipment

What is needed	To start	Later, if you see the need
Camera	The phone you already have	A separate camera for longer videos
Light	A window in the daytime	A continuous light lamp
Sound	A quiet room, the phone close by	A clip-on microphone
Stability	A pile of books or a windowsill	A tripod
Editing	A free app on the phone	Paid software on a computer

Sound matters more than picture: a viewer forgives a poor picture, but not unclear sound. That is why the first purchase is usually a microphone, not a camera.

What a content creator earns from

Source	When it appears	What to know
Content for clients	Earliest of all – a portfolio is enough	You are paid for the work and the rights to use the content
Commissions on recommendations	From the first reader or viewer	You earn only when someone buys
Sponsored posts	When the audience is clearly defined and active	Requires negotiations, a contract and ad labelling
Platform payouts	Once the platform's thresholds are reached	The terms and the list of countries change – check on the platform's page
Own products and services	When the audience trusts you	Courses, consultations, templates, events

As for platform payouts, it is worth knowing the exact numbers so as to have no illusions. The YouTube Partner Program page states that advertising revenue is shared with channels that have 1 000 subscribers and have collected 4 000 valid public watch hours over the last 12 months or 10 million valid Shorts views over the last 90 days. For a new channel that is months or years of work.

That is why two sources are the most realistic for beginners: content for clients and commissions. Neither needs a large audience, and both can be started straight away.

Expectations: what to expect in the first months

The first posts will be poor. That is not a problem but the price of learning. Publish and improve.
Growth is uneven. One post can get more than the ten before it combined, and the next one after it – nothing again.
Income lags behind. The work happens now, and the remuneration arrives months later. Plan what you will live on in the meantime.
It is work with deadlines. Clients expect the files on the agreed day, and the audience expects a new post.

Advertising and taxes from the first euro

If you received money, a product or a commission for a post, it is advertising and must be labelled. The Law on Advertising prohibits hidden advertising. Goods and services received are, according to the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI), income in kind and are taxed in the same way as remuneration in money.

When the activity becomes ongoing, it has to be formalised. Which form is suitable is explained in the ACS.lt article “Self-employment: certificate or business certificate”.

Frequently asked questions

What is a content creator?

A person who regularly creates texts, photos, video or audio recordings for the internet – for their own channels, for clients or for both.

Are a content creator and an influencer the same thing?

Not quite. An influencer is a content creator who earns from their audience's trust. A content creator can also work with no audience at all – by creating content for companies.

How much does it cost to start?

As much as the phone you already have costs. Additional equipment makes sense only when you can clearly see what is missing.

When will YouTube start paying?

YouTube shares advertising revenue once you reach 1 000 subscribers and 4 000 watch hours over 12 months or 10 million Shorts views over 90 days. Check the exact terms and the list of countries on YouTube's page.

Do I need to register the activity?

Yes, once the income becomes regular. The most common choice at the start is self-employment under a certificate (individuali veikla pagal pažymą).