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@weirdwriter Exactly.

I'm one of those bloggers. In the early days of blogging (2000-2007), we only cared about content and making connections with like-minded individuals and readers. After that, many of us (almost all, I guess) switched to how much we're earning.

I built my own websites and blogs, and the way I built them also shifted around maximising my earnings. I wrote content because I knew it's going to be either viral, or have a long tail marketing effect.

Around 2017/2018, I started to question myself, but didn't really act on it. It was only in late 2020 that I actually stopped. I'm back to my roots. I blog because I want to, not because I want to earn. Also, based on my interests and no longer because I knew it's going to be viral or have a long tail effect.

In my circle, and a few others I know, (and even at work actually) we started to differentiate between these two types of people: “influencers” and “content creators”.

In some of the companies I worked for, they even have two separate lists. Basically:
* “Influencers” are those with large followings and will do anything to make more money.

They are basically treated as buying an ad spot, but with a clear recommendation from the “influencer” instead of traditional ads.

Also, they promised that they'll generate in-bound links or sign-ups between 4 and 5 digits. That's what they are getting paid for.

* “Content creators” on the other hand are those who may, or may not, have a large following, but they have a loyal base and their word truly are “influential”.

They don't promise anything, like potential in-bound links or sign-ups. Their word is simply trusted. People know that they give an honest review, not because they got paid or received some free item.

It's amazing to see those lists because even though they are different companies, they ended up with practically similar lists. And “influencers” are longer than “content creators”.

^_^