top 5 platforms for content creators right now

As a micro influencer, I’ve posted content to plenty of platforms and have even gotten paid for the work I’ve made. Some platforms have been very good to me, and put plenty of money in my pockets, while others were a bit more difficult to manage and didn’t really serve me well as a creator, like YouTube for example. That doesn’t mean that a certain platform isn’t going to work for you, but you need to know what platform will work best for the content and time you have to create right now.

To save you the time and hassle, I’m here to share what I believe are the top five platforms social media content creators must be using in 2022. So let’s get right into it.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

1. YouTube

YouTube has always been a space for video creation and utilized by many content creators prior to the introduction of apps like Instagram, and TikTok. I think that this is one of the best platforms for building a strong base of followers that can eventually connect with you on different platforms. YouTube is definitely the best app for creators to get paid from in my opinion. It’s been around for such a long time, and not only do brands pay you for creating sponsored videos, but you also get paid based on views as well.

I find myself making a shift from TikTok and Instagram to YouTube and growing solely on there. For one to be a long term creator and maintain consistency as well as engagement and communication with followers, I find that YouTube would be the best way for me to do so. Once I have enough time on my hands, I’ll be sure to let you all know that SIMPLY SANDRA has finally made her debut on YouTube so we can connect on there as well.

2. Instagram

Instagram originally started out as a photo sharing app and has made the shift to focus more on short form video content as well as shopping for businesses. I love that Instagram has made a space for creators, but recently they’ve begun to mimic and copy other platforms which has not worked in favor of content creators. Instagram is still a great platform to use to grow and share content with new individuals using the reels feature, but with various algorithm changes it seems that this isn’t the best app for long-term creation.

This stands at number two for one major reason and that’s because brands use Instagram a lot for their collaborations. Although Instagram may not pay much through their reels bonus program, brands do offer a lot of money for in-feed posts, reels, and stories on the platform, so it’s great to use when working with different companies.I personally have been struggling to get my engagement back to where it once was due to these algorithm changes and it’s very discouraging at times, which is why it’s smart to use plenty of platforms instead of relying on just one.

3. Pinterest

Pinterest is a great search engine for visual discovery of all things such as recipes, fashion details, even home and style inspiration. Pinterest recently launched a creator rewards program, paying creators for their pins. I had the opportunity to join the program back in March and have made around $800 since then.

I have made the most money from Pinterest simply for sharing my content without brand partnerships. I find that this is one of the best apps for creators to use and make a consistent amount of money on by completing the creator tasks to receive these rewards. To join the Pinterest creator rewards program click here to see the requirements and apply today!

4. TikTok

TikTok is currently my favorite app and it’s because of how authentic creators can be on the platform. Everyone has a chance of going viral and being featured on someone’s for you page, just for doing normal everyday things. I think that this app makes it easier to be real with people and share all of the things you love personally, and as a content creator. This app also makes it very easy to grow by hopping on trending sounds, and hashtags. Once you get the hang of it you can establish a posting strategy to continue to help you grow and funnel your followers there to other platforms.

TikTok would be higher on the list but their creator program is not the best in my opinion. Back in 2020 they implemented their creator fund which would pay creators by the view, but that only ended up tanking creators’ view counts as a whole, in an effort of not paying creators what they earned. On top of that, TikTok also has a serious racism issue that needs to be discussed. An article from Insider, discussed how black creators felt very suppressed on the platform as well as a response from TikTok. Although things have gotten better, the truth is black creators still have to work 10x harder than their counterparts on various apps, but TikTok is still failing to show support and pay black creators what they deserve.

5. Snapchat

Snapchat is an app that many of us are familiar with probably from our high school or college experiences. I recently learned that Snapchat implemented a feature called “Snapchat Spotlight” which is similar to a TikTok for you page. The same way you upload a video to TikTok, you would do the same to Snapchat with various hashtags in the hopes of it going viral. The best part of this is Snapchat will actually pay you if your video goes viral and they pay extremely well, but again that's only if you receive a large number of views within the first 24 hours of the post being up.

According to Variety, back in 2021 Snapchat paid out $250 million to over 12,000 creators. This is a very small amount compared to how much YouTube pays its creators which was over $30 billion between 2018-2020, but is great for those who still use Snapchat and would like to repurpose content from other platforms. I think that not many people use Snapchat now compared to how popular the app used to be, and this could be another outlet of use just to share content that was already made for other platforms.

As you grow in your creator journey, think of what apps work best for you, and where you’d like to showcase your talents and skills more. Maybe you want to focus on one app, or multiple apps. Maybe you want to cross-post, or create different pieces of content for each platform. It’s essential to know what works for you and your niche, as well as what platforms your content will do best on.

What’s your favorite platform and why? It doesn’t have to be for creative use, but could be for personal use as well, please let me know in the comments! Also connect with me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!