Over the past five years, influencers and content creators have become an important part of the media landscape. Not only do followers and fans subscribe to their content for information, but their platforms have become a great way for brands to advertise their products or services in a unique, authentic and engaging way.

As the presence and reach of content creators continues to grow, many have become celebrities of sorts – although it’s not a term they like to associate themselves with. The truth is, many popular creators have amassed hundreds or thousands and even millions of followers and having an audience that has chosen to subscribe to your content and the way you tell stories is gold in the creator space.

With the rise of content creators and brands who have started to take themselves seriously, a calculated PR strategy will help do wonders for the next phase of these creator’s careers. El Broide and Lee-Roy Wright, co-founders of boutique PR and digital agency The Platinum Club share four reasons why creators should start investing in their own PR.

Start thinking of yourself as a brand

Sure, you’ve bagged a few brand campaigns and have started making some money off your content, but having a solid PR strategy will help boost visibility and keep creators top-of-mind in brand conversations. The truth is, you need to start thinking of yourself as a brand. There will come a time in your creation journey where you will be at a crossroads. The creation process could remain a hobby or it could blossom into a serious way of making money. Once you decide to push for the latter, having a team to help make sense of your brand and help get you in front of a larger audience away from your channels will make a world of a difference.

Find a team that understands your brand

Connecting with a PR professional that understands your brand is going to do all of the difference when it comes to executing a solid PR strategy. Having those long discussions of where you are in your career now and what you hope to achieve with this PR investment is imperative for agencies to align their skills to your dreams.

Elevate your media reach

While many content creators are certainly able to reach a large number of audiences through their respective social channels, using the media to elevate your reach is one of the most important thing creators can do for their careers. The truth is, traditional media is often a much more trustworthy source than social media and having major publications talking about you and your brand helps agencies and brands take you and your content more seriously. It also helps solidify relationships between you and your audience and closes the loop when it comes to cementing yourself as a serious player in the field – which, in turn, is likely to bring in more campaigns.

Amplify your content into media-worthy content pieces

Often times, once a user sees a piece of content once, they’re unlikely to keep rewatching it. However, cleverly using your content to tell stories in the media is one way in which it can keep remaining relevant as the months go by. PR agencies are able to help use your existing content to create interesting media pieces that both help creators elevate their media reach but also amplifying their content into articles. For example, if your channel focuses on food and you make a traditional malva pudding for Heritage Month, sharing this with media is a way to both amplify your original video, giving it more views, and solidifying yourself as a industry leader – which gives a massive boost to your brand.