Become a Social Media Creator in 2025: Your 9-Step Plan

There’s a bit of a misconception that it’s “too late” to get started as a creator in 2025. Sure, the TikTok boom of 2020 is behind us (RIP days where videos of your sourdough starter got 10K views), but that doesn’t mean you’ve missed the boat.

For one thing, it’s probably never going to be as easy as it is right now, ever again. The space is crowded, but it’s only getting more so. And another: there's still plenty of room for authentic voices to make their mark.

"Your voice and your perspective matter," says creator and marketer Aarushi Singh. "There's room for everyone in the creator economy, and the world needs more passionate people sharing their knowledge and creativity."

Plus, you’ve got a secret weapon — the tried-and-tested advice of successful creators who have been there, done that, and got the blue check (or Top Voice badge). I spoke to several of my favorite creators across platforms and asked them, with all their years of experience (and cross-platform followings), what they would do differently if they were starting from scratch today.

And they had some fascinating insights to share.

Armed with their wisdom, Buffer’s data, and my own experience as a creator, I’ve pulled together this step-by-step guide.

So, whether you're dreaming of becoming the next big TikTok star or building a meaningful community on LinkedIn, I've got you covered.

Let’s start building your plan — and your following.

1. Find your ‘why’ — and write it down

What is motivating you to start building your presence on social media? Setting an overarching goal will help you get clear on your audience, content, and more. On top of that, it’s a useful north star to revisit when you need some motivation to stick to your plan.

Gina Sapién, a marketer who grew her LinkedIn following to over 10K in just six months in 2024, says this is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.

“What’s your main reason for creating content? Are you growing a brand, closing deals, landing a job, or something else? Your strategy will depend on this.”

She cautions against setting a goal like ‘get followers.’ “Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics like followers if they don’t align with your goal. For example, if you’re building a business, focus on leads, not likes.”

In my case, I’m focused on building my audience on LinkedIn in 2025 (supported by content on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads). My overarching goal is not to get followers but to generate multiple income streams. That means landing creator partnerships with brands I love and picking up content marketing and podcasting freelance work.

Once you’re clear on your why, write it down somewhere visible. Research supports the idea that writing down your goals makes it more likely you’ll achieve them — 50% more likely, according to a study out of the Dominican University of California. I’ll take those odds.

2. Find your (for now) sweet spot

If you’ve consumed any content about getting your start on social, you’ll likely have heard a thing or two about choosing your niche. It’s good advice, but one that, in my experience, might lead to some overthinking.

According to social media strategist Lindsey Gamble, the key is picking a topic you can talk about day after day without wanting to throw your phone out the window.

"While some topics may have broader appeal or better reach, I'd focus on one or two that I'm passionate about and can consistently develop content for," he explains. "Consistency is key to content creation, and choosing a topic you know or love helps prevent burnout and keeps you motivated."

Gina has some great advice on this front, too: “What’s that one thing you could talk about all day without getting tired AND people actually want to hear about? Start there,” she suggests.

“Then break it down into 3–5 smaller themes (content pillars) you can stick to each week. These will keep you focused and help you build trust with your audience.”

For Aarushi, this step would include "a thorough self-analysis of my skills/interests and how they align with my big-picture goals."

"For example, I'm a marketer by day, so it's naturally easier for me to talk about marketing and be more confident about it," she says.

Still feeling a little overwhelmed by trying to narrow down all your passions? Lindsey shared this nugget, which will hopefully alleviate some pressure:

“Ultimately, your niche is you and not just the topic you focus on.”

Gigi Robinson, creative economy educator and chronic illness activist — who has more than 200K followers across TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram — shared something similar on Buffer Chat: The Podcast.

Start by focusing on one area of content that you are passionate about and expand from there, she suggested.

“Think of your own brand as a solar system. You are the sun, and all of your interests are planets that you build upon over time."

3. Find your ‘connection’ point

In my original draft of this article, I had a rough note about ‘finding your audience.’ But Pretty Little Marketer director, Sophie Miller, shared a tip that takes this a step further.

“My first step would be to define my connection point,” she says. “Community is everything in 2025, and it's integral to building a presence that stands the test of time, especially if you’re looking to build on a busy platform like Instagram.”

Sophie certainly would know. She started out on her “first love” Instagram back in 2020, amassing more than 100K followers. Now, she’s more focused on LinkedIn, where she has an audience of 200K on her personal profile and more than 300K on Pretty Little Marketer’s page.

“Your connection point is the shared interest between you and your audience, that you can use to build relationship, maintain a consistent personal brand and as direction for your content,” she explains.”

“Who are you posting for? If it's Gen-Z fashion girlies, your connection point might be feelings of trend fatigue and desire for timeless pieces. If you're a foodie looking to connect with other treat lovers, it could be life's little luxuries and indulgent yet quick recommendations.”

“Defining your connection point means that you know what you're creating, and they know what to expect from you — right from the get-go.”

4. Play to your strengths

“I’d love to create content, but I really don’t want to be on camera.”

If I had a dollar follower for every time someone told me that, I’d have about… 12 more followers. (Which is quite a few people, to be fair.)

I get that this is a major blocker for loads of people, but the reality is that you really don’t need to be a pro videographer to make it on social. Yes, short-form video is (still) having a moment — but it’s far from your only option when it comes to building your audience on social media.

Far more important than format is consistency. So, choose a format (or a mix of them) that works for you.

“While short-form video is often recommended because of its popularity on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, I’d focus on formats that play to my strengths,” Lindsey says. “If short-form video doesn’t come naturally to you, starting with it might feel forced. Instead, I’d prioritize formats that allow me to create content effectively because that is what is likely going to resonate best with audiences.”

So, if you’re comfortable on camera and enjoy editing videos, setting out to create three videos every week is great! If you don’t fall into that camp, then trying to churn out all that video content is going to lead to burnout faster than you can say, “Export to camera roll.”

No matter what the naysayers might tell you, there is still room on social media for photo- and text-based content — just look at the incredible rise of text-based platforms Threads and Bluesky.

And if you're looking for receipts, we have them — a recent analysis of millions of Instagram posts found that, while videos do get more reach on the platform, it’s carousels that get the most engagement.

When you’ve landed on your preferred content format, it’s time to consider…

5. Choose your platforms (wisely)

As an aspiring creator, I’m sure you already have a platform (or several) in mind you’re hoping to lean into. That’s great! But now you’ve already done some strategy leg work as you work through these steps, there are a few more things to consider:

1. What is your ultimate goal? If it’s booking brand partnerships, Instagram is the #sponsoredpost OG, while LinkedIn is definitely up-and-coming. If you’re looking to monetize natively, YouTube should be your first port of call, though TikTok is another strong option. Looking to drive click-throughs to a website or online store? Pinterest is where you want to be.
2. Where is your audience? I’d argue this is not as important a consideration as it once was, since you can find all sorts of niches on the sprawling social networks of today. That said, common sense rules apply. (In other words: You’re probably not going to find too many pensioners on TikTok.)
3. What format can you stick to consistently? While most platforms do support a mix of formats, there are one or two that just work best in-feed. On TikTok and YouTube, it’s video. On Instagram, it’s videos and carousels. On LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, or X, text can still reign supreme.

If you’re still feeling confused, here’s a deep dive on platforms with Lindsey Gamble:

5. Build your creator tool stack

By now, you’ll know what type of content you're creating, where, and for who. If you’re starting from scratch, you probably feel like you’ve got your work cut out for you — but don’t assume the brace position just yet.

There are loads of wonderful tools out there that can help you make the process smoother and faster. Here’s a quick list of some tools and use cases you might want to consider:

1. A social media calendar: Whether it's a simple diary or spreadsheet or a more powerful tool like Buffer or Notion, a social media calendar is essential for staying consistent and organized. Here are some social media calendar templates to get started (or watch the video below to build one from scratch with me.)
2. Photo editor: Whether it’s resizing to the best dimensions for each platform or tweaking the colors to fit your feed, a photo editor should be your first port-of-call. I use Canva and Adobe Lightroom for most of this.
3. Design app: For creating carousels, adding text to images, and even some lightweight animations, you’ll need a design tool. Canva is my go-to, though Figma is a great option if you’re looking for something a little more powerful.
4. A text editor: If you’re a text-based creator, I’d recommend a tool that dots the i’s and crosses the t’s. Grammarly’s browser extension is my favorite for most text, though AI writing tools like ChatGPT, Writer, and Claude can also be handy. I also like to use Speechify to read longer posts aloud to me to make sure they make sense.
5. Video editor: You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to great video editors. My favorites are CapCut and Veed, though it might take some experimentation to find a system that works for you. These video editing tools are all excellent options.
6. Social media management: No surprises here, but I’m a huge fan of scheduling social media posts in advance. Plus, I crosspost to multiple channels and there is no way I’m going to do that manually. Buffer is, of course, my go-to for scheduling and crossposting (it’s an excellent choice for beginners, and it’s free). If it’s not the right fit for you, here’s a comprehensive list of social media management tools and who they’re best for.
7. Social media analytics: Figuring out what content works best for your audience is a crucial (and ongoing) task for creator success. Most platforms do have native analytics baked in which can be helpful, but it gets really fiddly if you’re sharing on multiple channels. Again, Buffer’s my top choice here as it does the math for you (recommending your best day, frequency, and content type to post on most channels), but here’s a bumper list of all the great social media analytics tools out there.
8. An ideas hub: Once you get posting, I can pretty much guarantee that your best content ideas will come to you at the gym/at the store/out on a walk. You need a tool you can use on the go to store these sparks of genius. Your Notes app, Notion, Google Keep, and Buffer’s Create Space will work a treat.

6. Lean on other creators who inspire you

When I first started creating on TikTok more consistently, one of the best pieces of advice I ever received was from Buffer’s own Nathan Nannenga, who has built up more than 30K followers on TikTok for his game and hobby store, Riftgate.

He advised me to find other creators in my niche who I love, and use their videos as a template for my own. That definitely doesn’t mean copying them outright of course (there’s no way to flop on TikTok faster than inauthenticity). I’d put my own spin on their ideas, filming similar shots for my videos and seeing where and how they incorporated transitions and other effects. Doing this really helped me find my feet as a video creator and define my own style.

Gina has some similar advice for text-based creators. “Writing as a newbie can feel overwhelming, so find posts that work and use them as a starting point,” she says. “Just don’t copy and paste — and always give credit if you borrow an idea.”

7. Make some friends

Not all the work that goes into building an audience happens on a public feed. Kiran Shahid, a content strategist, says that one of the best things she ever did when building her 10K audience on LinkedIn was connecting with other creators.

"I'd study their content, understand their journey, and then send them super personalized DMs that showed I'd actually done my homework,” she says. “I also left detailed, thoughtful comments that added real value to discussions. The key was being ridiculously consistent with this approach. I'd follow up with people, share their wins, and genuinely celebrate their successes.”

This investment still pays dividends today, Kiran says. “These same people regularly engage with my content, but more importantly, they've become part of a tight-knit community where we all support each other's growth.”

“I've gotten amazing referrals for work, and collaboration opportunities — all because I took the time to build relationships rather than just collecting connections."

Similarly, Lindsey recommends fostering connections on your own content, too.

“One advantage new creators have is a smaller audience, which allows for deeper, more personal engagement,” he says. “Early on, I’d make it a priority to interact with every comment, DM, or message on my content. This kind of direct engagement helps build strong relationships and can turn casual viewers into loyal, engaged followers.”

“As your audience grows, scaling this level of interaction gets harder, so take advantage of it while you can.”

8. Set a realistic, flexible schedule

Creator burnout: A thing to be avoided at all costs. While posting more is often touted as better for most platforms, that’s pretty unrealistic for most folks. There’s no point in posting daily if that ignites your inner Icarus.

To make sure you don’t fly too close to the sun, don’t put yourself under too much pressure. Callie Schweitzer, Head of Scaled Programs at LinkedIn, works with a lot of new creators. One of the things she stresses to all of them: Don't try to go from zero to daily posting overnight.

"Don't set a New Year's resolution that if you have posted zero times in the last month, you're going to post every day," she warns. "That's unrealistic... and we can all tell when somebody's posting on a platform, and it feels forced."

Instead, start small and build up gradually. Maybe that's one post a week, then two, then three. The key is finding a rhythm you can actually maintain.

Again, consistency > frequency.

9. Consider building a home home base

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the rapid banning and unbanning of TikTok, it’s that there’s something to be said for the old adage, “Don't put all your eggs in one basket.”

"With algorithms constantly evolving, policies changing, and the possibility of platforms being banned, creators should focus on building channels that they own too," Lindsey says.

Consider starting:

• A blog (like Lindsey Gamble’s)
• A community platform (like Sophie’s PLM community)
• A newsletter (like Buffer’s Tami Oladipo’s Content-as-a-Career)

These owned channels aren't just backup plans — they're potential early monetization opportunities too.

It’s time to take the plunge — and post

If you’ve worked your way through this article, you’re ready. It’s time to get to the fun — and most challenging part — posting.

I don’t say difficult because creating content is hard work. It is, but it’s no harder than working through the creator strategy you’ve just finished. Hitting ‘publish’ is tough because it means stepping into the unknown, to a degree, with every post.

"That's the thing about being a creator. When you haven't started, you build a mountain of self-doubt and impostor syndrome that makes you believe you can't achieve things because someone else is better at it, has bigger numbers, or better equipment," Aarushi says.

"But take it from someone who's been there and done that, you need to get over your perfectionism. You don't need a crazy new idea or an otherworldly genius interstellar craft to be a successful creator."

More good news: It gets a little easier every single time.

Which is where this brilliant advice from creator and social strategist Jayde Powell comes in: “Just post the content. I think over time, things will fall into place, but you won't have all the answers until you actually start posting.

“But I would say, don't think so critically about it,” she adds. “This is supposed to be something that is really fun and enjoyable and natural to you because it is an extension of who you are.”

“So just get to posting. And then, over time, things will fall into place accordingly.”

New Creator Worksheet

Copy and paste these questions to your notes tool of choice and work your way through them (a pen and paper will do just fine, too!).

My ‘why’ is:

Why am I starting as a creator? What motivates me?

My sweet spot is:

What is the one thing I could talk about endlessly without getting tired?

…and that leads to these content pillars:

1. First core theme
2. Second core theme
3. Third core theme

The connection point/s between me and my audience are:

What shared interest or value will help me build a relationship with my audience?

My strengths are:

What formats (e.g., video, text, photo, etc.) or styles of content play to my abilities?

The platforms I will focus on are:

What channels align with my goals, audience, and strengths?

My creator tool stack includes:

• Photo editor: e.g., Canva, Adobe Lightroom
• Design app: e.g., Canva, Figma
• Text editor: e.g., Grammarly, ChatGPT
• Video editor: e.g., CapCut, Veed
• Social media management: e.g., Buffer
• Analytics tools: e.g., Buffer, native platform analytics
• Ideas hub: e.g., Notes app, Notion, Buffer’s Create Space

The creators who inspire me are:

Whose work resonates with me? What lessons can I take from them? Pro tip: Keep a list of links to their profiles so you can regularly visit, engage, and learn from their latest content.

My content schedule is:

What posting frequency can I maintain without burning out?

The owned channels I will explore are:

What home base (e.g., blog, newsletter, or community) will I build to secure my content and diversify my income opportunities?

My next steps:

What is the very first piece of content I’ll post? When? How will I follow up?

Looking for more support?

As a new (or even experienced) creator, it can be easy to feel isolated and overwhelmed. That’s why we kicked off Buffer’s Creator Camp, a program to help you post on social media consistently for 30 days. This high-touch, free challenge provides the structure, support, and community to make posting a habit. Learn more here →

Missed the latest round of Creator Camp? No sweat: We kick off a new challenge every quarter! Until then, you can always join our Discord community to connect with other creators.