Are you eager to become a social media creator in 2025 but think it’s too late to start? While the massive TikTok surge of 2020 may be in the past, the opportunity to join the creator economy remains wide open. The world is ready for fresh, authentic voices, and there’s still a significant role for passionate individuals ready to share their unique perspectives.
“Your voice and your perspective matter,” emphasizes 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.”
The advantage of starting now is that you can leverage the insights of seasoned creators who have already navigated this journey. I’ve gathered valuable insights from top creators and combined them with data from Buffer and my own experience to help you embark on your social media journey.
This comprehensive 9-step plan aims to guide you whether you dream of being the next TikTok sensation or building a thriving community on LinkedIn. So, let’s dive into the essential steps to build your plan and, ultimately, your community.
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P.S. Look for a worksheet at the bottom of this article to help you map out your strategy!
1. Discover Your Purpose and Articulate It
Embarking on your social media creator journey starts with understanding your motivation. What drives you to create content? Setting clear goals will not only help you define your audience and content but also keep you motivated. Gina Sapién, who grew her LinkedIn following to over 10K followers within six months in 2024, reveals this as a crucial step.
“Why are you creating content? Whether you aim to build a brand, secure deals, or find a new job, it’s essential to align your strategy with these objectives,” Gina advises.
She recommends steering clear of vanity metrics like follower counts if they don’t align with your ultimate goals. In my journey, my target is to cultivate multiple income streams through partnerships, content marketing, and podcasting rather than focusing solely on follower numbers.
Commit your motivation to writing and refer back to it whenever you need inspiration. Studies have shown that documenting your goals can increase the likelihood of achieving them by 50%, according to research from the Dominican University of California.
2. Identify Your Niche and Refine It
While selecting a niche is a common starting point for new creators, it’s crucial not to overthink it. Social media strategist Lindsey Gamble advises that your topic should be something you’re passionate about and can discuss consistently.
“While some topics may draw a larger audience, I’d prioritize topics I’m passionate about,” Lindsey explains. This helps maintain enthusiasm and prevent burnout, allowing you to deliver consistent content.
Gigi Robinson, a chronic illness advocate, echoes this sentiment: “Think of your brand as a solar system, where you are the sun and your interests are the planets around you.” This approach emphasizes that your niche is inherently tied to who you are.
3. Build Connections With Your Audience
A strong connection with your audience is essential in 2025, especially as platforms become more saturated. Sophie Miller, director of Pretty Little Marketer, emphasizes defining your “connection point.”
“Your connection point is the shared interest between you and your audience,” Sophie explains. It’s the foundation for developing relationships and a consistent brand. Tailor this to who you’re connecting with, like trend fatigue for fashion enthusiasts or indulgent recipes for food lovers.
4. Leverage Your Capabilities
It’s common to feel apprehensive about being on camera, but social media offers various formats beyond video. Choose the format that aligns with your strengths and comfort levels, whether it’s written content, audio, or imagery.
5. Select the Right Platforms
Your platform choice should align with your goals, audience, and content format. Platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok offer diverse opportunities for creators. Determine where your target audience resides and which platforms best showcase your content style.
Studying creators you admire can ignite your creativity. Explore their techniques, consider what resonates with their audience, and apply these insights uniquely to your content.
7. Grow Through Community Engagement
Engaging with fellow creators and audience members can enrich your social media journey. Kiran Shahid emphasizes the value of personalized engagement and building meaningful relationships, which can also lead to collaboration opportunities and support within the community.
8. Set Sustainable Schedules
A realistic and flexible posting schedule is critical to preventing burnout. Start with a manageable frequency, gradually increasing as you grow more comfortable. Consistency often outweighs frequency in maintaining audience engagement.
9. Secure Your Online Presence
While social media is essential, cultivating a home base like a blog or newsletter can offer stability and monetization opportunities. These owned platforms serve as valuable assets in your creator toolkit.
Embark on Your Creator Journey
You’re now equipped to take the leap and start posting. Embrace the unknown and enjoy the creative journey. Regular posting fosters growth and confidence, and over time, everything will align.
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:
- First core theme
- Second core theme
- 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.
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