How to Get Started as a Content Creator in 13 Steps
Virlo Team
Learn how to get started as a content creator with 13 clear steps—perfect for beginners ready to build their brand and grow online.
Jul 12, 2025
To get started as a content creator, you need to know where you want to go. If you want to become a viral sensation, focus on creating content that is likely to go viral. To do this, you'll need to analyze trends and create appealing content that aligns with your goals.
This guide will break down how to get started as a content creator. First, we will explore the significance of going viral and the role trends play in achieving your content creation goals. Next, we will introduce you to Virlo's virality analysis tool to help you get started on the right track.
Table of Content
What’s a Content Creator? Let’s Break It Down
Content creators are professionals who utilize writing, graphic design, visual storytelling, or a combination of these disciplines to make any topic relatable and engaging to their target audience.
A content creator produces relevant content monthly, weekly, and even daily. Businesses employ content creators within their marketing departments or hire freelance content creators to write and produce media tailored to their specific needs.
A content creator may write the copy or words in a piece of media, generate the images used for digital or print marketing, or create videos for a company.
A content creator can work as part of a team or independently to produce work in one or more of these formats.
The role of a content creator is both creative and analytical, using trends in consumer or audience habits to make media that helps connect people to a brand. They typically generate content used online to both inform and entertain; however, in some industries, print content may still be necessary.
What Does a Content Creator Do?
When you look at a company’s website or social media page, you’re seeing the work of a content creator. Content creators utilize digital tools to create materials that offer information and emotional connections to consumers. A content creator may produce work for any of the following:
Blogs
Social media posts
Websites
Articles
Emails
Newsletters
Promotional materials (both digital and print)
eBooks
Videos
Infographics
Graphic designs.
After producing content, a creator shares their work online by posting it to a website or social media page. If their content is for business marketing, they may need to track and analyze the effectiveness of the work using digital tools that calculate how many users viewed, shared, liked, or otherwise interacted with the content. A successful piece of content gets an audience engaged, and a content creator needs to know what pieces of their work get more attention and why.
How to Get Started as a Content Creator in 13 Steps
1. Use Virlo for Finding Trends
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape.
Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo eliminates the guesswork from content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand not just when to post, but what combinations of elements are currently driving engagement.
Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
2. Find a Focus for Your Content
Most people have a sense of what they’re good at. It might be a lifelong hobby or a passive interest you keep up with. Your niche could be tied to your current profession, or you’ve accumulated a host of knowledge before that in another career.
A quick brainstorming session will uncover all of your talents, even the dormant ones. These serve as an indicator of the type of content you can create over the long term. Whatever niche you land on, remember that you’ll be doing it a lot. So choose something you’re genuinely passionate about to keep you focused along the journey.
3. Establish Your Unique Voice and Style
Differentiating yourself from other content creators and engaging your audience can help you establish your voice and style. An audience primarily returns to creators for their personality, meaning they enjoy how you deliver information to them. Here are some ways to establish your voice as a content creator:
Read frequently,
Read your work aloud,
Consider your word choices.
If you're partnering with another brand, try to find ways to intertwine your voice and style with their guidelines.
For example, suppose you're promoting a food delivery company. In that case, I might share the points they want me to make throughout my content while explaining how the company's services fit into my personal life. By doing this, I can stay within the guidelines set by the company and share the type of content that my audience expects from me.
4. Pick a Content Creator Type and Develop Skills
What type of content creator do you want to be? Even if you’ve never written a blog post, you might have a keen sense of how to communicate and a love for language. Or, you’ve dabbled with amateur photography but want to learn more about the technical aspects.
Luckily for anyone alive now, you can find courses and tons of free resources online to help build up your knowledge and learn new skills. And when you’re not learning, try practicing with mockups and trial runs. As a writer, you can pick brands you know and love and try reworking an ad, email, or blog. Videographers can do the same by practicing shoots and sampling editing software.
5. Finding Your Audience
The next step is figuring out who your target audience is. This will help you narrow down the type of content people are readily watching, reading, or listening to, so you can generate fresh content ideas that resonate with them and draw their attention. Identifying your audience is crucial because the last thing you want is to spend time on content that ends up being distributed to the wrong people and falls flat.
6. Choose the Right Platform
Depending on your niche, specific digital platforms will be more suitable for you than others. For example, fitness tips work great as videos but also work well with an accompanying blog. YouTube is the ideal platform for posting video content. Facebook has the most extensive user base and is the number one channel for businesses to promote ads. Instagram lets you post images or short, engaging videos that can be shared efficiently.
Take time to learn the nuances of each platform and settle on one or two to invest time in. The upside to creating content is that there are already people waiting in line to consume it, provided it’s what they want, of course. Currently, there are over 4.8 billion social media users, representing more than half of the world's population who actively browse social media apps. All you need to figure out is where your audience spends their time and what type of content they prefer.
7. Practice Every Day
Practice writing every day to help you refine your skills. Enhancing your writing skills can boost your confidence in your creative abilities and inspire you to continue creating content. When practicing, you can journal, free write, or create drafts for upcoming posts. While writing, you might even think of a potential project or post idea to use. Consider dedicating at least 10-20 minutes daily to this activity to enhance your writing skills.
8. Provide Value for Your Audience
When you're creating content, try to add value to your work. This means providing your audience with relevant and meaningful content that's useful to them. Adding value to your work can include:
Covering breaking news, if it applies to your industry
Encouraging audience participation by asking questions or conducting a poll
Incorporating different media of content within a piece, such as embedding a video in a blog post
Telling your audience a story, if it applies to the message of your content
Linking to external sources for your audience to learn more about a subject
9. Design a Content Plan
A content plan provides a clear picture of what you need to do and how you will do it. If you’re working as part of a team or agency, content plans help align everyone to know what’s happening and when. For an individual, it keeps you accountable and helps track progress, set goals, and stay on top of content creation. Consider the following questions for your content plan:
Who is your audience?
What content format will it be?
What problem does it solve?
Who will be creating the content?
What are the measurements for success?
What are the associated costs?
10. Grab Some Tools
Creating content, like any skill, takes effort and time to master. Fortunately, very clever people at innovative companies make it their mission to assist you in this task through brilliant apps and services. Here are a few content creation tools to guide your journey:
Canva
This free-to-use graphic design application is insanely good. You can create virtually anything here, from presentations to social media posts to infographics and videos. Most users will find enough value in the free version, but for €99.99 per year, you’ll get access to brand kits and a suite of professional templates and tools.
Grammarly
A free writing assistant to help keep your copy on point. Grammarly offers corrections for grammar, spelling mistakes, and more across all of your writing applications, including Google Docs, email clients, and social media apps. Even if content writing isn’t your primary focus, you’ll inevitably have to write, which makes writing tools a must-have.
Google Ads can help promote your content, whereas Google Drive provides access to Word documents, spreadsheets, and presentation software, all of which can be shared and collaborated on with other professionals. Google reigns supreme as the most popular choice for many people so it’s a good idea to become fluent with their tools.
11. Network
Becoming a successful content creator often requires networking with other professionals in your field, so look for opportunities to learn from others and hear their success stories. You can do this by attending industry events, contacting others on social media platforms to introduce yourself, or utilizing professional social networking platforms. Consider the following leaders and creators who inspire and motivate you to improve your craft.
12. Create an Online Portfolio
Most businesses have a website to show their products and services to potential clients. The same applies to content creators; however, if the idea of building (or paying for) a website is too daunting, then opt for a portfolio site at the very least. Portfolios are an opportunity to showcase your talent to clients and collaborators, and are free to make. Include recent projects and a bio that explains a bit about yourself and what your unique selling points are.
13. Put Yourself Out There
Take a long and hard look at yourself in the mirror and repeat this: “I am a content creator.” Say it until you believe it with every fibre of your being. Now go forth and tell everyone that you are a full-time content creator! You can find clients pretty much anywhere. Here are a few places to start:
Email outreach
Social media groups on Facebook and LinkedIn
Reddit forums
Blogging platforms like Medium, Freelancer bidding sites like Upwork, and Fiverr
Take the time on these platforms to gradually build an audience by interacting with and networking with fellow creatives and your target audience. As you rack up more experience in both posting/measuring engagement and picking up projects, you’ll open the door to improving your knowledge and gaining credibility. All of which will eventually lead to more work and more money.
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What to Expect When Starting Content Creation
1. Slow Growth at First: What You Should Know
Expect little to no engagement during the early stages of your content creation journey. You may be disheartened after posting multiple videos, blogs, or reels and receiving only a handful of views, likes, or comments. This is entirely normal. Algorithms need time to learn your niche and audience, and it'll take consistency for your content to be surfaced more widely.
2. Consistency Is Everything: Get Ready to Work
When you start creating content, you’ll need to develop a routine. You’ll need to create and post content regularly—often weekly or even daily. This may sound daunting, but the truth is that platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram reward consistency in their algorithms. The more you post, the quicker you’ll grow.
3. Learning Curve with Equipment and Editing: Expect Technical Difficulties
When starting as a content creator, you may struggle with lighting, camera quality, editing software, or audio. Expect to spend time figuring these out, and don’t get discouraged. High-quality visuals and sound make your content more professional and engaging.
4. Negative Feedback or Silence: It’s Part of the Game
Not everyone will like or engage with your work. When you start, you may encounter trolls, criticism, or even complete silence. This happens because you’re putting your ideas out in public—reactions will vary. Emotional resilience is key, so stay focused on your goals.
5. Finding Your Niche Takes Time: Be Patient
As a new creator, try different content types or topics before something clicks with your audience (and you). Your first idea may not resonate, and that’s okay—testing is part of growth.
6. Burnout Is Real: Avoid the Burn
Content creation involves creativity, tech, marketing, and consistency—often done solo. The pressure to always be online and “create more” can lead to exhaustion if you're not careful.
7. Monetization Takes Time: Don’t Rush It
Most creators don’t make money for months—or even years. You need to build a loyal audience before ad revenue, sponsorships, or sales become significant.
8. You’ll Develop New Skills Fast: Embrace It
As you create content, you’ll naturally learn storytelling, video editing, SEO, branding, and audience psychology. It’s a hands-on process. You’ll improve with every piece of content you publish.
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape.
Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo eliminates the guesswork from content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand not just when to post, but what combinations of elements are currently driving engagement.
Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
How to Get Work as a Content Creator (9 Tips)
1. Use Virlo to Jumpstart Your Success
If you want to work as a content creator, start with Virlo. Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape.
Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo eliminates the guesswork from content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand not just when to post, but what combinations of elements are currently driving engagement.
Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
2. Become an Early Bird
The morning hours are the most productive part of the day because you are well-rested and fresh. So it would be a shame to miss this opportunity. However, most people I know don’t wake up early to work on their projects. They prefer sleeping until 8 a.m. and then rushing to work. But with a 9-5 job, you can spare at least one hour in the morning. If you create content one hour a day for five days, that’s already five hours of work per week. It is easily achievable, and it doesn’t require a significant commitment.
However, when I started waking up earlier, I couldn’t be productive at all. I wasn’t used to writing in the morning, so I spent time on my smartphone or eating breakfast. Additionally, I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I was waking up earlier, but not going to sleep when I should have. Thus, I was exhausted and unproductive. However, after three months of experimentation, I’ve learned a few key things:
Set a specific time zone for content creation to ensure consistency. And prepare for it a few minutes before, so you don’t have to drop anything.
Don’t reduce sleeping time. If you wake up two hours earlier, you must make up for that lost time.
Don’t skip more than once. A new routine takes time to build up. But if you miss it more than once, you will turn to your usual sleep schedule.
3. Make a Free-Time List
To-do lists are awesome. They are simple to make. They can also enhance your productivity by allowing you to focus on one task at a time. But a to-do list means nothing if you don’t have the time to finish everything you have wanted. So instead of a to-do list, start with a free-time list. List all the free time you can find in a workday.
Usually, the time slots before dinner and right after are the best ones because you are not yet exhausted. Each free time slot should be at least 30 minutes long. Otherwise, you won’t have enough time to reach deep work. Your dinner or lunch should not be included in this. So don’t overload yourself. Instead, use those moments to take a break.
4. Work With Your Strengths and Weaknesses
If the morning is the most productive part of the day, the evening is the opposite. After more than 8 hours of work, plus commuting from home to work and back, working on creating content is the hardest thing you could do. But if you are serious about content creation, you must find a way. Search for evening enhancers that can motivate you to work. Leave more manageable tasks for the most challenging hours.
For example, schedule and promote my work in the evening. Don’t force yourself to work if you're having a terrible day or feel empty. Some days, you'd better relax than live in pain. But don’t give up too easily on content creation with the excuse of tiredness. You are working for yourself. Nobody is forcing you, and nobody will motivate you. The evening could become a challenging time to build up ideas. But it’s the perfect time to review, control, and promote them. So learn to avoid your weaknesses and work with your strengths.
5. Aim for Small Achievements
As you are not a full-time content creator, why would you want to achieve the same goals? The weight of comparison sometimes crushes even the most passionate people. And the sooner you realize you should aim for little achievements, the better. Competition online is tough. You must demonstrate that you are the best to gain an audience. And the pressure often becomes unbearable. But competing with full-time content creators would be like waking up one day and running the New York marathon. You could do it. Nobody will stop you. But there’s no chance you will ever beat your competition.
If you aim for smaller goals instead, your overall mood will improve. You will stop pressuring yourself so much. And your productivity will increase too. Therefore, strive for small achievements and stay motivated throughout the process. You will easily balance a 9-to-5 job with a successful content creation career. Measure how much you can accomplish in a day, and use that as a starting point to set your goals. Stop comparing yourself with other content creators and their achievements. You don’t know their situation. Use small achievements to keep myself motivated. High motivation and good habits are often more efficient than big, unreachable goals.
6. Focus on Quality
You can’t produce one piece of content per day or more than other creators do. You come from different places. And you cannot challenge them with quantity, even if it is more efficient nowadays. But quality is still relevant. Numerous content creators publish one high-quality article a week and still succeed in building a loyal audience. Most of them still fear a transition to full-time. But some have already done it and succeeded.
So, focus on quality if you don’t have enough free time to publish daily. Research my content and focus on readability. Build good SEO headlines. You have less space for experimenting with my public. Therefore, you must target better. Utilize a social media platform if you require ongoing interaction with your audience. You can publish short-form content more frequently there.
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Go Viral with Virlo's Virality Analysis Tool
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today's fast-moving social landscape.
Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo eliminates the guesswork from content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand not just when to post, but what combinations of elements are currently driving engagement.
Whether you're just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo helps you navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo's virality analysis tool.
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