Great — here’s a practical, beginner-friendly guide to content-creation platforms that work well for creators based in Australia, organized by content type and use-case, with quick pros/cons and starter recommendations.

Video & short-form

• TikTok — best for fast growth with short, viral clips. Easy to use on mobile. Free.
• YouTube (shorts + long-form) — great for long-term audience building and monetization (ads) once eligible. Steeper learning curve.
• Instagram Reels — good if you already want an image-focused presence (also supports posts, stories). Starter combo: TikTok + Canva (for thumbnail/graphics) or YouTube + CapCut (for editing).

Long-form writing / blogs / SEO

• WordPress.com (hosted) — flexible and beginner-friendly for blogs and portfolios.
• Medium — easy publishing and built-in audience, but less control over monetization.
• Wix/Squarespace — drag-and-drop websites that include blogging tools. Starter combo: WordPress.com for control + MailerLite or ConvertKit for email signups.

Newsletters / Direct audience

• Substack — easiest for paid/free newsletters and subscriber payments.
• Mailchimp / MailerLite — more customization, good for growing lists and automations. Starter combo: Substack to start quickly, migrate later if needed.

Audio / Podcasts

• Anchor (Spotify for Podcasters) — free and simple distribution to major platforms.
• Podbean / Libsyn — more features and analytics for scaling. Starter combo: Anchor + Audacity (free editing) or Descript (paid, easier editing).

Online courses & memberships

• Thinkific / Teachable — beginner-friendly course builders with hosting and payments.
• Podia — simpler all-in-one for courses, digital downloads and memberships. Starter combo: Thinkific (free tier) + Stripe or PayPal for payments.

Ecommerce & selling digital products

• Shopify — Australian-friendly, great for stores and scalability.
• Etsy — easy marketplace for creative goods and prints.
• Gumroad / Sellfy — simple digital product checkout and delivery. Starter combo: Shopify Lite or Etsy + PayPal/Stripe.

Live streaming

• Twitch — best for gaming and long-form live streams.
• YouTube Live / Facebook Live — good for wider audiences and repurposing content. Starter combo: YouTube Live + OBS Studio (free) for streaming.

Marketplaces & gig platforms

• Fiverr / Upwork — find freelance gigs (writing, video, design).
• Envato / Pond5 — sell stock assets (music, footage, templates).

All-in-one creation & editing tools (very helpful for beginners)

• Canva — templates for social posts, thumbnails, presentations (very beginner-friendly).
• CapCut, InShot — mobile video editors with easy effects.
• Descript — audio/video editing with transcript-based editing.

Scheduling, analytics & growth tools

• Later, Buffer, Hootsuite — schedule posts and manage multiple platforms.
• Google Analytics & YouTube Studio — track performance and audience behavior.

Monetization & fan support

• Patreon, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee — memberships and one-off tips.
• YouTube Partner Program, Affiliate programs, sponsored content — scale as audience grows.

Australian-specific notes

• Payment options: Stripe and PayPal work in Australia; Shopify is well supported locally.
• Taxes: if you sell goods/services and your turnover exceeds A$75,000, you’ll generally need to register for GST. Keep records and consider an accountant when you start earning regular revenue.

Which to pick first (quick starter paths)

• Want fast growth/short videos: TikTok + Canva + CapCut.
• Want long-term content + ads: YouTube + simple website (WordPress) + MailerLite.
• Want to sell courses/digital: Thinkific/Teachable + Stripe + simple landing page (Wix).
• Want direct relationships / paid subscribers: Substack or Patreon.

If you tell me what kind of content you want to make (video, writing, courses, art, audio) and your budget, I’ll give a tailored 30–60 day starter plan with specific tools, workflows and the one free vs paid choice to start with.