Having the right resources at your disposal will make content creation much simpler and more effective.
While tools cannot replace a strong content marketing strategy, the right ones can help speed up parts of the process, gain insights that you would not have otherwise, and help you produce better-performing content.
But where do you start?
What are the best content creation tools and services to use in order to produce better content? Or, at the very least, what should you look into if you haven’t already?
We have compiled a list of what we consider to be the most effective and important tools and services to assist you in selecting the best one to take your content to the next level.
In particular, in this guide, we will share the best tools and resources, such as:
- Tools for Content Research and Planning.
- Tools for Writing Content.
- Visual Content Creation Tools.
- Webinar Tools and Video Content.
Use this list to find a new tool to try or a resource to look at the next time you build content to help your marketing efforts.
Read Also: 12 Tools To Help You Increase Your Content Marketing Gains
Tools for Content Research and Planning.
Creating ideas and inspiration for your content is one of the most challenging aspects of the process, but it is also one of the most critical.
Creating content without a solid plan makes it difficult to focus your efforts and drive success, but there are a plethora of tools available to assist you in planning and researching your content.
1. Google Trend
Google Trends will assist you in determining the popularity of a search term or topic among Google searchers (who, let’s face it, constitute the vast majority of web users).
Enter a query to see how interest has trended over time and use this experience to generate content around topics that are rapidly gaining momentum (gaining a competitive advantage by being the first to capitalize on a trend) or, conversely, recognize those that are likely to lose interest.
2. SEMrush Topic Research Tool
Topic research is one of the most efficient ways to generate ideas for further investigation and inspiration for your content plan. The SEMrush topic research tool makes it simple to generate a slew of possible ideas for your core topic in a matter of minutes.
Simply enter a subtopic to see similar posts and real-time questions.
3. SEMrush Marketing Calendar
If you have decided on the type of content you want to make, you will need to create an editorial calendar and stick to it.
Planning a content strategy around a calendar will help you stay accountable and take the necessary measures to drive growth on a regular basis. It is an excellent way to inspire you to maintain a daily publishing schedule, and the SEMrush Marketing Calendar is the ideal tool to assist you in doing so.
Read Also: How To Map Content Marketing To Sales, In 3 Steps
Tools for Writing Content
When we think about content creation, we almost always think about and discuss written content. Although other formats are, of course, an effective way to use content to drive marketing outcomes, written content is still the preferred medium for many businesses.
And with that in mind, we have assembled a list of the resources you should be aware of.
4. Grammarly
It can seem easy, but producing error-free content is more difficult than it seems.
Grammarly will assist you in checking for spelling and grammatical errors in your content when writing, as well as focusing the sound of your content and checking for plagiarism. The browser extension also ensures that you don’t make typos in your social media posts.
Consider it your assisting hand in ensuring that your content reads well and is error-free.
5. Hemingway App
According to their website, the “Hemingway App makes your writing bold and straightforward” and assists you in making your text more readable as well as shortening sentences.
Run your written copy via the web app, and you will see ways to improve it for your readers in seconds.
6. SEMrush SEO Content Template
If you are writing content to help you rank higher in the SERPs, you shouldn’t be doing so blindly. You must understand what is assisting the top results to rank and take this into account when creating your own content.
The SEMrush content template will assist you in analyzing the top-ranking content for your target keywords and understanding what you need to include in your own pages to compete.
Visual Content Creation Tools
Incorporating visuals into your content will make it easier to read and, as a result, more engaging for your readers.
However, creating visual content is one of the most difficult challenges that many marketers face, especially if they do not have access to a skilled designer.
7. Canva
Canva is without a doubt one of the most common design tools available, and it is a tool that even the least creative people in the world can use to produce beautiful visuals in a variety of formats.
You will love Canva if you need to make easy and powerful visuals without a designer, from social graphics and blog photos to infographics and more.
8. Piktochart
Infographics continue to be a common way to visualize data and to use as part of your connection building strategy (assuming, of course, that the data that you are visualizing tells a fantastic story), but it is not always easy to design a visually appealing graphic if you do not have access to a graphic designer.
This is where Piktochart comes in.
The tool is ideal for people who do not have design skills and want to create beautiful infographics that look professional and help elevate your company’s content.
Video Content and Webinar Tools
Webinars are more common than ever, particularly in this day and age when in-person events are prohibited. They are a powerful means of engaging the audience, inviting participation, and reaching out to new prospects.
Although a good streaming session can’t hurt, you will need to find easy and low-cost apps to host your webinar on.
But let us not overlook other applications for video, recognizing that it is still one of the most engaging types of content that can be shared on social media platforms. The issue for many is the investment required to create professional-quality video assets.
Again, there are resources that can assist; here are a few of our favorites:
9. Zoom Webinars
Find someone who isn’t already acquainted with Zoom. And, although many of us have spent the last few months using the site to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues, there is no denying that it is one of the most common choices for hosting a webinar.
This is due in part to its sudden familiarity with almost everyone’s audience, but also to the fact that it has a solid product at a reasonable price.
10. Webinar Ninja
Webinar Ninja, dubbed “The Best All-In-One Webinar Software,” has grown in popularity due to its ease of use.
Do you want to start your own webinar? You can literally go live in minutes, and the platform now powers millions of webinars from companies like Podio, Baremetrics, and AppSumo, so you’ll be in good company.
However, one of the key reasons it is recommended is the vast template library that it includes, which allows you to launch professional-looking sign-up pages without the need for the services of a designer and developer.
Read Also: 10 Best Mobile Apps For Content Strategy
Content Creation Resources
It’s one thing to share our favorite resources and software channels, but one of the most important things you can do as a content marketer is to make time to keep learning new skills and developing the ability to build content that works.
Although there are hundreds of fantastic tools available to help you develop your content marketing skills, a few stand out well above the rest, and we have compiled a list of them below.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is a fantastic starting point for tools that we believe you (and your team) can enjoy and learn a lot from.
- Content Marketing Institute Blog
- Content Marketing and SEO Fundamentals
- Content Marketing Toolkit Course
- Copyhackers’ Academy & Blog
- The Clever Copywriting School
- Content Marketing University
Although tools will never be able to substitute content creation skills, they can certainly assist you in taking your content to the next level, gaining the insights you need to plan better bits, produce better visuals, or experiment with different formats.
The best techniques combine various types of content with a variety of marketing and delivery approaches, and understanding the right tools and resources to use to produce user-focused content that drives success is the first step toward gaining a competitive edge.
This list may have included hundreds of tools and services, but the ones mentioned above are ones we like and recommend if you aren’t already familiar with them.
Do you believe we have overlooked a fantastic tool or resource? Please let us know by leaving a comment.