Tools and Tech For Content Creators
Content creation is a skill. But luckily, there are so many tools and bits of technology that can help us create truly great content. Most content creators do work in a remote setting and on a much tighter budget than a full agency. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few items that can make a huge difference.
Because content is king, there have been some incredible advances in content creation tools and even the technology you can use to create flawless content.
These tools could be used to speed up your communications between you and your virtual assistant or other people you are working alongside. These content creation tools could simply be to give you a faster workflow.
No matter what kind of content you create, there are tools to help you do it.
Software for content creators
Let’s start with some of the software that can help you streamline, communicate, and conquer content creation.
Slack
Slack is always going to be one of the most popular communication tools. It can really help if you have a team that needs streamlining. However, many companies also use Slack, which makes it ideal if you are a freelancer because you can simply be invited to their Slack channels. Even if you don’t want to use it regularly, it is worth signing up for an account.
Canva
You can’t quite claim to be a graphic designer by using Canva, but it is a free graphic design tool. There are millions and millions of graphics, fonts, photos, and even templates to get you started. This means you can create beautiful images very quickly.
Google Drive
Google Drive – it’s one of those essential tools. You can store music, documents, photos, create spreadsheets to keep you up-to-date and on track with your work, and so much more. If you share files, or you need to be able to collaborate quickly, then you can use up to 15 GB of free space with Google Drive.
theSkimm
If you want to create content that is always on-trend, then getting newsletters and digests delivered to your inbox is essential. theSkimm is a daily newsletter that gets delivered to your inbox and covers all of the most up-to-date news and trending items—allowing you to create hot content if you want to.
CopyScape
You might think that your work is entirely unique, and of course, free from any plagiarism at all. However, sometimes, when we read something, we then incorporate it into our work at a later date. Unfortunately, this means you are plagiarising something you’ve read. It is important to remember that there is no completely new content in most cases.
This is because there are millions of pieces of content created every day; some of them will be on-trend, and others will be covering old topics. But for the most part, you can draw inspiration from other people’s work, but you shouldn’t use it phrase for phrase.
CopyScape is a handy tool you can upgrade to premium paste all of your document or put the URL in, and it will check for plagiarism for you.
Planoly
If you like to plan and prepare your Instagram feed and even schedule things to be posted automatically then this tool is one for you. There are, of course, several automatic posting Instagram tools, but this one is straightforward to use, has some added upgrades, and looks great too. One of the enhancements is the ability to share your shop links and monetize your Instagram content.
Adobe Lightroom
You want all of your images to be as beautiful as possible. And sometimes, what we see with the eye is difficult to capture straight in the camera. But you do have the option to edit it later so that it meets what you’re looking for. Adobe Lightroom comes in an Adobe photography package, along with Adobe Photoshop.
You can pay for it monthly rather than spend on an entire package in one go, making it relatively affordable for most freelance content creators. You can also grab a fantastic bunch of Adobe Lightroom precepts, which makes your editing so much faster.
Check out the Adobe packages here: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html
Websites for content creators
We aren’t all skilled in everything, and sometimes it’s important to source what you’re looking for from other places. For example, if you aren’t adept at animation, you can grab a tool to do that for you. There are also some websites that provide a range of things like themes and templates that can also make your work stand out.
FatJoe
FatJoe has some tools for content creators. If you are stuck for blog titles, then their blog title generator is ideal. You input your keyword, and it generates some titles and headlines for you. You get ten for free and 100 if you sign up.
Animaker
If you want to have beautiful studio-quality animated videos, then an animator can do that for you. It has multiple video types, including explainers and even infographics. It’s very, very handy and super quick.
Easel.LY
If you like to create infographics, or perhaps you have taken on some content creation work and infographics are required, then Easel.LY can do that for you. It has a range of templates, and you can simply add the charts, photos, and images you need. The free version gives you ten templates, but if you want to increase that and increase the quality, then you should upgrade to the paid plan.
Creative Market
If you need a vector, website same, a new set of brushes for your photoshop project, the creative market is the place for you. It has 100 and hundreds of options, and if you sign up, you can choose from six free goodies every week.
Check out free goods here: https://creativemarket.com/free-goods
Unsplash
If you are looking for high-quality and free gorgeous images to use within your content, then this is where you should head to. On splash makes it incredibly easy to search through and download multiple images. You can choose the size you need, and you don’t have to credit if you don’t want to, although it is nice to do so.
Technology for content creators
When you create content, although the websites above to give you lots of options, sometimes it’s better for you to have your own technology. These can be things like microphones, mobile phone holders, and even drones.
Macro portable photography kit
This one isn’t for everybody, but if you have been trying to capture details on clothing, in your wildlife photography, or even food photography, then a macro photography studio kit is ideal. They are not usually too expensive and work with your iPad or smartphone. It basically works by magnifying as much as possible.
Drones
Drones can give you so much content because you can use them for so many different styles of photography and content creation. They do tend to elevate your graphics to an entirely new level, and there is usually one for any type of budget. Check out https://www.drdrone.ca/ for some brilliant options.
Bokeh camera lens
A bokeh camera lens will add something so interesting to your photos. It gives you such a sense of control over the effects within your photo and will always look better than if you add the affecting after. There are some are fantastic choices for this style of the camera lens; however, one of the most beautiful is the Petzval 59 Bokeh Control Art Lens.
Collapsible lightbox
If you could shoot most of your content creation in your home or in a small space, then you might not have the area to dedicate to photography shoots. This means a lightbox is one of the perfect things that you can have for your content creation.
Because it is easy to fold up anywhere, you can use it anywhere to make your stylized product shots. It is also perfect for food items and commercial products like cosmetics and skincare.
Microphone selfie stick
These might be getting more specific as to the type of content creator. However, a microphone-equipped selfie stick can help those who like to produce journalism style content. It is very useful for performance artists, bloggers, and more. It is a basic selfie stick attached to a high definition microphone, and it simply uses Bluetooth technology to connect to your phone.
There are complete vlogging kits that have selfie sticks, microphones, lights, and more. These are great for beginners and those who have more polished content alike as they are so flexible and easy to use.
One of the most important things is that you test out any software before committing to a plan. Make note of the things that you need and the content you create; this will give you a guideline to use for ensuring your content is the best it possibly can be. And remember, when you upgrade your software, and you upgrade your text, you can upgrade your previously written content.
