Let’s be honest, content isn’t free, it isn’t easy, and it’s not going to write itself. Creating content doesn’t have to be a chore, however. Like Nike says, Just Do It!
Think of it this way — content creation is like running. The first time you do it, it kinda sucks! But getting out and getting it done is better than not doing it at all. Plus, the next time, it will be easier and you’ll get better.
I have put together five of my favorite content creation tools to help inspire, engage and maybe even make it enjoyable!
- Facebook GraphSearch – a newer tool that is wonderful for finding what your audience is in to. Run searches on the pages of yours or clients’ page to see what fans like and do. Add these ideas to your content and keyword research.
- Awesome Screenshot – a picture is worth a thousand words. This Chrome extension now has a Firefox version and allows you to capture three different sizes of the page you are on AND crop, edit and mark it up!
- ThingLink – super fun tool that will most certainly increase user engagement! But beware, you may spend more time than you think playing with this tool!
- Haikudeck – for presenting the content in a fresh and lively way. Be sure to think about HOW you are presenting your content as much as WHAT the content includes.
- Hubspot – this is one of my favorite websites for content creation ideas and resources. They do it right. Dig deep and often here to find more thought-provoking information in one place. They have mastered the art of ‘inbound marketing’ which is key to getting in the face of your target market and reaching the exact people you need.
These are just a handful of tools I use every day to help me find great ideas, expand into new areas I never considered and keep abreast of the newest and most popular content creation tools my peers use and find effective.
You can also visit our resource page for bloggers and get even more great content creation tools and ideas to streamline your marketing efforts!
