If you love writing content for your website or social media but hate the time it takes to create it then help is at hand.
There are lots of free online resources that can take the hassle out of creating quality content for your business.
Here are nine of my favourite tools that make content creation simpler and quicker.
1. Answer the Public – answerthepublic.com
When you want to know what your customers are thinking, Answer the Public is invaluable. This tool listens into autocomplete search data from Google and then churns out every useful phrase and question people are asking around your keyword. It visualises search questions in a search cloud around categories including the 5 Ws (where, when, who, what and why) plus how, can, are, which and will. The results are a goldmine of consumer insight and potential content ideas!
2. Canva – canva.com
Canva is a free online design tool that makes designing graphics, marketing literature and logos easy. Customise the library of free templates, photos and fonts to suit your brand or create your own eye-catching designs from scratch. The free version of Canva is a fantastic tool for you and your team to design anything from logos and social media content to documents, prints and more. I use Canva daily to quickly and easily create quality graphics for my Instagram feed and newsletter.
3. Grammarly – grammarly.com
Grammarly is a free online writing assistant that helps you to write mistake-free copy. It reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity and engagement and offers alternative options. Use Grammarly to help you spot rogue capital letters, missing or incorrect punctuation, typos and long-winded phrases. You can plug the Grammarly app into Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other app you choose including Microsoft Word.
4. Later – later.com
Later is a social media management tool that allows you to schedule posts across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Use Later to plan, analyse and publish your content so you can save time and grow your business. The platform’s free plan allows you to post up to 10 pieces of content per platform per month. There are paid-for options that allow you to post more content monthly and access in-depth analytics. A good alternative is Planoly which allows you to upload up to 30 pieces of content to Instagram or Pinterest for free each month. Again, paid-for options with analytics are available.
5. Word Hippo – wordhippo.com
If you ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut, writing the same boring words over and over again, take a look at Word Hippo. It’s an invaluable, free online thesaurus and one of the most useful tools in my copywriting kit. Type a mundane word into the search bar and out pops a heap of engaging alternatives to brighten up your writing. Give it a try!
6. Hemingway Editor – hemingwayapp.com
Named after the American novelist Ernest Hemingway, this go-to tool makes your writing more concise. The Hemingway Editor works by highlighting errors and lengthy sentences in your copy using a colour-coded system. Each colour represents a type of problem and the improvement required.
Yellow: the sentence is too long – shorten it or split it into two smaller sentences
Red: the sentence is complicated and unclear to read – reword it
Purple: the phrase or word has a simpler alternative – pick one of the suggested shorter words
Blue: an adverb or weakening phrase – delete and pick a less hesitant word
Green: passive voice – use an active voice to make your statement sound more powerful.
7. Writer’s Diet – writersdiet.com
While its health and fitness-related name may be dated, the Writer’s Diet is still one of the best tools for getting your copy in tip-top shape. International writing expert Helen Sword’s feedback tool helps you discover whether your writing is ‘flabby or fit’ and will guide you through a ‘wordy workout’ to sharpen your style and remove padding from your prose.
8. Pomodoro – focustodo.cn
Do you use the Pomodoro Technique to work smarter not harder? Named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer, this time management technique breaks your day into manageable 25-minute chunks separated by regular breaks. Each interval is called a Pomodoro – from the Italian word for tomato. I use it to improve my focus and concentration and to boost my creativity. It also gives my eyes, neck and shoulder muscles a break from being hunched over a keyboard staring at a screen. Use the technique to achieve more in the time you set aside for content writing. I promise it works!
9. Word Counter – wordcounter.net
Word Counter is a counting tool that uses statistics to offer a detailed analysis of your content. Type or paste copy into the text box to keep track of how many words or characters you’ve used (particularly useful if you’re writing to a fixed word count). Navigate to the toolbar for more insights such as reading level, reading time and speaking time. It can even offer information on keyword distribution by counting how many times certain keywords appear in your text.
Over to you
Creating quality content needn’t be an uphill struggle. By using these free online tools you’ll have more time and headspace to focus on growing your business. For professional copywriting support, contact me or take a look at my services.
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