30 Content Creation Tools for Every Creator

Behind each unbelievable creator is a military of instruments — and even folks — to assist each stage of content material creation. Whereas consistency is crucial ingredient of rising as a creator, the instruments you select can improve or frustrate your development journey.

These instruments embody all the pieces from the social platforms you select to construct your presence on to the community-building app the place you interact together with your viewers. On this article, we’ll stroll you thru a few of these instruments and the way they’ll assist your content material creation journey.

Content material analysis instruments

Gathering information and data will be one of many extra tedious elements of making content material. Particularly if the purpose of your content material is to coach, it’s possible you’ll want to speculate extra time in analysis than a creator targeted on leisure. The next instruments may also help.

Google Tendencies

Worth: Free

Description: Google Trends is a instrument that may assist you to monitor the recognition of various search phrases through the years. It exhibits you what’s attention-grabbing to folks now, and you may examine towards the recognition of comparable search phrases.

The way it helps: In the event you’re ever stumped for concepts, checking Google Tendencies for matter concepts is an effective way to recover from your block. Bonus: one other Google function that works nice for ideation is the Folks Additionally Ask part in your search web page, as defined by this creator.

Pinterest Tendencies

Worth: Free

Description: Pinterest Trends is a hidden gem of a instrument that tracks the recognition of various phrases on Pinterest, very similar to its Google counterpart. Nevertheless, it goes a step additional by exhibiting what’s visually interesting now versus two months and even ten years in the past.

The way it helps: Creating content material usually requires maintaining with the newest design and aesthetic tendencies – Pinterest Tendencies affords you a visible information into what’s presently trending and the way your content material can match as much as that.

AnswerthePublic

Worth: Free with restricted entry. Paid plans begin at $79/month

Description: AnswerthePublic is a search listening instrument that offers creators insights into what their audiences are in search of. Simply kind in a key phrase and get a plethora of autocomplete information from main engines like google like Google.

The way it helps: This instrument helps you uncover what questions your viewers is asking which makes for simple content material concepts. Simply reply the questions in your movies and match the keyphrase into your caption.

ChatGPT

Worth: Free (for now).

Description: ChatGPT is an AI instrument that you may ask questions on any matter – the one restrict is your creativeness (and the truth that it solely has information as much as 2023). Entry is decided by the platform’s capability, so you may’t depend on it an excessive amount of.

The way it helps: The place ChatGPT (and every other AI analysis instruments) wins over Google is that it may possibly curate info for you. Once you ask it a query, it doesn’t offer you a number of choices which you must dig into for a solution. As a substitute, it shares a curated reply within the format you request.

Content material planning and scheduling

With all of the content material codecs a creator might need to work with, it’s important to have instruments that may maintain monitor of what’s meant to be revealed and when. These instruments may also help simplify the chaotic technique of planning content material – and prevent time by scheduling your work forward of time.

Notion

Worth: Free plan. Paid plan begins at $10/member/month

Description: Notion is a productiveness and undertaking administration instrument that helps people and groups work collectively on totally different initiatives and duties. You possibly can create easy or complicated techniques to handle your inventive course of.

The way it helps: The customization choices of Notion imply that you may create or discover some ways to handle your inventive course of. Take a look at a few of their templates – use the search time period “content material creators” to search out templates particular to your wants.

Buffer

Worth: Free plan. Paid plan begins at $6/month/channel

Description: To not toot our personal horn, however Buffer affords a number of options that may actively enhance your content material creation journey, particularly stress-free scheduling to a number of social media platforms.

The way it helps: Buffer’s probably the most inexpensive instruments for scheduling content material and affords a number of options to help your development:

• Start Page, to place in your social media bios and direct followers to all of your nice content material throughout the net
• Remix, to effectively repurpose content material throughout your social media
• Ideas, so you may maintain monitor of all of your spur-of-the-moment ideas
• Buffer AI, that will help you rapidly provide you with content material (coming quickly)
• Analytics, to trace your efficiency and determine the place to make enhancements
• +each social media platform your viewers may be on

In the event you create any type of written content material, whether or not that’s a long-form e-newsletter or Instagram captions, then these instruments may work nice for you.

Content material administration system: WordPress or Ghost

Worth: Free plans. Paid plans for WordPress begin at $9/month and $11/month for Ghost

Description: There are a lot of methods to publish content material on the Web, however if you’d like a devoted web site, you may want a content material administration system. We suggest WordPress or Ghost.

The way it helps: Content material administration techniques assist you to maintain monitor of all of the content material you will have revealed on the net. If certainly one of your chosen strategies of content material creation is thru weblog articles, then a CMS is a crucial addition to your toolkit.

E-newsletter administration: Substack or Beehiiv

Worth: Free plans for each. Behiiv’s paid plan begins at $42/consumer/month.

Description: Newsletters are an effective way to construct an viewers that you may take wherever. Substack and Beehiiv are two instruments that mean you can create newsletters and share them with an e-mail checklist. Each instruments provide in depth assets to assist as your viewers grows.

The way it helps: If you wish to have full say in how your viewers interacts together with your content material, a e-newsletter is an effective way to do this. You’ll at all times be of their inboxes and may implement subscriptions or advertisements at your comfort.

Modifying: Grammarly or Author

Worth: Free and paid plans (beginning at $30/month) obtainable for Grammarly. Free trial after which paid plans beginning at $18/month/consumer for Author.

Description: Each Grammarly and Writer use AI to examine your grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

The way it helps: Earlier than placing any written work out into the world, you may examine for errors with both of those instruments. You too can format each instruments to suit your firm pointers, so that you by no means have to fret in regards to the tone of your weblog or Instagram caption being off.

Transcription: Otter

Worth: Free plan. Paid plans begin from $16.99/month

Description: Otter.ai is a instrument that information conferences, takes notes, and generates a abstract you may share with anybody. You possibly can combine it together with your assembly instruments like Zoom or Groups, so that you by no means must take a bodily notice once more.

The way it helps: Though it’s usually used extra by firms, this instrument is nice for creators that do  lots of interviews and must transcribe content material to written codecs.

Outlining and formatting: Copy.ai or Lex

Worth: Free plans can be found for each. Copy.ai’s paid plan is $49 per 30 days for five folks.

Description: Each Copy.ai and Lex can flip your queries into the format you want to your content material. You possibly can ask both instrument any query, for instance, “Write an Instagram caption for a picture depicting a toddler holding a teddy bear meaning to promote the teddy bear” or no matter fits your tone.

The way it helps: For individuals who must do lots of writing however don’t have the time or abilities, AI instruments may very well be an ideal addition to your toolkit.

Visible content material creation instruments

So lots of the social media and content material creation platforms obtainable to us are visually oriented. From creating thumbnails for YouTube videos to Instagram graphics, design and visuals will come into play sooner or later in your creator journey. These instruments may also help with creating visible content material.

Canva

Worth: Free plan. Paid plans begin at $12.99/month

Description: Canva is a graphic design instrument that you should utilize on the net, desktop, or cellular. It affords in depth choices for creating visible, video, and even written content material.

The way it helps: Canva is sort of a Swiss Military Knife relating to design – incorporating it into your creator toolkit means you’ll be capable of create content material for any of your content material platforms simply.

Unsplash

Worth: Free

Description: Unsplash is a free instrument that permits you to discover royalty-free photos.

The way it helps: That is nice in the event you want photos to your social media, weblog, or e-newsletter and may’t afford to create them your self.

DALL-E

Worth: Free to start out, then $15 for 115 credit.

Description: DALL-E is an AI instrument that permits you to generate photos from textual content prompts. You possibly can ask it something you need, and like many different AI instruments, the one restrict is your creativeness.

The way it helps: DALL-E is nice for rapidly producing copyright-free photos to your content material creation, particularly if in case you have restricted capability for design.

Audio content material creation instruments

Whether or not you’re making a podcast or simply voiceovers to your subsequent TikTok, the next instruments are nice for any audio manufacturing you may must do in your inventive course of.

Anchor

Worth: Free

Description: Anchor is a Spotify instrument that permits you to create, edit, add, distribute and monetize your podcast. You possibly can arrange an internet site devoted to your podcast and likewise add video podcasts. It’s obtainable on each desktop and cellular.

The way it helps: It is a nice starter instrument for anybody that wishes to create a podcast however doesn’t have any abilities to make use of extra complicated instruments. You possibly can simply hit document out of your cellphone and add when you’re happy together with your audio and modifying. You too can add pre-recorded audio to the app, and it is going to be distributed to each podcast platform.

Audacity

Worth: Free

Description: Audacity is a free audio recording and modifying instrument that you should utilize on desktop. It’s an ideal starter instrument for extra in-depth modifying for a podcast.

The way it helps: Whereas this instrument has a studying curve, when you grasp it, you will have a free instrument that may assist you to edit any audio content material.

GarageBand

Worth: Free

Description: You probably have a Macbook, it’s possible you’ll not must look additional than your preset apps for an audio editor. GarageBand comes pre-installed on Apple gadgets or downloaded via the App Retailer.

The way it helps: You should utilize GarageBand to edit audio and even create unique music to your inventive initiatives.

Descript

Worth: Free plan. Paid plans begin at $15/consumer/month

Description: Whereas Descript additionally affords video modifying options, it’s well-known for its various suite of instruments devoted to audio content material.

The way it helps: Descript has options particularly designed to assist podcast creators in the event you want an all-in-one instrument with extra in depth options than the others on this checklist.

Video content material creation instruments

Video is all the fad – from Instagram Reels to TikToks to YouTube, and its short-form function, Shorts – creators have 1,000,000 and one locations to share their content material. However relating to instruments for creating, these platforms are but to supply nice modifying instruments. Fortunately, sure firms have stepped within the hole and created instruments that enable creators to create and edit their content material to put up on any platform. Listed here are a number of the greatest ones:

InShot

Worth: Free model. Paid plans begin from $3.99/month

Description: InShot is a video modifying app obtainable on each iOS and Android

The way it helps: InShot’s free plan may be very efficient and can be utilized to edit your content material for Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts rapidly and effectively.

Loom

Worth: Free model. Paid plans begin from $8/consumer/month

Description: Loom is a display screen recording instrument that permits you to take crisp, clear footage of your display screen to rapidly comm. It’s obtainable on desktop, iOS, and Android.

The way it helps: Though it’s extra frequent with firms for inside communication, in the event you create lots of instructional movies and must information your viewers with examples they’ll see, Loom is a superb addition to your toolkit.

CapCut

Worth: Free plan. Paid plans begin at $7.99/month

Description: CapCut is the modifying instrument, notably for TikTok movies. It affords extra in depth modifying than TikTok’s in-app options and likewise integrates with the app to add your content material. It’s obtainable on internet, desktop, and cellular.

The way it helps: Though CapCut and TikTok are intertwined, it’s an ideal instrument for modifying any short-form content material, so you should utilize it for Reels and YouTube Shorts.

One of the best creators don’t simply have lots of followers – additionally they see excessive engagement from them. With these instruments, you may present entry to your time, connections amongst your followers, and interplay that builds deeper relationships and loyalty.

Discord

Worth: Free

Description: Discord is a communication instrument that permits customers to take part in textual content, voice, and video chats.

The way it helps: You probably have a big sufficient viewers, you may wish to transfer probably the most loyal of them over to a platform the place you may provide a extra area of interest neighborhood – Discord is a superb instrument for that. You possibly can management who has entry to it and curate it to reinforce the expertise for members.

Mighty Networks

Worth: Paid plans begin at $39/month

Description: Mighty Networks is a instrument for neighborhood constructing but in addition affords options to assist launch programs and membership packages.

The way it helps: Mighty Networks is a extra in depth model of Discord and is nice for folks with a big viewers who wish to provide paid memberships and programs.

With a big sufficient viewers and the precise plan for monetization, you may flip your facet hustle in content material creation right into a full-time gig. The instruments that comply with make that course of simpler.

Patreon

Worth: Pricing begins at 5% of your month-to-month earnings via the platform

Description: Patreon permits you to provide month-to-month subscriptions to your viewers in trade for perks. Some creators use it to supply entry to the content material they wish to be paid for, or can’t add to social media,

The way it helps: You probably have 100 followers keen to pay you $10 a month to your content material, you will have monetized your inventive course of.

Stan

Worth: Free trial, then $29/month

Description: Stan is a platform that permits you to promote digital merchandise. Creators can promote something from budgeting templates to consulting providers – and it’s particularly widespread with TikTok creators.

The way it helps: In the event you create digital merchandise and wish to promote them, Stan is a superb instrument to assist handle the method with out you having to arrange a cost system or web site your self.

ConvertKit

Worth: Free plan. Paid plans begin when you cross 300 subscribers, then $9/month

Description: ConvertKit is a instrument that empowers creators to develop and join with their audiences, and ultimately promote to them.

The way it helps: ConvertKit is one other nice possibility with sturdy options that allow creators to promote services.

Take a breath and decelerate – we all know having a number of choices will be overwhelming. Regardless of how nice a instrument seems, think about the way it suits into your inventive course of earlier than you enroll and hand over your card.

It’s greatest to start out small and with the free variations, then take a look at and see what works for you earlier than you choose something.

What instruments are in your creator toolkit? Tell us over on Twitter @buffer.