Top 5 Free Content Creation Tools and Resources

Content is the reason search began in the first place. - Lee Odden, Marketing Expert

When it comes to the fast-paced world of digital marketing, content is still king - perhaps more so than ever.

Although somewhat of a buzz phrase back in the earlier days of SEO, this is a term that holds an incredible amount of value, especially when you consider the sophistication of today’s consumer. No one wants cheap clickbait thrust under their noses, people want to be dazzled, informed, inspired, and engaged.

As a marketer how do you achieve such a feat? By creating amazing content, of course.

Content marketing leaders experience 7.8 times more site traffic than non-leaders. What's more, superior content marketing drives higher conversion rates. How can you afford not to create more content?

With so much to do and so little time, creating regular content that offers value, as well as a solid ROI, can seem impossible, but these top 5 free content marketing tools and resources are here to help...

Pablo

When it comes to content marketing, imagery is vital. In fact, according to a recent study, 37% of marketers confirmed visual marketing was the most important form of content for their business, second only to blogging.

Today’s consumer scans pages on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, which means to grab their attention, using eye-catching visual imagery is a must.

Instagram has around 400 million active users worldwide, and counting. If you’re looking to create stunning visuals for your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter campaign, Pablo is what you need.

Developed by the folks from Buffer, the platform’s accessible layout means you don’t need to be a professional photo editor to create eye-catching assets for your blog articles or social posts, and with pop-up tutorials to help you throughout, you can create a host of top notch images with ease.

Pablo allows its users to choose and edit images from its own Creative Commons library, as well as upload their own images and add text to enhance their pictures or add a clear-cut call to action.

Pablo not only saves time but it has enough functionality to create professional images to complement your content marketing efforts with ease.

Unsplash

Used by award-winning writers like Deepak Chopra to industry giants like Apple, Unsplash has come a long way in three short years.

As we've established, imagery is vital to your content marketing efforts, and if you're looking to source the best high-resolution stock photos for your social media accounts, blog posts, or promotional campaigns, this resource is gold dust.

Not only is the imagery available eclectic and top quality, but Unsplash's easy to navigate interface is a joy to use, and it's blog is packed full of exciting news and valuable insights.

Google Drive Research Tool

Thorough research is essential for producing marketing campaigns that offer value, niche information, and inspiration.

Not only will a poorly researched blog post result in a weak piece of content that will increase your bounce rate; it will also seriously harm your credibility.

According to research, for millennials, brand authenticity is second only to loyalty discounts in importance when choosing businesses to support.

Google Drive’s Research Tool is a brilliant resource to help you create killer content that provides value; is backed by credible sources and boosts your brand authenticity,

If you're using Google Docs in your Drive, you can conduct searches without having to navigate away from your window, saving time and making it easier to cite your sources as you work.

By clicking 'Tools' in the menu bar and choosing 'Research' from the drop down menu, you'll be able to take advantage of this slick functionality and create award-winning blog content quicker than ever before.

As a side note, another great free way to streamline your content research is by using Google’s site:search function. Site:search allows you to search for information from a particular website rather than sources from the entire web. This will provide you with a template from which to work (site:websiteexample.com search query).

EpicBeat

Studies suggest that 80% of people never read past the headline of an article or email subject line.By writing a strong headline that grabs attention and promises value, you stand a greater chance of consumers sticking around to see what you have to say.

At the heart of a dazzling headline lies a strong idea or concept. But, sometimes finding inspiration for fresh ideas can prove tricky.

A free and incredibly powerful alternative to BuzzSumo, EpicBeat is a content marketing tool that finds you great content to study based on a particular search term. By displaying top performing content based on a certain subject, you'll be able to see what works best with consumers in your niche and be inspired to produce great content.

EpicBeat is packed full of useful features and boasts excellent tutorials to help its users get to grips with its interface with ease; it's also great for content curation purposes. And as 80% of marketers share third-party content to improve company visibility and buzz, this tool is an essential part of any content marketer's toolkit.

Also, if you need a quick and straightforward way to generate exciting blog titles based on simple keywords, Portent’s content generator combines beautiful design with an easy to use interface. Just punch in your topic and take your pick. The platform even gives you quick tips and resources to help you write your article.

Biteable

Did you know that including a video on a landing page, can increase your conversion rate by up to 80%, while adding a video to an email can increase your click-through rate by a whopping 200-300%.

Also, 90% of users say that product videos are helpful when it comes to the decision-making process.

If you're hungry for creating head-turning video content for a social media drive, product promotion, Vlog, or promotional campaign, Biteable is hard to beat.

With hundreds of different templates, visual styles, animated scenes, photos or live action videos to choose from, you don't need to be a professional filmmaker to use Biteable - and the results are amazing. You can also add your own content to give your video a personal touch, and include elements like text, static photos, different colour schemes and sound clips. The platform comes complete with a host of music clips that you can add to your video in seconds.

The free content creation tools featured above are without a doubt, our top picks for any budding content marketer. To offer you as much variety as possible, here are a three other content creation tools that will help you in your quest for digital marketing success.

• Hemingway App: An intuitive tool that will help you write clear, crisp and succinct sentences.
• Canva: Create banners, murals, and impressive visual assets for your campaign in a matter of minutes.
• Evernote: A collaborative organisational app that will help you refine, plan, organise, and prioritise your content marketing efforts.

Around two million blog posts are published on the internet every day and if you want to produce content that cuts through the noise and earns you results on a consistent basis, a mix of strong digital marketing skills and these free tools, will ensure your long lasting success.

Want to understand where to focus your content marketing efforts? Read our guide to defining effective buyer personas.

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