src=”https://buffer.com/resources/content/images/2023/01/rachel-martin-2YDxC3KQ_pU-unsplash–1-.jpg” alt=”The Creator’s Toolkit: 27+ Content Creation Tools for Every Stage of the Process”>
Every great creator has an army of tools and people to help him or her at every stage of content creation. Although consistency is essential for growing as a creator and sustaining your career, the tools that you use can make or break your growth.
These tools include everything, from the social media platforms where you build your brand to the community-building apps that allow you to interact with your audience. We’ll show you how these tools can help support your content creation journey in this article.
Content search tools
One of the most tedious aspects of creating content is gathering data and information. If your content’s goal is to educate, it may be more difficult to gather data and information than for creators who are focused on entertainment. These tools are helpful.
Google Trends
Price – Free
Description Google Trends can be used to track the popularity over time of search terms. You can see what people are interested in now and compare it to the popularity of similar terms.
What it does: Google Trends is a great tool to help you find topic ideas if you are stuck. This creator explains that the People Also Ask section of your Google search page is another great Google feature for inspiration.
@themrspedersen Here’s exactly how to create a content plan packed with what your dream clients/customers want to see! #socialmediamarketing #contentbatching #smallbusinessmarketing #contentideas #contentplanning
♬ original sound – Rachel Pedersen
[TAG0]
Pinterest Trends
Price – Free
Description Pinterest Trends, a hidden gem that tracks popularity of various terms on Pinterest is similar to its Google counterpart. It also shows what is visually attractive now, versus what was popular two months ago or ten years ago.
What it does: Content creation requires that you keep up with current design trends and how your content can reflect them. Pinterest Trends gives you an easy visual guide to what’s trending, and how you can adapt your content to match.
AnswerthePublic
Price – Free with limited access Paid plans start from $79/month
Description AnswerthePublic provides search listening tools that give creators insight into the needs of their audience. You can simply type in your keyword to get an abundance of autocomplete data from search engines such as Google.
What it does: This tool allows you to discover the questions that your audience is asking. It makes for easy content suggestions. Simply answer the questions and then insert the keyphrase in your caption.
ChatGPT
Price – Free for now
Description ChatGPT is an AI tool where you can ask questions about any topic. The only limitation is your imagination and the fact that it has limited knowledge to 2023. You can’t trust it too much as access is limited by the platform’s capabilities.
What it does for: ChatGPT (and all other AI search tools) is able to curate information for users. It doesn’t give multiple answers when you ask it questions. It will instead share a curated answer in your requested format.
Content scheduling and content planning
It’s important to have tools that can track what content is being published and when. These tools will simplify the complicated process of content planning and help you save time by scheduling your work in advance.
Notion
Free plan:Price Paid plans start at $10/member/month
Description Notion is a productivity- and project management tool that allows individuals and groups to work together on various projects and tasks. To manage your creativity, you can make simple or complicated systems.
What it does: Notion’s customization options allow you to create and manage many creative processes. You can check out their templates. To find the right template for you, use the search term “content makers”.
Buffer
Price:Free Plan. Paid plans start at $6/month/channel
Description – Buffer has many features that will help you create content, including stress-free scheduling for multiple social media platforms.
What it does: Buffer is one of the best tools to schedule content and has many features that will help you grow.
- Start Page to add your social media bios to direct your followers to your amazing content all over the internet
- Remix is a way to efficiently reuse content on social media
- Ideas to help you keep track of your spur-of the-moment thoughts
- Buffer AI is a tool that will help you quickly create content (coming soon).
- Analytics to monitor your performance and identify areas for improvement
- +Every social media platform that your audience may be on
Writing Tools
These tools may be great for anyone who creates any type of written content, such as a newsletter or Instagram captions.
WordPress or Ghost: Content management system
Price – Free Plans Paid WordPress plans start at $9/month, Ghost plans are $11/month
Description There are many methods to publish content online, but if your goal is to create a website that is unique, you may need a content management software. WordPress and Ghost are our favorites.
What it does: Content management software helps you keep track all of the content that you publish on the internet. A CMS is essential if you are using blog articles as your primary method of creating content.
Newsletter Management: Substack, Beehiiv
Price – Free plans for both. Behiiv’s monthly paid plan starts at $42/user.
Description Newsletters are an excellent way to create an audience you can take with you anywhere. Substack, Beehiiv and MailChimp allow you to create newsletters that can be shared with your email list. Both tools provide extensive resources that will help you grow your audience.
What it does: A newsletter can be a great way for you to control how your audience interacts. You will always be available in their inboxes, and you can add subscriptions or ads at any time.
Editing: Grammarly, Writer
Price Grammarly offers both free and paid plans starting at $30/month. For Writer, you can get a free trial or pay $18/month.
Description Both Grammarly and Scribe use AI to check grammar, spelling and punctuation.
What it does: You can use either one of these tools to check for errors before you send any writing out into the world. Both tools can be formatted to suit your company’s guidelines so that you don’t have to worry about your Instagram caption or blog tone being off.
Transcription: Otter
Price – Free Plan Paid plans starting at $16.99/month
Description – Otter.ai records and takes notes during meetings and creates a summary that you can share with others. It can be integrated with meeting tools such as Zoom and Teams so that you don’t have to take another note.
What it does: This tool is great for creators who do a lot and need to transcribe content into written formats.
Formatting and outlining: Copy.ai/ Lex
Price Both plans come with free. Copy.ai offers a paid plan for $49 per person.
Description – Both Lex and Copy.ai can convert your queries into the format that you require for your content. Ask either tool any question. For example: “Write an Instagram caption to describe a toddler holding a Teddy Bear in order to sell it” or anything else that suits your tone.
What it does: AI tools can be a wonderful addition to anyone’s toolbox.
Visual content creator tools
Many social media platforms and content creation sites are visual-oriented. Design and visuals are essential elements of your creator journey. These tools are great for creating visual content.
Canva
Price – Free Plan Paid plans start from $12.99/month
Description Canva is a web-based graphic design tool you can use on desktops, mobiles, and the web. You can create visual, written, and video content with a variety of options.
What it does: Canva can be described as a Swiss Army Knife in design. By incorporating it into your creator toolskit, you will be able create content for all your content platforms quickly.
Unsplash
Price – Free
Description Unsplash allows you to search for royalty-free images.
What it does: This is a great option if you have a need for images for your newsletter, social media, or blog but can’t afford them.
DALL-E
Price – Free to Start, $15 for 115 Credits.
Description Using text prompts, DALL-E allows you to create images using AI tools. It can be asked any question you like, and, just like other AI tools, your imagination is the only limitation.
How it assists: DALLE is great for creating quick, copyright-free images to your content creation, especially when you have limited design resources.
Tools for creating audio content
These tools can be used to create podcasts or voiceovers for your next TikTok.
Anchor
Price – Free
Description – Anchor is a Spotify tool which allows you to upload, edit, distribute, and monetize your podcast. A website can be created for your podcast. You can also upload videos to it. It is available for both mobile and desktop.
What it does: This tool is great for beginners who want to start a podcast, but don’t have the skills to use more advanced tools. Once you are satisfied with the audio and editing, you can simply hit record on your phone. Pre-recorded audio can be uploaded to the app and will be distributed to all podcast platforms.
Audacity
Price – Free
Description – Audacity, a free audio editing and recording tool that you can use from your desktop computer. It is a great tool to start editing podcasts.
What it does: Although this tool is not for everyone, it can be mastered and you will have a tool that you can use to edit audio content.
GarageBand
Price – Free
Description – If you own a Macbook you don’t need to look beyond your pre-installed apps for an audio editor. GarageBand can be downloaded from the App Store or pre-installed in Apple devices.
What it does for: GarageBand can be used to edit audio or create original music for creative projects.
Descriptive
Price – Free Plan Paid plans start from $15/user/month
Description – Descript offers video editing tools, but it is best known for its extensive suite of tools that are dedicated to audio content.
What it does: Descript features are specifically made for podcast creators.
Video content creation tools
Video is the new rage. From Instagram Reels to TikToks and YouTube to its short-form feature Shorts, creators have millions and one places to share and promote their content. These platforms do not offer the best editing tools when it comes to creating. Some companies have created tools that enable creators to edit and create content for any platform. These are the top ones:
InShot
Price – Free Version Paid plans starting at $3.99/month
Description InShot is an iOS and Android video editing app.
What it does for: InShot’s free plan can be used to quickly and efficiently edit your content on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube Shorts.
Loom
Price – Free Version Paid plans starting at $8/user/month
Description – Loom allows you to capture crisp, clear footage of the screen and quickly comm. It is available for Android, iOS, and desktop.
What it does for: Loom is great if you have a lot to teach your audience and want to show them examples that they can actually see.
CapCut
Price – Free Plan Paid plans start from $7.99/month
Description CapCut is an editing program, especially for TikTok videos. CapCut allows for more editing than the in-app TikTok features. It also integrates with TikTok to allow you to upload your content. It is available on mobile, desktop and web.
It helps
Community building tools
They don’t have to have many followers, but they also get high engagement. These tools allow you to give access to your time and connect with your followers. This allows for deeper relationships and loyalty.
Discord
Price – Free
Description Discord is a communication platform that allows users to engage in text, voice and video chats.
What it does for: You might consider moving your most loyal users to a platform that offers a smaller community. Discord is an excellent tool to do this. It is possible to control who can access it, and to curate it to improve the user experience.
Mighty Networks
Price – Paid Plans Starting at $39/Month
Description Mighty Networks can be used to build communities, but it also has features that allow you to launch courses or membership programs.
What it does: Mighty Networks, a larger version of Discord, is great for people who have a large audience and want to offer paid members and courses.
Monetization Tools
You can make your side-business in content creation into a full-time job if you have the right strategy for monetization and a large audience. This is possible with the tools provided.
Patreon
Price – Pricing starts at 5% from your monthly income through this platform
Description Using Patreon, you can offer your audience monthly subscriptions in return for perks. It’s used by some creators to provide access to content that they don’t have the right to upload to social media.
What it does for: You have monetized the creative process if you have 100 people who are willing to pay $10 per month for your content.
Stan
Price – Free Trial, then $29/month
Description Stan is a platform which allows you to sell digital goods. It allows creators to sell everything, from budgeting templates and consulting services. This platform is especially popular among TikTok creators.
What it does for: Stan is an excellent tool for managing digital products without the need to create a website or payment system.
ConvertKit
Price – Free Plan Paid plans begin once you have 300 subscribers. Then, it’s $9/month.
Description ConvertKit allows creators to connect with their audience and ultimately sell to them.
What it does: ConvertKit, another great tool with powerful features that allow creators to sell their products and services, is another great option.
Start small, and then build your toolkit over time
We know that having many options can seem overwhelming. Take a deep breath. Before you sign up for a tool, think about how it will fit into your creative process.
Start small with the free versions and then experiment to see what works best for you.
What tools do you have in your creator toolkit Tweet us @buffer.
Leave a Reply