Creating great content is key to any content marketing strategy but where do you begin?
There are some incredible content creation tools out there, like Illustrator or Adobe Creative Suite as a whole and Chat GPT (yay AI) - but let’s face it - these also require a budget. There are, however, great free and paid versions of different apps that can help you create beautiful content - we’ll do another post highlighting our favourite free tools. Tools are an easy way to ensure you have a cohesive brand across all platforms. Adopting tools is a great way to increase productivity and inspiration.
So here are our top four content creation tools:
And here is why every content creator needs them:
Canva is an intuitive graphic design platform that's equipped with features to cater to various content creation needs. Whether you're designing for websites, social media posts, business cards, logos, or presentations, Canva simplifies the process with its drag-and-drop interface and extensive library of templates. Key features include:
Templates and Design Types: Thousands of templates and custom dimensions are available for almost every conceivable design need, including specific formats for social media platforms (Instagram stories, Facebook posts, etc.).
Canva for Work: This premium feature enables teams to organise projects, store brand assets (colors, fonts), and collaborate in real-time.
Photo and Element Libraries: Access to millions of stock photos, illustrations, and icons directly within the platform.
Drag-and-Drop Editor: Makes it easy for anyone, regardless of design skill level, to create professional-looking designs.
Print Services: Canva offers printing services for business cards, posters, and other materials, delivering them right to your door.
Chat GPT, powered by OpenAI, is an advanced AI language model capable of generating human-like text based on the input or prompt it receives. It's a versatile tool for content creators, offering support in various areas:
Content Ideation and Generation: Generates ideas and drafts for articles, blog posts, social media content, and more.
Research Assistance: Helps gather information on specific topics, saving time on preliminary research.
Writing and Editing: Assists in drafting, revising, and refining written content to meet specific tones or style guidelines.
Email Marketing and Customer Service: Can craft personalized email responses or marketing copy, enhancing engagement and response rates.
Adobe Illustrator is a powerful vector-based graphic design software used by professionals for creating high-quality visual content. Its features are geared towards creating scalable designs without losing quality, making it ideal for a wide range of applications:
Vector Graphics: Allows for the creation of crisp, scalable graphics perfect for logos, icons, and complex illustrations.
Advanced Typography: Offers sophisticated tools for type manipulation and font design.
Artboard Management: Facilitates the management of multiple design elements within the same project, ideal for creating variations of a design.
Plug-ins and Integrations: Extend Illustrator's capabilities with numerous plug-ins, integrating seamlessly with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps.
Freehand Drawing: Convert freehand drawings into precise vector graphics with advanced tracing tools.
4. CapCut
CapCut, formerly known as Inshot, is a comprehensive video editing app that provides users with a suite of tools to produce high-quality video content. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible to beginners, while its features satisfy the needs of more experienced creators:
Video Editing: Offers basic and advanced editing features, including trimming, splitting, and merging clips.
Effects and Filters: A vast collection of effects and filters to enhance the visual appeal of videos.
Music and Sound Effects: Access to a large library of music and sound effects to add auditory elements to your videos.
Text and Stickers: Enables the addition of text overlays and stickers to videos, supporting creative expression.
Export and Share: Easy export options to popular resolutions and formats, with direct sharing capabilities to social media platforms.
In the words of Leo Burnett when it comes to content creation:
"Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read."
Boost your content game!
References
Canva, C. (2021). Content Creation with Canva. Retrieved 12 July 2021, from
(2021). Retrieved 13 July 2021, from https://creativemarket.com/blog/social-media-graphics- photoshop
Written By: Aeryn McEwan