In this blog, I will discuss the best content creation tools for creating content for blogs, social media, YouTube, etc.
I have created technical and non-technical content online for over a decade.
It includes blogs, images, videos, presentations, etc.
There are many tools available for content creation. This blog will list some of the tools I have used for some time.
The tools are listed in no particular order, and each tool comes under any of the following categories.
- Image Creation
- Writing
- Video Editing
- Technical Diagrams
Now, let’s get started with the list.
1. Grammarly
Grammarly is the first tool you should use if you are a content creator.
Grammarly is an excellent tool for grammar and spell check. It is available for free. You can use the SaaS version for editing documents or the browser plugins to integrate with other writing tools you use.
I use Grammarly Premium, which has advanced features like sentence rewrites, Word choices, tone suggestions, citation style formatting, and more. You can use Grammarly suggestions to improve your writing style.
Also, I use the plagiarism detection feature to check for plagiarism in the content submitted to my blog by users.
License: Free/Premium
Website: grammarly.com
2. Canva
No one needs an introduction to Canva. It is an online graphic design tool. You can design images for Blogs, Social media, YouTube, etc.
Canva is the best tool for creating images and presentations. Using prebuilt templates, you can achieve the design quality of a professional graphic designer.
You can even create documents, infographics, Graphs, and other content. Ninety-nine percent of content creators use Canva, which is available for free with limitations to premium features.
I use Canva Pro, which has all the premium features. I primarily use it for creating blog banners, animated presentations, social media images, logos, and promotional materials.
License: Free/Premium
Homepage: canva.com
3. Camtasia
Camtasia is a video editing tool. I have been using it for a few years now.
You can do the following with Camtasia
- Screen Recording (Audio/Video)
- Professional Level Video Editing
- Audio enhancements
- Video animations/transitions
I primarily use it to create YouTube tutorial videos.
License: Premium
Homepage: techsmith.com
4. Descript
Descript is a video and podcast editor.
This is an excellent tool for removing filler words from freestyle video recordings. It converts your audio into text, and with one click, you can remove filler words like “Uh,” “Umm,” etc.
Other features include podcast recording, Screen recording, captioning, etc.
Another interesting feature of Descript is overdub. You can train the tool to produce your sound, converting text to your voice.
I am currently playing around with the tool and planning to use it for all video recording and editing.
License: Free/Premium
Website: descript.com
5. Self-Hosted WordPress (Blog)
I publish most of my content in this blog and use a self-hosted WordPress blog.
I use AWS for hosting (ec2+RDS). It’s expensive.
If you are getting started, consider using Bluehost Shared Hosting. With a one-time payment, you can have a hosting validity of up to 3 years.
The good thing about a self-hosted blog is that you own your content 100%. If you want to take advantage of Medium users, you can repurpose your blog content on Medium, dev.to, etc.
Recommended Hosting: bluehost.com
6. draw.io
draw.io is a free tool for creating technical diagrams (flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, architecture diagrams, etc.)
It has so many features, including line animation. When I post content on Linkedin, many people ask me how I create the animated diagram. Draw.io is one way to create animated flow diagrams.
One downside is that you need to use a screengrab utility to create GIF formats, as there is no default GIF export option.
License: Free
Website: draw.io
7. Excalidraw
If you like to create diagrams that look like freehand drawings, you will love Excalidraw.
I use Excalidraw extensively. It is effortless to draw, so I use it to create diagrams and explain concepts during meetings.
If you want animated lines with excalidraw, use the final image on draw.io canvas, and you can add animated sequences.
Excalidraw also offers a plus version that allows you to categorize and save your drawings online. In the free version, you must keep the diagram source file locally.
License: Free/Plus
Website: excalidraw.com
8. Sketchwow
Sketchwow is a creative image tool that supports freehand drawing, animations, etc.
It comes with a collection of templates to create engaging visuals.
It is a paid tool, and I bought it for the line animation before realizing that draw.io offers that feature for free 😀
I wouldn’t suggest spending on Sketchwow if you need only animated lines.
License: Free/Plus
Website: sketchwow.com
9. ChatGPT
ChatGPT is one of the leading tools for creating content and other tasks. It will work with the prompt that you provided.
With the right prompt, you can create text content for any platform, and we need to train it without style.
It has many plugins to make our work productive.
Plugins for writing, productivity, research & analytics, education, lifestyle, and programming.
License: Free/Paid
Website: ChatGPT
10. Frase.io
Frase.io is a content creation and research tool. We are using it to research and create content for in-depth blogs.
This makes it possible to do two works on a single platform. Also, it has a few built-in AI tools to help you create content.
Tools include article writing, paragraph generator, sentence rewrite, and more. You can import existing blogs with URLs in this tool and optimize them.
License: Premium
Webiste: Frase.io
11. Content At Scale
Content At Scale is an AI software that generates long-form content and is mainly used for generating blogs and articles.
It will generate the content based on the keywords and topics you provided. This, too, aims to reduce the time for content creators and marketers.
You will get a free trial for this tool.
License: Premium
Website: Contentatscale.ai
Conclusion
When it comes to content creation, a tool is meant to enhance or present your content well; however, the primary focus should be creating high-quality content that adds value to end users.
Also, if you create diagrams for project work, focus on the technical details. Fancy animations add very little value. Animations are good for creators to explain a concept and keep the user interested in the image/video.
