I remember the first time I sat down to write a blog post and wondered where the hell to start! It’s not easy.
When you look at your competitors and their well-polished articles, it’s very easy to be overwhelmed by their high output and the journey ahead of you to get a competitive advantage.
How can they be so consistent and engaging?
Well, you’ll be pleased to know they have lots of help from content creation tools. A swiss-army knife of software that can inspire you to create a wide range of content ideas.
These tools can guide you to writing optimized blog posts and help you create social media posts, videos, podcasts, and more.
By using the best content creation tools for your needs, you can save time and effort and focus on creating engaging content for your readers.
In this article, I have gathered a list content creation tools most commonly used by bloggers and some of the most popular options within each category.
Sound good? Take a look!
Content Creation Tools For Writing and Grammar.
These tools are essential for serious writers and bloggers. If you’re writing a blog post or an article, then writing in a clear and concise tone is critical to engaging your audience and getting your message across. It also scores you brownie points with the lovely people at Google!
Tool features such as grammar checks, plagiarism tools and the ability to format text as you write can help speed up your writing and help you achieve helpful content.
And when you mix in the latest AI software integrations, you have a super powerful way of creating content quickly!
Grammarly
If you’ve never heard of Grammarly before, you’re either new to blogging (welcome!) or an English professor with perfect grammar!
Without a doubt, Grammarly is one of the most popular grammar checker tools available. Not only does it check your spelling and grammar, but you can tell Grammarly to correct your text in different moods and tones – it can even rewrite sentences that are too wordy and unclear.
Grammarly also includes a powerful plagiarism tool, and its Chrome extension integrates with nearly all the major operating platforms – you can even download it onto your phone! (iOS/Android).
Cost: Prices start at $10/month. (There is a free version which includes text generation, basic writing suggestions, and tone detection.)
Try GrammarlyJasper.ai
Jasper is an AI writing tool using the latest GPT-4 software to help you generate optimized blog content. It comes with a comprehensive set of templates which can help fast-track your writing in all areas of the copywriting process, and its ‘Brand Voice‘ function is a great way to generate new content whilst remaining ‘in-brand’ to your business.
There is a Jasper Chat feature, which uses NLP machine learning to create conversational responses, and with added integrations with Surfer SEO, Grammarly, and Copyscape, it’s not hard to see why Jasper.ai is one of the leading AI content-writing tools on the market.
Cost: The Creator plan starts at $49/month or $39/month annually. For more established businesses, the Pro plan is $69/month or $59/month annually.
There is a 7-day free trial with both plans.
CopyScape.
Copyscape is a stand-alone plagiarism checker tool used by millions of bloggers and freelance writers.
With plagiarism being something we should all be on the lookout for, CopyScape is regarded as one the most accurate and trustworthy in its field.
Simply paste your text into Copyscape, which will return any web articles matching your writing. Additionally, you can integrate Copyscape into your website, alerting you if your content has been republished elsewhere.
No more worrying!
Cost: Copyscape uses a credit system. A search up to 200 words will cost 3 cents, so you’re looking at 20 cents for a 2,000-word article.
Try CopyscapeQuillbot.
If you’re starting out in blogging and looking for an all-in-one solution for nearly all the functions from the above tools (and at a very good price), then Quillbot is a great place to start.
Quillbot is an AI writing tool that can paraphrase text to make it more stylized and unique. It also checks for grammar and plagiarism and can reduce walls of inputted text into a summary – which can be very handy when researching a topic for a new article.
Quillbot comes with a Chrome Extension that integrates into Google Docs. It also includes a citation generator that takes all the leg work out of formatting protocols when referencing external sources.
Cost: $19.95/month. (Quillbot is available for free but with limited tool functions).
Chat GPT
Now, I’m quite sure that you’ve heard of ChatGPT. This tool is the new kid on the block, and it’s taking the blogging world by storm.
With its Open.AI GPT-3.5 software, bloggers can generate content for blog titles, blog post outlines and even complete articles themselves. It can also help suggest keywords on any given topic, and if you’re technically inclined, Chat GPT can even write code for your site.
PLEASE NOTE! Do not copy and paste content straight from ChatGPT into your posts. Google is very much aware of AI-generated material, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they can spot it a mile off already.
Use ChatGPT as a tool for research and inspiration, but always inject your own thoughts and voice into any articles you create.
Cost: ChatGPT-3.5 is free. (ChatGPT-4 is $20/month.)
Visual Content Creation and Graphic Design Tools.
Nothing can be more off-putting when opening an article than being hit in the face by a wall of text. Boring!
Including infographics and custom images in your blog posts can be a powerful way to capture your audience’s attention and provide a more engaging and memorable read.
Consider using one of the tools below:
Piktochart.
Piktochart is a cloud-based software that can help you generate infographics and reports without prior graphic design knowledge.
Simply pick from the vast selection of templates and customize them to your requirements through Piktochart’s intuitive and user-friendly interface.
Piktochart also includes templates for creating flowcharts, brochures, posters, and resumes. It even has a suite of video creator tools, including screen recording and editing video through transcription. Very useful indeed!
Cost: $29/month– (annually at $14/month)
A free version is available with restricted functionality.
Canva.
Canva is the best-known content-creation tool in this category.
It provides a vast selection of templates and tools to get your creative juices flowing, and it covers all aspects of graphic design used by bloggers, small businesses, and online influencers.
Its user interface is straightforward to operate with drag-and-drop functionality. Canva also offers a one-stop solution for creating websites, physical products (t-shirts, branded stationary etc.) and video templates for all the major social media platforms.
With a 30 Day Free-Trial to get full access to all these tools (and more), this should be something to take advantage of.
Cost: $10.99/month or $99.99/year.
Pixabay.
Pixabay is a one-stop shop for millions of royalty-free, high-quality images and illustrations.
With its vast array of photographs, vector graphics, videos, GIFs and more, everything is free under the Pixabay license. You can also alter and distribute any assets you download and use commercially.
If you like to work on the go, there’s a mobile app for iOS and Android to keep you busy.
Cost: Free!
Dall-E
This list would only be complete if AI were involved in it somewhere!
From the people at Openai.com comes DALL-E. This AI image-generating tool creates unique and copyright-free images simply by entering a description of a picture you would like to see.
The results can be wacky at times, but with some practice, you can get the AI to create truly stunning and unique results.
Cost: At the time of updating this article (dec’23) DALL-E3 is free to use.
Video Content Creation Tools.
Video content is a growing trend in the blogging world, and for a good reason. With the increasing popularity of Youtube Shorts, Facebook Reels and TikTok, bloggers are using these mediums to drive traffic to their sites. This is a very powerful way to engage with your audience, give more authority to your brand and help your site to stand out in the ‘blogosphere’.
If you think creating videos seems like hard work, then worry not! These tools can do most of the leg work for you.
Pictory.
Pictory.ai is a great way to create video content for your blog or business without having any experience in the video creation field.
Simply enter your text, script or whole articles, and Pictory’s AI will generate a professional-quality video to complement your written content. With the straightforward editor, you can chop and change clips to your taste and even edit videos from text transcriptions.
Cost: Prices start at $23/month – (annually at $19/month). A free trial is available.
InVideo.
When you’re struggling to take your YouTube channel to the next level by designing a swanky intro, InVideo.io is a great tool to get you there quickly.
With a vast array of pre-designed templates, InVideo helps you realize your design and publish quickly. You can crop the templates to your needs, and with the ability to add stock audio and graphics, you can easily personalize the end result to your brand.
Cost: Prices start at $25/month – (annually at $20/month). A free trial is available.
Loom.
If showing your face online is an essential dynamic to your brand, then screen recording will be something you will need to consider at some point.
Loom is one of the most popular screen recording tools available. It is excellent for any business that needs to create instructional videos, product demos or training sessions.
Loom is excellent for recording online team meetings or providing customer support, and with the easy-to-use editor, you can publish professional-looking videos in no time.
Cost: $15/month – (annually at $12.50/month). A free version gives you fewer videos and recording time, but this is an excellent way to get to know the platform without spending a penny!
Podcast and Audio Tools.
Putting yourself in front of a camera is not everyone’s cup of tea! But what about your voice??
Another way to increase your blog’s authority and add more weight to your written content is to consider podcasting and audio creation.
With 55 % of online content being consumed via smartphones, listening to your blog post (or podcast) can be an excellent way for your readers to stay engaged while on the go!
Audacity.
Audacity is a free, open-source, multi-track audio editing tool that offers a bundle of features to help you create professional-sounding audio.
It has been around for years (since May 2000), but despite many paid alternatives with more bells and whistles, it is still one of the most popular tools for podcasters and content creators.
With the ability to cut, copy, and paste audio files and apply effects such as equalization and noise reduction, Audacity will give you the confidence to broadcast well-polished podcasts in no time.
Cost: Free!
Descript.
Descript is a transcription and audio editing software that considerably speeds up your post-production workflow.
With the ability to edit transcriptions through a word-processor style editor, Descript offers a powerful and efficient way to get your podcasts published.
All edits are non-destructive so that you can get as creative as possible. And if you’re not happy with the end result, you can always backtrack and start again.
(Follow the link for a more detailed review of Descript.)
Cost: Plans start at $12/month. (A free version is available with reduced tool options).
Buzzsprout.
When you’ve finished recording your podcast, you’ll need to host it somewhere for your listeners to find.
With Buzzsprout, you can gather data on how many listeners each podcast gets, their location and even the device they use. With such helpful information, you can plan more strategically when considering your next podcast series.
Additional features include an automatic mastering tool and a scheduling function for publishing your podcasts at specific times and days.
Cost: Plans start at $12/month. (Free for the first 3 hours).
Content and Keyword Research Tools.
Keyword research is a ‘must-do’ step for creating content on your blog. If you start writing without this step, you could create content that will never rank and, in the process, waste a lot of precious time.
By using some of the tools below, you can find untapped keywords and phrases related to your topic. This will help you create content that connects with your audience and pushes your articles higher in authority.
These tools can really make a difference!
AHREFS.
If you punch ‘keyword tool’ into Google, I can guarantee that AHREFS will be mentioned on the first page.
Undoubtedly, AHREFS has been the ‘go-to’ tool for bloggers and SEO agencies for some time now. Its vast data set and multiple tool functions will give you the edge to rank your posts higher in Google.
Not only can you maximize your site’s SEO with its audit tool, but you can analyze your competitors and find out what keywords they’re ranking for and the quality of their backlinks. How handy is that?!!
Cost: Plans start at $79/month. (TIP: If you scroll down to the footer of AHREFS, nearly all of the tools can be accessed for free but with reduced capacity).
Google Trends.
Google Trends is an excellent way to research your niche or discover emerging trends to help your business. It can analyze what’s trending on your competitors’ sites, and you can even filter the results down to a local SEO level.
With the ability to change the search criteria from ‘Web Search’ to ‘Google Shopping’ or ‘YouTube Search‘, then Google Trends becomes a powerful tool that can determine the market strategy of your business.
Cost: Free!
Answer The Public.
When you only want to search for keyword ideas for your next article or marketing campaign, then Answer The Public will provide you with a bucket load of ideas!
With its visual diagrams broken down into multiple categories of searcher intent, Answer The Public will find the best keywords for your articles and maximize your chances of ranking higher in Google.
Cost: Plans start at $9/month. (All plans come with a 7-day free trial).
SEMRush.
SEMrush is a digital marketing tool that has a vast suite of features for SEO, PPC, content marketing, and social media marketing.
The Topic Research Tool is a great way to discover trending topics in your niche, and when you add together all the other powerful tools at your disposal, Semrush may be the only content research tool you’ll ever need.
Cost: Plans start at $129.95/month. (There is a 7-day free trial).
How To Choose The Right Content Creation Tools.
Before you start reaching for your credit card and building up a smorgasbord of tools all at once, consider the criteria below when choosing your software, as you may find a more efficient solution to your needs and save a bit of cash along the way!
Prioritize Your Specific Needs and Goals.
With so many content creation tools to consider when running a blog, it’s easy to get ahead of yourself, step off the correct path, and walk into trouble. If you’re like me and love shiny new things, you’ll know where I’m coming from!
So, if you’re thinking of buying an AI writing tool before doing any keyword research or creating infographics after only your first draft, then you need to stop and change focus. Try to remain in the present and only address what’s required in front of you.
If you can, map out your creative journey and write down the tools you will need along the way. In doing so, you can stay focused on the job at hand and make the best use of your time.
What Features Do The Tools Offer?
When researching your tool of choice, try to avoid getting caught up in multiple tool features which you know (hand on heart) you’ll probably never need.
For example, if you’re great at grammar but need a plagiarism checker tool, then buying Grammarly could be tool overload, whereas Copyscape might be just what you need.
Ask yourself: ‘What do I want from a tool?’. Then stick to your answer!
How Much Does The Tool Cost?
In a perfect world, we’d sign up and pay for many tools. However, it wouldn’t be long before we’d sell our laptops to keep up! Hmm.
Consider the following tips:
Create a monthly budget before looking at any tools. This is a sensible way to prevent the ‘shiny new tool’ syndrome and make you more subjective when considering your choice.
Compare the pricing plans amongst similar tools. You’ll often be spoilt for choice when researching a specific tool type. Keep an eye out for any introductory offers or trial periods, and search around for coupon codes.
Is there a free tool trial? Free content creation tools can be a great way to get started for zero cost. Not all tools have free and paid versions, but if a free trial is on offer, you should definitely take advantage of it and get your creative juices flowing!
What Do Other Bloggers Use?
Look for reviews and recommendations from bloggers with similar needs and goals, as they can provide valuable insights into the pros and cons of different tools.
I use Quora and Facebook groups as my go-to source of info, but review sites and other social media platforms will do the job too.
Is There Customer Support?
Customer support is something I look for when signing up for any new software. If the tool you need is crucial to your content creation but has a steep learning curve, then you may want to consider the following factors:
Availability: Is customer support available on a 24/7 basis or only during certain hours? (Watch out for time zones here. Otherwise, you may be staying up late to speak to somebody!)
Method of support: Options may include email, phone, live chat, automated bots and social media. (Always check for any hidden costs when a phone is involved!)
Response Time: How quickly does the company respond to support requests? If your blog earns an income for you, then getting support quickly will be a factor to consider.
Quality of Support: Is the customer support any good? I always refer back to forums and reviews for this point. Nothing is more frustrating than when the person you’re talking to isn’t very helpful!
Documentation and Resources: Sometimes, the best way to get information on a tool is by researching it yourself. Check to see if any help guides or videos are included within the software you are considering, and look out for any practical online courses or YouTube tutorials you can tap into.
Integration: Some tools you may be considering can integrate into other platforms and provide a powerful and efficient way to work. A good example of this is Jasper.ai and SurferSeo. Both these tools are excellent in their own right but used together; you can generate written content and maximize your articles for SEO without switching between applications. This can save you a lot of time!
Compatibility: Always ensure your operating system is compatible with the tool(s) you plan to buy. If the software is a download (not cloud-based), check the file size and processor speed requirements; otherwise, you could grind your computer to a halt.
Final Thoughts.
As you can see, content creation tools are integral throughout the entire creative process.
The above list is by no means definitive but a collection of the best content creation tools I have used over the years.
It’s important to remember that while these tools can be incredibly helpful in streamlining the blogging process, the most crucial element of becoming a successful blogger is your creativity, originality and hard work.
Let these tools inspire you to form great ideas (not dictate your actions), and I’m sure you’ll be ranking on page 1 in no time!
FAQs
Which is the best tool for content creation?
How can content creation tools improve my blogging?
Can content creation tools replace human writers?
Can I use content creation tools for social media content?
Disclosure: Some of the links on digitalizelife.com may be affiliate links, which means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission without any additional cost to you. For more information on how affiliate links are handled on digitalizelife.com, please refer to our privacy policy.
