Just the thought of writing content for websites and blogs can send some business owners into a deep state of panic, followed by the urge to put content marketing on the back burner. Let me reassure you that you don’t have to be a professional writer to write good content. There are plenty of tools that can make writing, creating, and sharing content a bit easier for you.
Let’s first look at what “good” content is. Good content is anything that is relevant and important pertaining to your business. You don’t have to use fancy words or elaborate analogies to catch people’s attention and build your audience. You know your business better than anybody, so that makes you the most eligible and most passionate content marketer you could possibly employ. The best way to go about it is to brainstorm your ideas, write them down, and then decide how to best strategize putting those ideas online for your potential customers.
You can create your own blogs simply by writing passionately about your thoughts and ideas. You could write and have someone proofread your content first and make suggestions. You could also forward ideas and have other individuals in your business generate content while you add your own personal touch. With so many different strategies, creating content is easier than you may think.
Now that I have doubtlessly set your mind at ease and you’re ready to start writing content, check out these three online marketing tools that you might not know about––and you should:
1. Google Drive
Google has a long list of valuable tools (most of which I recommend), but Google Drive is very important and one you should put to use. Google Drive is simple, affordable, and a great-go-to tool to help you create valuable content and ease the efforts of sharing it. Google Drive is Google’s free web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application. The online app allows users to easily share documents and collaboratively work on them in real time. With Google Drive, you can share your thoughts and ideas with business partners or others on your team and be able to collaborate.
Google Drive is a great place to keep your editorial calendars for easy sharing and collaboration during the content-planning process. Another awesome feature is the ability to access your content from any computer or device, which makes managing content very efficient. You can share media including movies, images, music, and PDFs with other users and see changes being made to documents in real time while simultaneously being able to create and reply to comments and receive feedback. This is a useful online means to collaboration and productivity. You get 15 GB of storage for everything you need, everywhere you go––for free!
2. Ebyline
Ebyline seems to be the hottest new thing in content creation for businesses. If you have found yourself in need of specifically crafted content, then this is the place to go. Ebyline is an efficient way to create content quickly and easily so that you don’t have to do it yourself. This eliminates the need to search endlessly for yet another freelancer whose quality and dependability are always in question. This tool alleviates all those worries for you and can provide original articles, photos, and videos produced exclusively for your publication, brand, or blog. Finding quality freelancers can be a crapshoot, but Ebyline has created an approved network of quality journalists, photographers, and video producers who have credentials to cover news, lifestyle, sports, technology, and more.
How does it work?
- Post your requirements and find the right writer, photographer, or video producer who suits your job and budget.
- Manage edits and communicate with freelancers with an easy-to-use work-flow interface. Track one or multiple projects with just a few clicks.
- Get the original content you need delivered in the format you require for immediate broadcast.
- Pay freelancers through a built-in accounts-payable system. No need to fuss with your payroll department—their system is completely tax compliant and automatically issues 1099s and reports to local, state, and federal tax agencies.
The Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, wine-connoisseur website Smooth, FoxSports.com, and Memphis Commercial Appeal trust Ebyline to extend the coverage of events beyond their staff writers. Brands like Gogo Inflight, Intel, and Dun & Bradstreet rely on this tool for unique website content. It’s kind of a no-brainer—Ebyline makes producing content a breeze.
3. Talkwalker
Whether you are creating your own content or collaborating with members of your team, or you have solicited the assistance of sources such as Ebyline, you now need to see if it’s working for you! You could create content all day, but if it’s not providing any results, you’re just wasting daylight. Looking for an effective tool to analyze your social marketing efforts? Talkwalker is all the buzz in the world of social media. They have undoubtedly proven to be one of the most powerful tools for tracking, analysis, and reporting for social-media efforts.
Easy to use and exceptionally powerful, Talkwalker monitors your social media and analytics and indexes social media (blogs, forums, product-review sites, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, FlickR, LinkedIn, 4Square) as well as news sites (newspapers, magazines, online news, TV/radio, news agencies, and press release sites.) In a nutshell, they’ve got you covered:
- Monitor. Listen to what people are saying in real time about a brand or topic online on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, online news sites, and YouTube.
- Analyze. From sentiment analysis and influencer ranking to trending topics, make informed business decisions based on powerful analytics.
- Report. Save time creating insightful reports and automated alerts. Enjoy quick data extracts, sleek graphics, and customizable reports on PowerPoint.
- Engage. Identify and engage with influencers that impact brand reputation. Provide real-time customer service and generate social media leads.
Talkwalker offers four different levels of pricing for monthly service, all offering a free, no-risk trial. With clients such a BASF and Volkswagen, Talkwalker is a credible tool that has proven results. For a live demo, visit them online at Talkwalker.com.
As businesses are evolving and turning to online content marketing to define and promote their brand, a great number of tools have hit the landscape. With so many choices and so many avenues, which tools do you choose to use and how do you carve your path? I say to look to the experts and do your research. If you’re short on time and looking for some well-researched advice, the above-mentioned tools are winners. If you didn’t know about them, now you do, and they’re well worth a try.