5 great content tools from last year
There is no limit to the number of apps, websites and online tools available to help you get content created and published better, faster, and funner.
Here at Brilliant, we are quick to jump onto a new thing and give it a test drive. We admit we get ‘crushes’ that last a month or two, and then we get distracted by the next shiny bit of software to arrive in our feeds. Sorry Trello, you’re actually very good, only… we discovered Bullet Journals.
In no particular order, here are our 5 favourite free tools for content marketing from this year.
Co-schedules Headline Analyzer
For testing out the ‘clickability’ of your titles and headline, and email subjects, there is nothing better than Headline Analyzer. It’s not new this year, but if you’ve not used it, make sure you bookmark that page. You’re trying for a score better than 74 — GO!
Answer the Public
This is a truly wicked tool. No matter what your subject is, this site has some serious ‘geek’ behind it as it trawls the internet and creates a network of related content for you. The site has style, humour and smarts. Test it out with your next article idea and see what else is out there for you.
Tomato Timer
This one is a productivity tool that helps to keep you focused on your tasks and not dithering around on social media, not achieving anything.
It is basically a timer that sets you up for 25 minute work sprints, gives you a 5 minute break, and then puts you to task again. A day with the Tomato Timer is exhausting but when you have a looming deadline, it can pull your schedule back into line quick smart!
The Noun Project
We never thought icons could be so varied! This is a free site with almost unlimited icons for every imaginable occasion. It allows you to save out vector icons in black and white for free. To custom colour your icon and save as .png or .svg you can upgrade for around $40/year.
Every Free Image Site Ever
This year was the biggest year for free image sites yet. Some are better than others and there are some questions about the validity of some of the images on some of the sites — but for the most part, they are free for private and commercial use and are great for feature images to go with your articles and other online content. We’ve compiled them all onto one page for you.
Zoom.us
Skype has a serious competition. We have used Zoom this year for group meetings, one-on-one session and even for on-boarding new clients. The layout is great, getting onto the call is simple and you can record your sessions. There is a free version and an upgrade — this is one that will be staying with us for a long time.
Okay — so that was 6 but we really couldn’t decide which one to cut from the list — advantage you!
Let us know what your favourite tools were from this year — we’d hate to miss a good one!
