Content writing requires you to learn the trade secrets. You can elevate your content above the fray using online writing resources and available tools. Today, marketers use content to attract customers to their websites. Unsurprisingly, 70% of marketers invest in content writing.
If you are new to content writing, you may not be aware of these resources that can make your content and blogs stand out and keep them error-free. When I started writing content, my process was simple. An idea or concept would come to mind, and I would start writing.
Now that I am writing for clients, my process has changed and continues to change. I am always learning about new tools and resources that help to improve my content. Today, I am sharing some content writing resources that will make your content LIT AF. Let’s go!
Grammar Tools
Your blog or content article is meant to connect with your audience, prove to clients that you are the writer they need, or sell a product or service. If they read your writing and find it a) full of errors or b) too difficult to understand, they will leave the site and go to another one.
How do you ensure that what you’ve written is grammatically correct and at a level that most people find easy to read?
I use a few online resources to ensure my writing meets the clarity and grammar requirements I need to present my topic.
Grammarly
I began using Grammarly a few years ago. I had just started a writing job, and the other writers and bloggers highly recommended it. So, I first used the limited free plan, but Grammarly helped a lot, even being limited.
After you’ve created your account, I recommend you install the extension available in all browsers since this will allow you to use it on websites, social media sites, and more. So, writing correctly doesn’t stop with blogs and content articles.
After I introduced my husband to Grammarly (really to save my sanity), he started using it for everything he writes, from social posts to reports to his office.
Aside from the extension, I recommend upgrading to the Premium plan when you can. Grammarly frequently has sales, so keep an eye on your emails from them to know when the special price is available.
Microsoft Editor
Another grammar checker you can use is Microsoft Editor. If you have updated Microsoft Office apps on your computer, it’s built right into Microsoft Word. You can also install the extension in your browser, but it’s not yet as available on websites and social media like Grammarly. So, it’s hit-and-miss.
I often notice that Microsoft Editor finds errors or suggests changes that are different from Grammarly, and it’s a fight between the two. Literally!
Hemingway Editor
There are a few parts to writing for your audience. Grammar is only a piece of the puzzle. Clarity and reading level are also important.
In one of my first writing jobs, I was required to use the Hemingway Editor app. It turned out to be a great thing, even though it sometimes frustrated me to pieces. For that job, the writing had to fall between 6 and 9 on the readability scale in Hemingway, and depending on the topic, this was sometimes a considerable challenge.
So, if you haven’t already discovered this handy tool, you should add it to your list. If you use it in your browser with Grammarly installed, you can use both devices simultaneously. I find it an excellent time saver when I’m writing.
Plagiarism Tools
Another piece of the content writing puzzle is plagiarism, whether intentional or not. We all research our writing topic using articles we find on the internet for the content we prepare. Even if you are extremely careful, it can happen that your writing models other content.
To ensure that your content writing doesn’t appear plagiarized, run it through a checker. Some of the earlier free online resources I used felt spammy, and I worried about whether they were accurate. Nothing is worse than handing in work to an editor and getting tossed for plagiarism.
Grammarly
Grammarly has a Plagiarism check built in for premium accounts. However, while it is a great tool, it is not 100% accurate, at least up to the last time I used it.
Copyscape
Another online resource to use for plagiarism is Copyscape, it is a paid resource but not very costly. Most editors will run your content writing through it, so it is a good tool to have and use.
When you create your account, you will need to load it with a minimum of $10 in credits. Each time you check your writing or site, Copyscape deducts $0.10 from your balance. This way, it is cheaper and ensures your writing isn’t filled with plagiarized content.
What happens if you find your content appears plagiarized, even if it’s all your writing? First, note the percentage picked up. Typically, editors aren’t highly concerned if it’s under 10%, but it’s best to ask before submitting what their rule is for this.
Content Writing Tools
Putting together a blog or article on specific topics means having a system to organize. Notebooks and journals can help in the short term, but several online resources and tools can help in the longer term.
Notion, Trello, and ClickUp
These online apps help a lot when creating a content article or blog. From outlining the article to saving resources to refer back to during the writing, they help save time when putting thoughts, facts, quotes, and the writing together.
One of the best things is that each can be used on all devices. So, you can add a resource, thought, or bullet point wherever and whenever needed.
I have tried each of them at one point or another, and at the moment, Notion is my favorite.
Evernote
I must admit that when I first came across Evernote, it was long before I was a content writer. I downloaded it but was unsure how I would ever use it. More recently, I waver between Evernote and OneNote. They are similar but also different.
OneNote
OneNote is part of Microsoft Office and requires a Microsoft account to use it effectively. A Microsoft 365 account can elevate your use of it even further.
Google Docs
One of the more common tools used by many content houses and managers is Google Docs. Often you will be requested to prepare your content writing in a Google Doc and when complete, share it in an email by inserting it as a Google Doc from your Google Drive instead of attaching it directly.
Social Sharing Tools
Once you publish, the work isn’t done. Depending on where your content writing is published and the website’s SEO and age, sharing it on social media will help bring readers to it. Joining groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and others can help build a following, but always check the rules about posting before sharing.
On Twitter, it helps to learn popular hashtags that help get your content writing and blogs shared with a broader audience. Following different writers and bloggers will invite you to share your article, website, and social links periodically, increasing visitors to your content sites.
Posting on individual streams is time-consuming, but there are a few tools that can automate this.
- Buffer (Free/Paid)
- Zoho Social (Free/Paid)
- Hootsuite (Free/Paid)
- Business Facebook (Free) – Linked Facebook and Instagram (business/creator) level account required.
- Later (Free/Paid)
Using AI Content Writing Tools
If you’ve been writing for a while, you’ll have noted a new group of tools under the artificial intelligence category. So far, I’ve not been a big fan, but recently Kaleigh Moore shared some insights in her newsletter. Here’s some of what she shared:
AI-powered writing is nothing new. The first AI-written poem dates back to 1967 when artist Alison Knowles used a programming language called FORTRAN to write poetry. They…weren’t very good.
“A house of steel / Among high mountains / Using candles / Inhabited by people who sleep almost all the time.”
We’ve come a long way since then. Today’s tools use a combination of AI, predictive analytics, and Natural Language Processing to generate original content.
Here are a few of the current tools on the AI Platform.
1. iWriter is an AI-powered writing platform. It helps content teams scale the production of quality content through the generation of drafts, editing for consistency with style, and more.
2. Copy.ai is another AI-powered copywriting tool offering a wide range of templates that help break through any writer’s writing block. It also includes a long-form document editor, and this helps when writing articles or blog posts.
3. Jasper is writing software powered by Open AI’s GPT3-based AI technology. It helps businesses develop original content that not only ranks for SEO but writes social media copy and can repurpose existing content.
4. Moonbeam is an AI-powered tool focused on helping accelerate the blog-writing process and adds efficiency beginning with the outlining phase and carrying through to the final draft.
I recently tried out Copy.ai and was pleased with the outcome. Still, in my opinion, the heart of a content writer is the connection formed between the writer and reader; it will be a long time before any AI platform can emulate it. Beyond copy and content writing, I found it helpful in preparing an email for my newsletter.
Final Content Writing Resources
Discovering new tools and resources for content writing can help simplify your writing process and automate social posting. I hope this article has lent some helpful information. Have a tool you love? Share it with me.