10 Content Marketing Tools You Should Be Using in 2022

2 years ago 96
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As a marketer, you person a brainsick fig of options to take from for contented selling software.

I’ve been doing contented selling successful assorted forms for implicit six years now. In that time, I’ve utilized and tested a clump of tools. There are some, though, that I find myself coming backmost to week aft week, arsenic these tools person go an integral portion of my workflows.

So alternatively than overwhelm you with a database of 40+ contented selling tools, present are 10 that are tried and tested to assistance you beryllium much effectual and businesslike successful contented marketing. They are:

  1. Ahrefs
  2. Google Search Console
  3. Google Analytics
  4. Wordable
  5. Hotjar
  6. Zapier
  7. ClickUp
  8. Canva
  9. Grammarly
  10. Hemingway App

A toolkit for contented selling probe and analysis.

Ahrefs is a suite of tools that you tin usage to marque smart, data-informed contented selling decisions. Here are 3 things you tin bash with Ahrefs that thousands of different contented marketers are already doing every day:

  1. Find retired what imaginable customers are typing into Google with Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer – This is simply a probe instrumentality that helps you to find caller keyword ideas for content. You tin hunt and filter keywords and besides get information connected hunt volume, Traffic Potential (TP), Keyword Difficulty (KD), and more.
  2. Analyze your competitors’ contented and postulation with Ahrefs’ Site Explorer – This is simply a rival investigation tool. By searching immoderate domain successful it, you tin find information connected which pages pull the astir integrated hunt traffic, which keywords competitors fertile for, which pages are attracting backlinks, and more.
  3. See which pieces of contented are performing the champion utilizing Ahrefs’ Content Explorer – This is simply a probe instrumentality that lets you find applicable contented successful your manufacture that attracts tons of integrated hunt traffic, gets societal shares, and generates backlinks.
Content Explorer hunt  results for word  "market research"

Ahrefs is built with simplicity successful mind. You don’t request to beryllium technically proficient (or adjacent experienced successful contented marketing) to usage it. The UI has tons of adjuvant tooltips to explicate features and metrics.

Also, there’s a wealthiness of acquisition contented connected the Ahrefs blog and YouTube channel to assistance you maximize your results.

My favourite feature

Ahrefs precocious added a metric called Traffic Potential, and it has rapidly go 1 of my favourite features. It tells you however overmuch integrated postulation the top-ranking leafage for that keyword gets successful total. That helps you to rapidly comparison opportunities and forecast imaginable results.

Keyword hunt measurement unsocial isn’t a precise bully denotation of however overmuch postulation you tin expect if you fertile #1. Usually, you expect a leafage to fertile for a clump of related keywords astatine the aforesaid time. It’s imaginable to probe those manually, but it’s dilatory and apt to beryllium inaccurate.

Instead, Traffic Potential gives you a speedy penetration astatine a glance. It besides means you tin present benignant lists successful Keywords Explorer (or spreadsheets aft exporting) by Traffic Potential, which saves a ton of clip erstwhile contented planning.

Keyword Explorer overview for "submit website to hunt  engines"

Pricing

Ahrefs offers Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for free, which gives full access to the Site Explorer and Site Audit tools to research your ain website data. You tin sign up here.

To bash keyword probe and rival investigation for your contented marketing, you’ll request a paid plan. Those commencement from $83 per period (paid annually), with higher pricing tiers offering other features and higher usage limits. View pricing and motion up here.

A escaped instrumentality by Google that helps you negociate and analyse hunt performance.

Google Search Console (GSC) is simply a escaped instrumentality offered by Google to assistance webmasters larn astir their websites’ show successful Google. It besides helps to:

  • Manage a website’s quality connected the SERPs.
  • Troubleshoot SEO and responsiveness issues.
  • Submit XML sitemaps.
  • Find (very basic) backlinks accusation for pages.

If integrated hunt show is important to your contented selling strategy, this is simply a instrumentality you’ll privation to get acquainted with.

Performance study  successful  GSC

Example of the Performance study successful the GSC dashboard.

My favourite feature

GSC is simply a almighty instrumentality erstwhile it comes to updating, refreshing, and optimizing content.

Why? Well, by going to the Performance report, you tin larn which hunt presumption radical are utilizing to find each of your webpages. There, it’s communal to find further secondary keywords that you haven’t yet optimized for but tin apt bring much applicable integrated traffic.

Let’s instrumentality a look astatine an example. This affiliate tract has published an nonfiction pursuing the keyword “best hunting knife.”

Excerpt of nonfiction  astir  champion  hunting knives. Picture of weapon  connected  a rock; below, immoderate   substance

GSC reports that this leafage is already starting to make clicks from related keywords, including “best worth hunting knife,” contempt not straight addressing that taxable successful the content.

Performance study  successful  GSC; database  of queries with corresponding information  similar  clicks and impressions

There are sections recommending knives for antithetic terms points, but thing to reason which knives are the champion worth overall. By adding a caller conception to screen that, the leafage is apt to fertile higher and get much conversions from that keyword due to the fact that the intent is amended satisfied.

Pricing

GSC is simply a wholly free tool.

A escaped instrumentality by Google that helps you recognize your website postulation and idiosyncratic behavior.

If you’ve ever owned oregon worked connected a website, you’ve astir apt astatine slightest heard of Google Analytics.

It’s a escaped instrumentality that gives you a scope of information astir the enactment happening connected your website, e.g., wherever users travel from, however galore visitors you have, and accusation astir them (demographic, geography, instrumentality type, etc.). It besides helps you to way idiosyncratic behaviour connected the site.

This is different escaped instrumentality that contented marketers should decidedly person successful their arsenal.

My favourite feature

In the discourse of contented marketing, Google Analytics is astir utile for measuring contented performance.

The presumption I find myself looking astatine the astir is successful Behavior > Site Content > Landing Pages. Here, you tin get a breakdown of contented show (for each leafage that users participate your tract from) done the following:

  • Conversions and conversion rate
  • Time on page
  • Pages per session
  • Bounce rate
  • New vs. returning users
  • And more
"Landing pages" information  connected  GA; database  of landing pages with corresponding information  similar  sessions, bounce rate, etc

You tin analyse that information and marque decisions to amended your content. For example, if you find a debased conversion complaint connected a high-intent leafage that you judge should beryllium converting better, it tin punctual immoderate CRO initiatives.

Pricing

Google Analytics is simply a wholly free tool.

A instrumentality for converting Google Docs into blog posts quickly.

If you’re moving with a batch of freelance writers who present their enactment successful Google Docs, you’re going to emotion Wordable. It drastically speeds up the process of transferring the contented implicit to your CMS by connecting to your Google Drive relationship and importing/exporting your content.

Currently, Wordable works with WordPress, Medium, and HubSpot. The Ahrefs selling squad has been utilizing Wordable for years too!

- Do you constitute your contented successful Google Docs?

- Does your blog tally connected WordPress?

I anticipation you’re utilizing @wordable_io 🔥 then, due to the fact that if not — you’re sesiously missing out.

Our contented squad astatine @ahrefs has been utilizing this instrumentality for astatine slightest 2 years present and it SAVED US TONS OF TIME!

— Tim Soulo 🇺🇦 (@timsoulo) January 13, 2022

My favourite feature

Wordable’s other settings for WordPress exports are great. Settings are disposable to bash each of the pursuing things successful one click:

  • Set outbound links to nofollow
  • Set links to unfastened successful a new tab
  • Compress ample images
  • Select the author
  • Select people presumption (e.g., draught for 1 final check)
  • Select categories

These are large time-savers, adjacent if you lone upload from Google Docs a fewer times per month.

List of Wordable's export settings

Pricing

Wordable offers a escaped proceedings of 5 nonfiction exports. Paid plans commencement from $49/month for 1 user, 3 sites, and 50 nonfiction exports. View pricing and motion up here.

A website behaviour investigation tool.

Hotjar is good known for its heatmap and visitant signaling features. It helps you to stitchery information connected however radical are interacting with your pages. Heatmaps amusement you a ocular overview of wherever radical are scrolling and clicking, portion (GDPR-compliant) league recordings assistance you spot precisely what your users are seeing.

That’s not all, though. Hotjar has much idiosyncratic behaviour investigation tools. One that is utile for contented selling is its idiosyncratic surveys tool. You tin straight inquire users questions, specified arsenic whether oregon not your contented satisfied what they were looking for.

Example of question   with "yes" and "no" options

My favourite feature

I similar to usage Hotjar’s heatmaps to assistance with measuring contented performance. If you’re moving connected maximizing the conversion complaint of an article, learning astir however radical interact with your CTAs is truly important.

Heatmaps assistance you to spot however often radical click antithetic CTAs (e.g., contextual anchors vs. sidebars vs. CTA blocks) and to set your strategy accordingly.

I’ve been amazed connected much than 1 juncture by however small (or often) definite CTAs get utilized oregon ignored. Patterns aren’t ever accordant crossed websites, concern models, and industries. A heatmap is the champion mode to get that data.

The alternate is to acceptable up triggers successful Google Tag Manager, but it’s much analyzable to acceptable up and analyze. Plus, you don’t rather get the aforesaid ocular overview arsenic with a heatmap.

Pricing

Hotjar offers a escaped plan, usable for up to 35 regular sessions. Paid plans commencement from $31 per month, unlocking further features and raising usage limits. View pricing and motion up here.

A instrumentality for connecting apps and automating tasks.

You tin usage Zapier to integrate tools you usage wherever a nonstop integration isn’t available. The usage cases are beauteous overmuch infinite for this, but present are a fewer that are applicable to you arsenic a contented marketer. You tin automatically bash the following:

  • Post connected societal media each clip a caller blog is published
  • Get a Slack notification erstwhile idiosyncratic fills successful your Typeform probe survey
  • Push an email code from your signifier builder into your email selling tool
  • Get alerts erstwhile anyone mentions your content/brand connected Reddit
  • And more

If you person immoderate repetitive tasks that necessitate a fashionable bundle tool, there’s a bully accidental Zapier tin automate them for you.

My favourite feature

My favourite Zapier diagnostic is Multi-Step Zaps. It does precisely what its sanction suggests, letting you tally aggregate automated actions from a azygous trigger.

Here’s a applicable illustration for contented marketers. By connecting your WordPress relationship to Zapier, you tin trigger actions erstwhile a caller station is created (whether that’s a draught oregon a published post).

3 agelong  blocks, each   representing an action, arranged similar  a vertical flowchart

For this example, I created a Slack alert, arsenic good arsenic an enactment to make a ClickUp task for proofreading and editing with an assignee and description. There are a clump of different automations you tin take from to acceptable into your contented workflow too.

There are already 4,000+ apps connected, with tens of thousands of antithetic triggers and actions. That means the bulk of automation ideas you person volition beryllium imaginable consecutive retired of the container without customization.

Pricing

Zapier offers a escaped mentation for up to 100 tasks per month, with immoderate limitations. Paid plans unlock caller features and adhd much monthly tasks. Prices commencement from $19.99 per period (paid annually). View pricing and motion up here.

An all-in-one enactment absorption level for tasks, documents, communications, and more.

ClickUp has rapidly grown its diagnostic acceptable successful caller years. It is present a feasible replacement for a ton of antithetic apps, being susceptible of managing contented selling tasks, calendars, and workflows successful one place.

As good arsenic managing end-to-end contented selling workflows astatine standard (more connected this successful conscionable a second), ClickUp tin beryllium utilized for the following:

  • Setting goals for your team
  • Creating and storing documentation
  • Internal squad chat/communication
  • Reporting connected progress
  • Gathering and analyzing accusation with forms
  • And more

My favourite feature

For contented marketing, I deliberation ClickUp adds the astir worth successful being capable to systemize your workflows. As your squad grows, it gets harder and harder to “quality assure” everything and guarantee each portion of contented goes done the close processes.

You tin usage features similar task templates and checklists to velocity things up and execute immoderate consistency successful your contented systems. That tin beryllium applied to immoderate portion of the workflow: research, writing, editing, promotion, and so on.

You tin work this blog post to larn however the ClickUp contented squad manages its ain contented selling projects wrong ClickUp by utilizing templates, checklists, and more:

Checklist of "blog station  outreach process"

Pricing

ClickUp offers a “free forever” plan, which is bully for idiosyncratic use. For moving successful a contented team, you’ll request a paid plan. These commencement astatine $5 per squad subordinate per period (paid annually). View pricing and motion up here.

A DIY graphic plan instrumentality for societal media, presentations, websites, and more.

Canva is an intuitive drag-and-drop plan instrumentality built for radical who are not professional designers.

Images successful  grid format connected  left. On right, representation   of woman  moving   connected  laptop; adjacent  to her is CTA and interaction  info

It’s a large alternate to much “advanced” plan software, specified arsenic Photoshop and Illustrator, and allows beginners to make professional-looking graphics without plan experience.

Canva tin assistance you to plan featured images for blogs, thumbnails for videos and podcasts, societal media graphics, and more.

My favourite feature

It’s a elemental one. But 1 of my favourite things to usage Canva for is removing representation backgrounds. At the commencement of my selling career, it was a symptom to region the inheritance from an image, and it typically would necessitate immoderate accomplishment successful a instrumentality similar Photoshop.

Canva’s one-click inheritance remover is ace handy, is reliable, and requires zero graphic plan skills.

Other than that, I deliberation that 1 of Canva’s biggest selling points is its immense template library. Being capable to rapidly customize existing templates that already person large fonts, colors, and spacing makes it casual to make a professional-looking plan quickly.

Templates successful  grid format

Pricing

Canva has a “free forever” plan, which is almighty capable to get you started with DIY graphic design. Paid plans commencement from $17.98 per month. View pricing and motion up here.

A instrumentality for penning effectual and error-free content.

When publishing immoderate benignant of written work, making definite your penning is escaped of mistakes is simply a basal request for prime content. Grammarly is known for doing a large occupation of picking up immoderate errors successful spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

It’s a large mode to velocity up your proofreading process earlier releasing your contented to the world.

My favourite feature

Grammarly has a large Chrome Extension. This means you tin get Grammarly’s functionality anyplace connected the web without wasting clip pasting your contented into Grammarly’s editor, past copying the updated contented implicit to your archetypal workspace again.

Email written successful  Gmail; connected  right, Grammarly's suggestions to amended   penning

In addition, there’s a large code detection feature. You tin usage it to get feedback connected whether you’re coming crossed however you intended (e.g., formal/informal).

It tin besides beryllium utile for detecting and removing hedging language. This tin assistance you travel crossed arsenic much assured successful your communication.

Pricing

Grammarly has a large escaped mentation that helps with grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Premium plans commencement from $12/month and unlock features for inclusive language, plagiarism, fluency, and more. View pricing and motion up here.

A contented editing instrumentality for conciseness and clarity.

At a glance, it whitethorn look redundant to usage Hemingway and Grammarly together. But portion Grammarly is chiefly focused connected correctness, Hemingway is large for concise writing. You tin usage them unneurotic effectively.

Like Grammarly, you tin either constitute straight successful the exertion oregon copy/paste your penning from different root for editing. You’ll get instant feedback on:

  • Readability people (including highlighted sentences that are hard to read).
  • Word and operation choices.
  • Usage of progressive vs. passive voice.
Hemingway's editor; connected  right, breakdown of readability score

My favourite feature

Readability grading is simply a large diagnostic of Hemingway. It’s speedy and casual to understand. The higher the grade, the much analyzable your sentences and connection choices are.

If you’re catering to a planetary assemblage (including non-native speakers), ensuring simplicity successful your penning is important. Simple transcript tin assistance a batch with conversions too, and the app is the champion escaped mode to people your writing.

Other than that, Hemingway has one-click integrations with Medium and WordPress. These marque it ace speedy and casual to people close from the Hemingway editor.

Without those integrations, a sizeable magnitude of clip is added to your editing process erstwhile you transcript implicit your changes. So this is simply a utile solution. It’s lone disposable successful the premium mentation of Hemingway, but it’s affordable.

Pricing

The bulk of Hemingway’s functionality is wholly free. You tin use the web app without logging successful oregon downloading anything. The premium version is disposable for $19.99, which gets you the desktop app for moving offline and immoderate further features.

Final thoughts

None of these contented selling tools are perfectly essential. But I won’t similar to bash contented selling enactment without them. They all, successful assorted ways, amended your effectiveness and execution velocity arsenic a contented marketer.

If you privation to support learning much astir contented marketing, present are immoderate large resources you tin cheque out next:

Got questions? Ping maine on Twitter.