5 Best Writing Tools For Beginner Content Writers
The content writing field is booming, but it's competitive too. Content writers need to constantly update their knowledge of the latest industry standards and keep up with new trends.
As such, even entry-level content writers should have even the most basic of resources to go along with their excellent writing abilities. If you’re a beginner content writer looking to get your career off to a great start, here are the top 5 tools that will help you excel in this field:
Wix or Wordpress
Many professional content writers use WordPress to host their websites. Although this platform is traditionally used by bloggers, it’s also a great option for content writers.
WordPress has tons of great templates and plugins that you can use to create a professional website. It’s also highly customizable, so if you have specific needs or design needs for your website, WordPress will have you covered.
Another advantage of using WordPress is that you can earn money by publishing content on websites such as Medium and LinkedIn. If your articles are particularly popular, you can also publish them on your own website and earn money from the traffic they bring.
Alternatively, you can use Wix if you’re interested in building a smaller website with fewer features. Wix is great for creating simple portfolios, websites for your clients, and brochure websites.
Google Docs and Google Calendar
Google Docs and Google Calendar are great tools for any content writer.
You can create multiple documents, create outlines, and manage your content
calendar from your laptop or smartphone. All for the excellent price of nothing, diddly, it's free. I still use Google Docs for most of my editing today, and I've been writing content for clients for years.
You can also collaborate with others on content via Google Docs. Many clients I've worked with used Google Docs to share work with me that we've then collaborated on.
This is a great way to get your foot in the door and build up your portfolio as a beginner content writer; you build up your knowledge and skills as you work, and as it's a free tool, it ticks every box.
If you’re writing content for yourself, Google Docs is a great way to keep track of what you're doing. You can assign tasks, leave comments on documents, and track progress. Google Calendar is also a great tool for managing your content calendar.
You can create different calendars for different types of content and share them with others. This is a great way to track when you need to publish certain types of content.
Grammarly
You’ll be writing articles, blog posts, product descriptions, and more as a content writer. Excellent grammar and spelling skills are incredibly important if you want to enter this field and stay there.
However, even experienced writers make mistakes from time to time. In these instances, using a grammar-checking tool can help you identify your mistakes before publishing.
Grammarly is one of the best grammar-checking tools available. It’s available online or as a plugin for Microsoft Word, Firefox, and even your mobile phone. Grammarly will identify any mistakes in your writing and make suggestions for correcting them.
If you’re a beginner content writer, having this extra pair of eyes on your work will help you identify and fix mistakes before publishing your articles. I used the free version for ages as a newbie content writer, and once I began earning an income from my writing, I upgraded to the Premium version.
My word count dropped, I found myself writing first, and editing later (a great habit to get into, get the words down before stressing over that apostrophe) and my work improved in clarity and tone. Grammarly is one of the best investments I made a freelancer. Period.
Canva
There are many different types of content that you’ll need to create as a content writer. These include social media graphics, infographics, product descriptions, blog posts, and more.
If you’re just getting started as a content writer, you might not have the design skills required to make these types of content.
If that sounds like you, Canva is a great tool for creating professional-looking designs. Canva has thousands of templates, images, and other assets that you can use to create your content.
Additionally, you can use Canva to collaborate with clients. If you’re creating graphics for an article that someone else is writing, Canva is a great tool for getting their input.
I love everything about Canva, and just like Grammarly, I used the free version for some time. Once I had built up an income, I went for the full package, the added features are a revelation, and you'll be surprised how many times you find yourself needing a nice graphic. Instagram posts made on Canva are a breeze to create.
The Hemingway App
Some clients will ask you to write longer pieces of content, such as books, e-books, or white papers. These types of content are usually much longer than blog posts or social media posts, and can become a little hard to navigate.
If you’re new to the field, you may have trouble determining the best way to organize your content.
The Hemingway App is a tool that helps you determine the best way to organize your content. It analyzes your writing, identifies common mistakes, and grades your content based on readability.
This is a great tool for beginner content writers who are struggling to organize their content. Using this app will help you organize your content in a way that makes it easy to read.
Conclusion
As you can see, a variety of tools are beneficial to beginner content writers. If you’re just starting out in the field, I strongly advise you take a little time to get familiar with them all. You may drop one or two of them, but just as likely you'll find them all invaluable.
They’ll help you improve your writing skills and make your job easier. For example, Grammarly will catch mistakes that you may miss when proofreading your work. This will allow you to publish high-quality content.
These tools make it easy to break into the content writing field. All you have to do is familiarize yourself with the tools and get your foot in the door. Once you’re writing content for clients, it’s easy to build a successful career as a content writer.