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WAIT! Don’t hire that content creator just yet!!
I’ve got FIVE incredible content creation tools for you to try first. No experience or expensive, complicated software is required!
I use these tools pretty much daily here at Macey Media. They’ve saved me TONS of time, stress, and money. And if you’re here reading this, you’re probably looking to do the same.
It’s tempting to hop on design websites like Fiverr and hire out a social media banner design or a simple video edit. Your workday is precious. Maybe you feel you don’t have the time or the patience to get into content creation for your business. I get that.
Here’s a secret though: A LOT of those paid content creators are using tools similar to the ones I’m about to show you, if not the same ones! So before you throw up your hands in frustration and hand over your money, let’s see what these tools can do for you.
Canva
People are usually SHOCKED to learn I’m using a browser-based design tool for my graphics. Sure, I have the technical skills to use fancy Adobe programs and spend hours making my designs from scratch. I minored in graphic design… But this is the 21st century. We’re about efficiency here.
I like the straightforward way Canva describes itself on its website:
“For people and teams wanting to design absolutely anything, from logos and social media content to documents, prints, and more.”
I use Canva regularly for all sorts of designs: LinkedIn banners and posts, YouTube video thumbnails, knocking out backgrounds of photos, graphics for storyboards… The list goes on.
Because Canva saves everything to their online servers, I don’t need to lug around a bunch of hard drives or worry about my computer storage filling up. They even have a mobile app so I can access my files on the go or create them right from my phone.
Nervous about your [lack of] design skills? Seriously, don’t worry ever again. Because Canva gives you thousands of design templates you can edit for free. That includes sample logo designs.
If you decide you love it and want paid access to more features, you can upgrade to Canva Pro. That’s what I use, and it costs $12.95/mo. They haven’t raised the price on me yet and I’ve subscribed for yeaaaaaaars.
The possibilities really are endless! Do yourself a HUGE favor and at least give Canva a go before you hire out your next design task.
LOOM
This is video messaging and screen recording made EASY. Loom lets me record myself using a webcam (phone or computer), saves the video to my account, allows me to give the video a custom title, and gives me a link I can copy and paste into a message or an email.
And if that wasn’t enough, it populates an animated GIF preview of my video to create intrigue for the recipient.
Screenshot of what Loom preview looks like.
I use this to introduce myself to people all of the time, and they love it! I also use it to keep my schedule from filling up and booking more calls than I can handle. I send videos instead.
Loom will also save you the need for a basic video editor. If you need to record yourself making a video walkthrough of a contract, a project, or a presentation, it records your audio and sticks your face in the corner so the viewer can see and hear you as you explain. Too easy!!
The free version does limit each video to 5 minutes, and you can’t save an infinite amount of videos to your account. If you try Loom out and realize you need more of an allowance, the paid plans are totally affordable and absolutely worth it. You’ll save tons of time and effort!
Anyword
This tool is specifically for copywriting — not so much for visual content creation. But here is yet another thing you DON’T need to outsource: headlines!
Anyword uses AI to generate quick, easy copy. That could include an email subject line (we all know how much we like coming up with those…), titles, short article headlines, a simple caption. You get the idea.
I’m a firm believer that AI will never fully replace creative, sophisticated writing. So if that’s what you’re looking for, by all means! Please keep the copywriters out there in business. But if you just need something fast and easy, Anyword is a great time-saver.
Flycut
This one is short and sweet. If you’re a Windows user, you are blessed with built-in access to your copy/paste history. But Macs don’t come with that feature, which is why you’ll want to start using Flycut!
Flycut lets you have up to 99 things copied to your clipboard. Just hit Command+Shift+V to see the entire list. If you find yourself copy and pasting a lot throughout the day, this tool saves you so much time. No more jumping back and forth between screens or pasting the wrong text! You’ll find Flycut in the App Store.
InVideo
This tool is like Canva for video creators. It’s an online video editor that comes with more than 5,000 templates (yes, that’s 3 zeroes), iStock media, music library, filters, transitions…
Basically everything you could ever want in a video editing tool. It’s beginner-friendly but sophisticated enough that video experts like me want to use it on the regular.
The free version leaves a watermark on your video files, but don’t worry! Their paid plans are fairly priced and you get videos that look so good, people will be asking who you hired to make them. How’s that for a confidence boost?!
Absolutely try InVideo before you go and hire someone to cut together a simple little video! I think you’ll be surprised at how much you can do with this tool by yourself.
That completes my list of easy DIY tools for creating amazing content. If you try any of these, tell me how it went! I would also love to hear about any tools you use that I might not be familiar with.
Happy creating!