Chatbots are a powerful tool for managing customer support documentation.
Chatbots
Chatbots are not only revolutionizing customer conversations, but they are also a powerful tool for managing customer support documentation.
Are your customers spending a huge amount of time searching through your documentation for answers? Do you wish you could automate your customer support and free up valuable time for your team?
If so, then it may be time to consider adding an intelligent chatbot to your site!
In this lesson, we present various solutions to integrate AI-powered chatbots with your documentation to engage your customers in natural and meaningful conversations and provide instant support and personalized experiences.
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What Is A Chatbot?
A chatbot is an innovative conversational tool that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and human language to provide instant responses to customer queries. By employing cutting-edge technology such as natural language processing (NLP), chatbots simulate human-like conversations, revolutionizing the way businesses interact with their customers.
Through the use of AI, chatbots can understand and interpret the nuances of human language, comprehending the intent and context behind customer inquiries. This allows them to generate intelligent and contextually relevant responses, making interactions with customers feel more personalized and human.
By leveraging NLP, chatbots go beyond simple keyword recognition, enabling them to understand the meaning behind customers’ messages. They can process and analyze input in real-time, extracting crucial information and accurately addressing customer needs.
Whereas customers seeking support traditionally engaged with businesses through static FAQs or waiting for customer support agents to be available, chatbots provide instant assistance, 24/7, ensuring they receive prompt responses to their inquiries.
Whether it’s answering frequently asked questions, providing product recommendations, or guiding users through complex processes, chatbots are designed to deliver efficient and effective support.
Moreover, chatbots can handle multiple conversations simultaneously, scaling effortlessly to accommodate high volumes of inquiries. This enables businesses to provide consistent and uninterrupted support, even during peak periods, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The versatility of chatbots extends across various communication channels, including websites, messaging platforms, and mobile apps. They seamlessly integrate with these platforms, meeting customers where they are and facilitating convenient interactions.
As technology continues to advance, chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated, capable of learning and improving over time. Through machine learning algorithms, chatbots can analyze user interactions, gather insights, and adapt their responses accordingly, constantly enhancing their performance and accuracy.
To learn more about the benefits of leveraging custom chatbots for superior customer support and more effective documentation management, see this lesson: Managing Customer Support Documentation Using AI
AI-Powered Chatbot Solutions
The services below can help your business harness the capabilities of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI, and integrate AI-powered chatbots to streamline customer support document management and elevate customer experience.
DocsBot
DocsBot – add an AI chatbot to your site trained with your content and documentation.
DocsBot is powered by ChatGPT and provides an innovative and inexpensive solution for streamlining your customer support process and managing the way users search through documentation on your website.
Use DocsBot’s Q&A feature to help users find information faster on your site. Source: WPTrainingManual.com
Key features of this tool include:
Instant Answers with Custom Chatbots
DocsBot enables you to build custom chatbots that are specifically trained with your content and documentation. This means that your bots have in-depth knowledge about your product, tutorials, whitepapers, technical specifications, and more.
When customers have detailed questions, DocsBot’s ChatGPT-powered bots can provide instant answers, including code examples and formatted output.
Additionally, DocsBot provides links to the source documentation used in its reply that users can click on to explore your content in more depth.
This is great for helping users find product documentation, tutorials, etc.
DocsBot replies include links to the source documentation.
Effortless Deployment and Customization
With DocsBot, deploying custom chatbots is a breeze. You can train and deploy bots within minutes, saving you valuable time and resources.
The Q/A bot feature allows you to make your documentation interactive, providing detailed and direct answers to queries about your product.
DocsBot provides instant answers and links to sourced content.
You can even embed DocsBot into your website effortlessly using fully customizable widgets. Just add a script tag or WordPress plugin, and you’re ready to go.
Adding the chat widget to your site lets you provide user support on every page they visit.
Custom Copywriting Made Easy
In addition to customer support, DocsBot offers an extra feature that can enhance your content creation process. If you need help writing marketing copy or blog posts, DocsBot utilizes a customized ChatGPT, specifically trained on your product, to assist in generating high-quality content.
Efficient Support Ticket Management
Writing the same responses to support tickets repeatedly can be a monotonous task. DocsBot eliminates this challenge by allowing you to train your bot on your support history and documentation. As a result, DocsBot can automatically reply to new support tickets, saving you both time and money.
Empower Your Employees with Internal Knowledge Bots
Searching for information within your organization’s knowledge base can often be a time-consuming process for employees. With DocsBot, you can address this issue effortlessly. DocsBot indexes your internal knowledge base and documentation, enabling your employees to find answers instantly. This functionality boosts productivity and saves valuable time, allowing your team members to focus on more critical tasks.
Seamless Integration with Powerful API
DocsBot offers a powerful API that enables you to integrate AI chat into your own products seamlessly. Whether it’s your website, app, or WordPress plugin, DocsBot can provide answers to your users. The API integration opens up endless possibilities for leveraging DocsBot’s capabilities and enhancing user experiences across various platforms.
User-Friendly Interface and Content Indexing
Managing your documentation and content is made simple with DocsBot’s intuitive interface. With just a few clicks, you can index your documentation, blog posts, or any other content source.
The URL and sitemap importers allow you to index webpages or entire websites effortlessly. You can also upload document files in various formats such as TXT, DOC, PPT, EML, HTML, PDF, or bulk upload via ZIP. DocsBot takes care of the content indexing process, transforming it into a ChatGPT-powered bot for you or your users.
Effortless Content Updates and Integration
Keeping your content up to date is vital, and DocsBot makes it effortless. Schedule regular updates to ensure your content stays fresh and accurate. Whether it’s updating webpages, support docs, or blog posts, DocsBot’s seamless integration with URL and sitemap importers simplifies the process.
DocsBot offers source refreshing options to keep your bot updated with your latest documentation.
You can also train your DocsBot on your blog content using WordPress export files or RSS feeds, making it easier to surface your best content to those seeking answers.
Extensive Content Source Options
DocsBot offers an impressive range of options for content sources. You can add any type of content you want your bot to be able to answer questions about. Whether it’s a URL, document files, WordPress, sitemaps, URL lists, CSV files, or even YouTube transcripts, DocsBot ensures you have the flexibility to customize your bot’s knowledge base to fit your specific needs.
DocsBot is a game-changing solution for managing your customer support documentation effectively. With its ChatGPT-powered bots, intuitive interface, and seamless integration options, DocsBot empowers you to automate your customer support, enhance content creation, streamline support ticket management, and boost employee productivity.
DocsBot offers a free version that you can sign up to test the tool with no credit card required and various paid options to suit your business needs.
Intercom provides no-code Custom Bots for your business.
Intercom provides bots that can be completely customized without the need for coding and designed and launched within minutes.
Intercom’s Custom Bots can assist users with questions related to different areas of your business.
The bots can be adapted to your business needs, seamlessly integrating with your tech stack, automating workflows, and extending your sales and support teams.
Intercom’s Custom Bots efficiently gather upfront customer information, prioritize and route new conversations, and streamline your support process, allowing your business to experience faster customer resolutions and generate leads 24/7.
Engati – low-code, enterprise-grade AI chatbot and live chat platform.
Engati provides a comprehensive Chatbot and Live Chat Platform, with a wide range of intelligent solutions to enhance customer interactions.
Engati offers chatbots with multi-lingual capabilities.
Engati focuses on solutions that deliver seamless omnichannel engagement, and consistent customer experiences across various channels such as web, mobile, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
It provides an array of powerful features and capabilities, including:
Whatsapp Chatbot
Shopify Chatbot
AI Chatbot
Instagram Chatbot
Live Chat
The platform seamlessly connects with your existing systems and tools, supports multi-lingual conversations, and offers flexible chatbot training options to provide tailored and accurate responses.
Industries that can benefit from Engati’s chatbots include e-commerce & retail, logistics, travel & hospitality, insurance & banking, government, edtech, and real estate.
Drift’s custom chatbots provide specific messages and interactions for your users.
Drift offers custom chatbots that help to engage with your website visitors using specific messages and interactions for each visitor and every page. The chatbot will even pre-qualify visitors and schedule a meeting with your sales team.
Drift’s custom chatbots help you engage with users.
Key features include:
A/B Testing capability lets you test different bot messages to improve conversions.
Custom-train your AI model with GPT in minutes
50+ native integrations and a Zapier connection to over 500+ apps.
While Zapier is primarily an automation platform that lets you connect apps and automate workflows without coding skills required, it offers a feature called Zapier Interfaces that lets you create your own custom AI chatbot.
Zapier lets you create your own custom chatbot without coding.
Hopefully, the various solutions presented above will help you integrate AI-powered chatbots with your documentation.
Chatbots – FAQs
Here are frequently asked questions about chatbots:
What is a chatbot?
A chatbot is an automated software powered by rules or artificial intelligence to simulate human conversation through text or voice interactions.
How do chatbots work?
Chatbots process user inputs through natural language processing (NLP) and respond based on a set of predefined rules or by leveraging machine learning to understand the context and intent of the conversation.
What are the benefits of using chatbots?
Chatbots improve customer engagement, provide instant responses to inquiries, reduce operational costs, and can operate 24/7. They help in managing large volumes of requests with ease.
What are the types of chatbots?
There are primarily two types: rule-based chatbots that follow predefined pathways to solve problems, and AI chatbots that use machine learning and NLP to handle complex queries with more human-like responses.
What are FAQ chatbots?
FAQ chatbots are designed to automatically answer frequently asked questions. They can provide quick, consistent answers and are commonly used in customer support to enhance user experience.
Can chatbots replace human customer service agents?
While chatbots can handle routine tasks and provide quick answers, complex issues and emotional nuances are better handled by human agents. The best use case is a hybrid approach where chatbots and humans work together.
How do I implement a chatbot on my website?
To implement a chatbot, define its purpose, select the right platform or tools, design the conversation flow, train the bot with FAQs and possible interactions, and integrate it with your website backend for seamless performance.
What are the best practices for designing a chatbot?
Key practices include keeping conversations natural, designing a clear and intuitive user interface, ensuring the bot understands and responds accurately to user requests, and continuously training the bot with new data.
How can I measure the effectiveness of a chatbot?
Effectiveness can be measured by tracking metrics like user satisfaction scores, resolution rate, engagement level, and conversion rate. Regularly updating the bot’s knowledge base and refining algorithms are crucial for maintaining effectiveness.
Find answers to frequently asked questions about content management systems (CMS).
Content Management System FAQ
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about content management systems.
Content management is a critical aspect of modern businesses and organizations.
It encompasses everything from creating and storing content to distributing it to the right people at the right time.
As such, it’s no surprise that there are many questions and misconceptions about what content management is and what it entails.
As this entire website is devoted to helping you better understand why and how to manage your content more effectively, in this blog post, we’ll focus on answering some of the most frequently asked questions about content management systems (CMS), including what a CMS is, the different types of content management systems, the benefits of using a content management system, and how to choose the right one for your business.
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What is a content management system (CMS)?
A content management system is a software tool that provides a centralized platform for managing digital content, making it easier for organizations to keep their digital content up-to-date, consistent, and secure.
A CMS works by providing a graphical user interface where users can add, organize, and publish content, which is then stored in a database and displayed on a website through dynamic web pages.
Can a CMS handle different types of digital content?
Yes, modern CMS platforms are designed to manage a variety of content types, including text, images, video files, and more, making them versatile tools for digital content management.
What is the difference between a content management system (CMS) and content management?
CMS and content management are related but distinct concepts.
A CMS, or Content Management System, refers to a specific type of software application that provides the tools and technologies needed to manage your digital content.
A CMS includes features such as authoring and editing tools, version control, workflows, and publishing capabilities.
A CMS also provides a centralized platform for organizing, storing, and managing digital content such as text, images, videos, and documents, through a centralized platform, making it easier for organizations to keep their digital content up-to-date and consistent.
Content management, on the other hand, is the process of managing digital content throughout its lifecycle. This includes tasks such as creating, editing, organizing, storing, and publishing content, as well as managing versions, workflows, and access controls.
Content management is a broader concept that includes the use of various tools and technologies, including using a CMS, but also encompasses other types of software, such as digital asset management systems (DAMS), component content management systems (CCMS), and enterprise content management systems (ECMS), which we will touch on shortly in this article.
In summary, a CMS is a specific type of software tool used for managing digital content, while content management refers to the overall process of managing digital content throughout its lifecycle.
For practical lessons and tutorials on content management and its components, go here: Content Management
Component Content Management Systems (CCMS): These systems are designed for technical documentation and provide features for organizing, storing, and managing reusable content components.
What are the key features of a content management system?
The key features of a CMS include:
Content creation tools: A CMS should have tools for creating and editing content, such as a WYSIWYG editor or HTML editor.
Content management: A CMS should provide a centralized location for storing and managing content, as well as tools for organizing and categorizing content.
User management: A CMS should allow for multiple users to access and contribute to the content, with features for controlling access and managing user roles.
Publishing and distribution: A CMS should provide tools for publishing and distributing content, as well as the ability to schedule content for future publishing.
Analytics and reporting: A CMS should provide metrics and analytics to track the performance of published content and inform content strategy.
What are the different deployment models for a CMS?
There are two main deployment models for a CMS: on-premise and cloud-based.
On-premise CMS: This type of CMS is installed and hosted on the organization’s own servers. It provides greater control and customization, but also requires IT resources for setup and maintenance.
Cloud-based CMS: This type of CMS is hosted by a third-party provider and is accessed through the internet. It offers lower upfront costs and less maintenance but may have limitations on customization and control.
How do I choose the right CMS for my organization?
Choosing the right CMS for your organization requires evaluating your specific needs and requirements. Consider factors such as:
Size and complexity of your organization: Choose a CMS that can scale and grow with your organization.
Technical expertise: Consider the technical skills of your team and choose a CMS that is easy to use and requires minimal technical expertise.
Budget: Consider the cost of the CMS, including upfront costs, recurring costs, and potential hidden costs.
Integration requirements: Consider any existing systems and tools your organization uses, and choose a CMS that can integrate with them.
Content management needs: Consider the type of content you need to manage and choose a CMS that provides the necessary features and capabilities.
Deployment model: Decide whether you want an on-premise or cloud-based CMS, and choose the model that best fits your needs.
Allowing for the creation and management of meta tags, which are used by search engines to understand the content on a website.
Providing tools for creating and managing internal links, which help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of the website.
Allowing for the creation and management of sitemaps, which provide a roadmap for search engines to crawl and index the website.
Providing analytics and reporting to track the performance of published content, allowing for continual improvement of SEO efforts.
How does a CMS support collaboration and teamwork?
A CMS supports collaboration and teamwork by:
Allowing multiple users to access and contribute to the content, improving collaboration.
Providing features for controlling access and managing user roles, allowing for secure collaboration.
Allowing for centralized storage and management of all digital content, improving organization, and reducing the risk of version control issues.
Providing tools for tracking changes and managing revisions, improving accountability, and reducing the risk of conflicts.
A CMS is a powerful tool for managing digital content, but it can also be complex and confusing. We hope that by answering the most frequently asked questions about CMSs, you have a better understanding of this technology and how it can benefit your organization.
For more lessons related to Content Management Systems (CMS), click on one of the links below:
A Document Management System can improve your organization’s productivity and efficiency.
Document Management Systems
A Document Management System can improve your organization’s productivity and efficiency.
A Document Management System (DMS) can play a crucial role in your content documentation system by providing a central location to store, manage, and organize all of your electronic and physical documents, automating tasks, providing security and compliance, and integrating with other tools.
In this lesson, we will discuss the key benefits and features to look for when selecting a Document Management System, and provide a list of popular DMS applications.
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What Is A Document Management System?
Document management systems (DMS) are software programs designed to help organizations manage, store, and track their electronic and physical documents.
These systems provide a centralized repository for all documents, making it easy for users to access and share information.
They also offer powerful tools for organizing, searching, and retrieving documents, as well as for controlling access to them.
Benefits Of Using A DMS
When selecting a DMS, it’s important to consider the specific needs of your organization.
Some key features of a DMS to look for include:
Document organization: A DMS should provide a centralized repository for all documents, making it easy to organize and categorize them. This can save time when searching for specific documents and ensure that all documents are stored in a consistent and easy-to-find location.
Document security: A DMS should include robust security features to protect sensitive information and ensure compliance with industry regulations. This can include user-level access controls, encryption, and backups.
Document version control: DMSs should provide version control functionality, which allows users to track changes made to a document over time and easily revert to previous versions.
Document retrieval: A good DMS should make it easy to search for and retrieve documents, even if they are stored in different locations. This can save time and increase productivity.
Document collaboration: A DMS should include tools for collaboration, such as commenting and shared editing. This can improve team communication and coordination.
Document workflow: Many DMSs include tools for automating document-related tasks, such as routing documents for approval or tracking their status. This can streamline document-related processes and improve efficiency.
Integration: Your DMS should easily integrate with other software systems you already use, such as email or project management tools. This can improve the overall workflow and collaboration between different tools.
Cost-effective: A good DMS should help to reduce the need for paper storage, which can save on costs related to printing, paper, and storage space.
Mobile access: Some DMSs allow users to access documents from mobile devices, which means employees can access their work even when away from the office.
Compliance: DMSs can help organizations to comply with legal and regulatory requirements by providing document retention and destruction policies, and audit trails of access and changes.
Time-saving: A great DMS should automate many of the manual tasks associated with document management such as document retrieval, organization, and version control, which can save time and increase productivity.
Popular DMS Applications
Here is a list of popular Document Management Systems:
Microsoft SharePoint: A web-based DMS that offers document storage, collaboration, and workflow tools. It also integrates with other Microsoft Office applications.
Google Drive: A cloud-based DMS that allows users to store and share files, including documents, images, and videos. It also includes tools for collaboration and commenting on documents.
Dropbox: A cloud-based DMS that enables users to store and share files and folders. It also includes tools for file syncing, version control, and collaboration.
Box: A cloud-based DMS that offers tools for storing, sharing, and collaborating on documents. It also includes advanced security and compliance features.
Evernote: A note-taking application that can also be used as a DMS. It allows users to store and organize documents, images, and audio recordings.
DocuSign: An electronic signature and document management platform that allows users to sign and send documents electronically. It also includes tools for tracking document status and compliance.
Acrobat DC: A PDF editing and management tool that allows users to create, edit, and sign PDF documents. It also includes collaboration and commenting tools.
NetDocuments: A cloud-based DMS that offers document storage, search, retrieval, and collaboration tools. It also includes advanced security and compliance features.
iManage: A DMS that is specifically designed for the legal industry. It offers document management, email management, and knowledge management tools, as well as advanced security and compliance features.
M-Files: A DMS that uses metadata to organize and classify documents. It also includes tools for document workflow and collaboration, as well as advanced security and compliance features.
Alfresco: An open-source DMS that offers document management, collaboration, and workflow tools. It also allows for integration with other software systems.
OpenText Content Suite: A DMS that offers document management, collaboration, and workflow tools, as well as advanced security and compliance features. It also allows for integration with other software systems.
FileHold: A DMS that offers document management, version control, and search and retrieval tools, as well as advanced security and compliance features. It also allows for integration with other software systems.
Docuware: A DMS that offers document management, workflow, and search and retrieval tools, as well as advanced security and compliance features. It also allows for integration with other software systems.
PairSoft(formerly PaperSave): A DMS that is specifically designed for the accounting industry. It offers document management, workflow, and search and retrieval tools, as well as advanced security and compliance features.
DMS vs CMS: What’s The Difference?
A Document Management System (DMS) and a Content Management System (CMS) are both software solutions that are used to manage, store, and distribute digital content.
However, there are some key differences between the two:
Content scope: A DMS is specifically designed to manage and store documents, such as Word, PDF, and Excel files. A CMS, on the other hand, is designed to manage and distribute a wider range of content, such as text, images, videos, and audio files.
Functionality: A DMS typically includes tools for document management, version control, and collaboration. A CMS, on the other hand, includes tools for creating, editing, and publishing content, as well as for managing and organizing website content.
User experience: DMSs are typically used by a specific group of users within an organization, such as the legal or accounting department. They are designed to be used by employees within the organization. A CMS, on the other hand, is used to manage and distribute content to a wider audience, including external users, customers, and clients.
Access Control: A DMS usually has more robust access control features than a CMS, as it is designed to manage and protect sensitive documents, while a CMS is designed to distribute content to a wider audience.
Integration: A DMS may have more integration options with other business-specific software such as accounting or project management systems. A CMS, on the other hand, may have more integration options with e-commerce and marketing platforms, as it’s focused on publishing and distributing content to the public.
In short, while both systems can be used together to manage all of your digital content…
A DMS focuses on managing and protecting documents within an organization, while a CMS focuses on creating, managing, and distributing content to a wider audience.
Document Management System (DMS) vs Document Library
A Document Management System (DMS) and a Document Library are both tools used to store and manage documents, but they serve different purposes and have different functionalities.
A Document Management System is designed to manage, track and store documents, as well as facilitate document collaboration, workflow, and sharing.
A DMS usually includes features such as version control, document check-in and check-out, audit trails, access controls, and document retention policies.
A DMS is also typically used in more complex environments, such as large organizations, where a significant amount of documentation is produced, and where document workflows and processes need to be strictly controlled and monitored.
On the other hand, a Document Library is a simpler tool designed to provide easy access to documents and resources. It usually allows users to upload and store documents in a central location, and share them with others.
A document library may include features such as search, filtering, categorization, and tagging to help users find the documents they need.
It is typically used in smaller organizations, such as small businesses or nonprofits, where the volume of documentation is lower and where simple access and organization of documents are the primary needs.
In short, a Document Management System is a more complex tool that provides advanced document management features, while a Document Library is a simpler tool designed to provide easy access to documents and resources. The choice between the two depends on your organization’s needs and the complexity of your document workflows and processes.
Here are frequently asked questions about documenting management systems:
What is Document Management?
Managing the creation, storage, organization, and disposal of documents within an organization.
Why is document management important?
It helps in maintaining organizational efficiency, ensures compliance with laws and regulations, and improves information accessibility and security.
What is a Document Management System (DMS)?
A DMS is a system used to receive, track, manage, and store documents to reduce paper and organize electronic documents. These systems maintain records of the various versions created and modified by different users (history tracking).
Essentially, a DMS is a software system that manages, stores, and tracks electronic documents and electronic images of paper-based information.
What are the key benefits of using a document management system?
Benefits include improved efficiency in accessing and retrieving documents, reduced costs on paper and storage, significant reduction in physical storage space, better control over sensitive documents and strengthened data security, better compliance with regulations, enhanced efficiency, improved collaboration by allowing multiple users to work on documents simultaneously, and streamlined workflows.
What types of documents can be stored in a DMS?
Any type of document can be stored, including text files, PDFs, spreadsheets, images, and emails.
How much time will using a document management system actually save?
It varies by organization, but improvements in document retrieval times and workflow efficiencies can significantly reduce operational hours.
When should we use a Document Management System?
Whenever managing large volumes of documents, needing secure archival and quick access, or needing to comply with regulatory requirements.
What document management issues can a DMS solve?
It can solve issues related to document loss, access control, audit trail gaps, and inefficiencies in retrieval and storage.
How does a Document Management System reduce costs?
It reduces costs associated with physical storage, paper usage, and administrative overhead.
What should we look for in a document management system?
Key features should include version control, indexing and search, security measures, access controls, audit trails, document workflow, compliance tracking, and the ability to integrate with other business systems.
How do we begin to manage our documents more effectively with a document management system?
Start by defining document categories, setting up indexing and taxonomy, implementing access controls, and training staff on the new system.
How does a Document Management System differ from a Content Management System?
A Document Management System focuses specifically on managing documents in compliance with regulations and internal policies, primarily suited for handling formatted documents. In contrast, a Content Management System manages all types of content including web content and multimedia, often with tools for creating, editing, and publishing digital content.
Can Document Management Systems be web-based and locally hosted?
Yes, Document Management Systems can be configured as web-based solutions that are hosted on local servers or in the cloud, depending on organizational needs and security requirements.
What is an example of an enterprise application for Document Management?
Content Manager is an example of an enterprise application used as the official recordkeeping system by the University of Melbourne. It is designed to manage the lifecycle of information from creation to disposition.
What is records management?
The systematic control of records throughout their lifecycle, from creation to final disposition.
How long should we keep our records?
This depends on legal and business requirements; each type of record will have a different retention schedule based on regulatory and operational needs.
What is a record retention program?
A policy-based system to determine how long different types of records should be kept based on legal and operational requirements.
What is backfile conversion?
The process of converting paper documents into electronic formats to be managed and stored by a document management system.
How do I prepare my business to prevent data loss or breach disasters?
Implement robust data backup and recovery plans, use encryption, regularly update security protocols, and educate employees about cybersecurity.
What is electronic document management?
The use of computer systems and software to store, manage, and track electronic documents and electronic images of paper documents.
What is electronic document imaging?
The process of converting paper documents into digital images.
What does EDMS mean?
Electronic Document Management System, focused on managing, storing, and securing electronic documents.
What are the typical features of an EDMS?
Includes document indexing, search capabilities, version control, security features, workflow management, and compliance tracking.
Logo makers let you create a unique and professional-looking logo for your business with no design experience.
Logo Makers
Logo makers let you create a unique and professional-looking logo for your business with no design experience.
If you are looking for a cost-effective and time-saving way to create a professional-quality logo for your business, online logo makers may be the solution you are searching for.
User-friendly logo-making platforms allow businesses to create custom logos using pre-designed templates and customization options, making it easy to create a unique and professional-looking logo even if you have no design experience.
In this section, we’ll explore the benefits of using online logo makers, list popular online logo-making tools, and provide tips for creating a successful logo that will enhance your business brand.
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Why Use Logo Makers?
Creating a professional-looking logo is an important part of building a strong brand identity for your business.
In the past, this process typically involved hiring a designer or agency to create a custom logo from scratch. However, with the proliferation of online logo-making tools, it is now easier than ever to create your own business logo.
Online logo makers are user-friendly platforms that allow businesses to create custom logos using pre-designed templates and customization options.
These tools offer a range of benefits, including cost-effectiveness, time-saving, and professional quality. Additionally, they are typically easy to use, even if you have no design experience, making them accessible to businesses of all sizes and industries.
Benefits Of Using Logo Makers
Using logo makers can be an effective way to improve your business branding and offer the following benefits:
Cost-effectiveness: Creating a professional-quality logo from scratch can be expensive, as it usually requires hiring a designer or agency. Logo makers offer a more affordable alternative, as they allow your business to create its own logo using pre-designed templates and customization options.
Time-saving: Designing a logo from scratch can be a time-consuming process, as it involves conceptualization, sketching, and revisions. With a logo maker, you can create a logo for your business, website, blog, or any other project in a matter of minutes, allowing you to focus on other important tasks.
Professional quality: Many logo makers offer a wide range of customization options, such as different font styles, colors, and graphics, which allow you to create a logo that is unique and professional-looking.
Accessibility: Logo makers are typically easy to use, even for those with no design experience. This makes them accessible to businesses of all sizes and industries.
Versatility: A good logo maker lets you create logos for different mediums, such as social media, websites, and print materials. This ensures that your branding is consistent across all channels.
Convenience: Online logo makers are available 24/7, so you can create a logo at a time that is convenient. This is particularly useful for small businesses or startups that may not have the resources to hire a designer on a full-time basis.
Collaboration: Some logo makers offer collaboration features, such as the ability to invite team members or clients to provide feedback on the design. This can be a useful tool if your business wants to involve multiple stakeholders in the logo creation process.
Overall, using media creation tools like logo makers can be a cost-effective, time-saving, and professional way for your business to improve its branding and stand out in the market.
Logo Makers
Use the tools below to generate professional logo designs quickly, easily, and inexpensively.
Canva
Canva
Canva is an online design and publishing tool with an entire suite of visual media and design creation tools.
To create a custom logo quickly and intuitively using Canva’s free logo maker:
Launch the tool and search for “logo”,
Choose a professional template from Canva’s massive library of logo templates,
Customize the logo to your liking by tweaking and finetuning elements like fonts, colors, text, and images,
Experiment with design tools like filters,
When you’re happy with it, save your logo for download, printing, or sharing on social media.
Canva gives you loads of great logo ideas!
The video below provides great tips on creating a business logo and gives you a walkthrough of the software:
Canva does a lot more than logos. You can use it for all your digital creations, including presentations, video messages, social media posts, marketing (e.g. business cards, flyers, posters, tickets, stickers, etc), and even office templates for invoices, reports, CVs, etc.
Canva offers both a Free and Pro version. The Free version is great for quick design tasks (e.g. mock-up logos) and lets you download your finished logo as a 500px PNG or JPEG, or a print-ready PDF.
The Pro version lets you create logos with a transparent background, offers a much larger selection of templates, and provides advanced tools and features that allow you to build your own brand kit and create a cohesive brand identity with every design you create using the software.
Looka is an AI-based logo maker that you can use to generate beautiful-looking logos.
By following the tool’s wizard, you get to select categories, styles, themes, and colors you like, and you are then presented with an AI-generated selection of logos based on your choices.
Here, for example, are some logo designs generated by Looka after inputting some information into the tools wizard…
Some AI-generated logo designs from Looka.
After selecting a logo design, you can fully customize it with many additional options and features and even create a branding kit with a paid subscription.
You can fully customize your logo and create a branding identity.
If you’re not sure what kind of design you’d like for your logo or lack professional design skills or an illustration in your team, then Looka is a great tool for generating logo design ideas and logo images quickly.
Logo.com provides a completely free logo maker that lets you design unlimited custom logos with no designing skills and download high-resolution file formats such as vector, PNG, SVG, and JPG in full-color and even font files, with no hidden costs.
After your logo is created, you can edit your logo’s layout, design, colors, font, business name, and slogan at any time free of charge.
Logo.com’s Logo designer screen.
Creating a logo with Logo.com is very simple. Just browse through the logo designs, edit and customize the design you like, add your brand or business name and let the logo design engine assemble your logo. You can further customize or preview your logo and even see how it will look on all kinds of merchandise, stationery, and on apps.
As stated earlier, creating logos is free. You can subscribe to Logo.com’s branding plan which allows you to brand all kinds of downloadable and shareable templates and applications with your logo, brand colors, and fonts.
DesignEvo is a logo maker that lets you start designing logos from its logo editor right away.
The site provides handy editing tools, logo templates, millions of icons, many different fonts, and other resources that make creating logos fast and easy to use for all kinds of uses.
You can design logos for all kinds of uses with DesignEvo Logo Maker.
Creating an account lets you save your projects, make unlimited changes, and re-download at any time.
FreeLogoDesign is a logo maker that offers both a free and paid plan.
It features a large selection of thousands of customizable logo templates, over 35 business categories, millions of icons, and user-friendly editing tools.
While the site provides features that allow you to create logos optimized for different social media platforms, the free logo download option only includes low-resolution images. For high-resolution images and a range of logo format options including PNG and SVG vector files, consider upgrading to the paid plan.
LogoMaker is an online logo maker that lets you create, edit, and save as many logos as you like.
It offers a comprehensive and easy-to-use logo editor, thousands of logo designs, and a diverse catalog of templates.
You can create a logo in 3 easy steps:
1) Enter your details
2) Select a logo template
3) Customize your logo’s colors, fonts, layout, and more.
Make a logo in 3 easy steps with Logomaker.
You can design and save as many logos as you want and when you are happy with your logo design, you can purchase and download your files.
LogoMaker offers a Premium logo package that gives you unlimited logo edits for 1 year, multiple layouts of your new logo, Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn logo files, plus access to your logo from any device and access to the customer team for help getting your logo right.
Use the tips below to create a successful logo that effectively represents your business and helps you stand out in the market:
Keep it simple: A successful logo should be simple and easy to recognize, as it will be used across a variety of mediums and applications. Avoid using too many colors, fonts, or graphic elements, as this can make the logo cluttered and hard to read.
Make it memorable: A logo that is memorable and distinct can help your business stand out in the market. Consider using a unique symbol or icon in your design, or play around with negative space to create something eye-catching.
Consider your audience: Your logo should appeal to your target audience and accurately reflect your brand. Conduct market research to understand what your customers respond to, and use this information to inform your design.
Think about versatility: Your logo should work well across a variety of mediums and applications, from your website to social media to print materials. Consider how the logo will look in black and white, as well as in different sizes.
Choose the right colors: The colors you choose for your logo can have a big impact on its effectiveness. Different colors can evoke different emotions, so choose a color palette that reflects your brand’s personality and values.
Work with a professional: While online logo makers can be a useful tool, it is still a good idea to seek out the guidance of a professional designer. They can help you create a logo that is not only visually appealing but also strategically aligned with your brand.
Logo Makers And Content Management
Online logo makers not only allow you to easily create custom logos for your business and provide a range of benefits, but most of the online tools listed above also allow you to store and manage your designs inside your account dashboard, so your team can access and edit these anytime.
Whether you are a small startup or a well-established company, an effective logo is an important element of your branding strategy and can help you stand out in the market.
Why Using Powerful Headlines In Your Content Is Important
Did you know that by simply replacing a few words in your headline, you can significantly increase your web traffic and engagement with readers, get more opt-ins to your email lists, boost your conversions, and generate more sales?
This can translate into thousands of dollars more in sales of your products or services…all because of a few words!
Changing a few words in your headline can increase your conversions by 30% – 400%!
If you are not using high-converting headlines for your articles, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table.
Think about this…
Top companies have understood the importance of using powerful headlines before the internet was even around.
Just one great headline can flood your website with viral shares, web traffic, and loads of clicks!
The difficulty with trying to find post titles or headlines that are proven to convert better than others is that you need to crunch through a massive amount of web traffic in order to arrive at statistically significant results.
Typically, many corporations with large budgets will split-test, optimize, and analyze their headlines extensively.
Headline-Generating Tools
Fortunately, now there are smarter tools to help save you time and money on what can otherwise be a very time-consuming and resource-intensive process.
For example…
Fresh Title Headline Generator
FreshTitle – Headline-Generating Tool
Fresh Title is a one-click software headline-generating tool that lets you brainstorm hundreds of proven headlines and titles for your web content in seconds and is compatible with both Mac and PC.
Simply enter a niche key phrase (e.g. make money working from home, speed reading, growing organic vegetables, etc.) and Fresh Title’s built-in method provides you with over 830 pre-optimized and proven headlines with a single click that you can then copy and paste into your web content.
FreshTitle Headline Builder gives you one-click access to thousands of high-converting headlines and post titles.
As well as entering niche keywords into the software, you can answer a few simple questions and the software will provide you with an additional 125 detailed and more finely optimized headlines that are also proven to convert.
Here are just some of the benefits of using Fresh Title to generate hundreds of proven post titles and headlines for your web content:
A Brainstorming Tool With Limitless Blog Post Title Ideas
The FreshTitle headline builder tool gives you instant access to thousands of proven headlines for any content you want.
You can use this powerful application to generate fresh ideas for post headlines, Facebook posts, text ads, ebook headings, email subject headlines, etc.
Save Thousands Of $$$
You can instantly pump out hundreds of proven titles for all kinds of content in seconds and save thousands of dollars on the cost of hiring copywriters, data analysts, and web conversion experts.
You can use this tool in popular services, like:
Blogging Platforms – e.g. WordPress, Tumblr, Weebly, Joomla, etc.
Email Platforms – e.g. Aweber, iContact, ConstantContact, CampaignMonitor, etc.
Social Media Networks – e.g. Facebook, GooglePlus, Flickr, etc.
eCommerce – e.g. WooCommerce, Amazon, OsCommerce, Magento, Squarespace, etc.
Article Platforms – Ezine Articles, ArticleCity, Articlesbase, etc.
Video Platforms – YouTube, DailyMotion, Vimeo, etc.
Landing Page Platforms – LeadPages, Instapage, Megaphone, etc.
FreshTitle works with all popular online services.
FreshTitle is an intuitive one-click software tool that installs quickly and includes several powerful built-in tools, such as:
Title Builder
Enter a keyword, click a button, and generate hundreds of title ideas for your posts, email newsletters, etc.
Instant Headline Builder
Swipe Bank
FreshTitle includes a huge swipe database with over 420,000 headlines and email subject lines that are proven to convert. You can instantly copy and modify these for your own marketing campaigns.
FreshTitle includes a swipe database with hundreds of thousands of headlines and email subject lines.
News Headlines
Fresh Title Headline Generator pulls up the most popular headlines in real time from Google and Bing, giving you insights into your competitors’ most effective headlines.
Use the News Headlines Tool for competitive analysis.
My Titles Tool
The software also includes a built-in easy-to-use personal database tool for storing all of your favorite headlines. You can transfer headlines from the other sections to your My Titles area and edit the headlines to suit your own needs.
Use FreshTitle’s My Titles tool to edit headlines and store these in your own personal database.
Additionally, the tool comes with a built-in thesaurus, allowing you to further customize your post titles, plus a function for storing notes (e.g. marketing campaign results), a feature for rating your headline items, and a counter that lets you see which content items you most frequently use…
FreshTitle includes a built-in synonym finder.
Fresh Title Headline Builder And Title Analyzer Software Bundle
Dave Guindon, the creator of Fresh Title will occasionally bundle the headline generator with another powerful tool called Title Analyzer as a bonus.
Title Analyzer – headline analysis tool
Title Analyzer is a powerful headline analysis tool that can help you decide which headline is more likely to increase traffic, clicks, and conversions.
TitleAnalyzer uses a built-in algorithm to compare and analyze the performance of your titles.
Imagine knowing which titles will drive more web traffic, clicks, and sales without testing!
Title Analyzer lets you compare, analyze and calculate performance scores for multiple headlines without requiring you to be online to do all of the processing work.
Calculate performance scores for as many titles as you like!
The software’s internal algorithm accesses 1,800+ power words to calculate the overall performance score of your items.
Title Analyzer includes a large database of power words used to score your headlines/
Title Analyzer not only scores your titles using a complex equation based on factors like power word density, the optimal number of characters, etc., but it also suggests ways to further improve your content.
Title Analyzer provides suggestions on ways to further improve your headlines.
The tool also comes with an additional built-in headline editor that lets you quickly and easily optimize your titles using color-coded statistical data and a built-in thesaurus connected to its internal power words database.
Find the best power words for your headlines and post titles.
Fresh Title is well-supported and runs on both Mac and PC computers. You will get lifetime access to the software and a no-risk, thirty-day, full refund guarantee.
You can install the product on up to three computers (PC and Mac). The purchase price includes free minor version updates and discounts on future major version releases. Major version updates may require an additional fee.
For a demo video of the software in action, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details, and more, visit the website.
Note: Price details for FreshTitle depend on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Also, some of the features discussed above may not be offered as a bundle when you visit the website.
Learn how a content management system (CMS) can help you manage your content more effectively.
Content Management System (CMS)
Learn how a content management system (CMS) can help you manage your content more effectively.
A Content Management System (CMS) is a software application that allows users to easily create, manage, and publish digital content, typically for websites.
It provides an interface for users to add and edit text, images, videos, and other types of digital media, and to manage the organization and presentation of that content.
A CMS typically includes a database to store the content and a set of tools for managing users, permissions, and workflow.
Note: While there are different types of content management systems available, this course focuses mostly on using WordPress, a popular and free CMS platform that allows businesses to easily manage their content and most aspects of their website without requiring technical skills or relying on technical experts.
In this lesson, you will learn why a CMS is a powerful content management tool, discover the benefits of using a content management system, explore different CMS platforms, and discover what you can do using the WordPress CMS platform.
***
What Is A Content Management System (CMS)?
A content management system (CMS) is a software application that provides a centralized platform for organizing, storing, and managing digital content.
A CMS typically includes a variety of tools for creating, editing, and publishing content, as well as for managing the content lifecycle, which includes tasks such as version control, workflow, and publishing.
The main goal of a CMS is to simplify the process of managing content, making it easier for organizations to keep their digital content up-to-date and consistent.
A CMS typically includes a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for non-technical users to manage content, as well as features such as templates, workflows, and access controls that allow organizations to maintain a consistent look and feel across their digital properties.
CMSs can be used to manage a variety of content types, including web pages, blog posts, images, videos, and more. Some CMSs are designed for specific types of content, such as e-commerce products, while others are more general-purpose and can be used for any type of digital content.
Why Use A Content Management System (CMS)?
A Content Management System (CMS) allows your business to easily manage and publish website content without the need for technical skills.
Some of the key benefits and features of using a CMS to manage your website content include:
Ease of use: A CMS typically has a user-friendly interface that allows non-technical users to easily create, edit, and publish content on the website.
Centralized control: A CMS allows multiple users to access and manage your website’s content, which is particularly useful if your business has multiple departments or team members responsible for different aspects of the website.
Versatility: A CMS can be used to manage different types of content, such as text, images, videos, and audio files.
Collaboration: A CMS allows multiple users to work on the same website content, making it easy for teams to collaborate and review changes before they are published.
Scalability: As your business grows, a CMS can easily be scaled to accommodate more content, users, and features. A CMS can also be used to manage small websites or large, complex sites with thousands of pages.
Search engine optimization (SEO): Many content management systems include built-in SEO features, such as the ability to create custom URLs and meta tags, which can help improve your website’s visibility in search engine results.
Security: A CMS can provide security features such as user access controls and backups, which can help prevent unauthorized access to your website and protect against data loss.
Popular CMS Platforms
There are many popular content management systems to choose from, each with its own set of features and capabilities.
Platforms like WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal are open-source and have a wide range of functionalities, templates, and plugins that can be used to customize your website to suit the needs of your business.
Before Content Management Systems came along, websites were traditionally built by gathering together a collection of separately linked static pages where every element of a page (e.g. navigation menus, page layout, content, etc.) was created using web code (e.g. HTML) and assembled by a web designer or website developer using a web editor application tool (e.g. Dreamweaver).
Websites used to be static collections of web pages that only coders could understand and use…until CMS-driven websites came along!
These separate pages were then uploaded to a web server and accessed online by typing in the page URL associated with the page file into a web browser.
Then, something called a Content Management System, or CMS came along.
A Content Management System is an application that lets you organize and store all your documents, images, videos, and any other type of digital content on a database, and quickly and easily add, retrieve, edit, delete and publish content on your website with no coding skills required.
A CMS also allows multiple editors and authors to access, manage and work collaboratively on a website’s content and publish it under different authors and in different areas of the website.
A CMS also takes care of a number of “behind the scenes” content management tasks such as:
Generating website navigation elements automatically (e.g. menus, links, etc.)
Storing content in an organized way, making it searchable, findable, and indexable.
Keeping track of registered users, including managing user permissions, logins, and security settings.
Allowing multiple users to collaborate, edit and publish content on the site.
And much more.
A content management system lets you manage every aspect of your content.
In short, a Content Management System gives businesses complete control over their content and its management and lets anyone easily perform content-related tasks, like:
Content creation, editing, and deletion
Content publishing / content delivery
Content organization (e.g. archiving)
Content formatting
Content revision
Content indexing, searching, and retrieval
Content export and import
Now that you understand a little more about the benefits of using a content management system, let’s talk about the CMS platform we recommend using to build and manage a website.
WordPress is the world’s leading CMS platform. WordPress is 100% FREE and is used to power millions of websites around the world (over 40% of all websites).
WordPress is much more than a CMS. It’s a complete website-building and web-publishing platform. You can build any type of website you like with WordPress and easily change anything and everything on the site anytime you want.
Using WordPress is easy and requires no technical expertise or coding skills.
There are many ways that WordPress puts your business in complete control of your digital presence.
For example, WordPress gives your business a “speed to market” advantage…
Publish content quickly with WordPress – just think, write … and publish!
WordPress also lets you publish time-sensitive content quickly and make it available online immediately. This is great for getting information out fast, such as:
Limited-time offers, special offers, discounts, etc.
New product releases, new product reviews, promotional videos
Company announcements
Industry or company events
Pricing updates
Customer/Reseller training tips, etc.
After your WordPress site has been set up and configured, you can easily create rich content anytime you think of something you would like to inform, promote, or communicate to others.
Then, simply hit the “publish” button and the information will be made live immediately and instantly available to online users.
Management & Marketing Automation
Another reason WordPress puts your business in control of your digital presence is that your website can be expertly configured so that all you need to do is publish new content and WordPress will then automatically and instantly:
Notify search engines like Google, Bing, etc. (you can specify exactly how you want Google to display your listings in its search results),
Post excerpts of the content to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. with links pointing back to the website (you can specify exactly how excerpts should display on social media sites),
Notify and syndicate dozens and even hundreds of other online properties like blogs, search directories, social bookmarking sites, RSS feed aggregators, etc.
Instead of a ‘static’ web presence that involves time-consuming activities like publishing content on a website and posting new content on social media accounts and other online properties to drive traffic and generate leads, your WordPress site can be configured to instantly syndicate (i.e. distribute) and get your newly-published content indexed faster, automatically driving more web traffic and generating new leads for your business…
Posting content to different sites can be very time-consuming! You can publish content on WordPress and instantly posts this content on social media.
WordPress lets you set up a content distribution and a lead and traffic generation system automatically…
Automate content distribution with WordPress to drive more traffic, leads & sales!
WordPress can also automate management and maintenance tasks on a website like scheduling files and data backups, updating software, adding and managing new users, and more.
An expertly configured WordPress site lets you do all this by configuring internal (i.e. built-in) settings, adding different add-ons, and integrating many essential (and mostly free) external services…
An expertly-configured WordPress site can automate many digital processes in your business!
As your business grows and evolves, you can easily add more functionality and automation to your WordPress site at minimal cost, like:
Adding eCommerce to sell products and services and process payments online
Capturing leads with opt-in forms and automatically adding new subscribers to newsletters and autoresponders
Adding a membership site that allows visitors to register on the site as private members with different membership levels, unique logins, etc.
Adding directories, forums, social networking features, social sharing, and engagement features, etc.
And so much more!
All this can be done inexpensively (or even for free) in WordPress using ‘app-like’ add-ons called plugins.
Once plugins are installed and configured, you can direct your site visitors to different areas of your website such as your online store, subscription forms, membership area, directories, etc. using calls to action placed in your content, graphic banners, navigation menus, etc. and let the automated processes configured on your site and your plugins do the rest.
Additionally, WordPress comes with a powerful built-in Content Management System (CMS) that works right out of the box, allowing you to easily create and manage your digital content, website administration (including updating and backing up site files and data), and automate various aspects of your digital marketing.
One of the many benefits of using the WordPress CMS is that it is 100% free to use and modify for any commercial purpose. This helps to prevent you from becoming locked into a ‘proprietary’ CMS platform that could make it harder to leave or switch to another provider.
So…
You can configure your WordPress site to automate management and marketing processes like backups, content distribution, and syndication, search engine indexing, web traffic generation, lead, and sales automation, and more, without involving website developers or web designers or requiring technical expertise or coding skills.
You can also easily look after ongoing management processes like keeping your site’s software and plugins updated, adding and configuring new site functionality, making changes to site design, layout, and content to improve sales conversions, and training other team members to do the same without hiring website developers or web designers.
Building a website with WordPress, then, puts you in complete control of your digital business processes, saving you considerable money and allowing you to generate better online results.
Want to be in complete control of your digital presence? Then choose WordPress!
A CMS platform like WordPress can put your business in complete control of your digital presence, automate key digital management, content scheduling, and marketing processes, and help you improve your online business online results.
A WordPress website can also be expanded easily and inexpensively at any time and allows businesses to integrate additional features, functionality, and services like:
Social media, social media content sharing, and social engagement tools
External services and accounts (e.g., Google webmasters, SaaS, and cloud services)
eCommerce, membership sites, directories, event bookings, and registrations, etc.
Support services (helpdesks, online chat, forums, affiliate management, etc.)
Reporting tools (e.g., server monitoring, web analytics, etc.)
And many additional functions.
Unique WordPress Features
WordPress includes many unique features that make managing websites easy, including:
Plugins
Like most apps and add-ons, plugins install with a few clicks and allow users to easily add and configure almost every kind of functionality imaginable to their website (e.g. forms, banner ad management, membership sites, directories, e-commerce, notifications, live chat, pricing tables, etc.).
Themes are web design templates that let users change the entire look and feel of their site and/or customize the site’s web design with just a few clicks without affecting its content.
Widgets let users reorganize and rearrange the site’s web layout and add new functionality without touching code using features like drag and drop and pulldown menus.
WordPress can also be configured to fully automate or reduce many complex website management tasks to processes using a few clicks.
This includes:
Managing and scheduling content for publishing
Performing data and file backups
Updating core software, plugins, and themes
Registering and managing users and subscribers
Moderating comments from visitors, preventing comment SPAM, etc.
Preventing brute force attacks and threats from malware and hackers
Fixing broken links in the content
Redirecting visitors to other pages
Generating user, statistical, performance, and sales reports
Notifying management and administrators if there are any problems with the site
And more.
Depending on what your business wants to achieve online, WordPress can also easily add and automate the management of features and functionality like:
Setting up an e-commerce store (and automating areas like featured product information, online payment processing, emailing customers download links, product delivery information, emails to prevent cart abandonment, etc.)
Providing customer service tools, services, and information sections like a knowledgebase, support helpdesks, live chat, FAQs, etc.
Setting up business directories and advertising zones (and automating processes that allow users to buy, manage, and renew their listings and advertisements)
Running event and booking sites (and automating the management of event bookings and registrations, setting up appointments, scheduling deliveries of online course content or webinars, ticket printing, confirmations, etc.)
Setting up an affiliate program (and automating affiliate management tasks, commission reports, payments, etc.)
Setting up and automating many other tasks like scheduling and posting content to social media, adding subscribers to newsletters and customer lists, processing contact information, engaging users with customer surveys and user polls, and so much more.
Most Websites Are Powered By WordPress
Not only are millions of websites around the world built using WordPress, but if one in every three websites is powered by WordPress, the chances are that if your business has a website, it is probably also powered by WordPress!
A content management system (CMS) is a software application that allows users to create, manage, and publish digital content.
A CMS is an essential tool for businesses that want to easily manage and publish content on their website. It allows non-technical users to easily create, edit, and publish content, while also providing tools for collaboration, scalability, SEO, and security.
It’s important to research different CMS options and choose one that fits the specific needs of your business.
Some of the most popular CMS platforms include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
Joomla is a popular open-source CMS, it is more complex than WordPress, but it is good for managing large and complex websites.
Drupal is also an open-source CMS, it is more powerful, and it is best used for creating complex, large-scale websites.
WordPress is the world’s most widely used content management system. It is free and open-source, and it has a wide variety of themes and plugins to choose from. It is also the platform used to power millions of professional websites and blogs around the world.
WordPress is:
100% free open-source software
Highly flexible, scalable, and customizable (can be adapted for any use)
Supported by a community of tens of thousands of web developers (continually updated to improve security, add new features, and fix bugs & issues).
Resources
If you need help using WordPress, see the resources below:
WordPress User Tutorials
Here are the best resources for learning how to use your WordPress website and CMS effectively:
WPTrainingManual.com
WPTrainingManual.com – WordPress User Training
WPTrainingManual.com provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date WordPress step-by-step tutorials for non-technical users and non-coders available.
These tutorials are 100% free to access (and download as a PDF, print, or share via email), and will help you learn how to use your WordPress site and CMS effectively.
For more information and to access all the free WordPress tutorials, go here: WPTrainingManual.com
WPMasterclasses.com
WPMasterclasses.com – WordPress & Digital Business Skills Video Courses
WPMasterclasses.com is a WordPress and digital business video training sitewith dozens of video courses and 2,000+ video tutorials on using WordPress and covering essential digital business areas.
Here are some of the WordPress video courses available on WPMasterclasses.com (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
Learn how to unlock the power of the WordPress content management system (CMS) using the many powerful features inside your WordPress administration area.
Learn how to optimize your WordPress site and how to craft website pages and blog posts that will help you get better search engine rankings and improve your traffic results.
This video course takes you step-by-step through the WordPress Maintenance Process and shows you how to keep your WordPress site updated, protected, and error-free!
Learn how to safely and automatically back up your WordPress files and database and how to easily restore your WordPress site if something unexpected or disastrous were to happen.
Learn how WordPress plugins work, how to find, install, and update plugins on your site, and how to expand your WordPress site’s functionality in almost unlimited ways.
Need a new website or blog in a hurry? This video course shows you how to quickly install and configure a WordPress website or blog on your own domain name.
Learn how to plan, build, grow, and maintain a viable membership site using WordPress that can be easily scaled and automated to become a sustainable, cost-effective, and profitable asset for many years to come.
The All Access Pass membership gives you 24/7 ongoing access to 60+ digital business skills and WordPress CMS video courses (over 2,100+ self-paced video lessons and 225+ hours of videos).
For more details of all available video courses, go here: WPMasterclasses.com
WordPress Site Management
The choice of managing and maintaining your WordPress site is completely up to you. You can outsource your site management to professionals or learn how to do it yourself.
Here are the best resources available if you choose to do it yourself:
WPCompendium.org
WPCompendium.org provides hundreds of FREE detailed step-by-step tutorials that will teach you everything you need to know to build and manage a WordPress site with no coding knowledge or technical skills required.
WPCompendium.org – Free WordPress Step-By-Step Tutorials For Non-Techies
The tutorials on WPCompendium.org are fully interlinked for ease of navigation, allowing you to learn WordPress at your own pace, and organized into comprehensive training modules covering all areas of WordPress:
WPMU DEV provides a complete WordPress site management and dedicated hosting platform with professional plugins covering everything from SEO, optimization, and security, to marketing, forms, analytics, and more, plus 24/7 expert support on all things related to WordPress.
While the site is aimed mostly at WordPress web developers, if you are an advanced WordPress user or DIY site manager, we recommend visiting the WPMU DEV Blog containing thousands of advanced and useful WordPress tutorials, and subscribing to their email newsletter for regular WordPress tips and information.
WPMU DEV’s Blog is jampacked with useful WordPress tutorials.
Digital Business Video Courses – Video courses to help you develop the digital skills you need to manage content effectively.
The Small Business Digital Manager – This guide covers the challenges many small businesses face running an effective digital presence and provides practical ways to address these.
Also, visit our tools and resources section for additional courses, guides, and helpful tools and resources for managing your content effectively.
Digital Business – Module Lessons
Below are all the lessons included in this module. Click on a link to go directly to the lesson:
Useful and cost-effective tools and resources to help make creating, promoting, and managing your content easier.
Content Tools & Resources
Useful and cost-effective tools and resources to help make creating, promoting, and managing your content easier.
On this resources page, you will find a comprehensive collection of tools and resources for creating, promoting, and managing your content effectively.
Whether you are a marketer, blogger, content creator, business owner, seasoned content creator, or just starting out, these resources will help you streamline your content creation process, reach a wider audience, and take your content to the next level.
We have compiled below a comprehensive (and growing) list of useful, time-saving, cost-effective, and essential tools and resources that will help you be more productive in the areas of digital content planning, content production, content marketing, and content management.
Most of the tools and resources recommended below are free, and some are paid. Hopefully, you will find these to be invaluable, helpful, and worth knowing about.
Learn about tools you can use to send files to other users and transfer files between devices, your web server, and cloud storage services.
File Transfer Tools
Learn about tools you can use to send files to other users and transfer files between devices, your web server, and cloud storage services.
Sending and receiving files to and from other users, transferring files between different devices, and uploading or downloading files or media from various computer devices to your website, server, or remote storage services are all essential aspects of managing your content effectively.
In other lessons, we’ve looked at setting up effective content storage systems and documenting these processes to manage your organization’s files, media, and content.
If you need help in those areas, refer to the following lessons:
In this lesson, we look at various file transfer tools and methods you can use to get your content and files quickly and easily to other users, devices, web servers, and cloud storage services.
We’ll cover:
Essential File Transfer Tools
Transferring Files To Your Server Or Remote Storage
Uploading Files To Your Website From Different Locations
Using CMS Features To Upload Files To Your Website
***
Essential File Transfer Tools
Being able to transfer files quickly and easily to other users is essential for areas like content production, so it’s important to organize your content management systems around tools like:
Email (e.g. Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
Mobile Devices
Team Communication Tools (e.g. Zoom, Slack, etc.)
Email
You already know that you can send files via email as an attachment.
You can send files via email as an attachment…
But…did you know that with certain applications like Gmail, you can also send your files via email securely?
Gmail also lets you send files over email securely using Confidential mode.
For example, Gmail offers a confidential mode that prevents your email recipients from forwarding, copying, printing, or downloading either the message or its attachments. This helps you protect sensitive information from being shared accidentally or without your consent.
Watch the video below for more information about this feature:
With Gmail, you can also insert a file from Google Drive as an attachment (we cover Google Drive further down)…
Use Gmail and Google Drive to upload, store, and send files online to other users.
Mobile Devices
Mobile devices are another great tool for sending media files like images, videos, audio recordings, notes, etc.
See the ‘References’ section at the end of this lesson for links to excellent articles covering different methods you can use to transfer files using your mobile devices.
Team Collaboration Tools
Applications like Slack, Zoom, and many other tools have built-in features for sharing files, so your team can use these to quickly send files to different team members and across to other users and departments.
For example, Slack lets you upload files like documents, videos, artwork, etc. from your computer and shared drives and share these with your team.
Use Slack’s built-in features to upload and share files with your team.
Zoom also lets you upload and share file attachments, as the video below shows.
Transferring Files Between Your Computer And Your Web Server
Managing content effectively often requires uploading (and downloading) files between your computer or other devices and your web server.
Two popular methods used for transferring files between computers and web servers are:
Using a Desktop FTP client
Using a webhosting control panel application (e.g. cPanel’s File Manager.)
We’ll look at using these methods below, as they don’t require you to have advanced technical skills like other file transfer methods (e.g. SSH).
Checklist: Set Up Tools For File Transfers
Use the checklist below to set up the tools and services you will need to transfer files between your computer, website, server, and remote storage services:
These tools will allow you to connect to your website’s server and transfer files between your computer and the server.
2. Set Up FTP/SFTP Connection
Obtain FTP/SFTP credentials from your web hosting provider (usually found in the hosting control panel).
In the FTP client, add a new site with the following information:
Host: Your domain or server IP address.
Port: 21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP.
Protocol: Choose FTP or SFTP.
Enter your username and password.
Save the settings and connect.
3. Transfer Files to the Website
Use the FTP client to drag and drop files from your computer to your website’s server. For example, upload a new theme or plugin.
Make sure you place files in the correct directories (e.g., /wp-content/themes/ for themes).
4. Install a Backup Plugin
Install a WordPress backup plugin.
Use this plugin to automatically back up your website files and database to your remote storage service.
5. Configure Remote Storage
In the backup plugin settings, configure remote storage options like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.
Authenticate and allow the plugin to connect to the chosen remote storage service.
6. Automate Backups
Set up a backup schedule (e.g., daily or weekly) to automatically back up your website.
Ensure backups are stored both locally and remotely for redundancy.
7. Use a File Syncing Service
Set up a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive on your computer.
Use the service’s desktop app to sync files between your computer and the cloud.
This setup allows easy access to website files, backups, and media from any device.
8. Secure File Transfers
Always use SFTP instead of FTP for secure file transfers.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your web hosting and remote storage accounts to add an extra layer of security.
9. Test File Transfers
Perform a test transfer by uploading a file from your computer to the server and then to the remote storage.
Verify that the file is accessible in all locations.
10. Document the Process
Create a document detailing your FTP/SFTP credentials, backup schedules, and remote storage settings.
Store this document securely for future reference.
The above setup will ensure that you can easily manage, back up, and transfer files across your computer, website, server, and remote storage services.
Always back up your website (files and data) before modifying any files on your server.
Follow the tutorials and the links provided below to learn how to use an FTP tool and File Manager to transfer files from your computer to your web server.
Desktop FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
This section explains how to set up a desktop-based FTP application to transfer files directly from your computer or laptop.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an outdated way of sharing files and most web browsers no longer support it, as it is no longer considered to be secure.
Browser FTP was once popular but most web browsers no longer support it.
Using SFTP or FTPS (and HTTPS) instead of FTP is highly recommended.
The most reliable alternative to browser FTP is a dedicated FTP/SFTP client installed on your computer, like Filezilla
Setting Up A Desktop FTP Client – How To FTP/SFTP Files To Your Server Using Filezilla
Filezilla is a popular free desktop FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program. It is open-source software distributed free of charge under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
Transferring files using a desktop FTP application like Filezilla is all done via the tool’s interface.
Filezilla interface
Filezilla’s interface looks complicated, but it’s really not. After connecting to your server, all you basically do is select files from a folder in your computer or hard drive (left panel) and drag these across to a folder on your server (right panel) and the tool will automatically begin to upload your files.
Similarly, you can download files by selecting and dragging these from a folder on your server (right panel) to a folder on your computer or hard drive (left panel).
Filezilla provides a basic tutorial on its site. If you need more help using Filezilla, see this video course for beginners: How To Use FTP
When using FileZilla, we recommend selecting the SFTP- SSH File Transfer Protocol for transferring files from your computer to your server securely.
Click on the General tab and select SFTP File Transfer Protocol.
Transferring Files Using cPanel’s File Manager: Step-By-Step Tutorial
Let’s show you how to use cPanel’s File Manager to upload files from your computer or external hard drive to your web server.
We’ll go through a step-by-step example on how to upload and extract a zipped file.
Note: Make sure your hosting uses cPanel for this tutorial. Otherwise, check with your hosting company to see what file transfer tools they provide.
First, log into cPanel…
cPanel’s login screen.
File Manager is located in the Tools > Files section of your cPanel administration screen.
Click on File Manager…
cPanel: Files – File Manager
Your server files will be visible inside the File Manager screen.
The File Manager screen.
Some of the main functions you will use inside File Manager to perform file transfer operations include:
Move File – allows you to select files and move them into another directory. This feature is useful if you upload files to the wrong folder and want to move these to another folder location.
Upload – allows you to upload files directly to your server. This feature is useful when performing manual software updates, and restoring or reinstalling website files.
Download – allows you to download files from your server to your local machine. This feature is useful when performing manual backups.
Delete – allows you to delete selected folders and files on your server.
Extract – allows you to unzip files inside your server directories. This feature is useful for uploading folders or multiple files (covered below).
Compress – allows you to compress (zip) folders inside your server directories. This feature is useful for downloading entire folders, large files, etc.
cPanel’s File Manager allows you to perform a range of useful functions by clicking buttons.
Additionally, you will find useful Directory Navigation Menu Buttons inside the File Manager area, including:
Up One Level – Moves files up one level inside the folder.
Reload – Refreshes your screen.
Select All – Selects all files.
Unselect All – Unselects all files.
Use the buttons in the navigation menu to perform additional functions.
Using File Manager To Upload And Extract Zipped Files
In this example, we’ll show you how to upload and extract a zipped plugin file to your server.
First, make sure to have your zipped file ready for upload.
A zipped file ready to upload to the server.
Next, log into cPanel and open up the File Manager panel.
Log into cPanel’s File Manager.
You can drill down folder hierarchies to access nested folders and files by double-clicking on the upper directory folders.
Double-click folders to access nested folders and files
Next, locate the folder on your server where you will upload your file and click Upload.
In the screenshot below, we will upload the zipped plugin file into the plugins folder section of our WordPress site installation.
Click on the Upload button to upload your file to your server.
A new screen called ‘Upload files’ will open up in your web browser. You can drag and drop files into the section with the dotted border to automatically begin uploading your files, or click on the ‘Select File’ button as shown below, then locate and select your zipped file to upload.
Click the Select File button to select and upload your file.
Select your file and click ‘Open’ to begin uploading the file to your server …
Select your file and click the Open button to upload your file to your server.
File Manager will begin to upload your file to your server. Wait until the file has finished uploading.
Wait until your files have been uploaded…
Once your file has been uploaded, click on the “Go Back…” link to return to the folder inside your File Manager’s screen where you have uploaded the file to.
Your file has now been uploaded. Click on the link to return to the File Manager’s folder screen.
You should see the file you have uploaded inside the folder on your server.
If you cannot see the file, then do the following:
Check that you are in the correct folder, and
Click the Reload button to refresh the screen.
Click Reload to refresh the screen if you cannot see the file you have just uploaded.
Also, if you upload a file to the wrong directory, use the Move button to select the right destination folder for your file.
Have you uploaded a file to the wrong folder on your server? No problem, use the Move button to place it in the right folder.
After your zipped file has been uploaded, click on the ‘Extract’ button to decompress (unzip) your file.
Let’s extract this zipped file inside your server.
A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm the location where you want to extract your files to. Click Extract File(s) to continue.
Click Extract Files to confirm and begin unzipping your file.
The ‘Extraction Results’ window displays all of your extracted files once the operation has been completed.
Click Close to return to the File Manager screen.
All of your zipped files are now extracted. Go ahead and close the Extraction Results window.
Click the Reload button to refresh your screen.
Click Reload to refresh your screen.
All uploaded files are now extracted and added to your server.
Your newly uploaded file…fully extracted and ready for use!
You can delete the original zip file from your server to save space and keep your folder free of unnecessary clutter.
To delete the zipped file, select it in your File Manager screen and click on the Delete button.
Select the original zipped file and click the Delete button to remove the file from your server and save space.
The above method for uploading files to your server is useful. Large files that normally take a long time to upload via FTP can upload in seconds or just a few minutes when transferred using cPanel’s File Manager.
Not all hosting companies offer cPanel. Many hosting companies, however, offer a file manager application, so check with your web host.
How To Configure Server File Permission Settings
Most software program installations nowadays will configure everything automatically for you. Sometimes, however, you may need to manually set permissions to allow other users to read, write, modify, and/or access information after uploading some files or programs to your web server.
File permissions specify what can and can’t be done to your server files and folders or directories.
Server file permissions specify what can and can’t be done to your files.
This is important because some applications need to upload or access files in some of your server directories to perform certain functions. If permissions for these files or directories are not enabled or set correctly, it can cause errors.
Errors can occur if file permissions on server directories are not set correctly.
For example, if your site runs on WordPress and permissions have not been automatically set or enabled for files in your wp-content directory, you may experience errors when uploading plugins or you may not be able to save changes made to plugin settings.
Refer to the short tutorial below to learn how to configure server file permission settings for files and directories on an open-source operating system like Linux.
Again, we recommend doing a full backup of your website’s files and data before modifying any files on your server.
How To Configure File Permission Settings On Your Server (Linux)
CHMOD
Chmod (abbreviated from change mode) is a command that lets a user tell the system (or server) how much or how little access it should permit a file or a file directory to be given.
It changes the file system modes of files and directories, including permissions and special modes.
If you experience issues you may need to configure file permission settings on your server.
Setting File Permission Settings Using ‘CHMOD’
If you use an FTP program like Filezilla, do the following to view and change security permission settings for your server files and folders:
Access your server
Locate the directory or file with the permissions you want to change
Right-click on the file and select ‘Properties’
File Properties
The CHMOD options should display in the menu. If not, access the help section of your FTP client and search for chmod, permissions, or change mode. Most FTP programs have this feature readily available.
To change or set permissions for your files, simply check or uncheck the permission boxes (for Owner, Group, or Public), or add the desired permission setting number in the Manual display field, then click OK to save.
Setting CHMOD File Permissions
Common WordPress file and directory permissions include the following settings:
777 – Everything for everyone. This command gives read, write, and execute permission to the owner, group, and public. chmod 777 is considered potentially dangerous because you are giving read, write, and execute permission on a file/directory to everyone on your system. Normally, this setting should be avoided.
755 – Only the owner can write, read and execute for everyone. This command means that only the owner will be allowed to write to the file. The owner, group members, and everyone else will have read and execute permissions.
644 – Everyone can read, only the owner can write. With this setting, the owner will have read and write permissions while the group and everyone else has read permission only.
Setting directory permissions to make your files writable depends on your web hosting environment. For example, to make a file or directory writable, you would normally set (i.e. chmod) file permissions either to 777 or 755.
Notes:
Only change file permission settings if your site installation or plugin requires it. Normally, this will either be specified in a user manual (e.g. a plugin manual or installation guide) or if changing file permissions is required while performing some kind of function on your site (e.g. installing or making changes to plugins or themes).
If you are performing installations using wizards, a notification message will usually appear on your screen asking you to make a particular file or directory writable, or specifying which permission settings you need to change.
Unless the change required to the file permission settings is permanent, you would normally restore the file to its original settings after making and saving the change for security purposes (e.g. changing a file from 644 to 755, then back to 644 again). This prevents hackers and unauthorized users from accessing and modifying the files on your server.
After making changes to files, refresh your site’s page in your browser to make sure that everything is working correctly.
Changing file permissions is not complicated. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing or if you are concerned that you might do something that can cause errors, don’t modify any files. Instead, ask your web hosting provider or someone with more knowledge or experience to do this for you.
If you experience errors after changing permission settings, change the permission settings back to what they were and see if the error messages disappear. If errors persist after restoring file permissions, contact your web hosting provider for help.
Use this handy chmod calculator if you need help configuring different file or directory permissions.
Amazon S3
If you are hosting media files (e.g. an image) on Amazon S3 (covered in the next section) and the file is not displaying correctly on your browser, you may not have set the correct permissions for that file.
Typically, this is what you will see if a file has incorrect permissions…
This is what you will see if you have not set the correct permissions for your file on Amazon S3.
To display images stored on Amazon S3 on your website’s pages, set your file permissions as shown below:
Set up your image file permission as shown here and click Apply Changes to display images stored on Amazon S3 to users on your website.
Full Control
Owner – Tick the checkbox
Any AWS Users – Leave the checkbox unticked
All Users – Leave the checkbox unticked
Read
Owner – Leave the checkbox unticked
Any AWS Users – Tick the checkbox
All Users – Tick the checkbox
After ticking the boxes as described above, click on Apply changes to set your file permissions.
The images should now display to your website users. The Amazon S3 section below shows you how to add media files from S3 to your web pages.
Transferring Files To Cloud Storage Services
Your website files can be stored on your web server or a cloud storage service.
Some of the most popular storage services for storing files remotely in the cloud include:
Amazon S3
Google Drive
Dropbox
Let’s take a brief look at each of these services and how to transfer cloud-hosted files to and from your devices and your website.
Amazon S3
Store your files remotely using Amazon S3’s cloud storage service.
Amazon S3 (Amazon Simple Storage Service) is a scalable cloud storage service offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Amazon S3 is great for storing all kinds of files, especially media files, website backups, data archives, and more.
Amazon S3 storage folders are called buckets.
With Amazon S3, you store your files in buckets (folders).
A bucket is a container for objects stored in Amazon S3. You can store any number of objects in a bucket and can have up to 100 buckets in your account.
Many applications can connect directly with your Amazon S3 account, allowing you to quickly and easily upload and store files in your s3 buckets and serve these directly on your website.
For example, the image below is being hosted on Amazon S3.
This image of a cute puppy is hosted on Amazon S3.
To check this using Google’s Chrome browser, right-click on the image and choose Inspect.
Right-click on the image and select Inspect (Chrome browser users).
You should see an Amazon S3 bucket address displayed for the image.
This image is hosted on Amazon S3 as the Chrome Browser’s Inspect function shows.
Uploading files directly to Amazon buckets can be a little complicated, so we recommend using a tool like the one below to transfer files to and from your computer or hard drive and your Amazon S3 account…
S3 Browser
We recommend using a tool like S3 Browser to upload files to your S3 account.
S3 Browser is a free Windows client for Amazon S3 and Amazon CloudFront, a content delivery network, (CDN). We use and recommend installing the paid version of this tool as S3 Browser is free for personal use only.
Also, as this site is built using WordPress, media files stored on Amazon S3 can be inserted directly into the content, so here’s what we did to display the image above on this web page:
First, we uploaded the image to our Amazon s3 account…
Image uploaded to S3 bucket.
After the image was uploaded, we then set file permissions as explained earlier, right-clicked on the file, and selected Generate Web URL…
Select Generate Web URL…
We then copied the URL of the image to our clipboard…
Click the button to copy the file URL to your clipboard.
And pasted the URL into the content…
Paste…done!
That’s it! When you look at that image on our web page, it’s being served from Amazon S3, not from our web server.
Remember to add an alt tag image and a caption to your image URL before publishing to improve your content SEO.
Easily add media files hosted on Amazon S3 to a WordPress site.
Amazon S3 also allows you to set up a “bucket policy” on your server that protects files stored in buckets from being hotlinked.
Google Drive lets you store files on Google’s servers in the cloud. You can also share files and synchronize files across different devices.
Google Drive is great for storing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, forms, and other files created using Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. It also lets you collaborate with your content team to edit your documents.
Files created and edited through the Google Docs suite are automatically saved in Google Drive. You can also upload large files (up to 750 GB in size), and change privacy settings for individual files and folders, including enabling sharing with other users or making your content public.
Tutorial: How To Embed Files From Google Drive Into Your Website
You can easily embed files from Google Drive into your website.
In this example, we’ll embed an image stored on Google Drive into a WordPress site.
Note: You can use the same method as shown in the tutorial below to embed other types of files into your site like videos, audios, etc.
After uploading your media file to Google Drive, right-click on the file and select Preview.
Right-click on your file and select Preview.
Next, click on the vertical ellipsis icon (More Options) and select Open in new window…
Select Open in new window.
Click on the vertical ellipsis icon again and select Embed item…
Select Embed item…
Copy the embed code to your clipboard…
Select and copy the embed code to your clipboard.
If you are using the WordPress classic editor, switch to the Text tab and paste the content from your clipboard into the location where you want your image (or video, or audio file, etc.) to display.
Paste the embed code into your content.
Your embedded file should display when you publish and preview your content.
Dropbox is a file hosting service that lets you store, share, and synchronize files in the cloud.
Dropbox is excellent for transferring files between multiple devices, as it allows you to access your account from anywhere, on any device.
For example, let’s say that you have a home computer and a work laptop and your media editing tools are installed on both devices.
With Dropbox (and Google Drive too), you can upload files to your account while you are at work via your laptop…
Upload files to Dropbox from one device (e.g. your work laptop)…
And download these files to your home computer when you get home to continue working…
And download the files from Dropbox to another device (e.g. your home computer).
Additional Cloud Storage Solutions
In addition to the above, here are some affordable cloud, remote and offsite storage solutions you can use to transfer and store your website files and backups securely:
External Drive: Purchase an external hard drive and regularly back up your site files and data to this drive.
Microsoft OneDrive: Offers 5 GB of free storage with seamless integration with Windows and affordable subscription plans. It can be used with various WordPress backup plugins.
Backblaze B2: An affordable alternative to Amazon S3, Backblaze B2 offers competitive pricing for cloud storage, making it a great option for budget-conscious website owners.
Wasabi: Provides low-cost, high-performance cloud storage with no egress fees, making it an attractive option for WordPress users needing reliable offsite backups.
The WordPress Media Library lets you upload all kinds of media files to your site and comes with many built-in features for managing your uploaded files.
You can use drag and drop or select files to upload media to your WordPress site.
In addition to the Media Library, there are various WordPress Media Plugins you can use to transfer and manage files on your site from your computer and cloud storage services.
For example, S3 Media Maestro lets you display videos hosted on Amazon S3 securely on your site.
Use S3 Media Maestro to display content stored on Amazon S3 securely on your WordPress site.
If you store files on Google Drive, you can use a plugin like Google Drive Embedder to add files to your content.
You can also use a plugin like Dropr to easily access files from your Dropbox account and add them to your WordPress website.
Dropr is a Dropbox plugin for WordPress.
For more plugins that can help you manage the transfer of files to your WordPress site, see this section: WordPress Media Plugins
WordPress Automatic Updates
WordPress has a built-in feature that automatically transfers data like new software updates, plugins, and themes from the main WordPress repository (WordPress.org) to the WordPress installation files in your server.
It also automatically uploads, extracts, and places all data directly into the correct folders inside your web server and database.
The WordPress auto-updating feature is useful for transferring files from your server when:
Updating WordPress via the dashboard
Uploading and installing WordPress plugins
Updating WordPress plugins
Uploading and installing WordPress themes
Updating WordPress themes
The ability to perform updates directly inside your WordPress dashboard is extremely convenient. However, keep the following in mind…
One-click updates work on most servers. If you have any problems, it is probably related to permissions issues on the filesystem.
See the section earlier on configuring server file permissions if you run into any issues with WordPress (also refer to this WordPress Troubleshooting Guide if you experience other errors on your site).
Zapier
Zapier lets you connect and integrate your web applications and automate your workflows.
Essentially, Zapier allows thousands of different applications to communicate with each other and create all kinds of “when this happens…automatically do this” tasks (called “Zaps”), saving you a lot of time in the process.
Zapier also offers many integrations with WordPress.
Zapier offers extensive help documentation, including detailed tutorials on how to integrate the tool with all kinds of services.
Video Courses For Beginners – Transferring Files
The video courses below cover basic areas of transferring files and are ideal for beginners (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
Learn how to set up and use Amazon S3 to upload, store, manage, and protect your site’s images, large media files, downloadable files, stream videos, and more.
Learn how to safely and automatically back up your WordPress files and database and how to easily restore your WordPress site if something unexpected or disastrous were to happen.
Effective content management involves the continuous transfer of files between users, different devices, web servers, and remote storage services.
In this lesson, we have covered many different methods you can use to transfer files and share content in your organization.
Action Steps
Make an inventory of the file transfer tools, methods, and processes used in your organization and make sure there is workflow documentation for your content team on how to use these effectively.
Resources
WordPress User Manual – The most detailed and comprehensive step-by-step WordPress user manual for non-technical website users available.
The tools and resources listed below will help to speed up your content planning and content production scheduling.
Bookmarks
Your web browser’s Bookmarking tool is a great way to organize and access links to useful documentation, regularly-used tools and services, and other valuable content production resources quickly and easily.
Before adding bookmarks to your web browser, we recommend spending a little bit of time planning the structure of your bookmarking folders. This will save you a lot of time locating these later as your bookmarking list grows.
Use your web browser’s Bookmarks tool to organize bookmarking folders, and save links to useful documentation, tools, and online resources.
You can use your web browser’s bookmarks to create a ‘master’ set of bookmarks linking to all the documentation and other useful tools and resources your content team will need to work efficiently.
To do this, first, organize all the different folders you will need in your own web browser’s bookmarking tool…
Organize your bookmark folders.
Next, add all the important links to the documentation, tools, and resources your team will need.
Bookmark all the tools and resources you need to speed up content production.
Next, export your Bookmark files and share this export file with your team members. Ask them to import these into their own web browsers, so everyone in your team has access to the same resources.
Share bookmarks containing links to documentation and useful resources with your content team.
See these guides to using bookmarks in different web browsers and devices:
Create columns for each workflow process you want to track
Arrange columns in sequential order
Add new projects to rows (one per row).
Use color coding to highlight the status of your projects. For example:
Yellow = Work-in-progress
Green = Completed (published)
Red = Needs attention
Use spreadsheets to create simple content production workflows and colors to highlight your project status.
Let’s take a look at some popular spreadsheet applications.
Google Sheets
Google Sheets
Google Sheets is a full-featured spreadsheet tool from Google.
Google Sheets can be accessed online via a desktop or mobile device. Additionally, Google Sheets can be stored on a Google Drive account and shared with different users, allowing for collaboration.
Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is part of the Microsoft Office suite and is available only as a subscription service.
Smartsheet is a SaaS collaboration and work management tool that lets you effectively manage your team’s work, projects, and processes through team collaboration, workflow automation, and content production management tools.
Smartsheet lets you assign tasks, track project progress, manage calendars, and share documents using a tabular user interface.
If you like using spreadsheets to manage projects, you may want to look into Airtable.
Airtable is a cloud collaboration service best described as a “hybrid” between a spreadsheet and a database (i.e. it has database features applied to a spreadsheet).
“A basic rule of thumb is that a database is more suited to organize a large amount of information. Spreadsheets are the best fit for running calculations. Airtable gives you the best of both worlds: a relational database that’s as easy to work with as Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.”
Airtable is an ideal tool for creating spreadsheet-like editorial calendars and content inventories but with the power of relational databases.
For example, you can create spreadsheet-like sortable tables for:
An editorial calendar
Storing the names and email addresses of outsourced service providers, freelancers, etc.
Posts that need reviewing or updating
Posts that need a “search and replace” (e.g. replace old pricing or a rebranded product name), etc.
Airtable is also a low-code tool, so you don’t need to learn database scripting languages like SQL to use it.
If your organization requires managing a range of projects, tasks, and activities across different people, teams, or departments, you may need to consider upgrading your content production tools and switching to integrated workflow and communication/collaboration software.
Here are some popular work and collaboration tools you can use across your team or organization to improve workflow and productivity.
Slack
Slack
Slack is a tool that allows individuals across teams, departments, and organizations to communicate and collaborate online via channels, messaging, team meetings (called Huddles), and more.
Slack also lets you easily upload and share files like documents, videos, artwork, etc., from your computer and shared drives.
Slack lets you share files like documents, videos, artwork, etc. with your team.
Zoom is a cloud-based communications tool that allows people to meet online using their desktop or phone, and communicate via video and audio conferencing, chats, screen sharing, file sharing, whiteboard tools, and more.
For other work and collaboration tools, see the References section at the end of this lesson.
Market Muse
MarketMuse
MarketMuse is a cloud-based content planning tool used by content creators, content marketers, publishers, marketing agencies, and eCommerce companies.
The tool includes components that can greatly aid your content production, such as MarketMuse Inventory, which automates your content inventory and content auditing processes by collecting and organizing your pages, analyzing them, and making them more easily accessible.
MarketMuse’s AI-driven content briefs help writers produce quality SEO-optimized content with instructions on how to structure the article, what topics to address, what questions to answer, what content to link internally and externally, and more.
Users can access content briefs without logging into the platform using a special link and writers can work directly from within the brief and get scored against suggestions as they go.
TextExpander is a time-saving tool that increases your productivity and efficiency by allowing you to quickly store, share, and retrieve information using Snippets.
Snippets are longer repetitive texts paired with an abbreviation that you type in its place. Essentially, you can think of TextExpander as a “copy and paste” tool on steroids.
Instead of searching through and copying text from old emails, notes, or a repository where you keep content that you use repeatedly, you can simply type an abbreviation as a shortcode into your content and it will then insert a full-blown content snippet that you have previously created and saved.
Use TextExpander’s Snippets to save time adding content in repetitive tasks.
Snippets also allow you to create content templates with “fill in the blank” fields and different snippet groups.
Some of the more common uses for this tool are writing out customer support responses, creating follow-up emails, recruitment messages, and many daily work tasks.
Similar to the previous tool, if you’re tired of typing the same phrases repeatedly, Beeftext is a tool that lets you set up shortcuts (keywords) for commonly used pieces of text (snippets).
When you type a keyword, Beeftext automatically replaces it with the associated snippet. This works in any application where you can copy and paste text. It’s especially useful for things like email signatures, frequent phrases, or even emojis.
Beeftext is free and open-source, meaning it doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t have ads or malware. While it listens to your keystrokes to function, it doesn’t store or send your typing data anywhere. It only checks for updates once a day.
Setting up Beeftext is simple. You create combos with keywords and their corresponding snippets. It’s like creating your own typing shortcuts. Just be careful with keyword choices to avoid accidental replacements.
So, if you’re a content manager dealing with repetitive writing tasks, Beeftext could save you time and make your work smoother. You won’t need to type out the same things over and over again.
Project management software lets you plan, schedule, organize, and track your content production projects, and communicate with your team.
Notion
Notion: AI-powered workspace.
Notion AI revolutionizes workspaces by integrating tasks, documents, and collaboration, departing from traditional tools like Google Docs and Dropbox. It offers customizable, all-in-one workspaces, allowing users to tailor their environment with modular building blocks.
Notion’s AI Assistant lets you seamlessly incorporating AI into everyday tasks.
Notion lets you store important project documents, track team progress, and manage multiple departments in one central workspace.
Teams benefit from streamlined project management, enhanced communication, and aligned workflows.
Notion AI’s unique features include:
Versatility: Solving diverse team challenges with tailored solutions, from engineering to design.
AI Integration: Seamlessly incorporating AI into everyday tasks, such as writing assistance and generating insights.
Security: Ensuring data privacy and compliance with global regulations like GDPR and ISO 27001. Notion AI prioritizes data security, only using customer data with explicit consent and for improving AI features in partnership with trusted entities.
Template Library: Offering AI-powered templates for various tasks, including writing, recruiting outreach, and video script generation.
Use Notion’s vast template library and AI tools to save time performing everyday tasks.
Notion AI integrates with existing workflows and includes a flexible text editor. It’s capabilities are continually expanding, going beyond an AI-powered note-taking software and into the future of all-in-one workspace innovation.
Trello lets you plan, organize, and track your projects visually.
You can manage multiple tasks for any type of project, workflow, or task tracking using Kanban-style boards with lists and cards that simulate the use of “sticky” notes and can include checklists, deadlines, attachments, conversations, etc.
From there, you can incorporate task assignments, calendars, timelines, productivity metrics, and more.
Asana acts as a communication hub and lets you assign respective tasks to relevant team members for specific projects.
With Asana, teams can integrate and share tasks, files, plans, and goals, and manage their work from a single app, providing visibility to all members involved.
Additionally, projects can be split up into actionable tasks and assigned to multiple collaborators, and team members can view tasks through a choice of various views (e.g. board, calendar, list view, timeline, workload, and portfolio views).
Asana provides a traditional checklist format for project management with customizable collaboration tools and project-level reporting dashboards. It also supports third-party apps (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Dropbox, etc.), the implementation of data from other applications, an Android and iOS app, and a mobile site that can be accessed on any device.
Asana provides useful templates for content-related activities, including:
Monday is a productivity suite and work management software that lets you centralize work processes, tools, and files and customize dashboards and workflows to fit your organization’s needs using customizable “no code” building blocks.
These building blocks include items, columns, views, automation, integrations, and widgets. You adapt each building block to build applications and tools that fit your needs.
The software allows you to manage production projects and other workflows with cross-team collaboration tools, easy-to-use automation, and real-time notifications.
Brightpod is a web-based project management tool that:
Provides a unified system for campaigns, content, and website projects.
Lets you build guidelines and checklists, and organize, manage and track all your SEO, social media, blog strategy, and content marketing projects from one place to save time.
Helps you organize, manage, and track your team’s work from a central location.
Allows your team to accurately view the progress of their projects and helps to address issues of collaboration such as email spam, multiple file versions, lost files, task accountability issues, lack of clarity & work transparency.
Lets you see everyone’s tasks, content publish dates, and events on the shared calendar, see what is coming up next, and manage deliverables when growing your projects and clients.
Helps you work smarter, automate, and simplify communication.
Brightpod sits somewhere between being a simple project tool and a more complex project management software and includes features like Kanban and list tasks, recurring tasks, time tracking and estimates, activity logs, milestones, messages, calendar, reports and analytics, workflows, automatic email reminders, project cloning, and more.
Optimizely is a digital experience platform SaaS that provides tools to help you improve your site’s optimization and achieve better conversion rates.
Optimizely’s Content Management lets you create, tailor and scale content for an enterprise CMS, run multiple shops, inventory, and an online/offline catalog, use AI to test and optimize new features, and more.
GatherContent allows everyone involved in content creation to work together to plan, organize, and produce content in one cloud platform.
GatherContent lets you organize content into shared projects and folders to create a single source of truth for content. It allows content teams to collaborate on content creation, search, filter, or sort content, perform tasks in bulk, assign work to contributors, identify bottlenecks in the workflow, and more.
GatherContent creates a single source of truth for content production.
Designrr – Create, Design & Launch Stunning eBooks and Reports with Ease!
Designrr is an all-in-one solution for effortlessly creating and designing captivating eBooks and reports. With the power of ChatGPT and the revolutionary Wordgenie, Designrr has transformed the eBook creation process.
Some of this tool’s powerful features include:
AI-Powered Writing Assistance: Wordgenie is an A.I. writing assistant module tailored for non-fiction content, powered by ChatGPT. It helps you create powerful titles, develop cohesive outlines, discover fresh angles for your content, and generate impressive written content in minutes.
Streamlined eBook Creation: Overcome the hurdles of writing and designing your ebook. One-click export generates beautiful eBooks in various formats, including Flipbooks and PDFs, ready for publishing.
Comprehensive Editing Tools: With the built-in image editor, there’s no need for tools like Photoshop. The image editor allows you to crop, resize, and color images. The draft editor provides a distraction-free interface for content creation, offering flexibility and efficiency.
Engaging Design Options: Create animated Flipbooks easily shareable on mobile devices. The built-in design editor with drag-and-drop functionality allows you to customize and reorganize your eBook effortlessly.
Save Time and Money: Designrr includes over 100 free eBook templates, saving you from outsourcing costs and the hassle of searching for designers, and providing a seamless process from content import to eBook generation.
Commercial License: A free commercial license is included that lets you create and sell unlimited eBooks without additional fees or royalties and access to a 35,000-member strong community for support and advice.
Content At Scale is an innovative AI copywriting software platform utilizing three advanced AI engines, natural language processing (NLP), and semantic search analysis. It crafts entire blog posts, including titles, meta descriptions, headings, URL slugs, and paragraphs with extras, all within an astounding 5 minutes.
Key Features:
Speedy Content Generation: Creates long-form content in just 5 minutes.
Comprehensive Editor: Utilize the content editor for easy viewing and editing. Content At Scale generates titles, URL slugs, meta descriptions, and provides a checklist of optimized NLP terms for SEO enhancement.
Simple Input: Requires only a keyword to generate content.
Three AI Copywriting Engines: Ensures diversity and creativity.
Content Quality Assurance: Run the content through a tool like Grammarly and you should see an impressive score.
AI Writing Tools:
Generative AI Suite: Ideal for paraphrasing, short-form content, undetectable rewrites, and simple writing.
Content Producer: Tailor and plan fully optimized, brand-specific long-form content.
RankWell®: Gain unparalleled SEO insights for ranking and scaling content efficiently.
Content At Scale also offers seamless integration with WordPress. Connect Content At Scale directly to your WordPress website to enable automatic content publication.
Creating content with Content At Scale is easy. Enter a keyword, hit “Write Post Now” to let the AI handle the research, and receive a complete, original, and research-backed piece within minutes.
Here’s a walkthrough video of the tool:
Content At Scale also guarantees plagiarism-free content with tools like:
AI Checker: Trained on diverse content types to assess AI probabilities.
AI Detector: Identifies content authenticity within seconds.
AI Humanizer: Craft human-like content, undetectable by AI detection tools.
Content At Scale offers a subscription-based pricing model and a Done-For-You service, combining AI generation with human editing for superior quality.
SpinRewriter uses content spinning (spintax) to generate unique versions of your content.
Spin Rewriter is a software tool that analyzes and rewrites articles to create unique, high-quality content.
It uses a proprietary technology called ENL Semantic Spinning to thoroughly understand the meaning of the original article and generate new, readable versions using a hand-curated database of synonyms.
With Spin Rewriter, you can rewrite your articles at the paragraph, sentence, phrase, and single-word levels. The software also allows you to fully automate the process with a single click.
Here is a live video demo of the tool in action:
Spin Rewriter has received high praise from its users and is considered the best article-spinning tool on the market. It is compatible with a variety of SEO software and supports multiple spintax formats. All of your articles are encrypted in the software’s database for added security.
Spin Rewriter can also be easily integrated into other SEO software products for even more powerful performance.
Copy.ai is an AI-powered writing tool that can help you write faster and better by cutting down your writing time by up to 80%.
With Copy.ai, you can write high-quality blog posts, social media posts, and emails with ease.
The process is simple: start by entering your post’s title and keyword, and then the AI writing tool generates an outline and main talking points to help guide your writing.
Then, it generates a full-length draft of your post in seconds, which you can edit and polish using the tool’s editor to rewrite paragraphs and sentences.
With Copy.ai, you can write high-converting social media posts and emails by providing a brief description of your post or brand, and the AI content generator will give you multiple options to choose from, which you can then edit to make your own.
Finally, just copy and paste the work into your CMS for publishing.
PlayHT is a cutting-edge AI-powered text-to-voice generator that offers high-quality text-to-speech synthesis and audio accessibility solutions using ultra realistic AI voices available in almost every language.
PlayHT’s next-generation AI speech technology captures the nuances and emotions embedded in text, resulting in truly impressive and human-like speech.
You can generate realistic Text-to-Speech (TTS) audio using the online AI Voice Generator and synthetic voices, instantly convert text into natural-sounding speech and download as MP3 and WAV audio files.
PlayHT’s key features include:
AI Voice Generator Products – Quality AI voice over generation with PlayHT’s AI text-to-speech technology.
Ultra realistic AI voices – Next generation AI speech technology that is truly human-like.
Premium AI Voices – 800+ AI Voices in 140+ languages with great customizability and control.
Voice Cloning – Create high-fidelity voice clones that are extremely accurate to their real human voices.
Text to voice editor – Powerful text to Audio Online Editor with great control of voice style.
Pronunciations and Phonetic – Create custom pronunciations of acronyms and niche terms that can be saved to a pronunciation library.
Audio Widgets – Plug-and-play, and fully customizable audio widgets for websites to increase accessibility, time on page metrics and user engagement.
AI Podcasts – Create and publish audio content to iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts
Team Access – Scale content creation by inviting and collaborating with your team
Female AI Voice Generator Online – Generate ultra realistic female voices for audio books, videos, and more.
Male AI Voice Generator Online – Create realistic male AI voices online using the text to speech technology to generate quality male AI voices.
PlayHT’s AI Voice Generator excels in a wide range of applications, including:
Videos: use the Ultra Realistic editor to easily transcribe and sync audio to your videos and create engaging multimedia experiences for users.
Elearning and Training: Use realistic AI voices to bring educational content to life and empower learning and development teams, training course providers, and educators.
IVR System: Create humanlike AI voice responses for interactive voice response systems, ensuring a natural and engaging customer experience.
Audio Articles and Accessibility: Attract new audiences and improve accessibility by offering audio versions of articles, blog posts, and written content.
YouTube and TikTok Videos: Narrate your YouTube and TikTok videos with AI-generated voices to add a professional touch to your content.
Character and Celebrity Voice Generation: Create stunning voices for game characters, animations, and cartoons, or capture the essence of any celebrity’s voice to generate identical speech.
This time-saving and cost-effective solution is ideal for businesses, content creators, educators, podcast and audiobook productions, and more.
Speechelo provides realistic and expressive AI voice sounds and is very easy to use. Simply create the voiceover, download the mp3, and import it into your video editor (it works with all video creation software).
You can create engaging voiceovers for sales videos, training videos, educational videos, explainer videos, product review videos, webinars, video ads, audio presentations, narrated web pages, recorded announcements, review draft articles, and a whole lot more!
Speechelo’s text-to-speech engine provides inflection controls with different voice tones for reading text (normal reading, joyful, and serious), settings for breath control, pauses, changing speed & pitch, over 30 human-sounding male and female voices, support for 23 languages, and more.
This is a cloud-based tool that lets you convert any text into a 100% human-sounding voiceover in English and other languages.
If you need help creating audio-based content using text-to-speech, see this excellent Text-to-Speech Course (narrated entirely using AI voices).
Royalty-Free Media
If you need royalty-free images, music, or videos for your content, check out the resources below:
Images
Find free and royalty-free images – A comprehensive list of sites where you can find free and royalty-free images (photos, illustrations, vector images, clipart, etc). Some of the sites also provide free access to stock videos and video clips.
Music
BenSound– Royalty free music for content creators. You can download copyright safe music for use in videos (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) and use it freely in return for attribution, or subscribe to one of the site’s paid plans.
Videos
Pexels – Videos (and images) can be downloaded and used for free. No attribution required.
Content Creation Services
There are different types of content creation services available.
Freelancers
If you don’t have an in-house content creation team, you can hire freelancers to help you with your content creation.
For resources on finding freelancers and outsourced talent, see this section: Outsourcing.
PLR
Private Label Rights (PLR) content is content written by external service providers, which is then resold to customers.
With PLR content, all the content planning, research, and writing are done by a 3rd-party. You just buy the finished product and use it or resell it as your own.
While PLR content can help you save time and money writing web content, the content is not original (as the same content is resold many times to other customers) and most are not very high quality (often requiring extensive rewriting).
The main value of using PLR content is to save time creating information products to use as lead generation magnets, additional bonuses for subscribing to your service or buying your main product, and as individual or bundled digital products to sell online.
Also, see the WordPress User Manual for hundreds of step-by-step tutorials on all aspects of using a WordPress website.
WordPress Plugins
See the WordPress plugins section for plugins that can help you with different aspects of content production.
Video Courses For Beginners – Content Production
The video courses below cover basic areas of content production and are ideal for beginners (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
Learn how to create, launch, and sell high-quality digital products like downloadable reports, e-books, videos, and audio content quickly and cost-effectively.
Learn how to access and use free image creation and editing tools, basic and advanced image editing techniques using tools like Photoshop and free alternatives, creating images for web content, presentations, infographics, social media, and so much more.
Learn about the benefits of using webinars in your business, how to create high-quality and engaging webinars, and how to sell your products and services using webinars.
In this practical step-by-step video course, you will learn how to use text-to-speech and the latest AI voice technologies to create professional and realistic-sounding voice narrations from text files for a wide range of commercial uses and business applications.
Use these content promotion tools and resources to help your content reach a wider target audience.
Content Promotion Tools And Resources
Use these content promotion tools and resources to help your content reach a wider target audience.
After creating content, your aim should be to promote it effectively through all the distribution channels specified in your content marketing strategy.
The tools and resources in this section will help you reach the widest possible audience of targeted users with your content.
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Search Engine Pinging Tools & Services
Before you start publishing content online, make sure that your website is configured and optimized for search engines. This includes adding your sitemap to search engines as explained in the Search Engine Optimization Tools section.
Platforms like WordPress have built-in pinging features where every post you make is automatically notified (i.e. pinged) to various online resources. WordPress SEO plugins can also enhance this function.
If your site does not run on WordPress, then consider using a service like the one below to notify search engines when new content is published on your website.
Pingler
Use Pingler to ping search engines about your new posts and pages.
You can use Pingler to notify search engines about your newly-published posts or pages.
Simply enter your post title and post URL, select one or more categories, and click the “Ping!” button.
Enter a few details and ping your URL for free!
Pingler will then automatically notify many Ping services about your post.
Pingler automatically submits your URL to around 100 services and displays a submission report.
Pingler allows you to ping around 100 search engine crawlers for free. It also offers a premium service that automatically scans your site for newly added content and pings around 1,000 services.
Ideally, your business should include email marketing in your content marketing mix.
The services below can help you automate the process of capturing visitor details from your website or blog and adding them to your email list or email newsletter.
Aweber
Aweber
Aweber is one of the world’s most reliable and popular email delivery services and offers a professional and affordable list building, autoresponder, and email marketing automation solution with many extensive features like:
Send Email Newsletters – Aweber lets you send engaging email newsletters to your opt-in subscribers.
Publish A Signup Form To Your Website Or Blog – Publish a signup form to your site using a simple and intuitive point-and-click Web Form wizard.
Create Autoresponders – Autoresponders allow you to build relationships with your subscribers. Autoresponders can welcome new subscribers, educate them about your products and services and drive your email readers back to your website, all on auto-pilot.
Manage Unlimited Email Campaigns – With Aweber, you can not only create unlimited sequential email newsletters for your subscribers and set the frequency for each message, but you can also create unlimited lists (e.g. for building lists on different niche markets, segmenting different types if users, etc …), send email messages as often as you want and manage all of your lists and messages from one account.
Email Templates – If you want to send colorful, image-rich newsletters, Aweber offers over one hundred HTML email templates that have been tested for readability in all popular email clients, or you can paste in your own template, or create one from scratch using their point-and-click message editor.
Email Deliverability – Aweber has one of the highest deliverability rates in the industry and has built relationships with most of the major ISPs (Internet Service Providers). This means that while many small businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to get their email delivered with all the spam blocking and filtering in place, your emails are almost guaranteed to get through just about every time.
Free Expert Customer Support – Apart from the fact that AWeber is extremely easy to use and offers excellent educational materials such as a blog, knowledge base, and video tutorials, they also provide access to free customer support staffed by real people via phone, email, and live text chat.
In addition to the above services, Aweber also offers advanced email marketing tools such as:
Send Blog Newsletters (RSS to Email) – The Blog Broadcaster feature automatically turns your RSS feed into emails that you can send to readers daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever you publish something new on your website or blog.
Email Web Analytics – You can easily see what’s working and what isn’t in your email campaigns with Aweber’s powerful testing tools and easy-to-read reports.
Easy Shopping Cart Integration – You can integrate e-commerce with email marketing into your business.
To test drive Aweber for free, enter your details into the form below, or click here to sign up for an account:
MailChimp
MailChimp – Email Marketing Service
Mailchimp is a leading email marketing and automation platform providing an all-in-one marketing solution for businesses.
Mailchimp provides intelligent marketing and automation tools to target your customers and track your results, like pre-built customer journey workflows, predictive segmentation, AI-powered content tools, data-driven recommendations, and 300+ integrations, in addition to a reporting dashboard, website building, and hosting,
You need email addresses to promote your content using an email service.
You can search through websites manually to find contact information and email addresses, or use the tools below.
Hunter
Hunter – Email finding tool.
Hunter is an email-finding tool that lets you find professional email addresses from websites and provides a list of the people working in a company with their names and email addresses.
Hunter’s domain search tool finds names and professional email addresses from websites in seconds.
Hunter searches for emails from domains using filters and email patterns with verifiable public sources and lets you save and export emails to your CRM.
Hunter also has a Chrome extension, so you can find and add email addresses to your list using your Chrome web browser
Verifalia is a service that validates email addresses, cleans email lists in real time, and helps to reduce your bounce rate by keeping your mailing lists free of invalid, risky, and mistaken email addresses.
ContactOut is a tool that lets you find email addresses and phone numbers, build lead-generation lists, and send out personalized emails to a large list of contacts.
The software also has a search engine that allows you to search for leads by name, company, title, or location. You can also filter your results by company size, industry, or other criteria.
This is a useful tool for recruiting new team members or doing email outreach campaigns.
A FREE, 7-day email course on how to write welcome emails and autoresponder series, plus fill-in-the-blank email templates that will help make sending emails easier.
Effective social media marketing requires capable tools that can help you promote your content and manage, track, and analyze your content performance results across various social media platforms.
Use the tools and services below to promote and track your video promotions and video content performance.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics
Google Analytics 4’s enhanced web data stream measurement feature is enabled by default and captures core user interactions like file downloads, outbound linking, and video tracking.
You can track how videos are performing on your website on Google Analytics by going to Behavior > Events > Top Events.
From there, click on Video to see how many users clicked on “play” and what percentage of your videos they’ve watched (e.g. 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%).
Use Google Analytics to gain a better understanding of your video marketing results.
There are also WordPress plugins you can use like the one below for video analytics and reports.
Video Analytics – MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights – Analytics
Monster Insights automatically tracks YouTube, Vimeo, and HTML 5 video events, so you can measure who watches your videos, and for how long.
The video below provides more details on how to set up tracking for your video performance on Google Analytics:
YouTube Studio provides metrics on how your YouTube video campaigns are performing.
Log in and click on the Analytics tab to access performance data, including views, estimated minutes watched, average view duration, traffic sources, devices, playback locations, audience demographics, audience retention, and more.
Additionally, you can access video engagement reports with data metrics on subscribers, likes and dislikes, favorites, comments, sharing, annotations, etc.
For more information on using YouTube Analytics, watch the video below or go here: YouTube Analytics Help Guide.
If you promote videos on Facebook, you can view video performance data in Meta Creator Studio.
The Insights tab in Creator Studio gives you a variety of metrics on the performance of your video content, such as:
1-Minute Video Views: The number of times your videos were played for at least 1 minute.
Minutes Viewed: The total number of minutes your videos were played including time spent replaying the video.
3-Second Video Views: The number of times your videos were played for at least 3 seconds, or for nearly their total length if they’re shorter than 3 seconds, within the selected time range.
Video Engagement: The number of people who reacted, commented, or shared one of your videos.
Note: Videos tracked in Creator Studio for Facebook don’t show insights into specific videos. Instead, these are aggregated based on the Page or Pages you select to review.
You can, however, see performance insights for specific videos by scrolling down to the Top Videos tab. This will display a list of your top videos, with information like the Page it was posted on, date added, minutes viewed, 1-minute views, 3-second views, and engagement.
For an even closer look at the performance details for a specific video, click on the video title or image.
Wistia is a video hosting solution with lead capture tools and analytics.
With Wistia, you can include call-to-action forms and buttons and use its advanced in-depth analytics to analyze user demographics, track engagement with viewers, and see which actions users take after watching your video (e.g. make purchases).
Wistia integrates with Google Analytics, allowing you to see how your video campaigns are performing. It also includes CRM integrations, engagement statistics, and heat maps.
SproutVideo is a video hosting service that offers excellent editing, encoding, privacy, and API customizations.
SproutVideo’s video engagement metrics and deep analytics let you track how users react and interact with your content using heatmaps, see what users did before and after watching your video, and use calls-to-action, lead capture methods, and email marketing integration to improve your results.
Conviva’s Streaming Insights Platform delivers real-time measurement of premium streaming video, measuring video consumption and engagement across many social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, Twitch, etc.), and bringing census-level streaming TV metrics with audience intelligence from social media platforms.
Conviva’s sensors can provide you with information on all the above metrics and data.
Conviva’s tools provide actionable insights with a comprehensive, real-time, cross-device collection of all your streaming data across your entire streaming audience.
Anchor is Spotify’s free podcasting and hosting platform.
This podcast analytics tool is an all-in-one solution that helps you create engaging podcasts and host unlimited episodes at no cost and enables you to distribute your podcast to all major platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts with just one click.
Check out these additional podcast tools and services for promoting and tracking your podcasts:
Chartable – Track your full funnel and grow your show to find the most effective audio channels for growth. Use podcast analytics to track all your data in one place, stay on top of your chart ranks & reviews, and track podcast charts and podcast reviews from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher, across over 150 countries. Also, get ranks across all stores and countries, recent reviews, and more delivered to your inbox daily or weekly, plus notifications about your podcasts.
Podbean – Get comprehensive statistics with all the insights you need to track how your podcast performs.
Backtracks – Backtracks Podcast Analytics collects podcast listener metrics and listener data. It can tell you if a podcast download results in a play, so you can learn what’s working and what’s not in your podcast content and ads.
Transistor – Get stats on downloads, listens, and streams from all listening apps.
Blubrry – IAB v2.1 Certified Compliant statistics and insights to help you analyze your listeners and grow your show, for any podcast, on any hosting platform.
Fireside – Get accurate, real-time download stats and analytics. Every unique download is tracked and counted accurately.
Simplecast– Industry-leading publishing, distribution, analytics, and sharing tools for podcasters.
Castbox – Measure your subscribers, streams, and downloads with robust podcasting analytic tools.
Promote Your Podcast With Email Marketing
Promote Your Podcast With Email Marketing – Free Guide
If your content marketing strategy includes podcasting, this FREE guide will help you master easy email marketing strategies to turn listeners into subscribers, build your brand, and grow your podcast.
If your content marketing strategy includes creating eBooks, guides, or online courses, you may want to promote these using the tools and self-publishing platforms listed below.
RebranderPro
RebranderPRO – Rebrandable PDF Reports
RebranderPRO is an online tool that lets you turn PDF reports and guides into rebrandable reports that you can share with resellers and affiliates.
The tool also provides tracking and analytics to measure the performance of your shared content (e.g. downloads and clicks).
Practical applications of using RebranderPRO include:
Creating retail price lists or product catalogs that your resellers, distributors, or affiliates can rebrand with their business details, website URLs, or merchant/affiliate IDS and distribute to their clients.
Promoting lead generation reports and guides with an affiliate program. Your affiliates can then rebrand these with their affiliate ID, distribute them on their website, and share these with their audiences.
Self-publish eBooks and guides with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
KDP is a free service from Amazon that lets you self-publish eBooks and promote these to a global audience.
KDP gives you control of your book and lets you edit the content and pricing as often as you like after publication.
Additionally, KDP’s promotional features help you create more exposure for your books, books can be read on all devices, and the KDP lending library pays royalties on popular and widely read/shared publications.
For more information and to set up a free account on the Amazon Kindle platform, go here: KDP
See the resources below for more information on promoting eBooks, guides, and reports, and a step-by-step tutorial on formatting and uploading your eBook to Amazon’s KDP:
If you plan to create and sell eBooks or Guides, then consider adding these to digital marketplaces like the ones shown below:
ClickBank.com – ClickBank is an e-commerce platform and affiliate marketplace where product owners and affiliates can connect with each other. Add your eBook or Guide and let affiliates promote it for you.
JVZoo.com – JVZoo is an e-commerce and affiliate platform that allows you to sell and promote unlimited products from one account.
Lulu.com – Lulu lets you print and publish books directly using print-on-demand technologies.
If you plan to create and sell eCourses, video courses, etc., then consider adding these to digital marketplaces like the ones shown below:
Skillshare – Skillshare is an online learning community offering thousands of courses and classes on all kinds of topics.
Udemy – Udemy is a marketplace where course creators can publish and sell courses online.
See the resources below for more information on creating and promoting online courses and using learning management systems (LMS):
For more information, tools, and resources on promoting your content with QR codes, go here: Using QR Codes.
Content Marketing Management Tools & Services
Here are some comprehensive tools and services to help you manage and track the performance of your content marketing campaigns.
Hubspot
Hubspot
HubSpot is an “all-in-one” marketing software with an integrated CRM platform that provides tools for blogging, social media, email marketing, SEO, landing pages, marketing automation, and web analytics.
HubSpot’s software is comprised of marketing, sales, service, CMS, and operations “hubs” that work seamlessly together to help you grow your business.
HubSpot integrates various different Hubs to help grow your business.
CoSchedule lets you organize and run all of your marketing from one place.
CoSchedule provides a marketing suite of products to help you coordinate your team, projects, and processes, manage marketing requests, etc., content marketing training, and tools to help you analyze and improve your headlines, email subjects, and social messages.
CoSchedule also offers a free content marketing calendar, which you can use to run your editorial calendar.
Use CoSchedule’s free content calendar to schedule your content production.
CoSchedule also integrates with:
Applications – e.g. WordPress, Evernote, Google Docs, Office 365, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive,
Social networks – e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram
Email services – e.g. MailChimp, Active Campaign, Campaign Monitor, and Constant Contact.
Contentsquare helps you analyze user behavior to understand what is and isn’t working on your web pages, assess page elements in terms of impact, performance, and usability to identify areas for subsequent updates, and conduct a customer journey analysis.
StoryChief is an all-in-one content marketing platform that provides centralized and unified content workflow, collaboration, planning, publishing, analytics, and reporting tools, integrated content calendar, and many other features.
With 1,000+ integrations, StoryChief allows content teams to publish content to any CMS or intranet and is a widely used tool for multi-channel marketing campaigns, managing social media marketing activities, content data, SEO, and a whole lot more.
Watch the video below for an overview of this tool:
The video courses below cover many basic areas of content promotion and are ideal for beginners (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
Learn ways to increase your conversions by improving your processes and how to set up sales funnels that will help you sift through serious buyers, filter out non-serious buyers, and create a long-term, high-converting customer list.
This video course covers essential areas of list-building, from planning, building, and automating your list-building strategy, to methods for turning online users into loyal subscribers.
Learn how to drive more traffic to your site and more customers to your business by getting your videos to rank higher on YouTube and on Google’s search results.
Learn how to use Aweber to set up autoresponders, newsletters, and subscriber opt-in forms that can be integrated with WordPress for lead generation, user engagement, training customers, and more.
Learn how to use news releases effectively to boost your search engine rankings, drive more traffic to your website, and generate new leads for your business.
Useful content research tools, sites, and resources to help you save time in areas like content planning and content production.
Content Research Tools And Resources
Useful content research tools, sites, and resources to help you save time in areas like content planning and content production.
The World Wide Web is a huge library of content research.
In this section, you will find many useful content research tools, sites, and resources to help you in areas like content planning and content production, including:
Researching new content topics and ideas
Finding new content opportunities
Exploring current trends
Gathering data and stats to back up your arguments
Identifying profitable keywords and niches
Researching content for distribution in channels like blogging, social media, email marketing, etc.
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AI-Powered Content Research
You can use AI technologies for content research and content planning, such as generating content ideas, creating article outlines, etc.
We explore various AI tools that you can use to research and plan your content in this section: AI Content Writing Tools
One of the easiest ways to begin researching content is to Google it.
Just Google it!
Start with a topic or keyword related to your business, niche, or industry and enter it into the Google search bar to begin exploring content ideas.
Additionally, as you type, you’ll notice that Google displays an autocomplete list of search terms below the search field where you have entered your keywords.
You can use the Google Autocomplete tool (formerly called Google Suggest) to explore additional content related to your search, build a list of keywords or topic ideas, etc. (Tip: learn how to manage Google’s Autocomplete predictions).
After you hit enter on any search term, Google displays even more content ideas you can explore.
For example, you have the People also ask tool, which you can use to research content ideas on ways to solve problems your customers may be experiencing…
Google’s ‘People also ask’ tool is great for exploring content ideas on ways to solve problems.
Google also displays the Related searches tool with topic-related content ideas you can research…
Use Google’s Related searches tool to explore topic-related ideas.
Add additional search terms you can click on for even more content-related research…
Explore even more content ideas using these additional search terms.
Don’t forget other search engines like Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc. You might find different answers and additional suggestions there to expand your content research.
Use other search engines like Microsoft Bing to expand your content research.
Not only can you do a ton of content research using only Google search but there are also other free content research tools that Google offers.
Let’s explore some of these.
Google Chrome Browser Extensions
Chrome browser extensions are small software programs that you can install to add new features or modify existing functionality in the Google Chrome web browser.
These extensions can not only enhance your experience as a user, increase productivity, and provide additional security and privacy measures, but there are many useful extensions that can be used for content research, content planning, content creation, etc.
To access Chrome browser extensions, follow these steps:
1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. Click on the three-dot icon located in the upper right corner of the browser window to open the main menu.
3. Select “More Tools” from the dropdown menu, and
4. Click on “Extensions” from the submenu.
How to access the Extensions menu in Google’s Chrome Web Browser.
5. This will open the Extensions screen where you can view and manage any extensions you have added to your web browser. Click on the Hamburger menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen to access the Main menu.
Google Chrome Web Browser – Extensions screen.
Click on the link at the bottom of the menu.
Click on the link at the bottom of the menu to visit the Chrome Web Store.
This will take you to the Chrome Web Store, where you can browse and download a variety of Chrome browser extensions.
Browse hundreds of extensions in the Chrome Web Store.
Use the search bar to search for specific extensions, or browse through the various categories available.
Search for extensions using the search bar.
When you find an extension you want to install, click on the extension to select it.
Click to select an extension.
Click on the “Add to Chrome” button to install the extension.
Click Add to Chrome to install the extension.
A pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm the installation. Click on “Add Extension” to confirm.
Confirm if you want to install the extension.
The extension will then be installed in your Chrome browser and will be visible in your toolbar or in the extensions menu.
To manage your installed extensions, you can access the extensions menu by clicking on the three-dot icon and selecting More Tools > Extensions.
From there, you can enable or disable extensions, remove them, or adjust their settings as needed.
You can also Pin or Unpin extensions from your toolbar by right-clicking on the Extensions icon in the toolbar and selecting your preferred option.
View your extension in the Extensions screen and pin or unpin it from your browser toolbar.
Tip: Use the “Related” tab to find additional extensions related to the functionality you’re searching for.
Find related extensions for your Chrome web browser using the Related tab.
Google Trends
Google Trends
Google Trends is another free service from Google that shows you trends in search activity all over the world, with access to maps, charts, and other tools.
Use Google Trends to compare search activity between topics.
You can use Google Trends to compare search volume activity for related topics or similar keywords over a given period of time across different regions or languages, gauge public reaction to real-time events and news stories, monitor trends across different areas of interest (social, political, business, entertainment, sports, etc), optimize SEO for video or local search, glean insights about products and service demand, forecast and predict trends, etc.
Google Trends is also a great tool for identifying the seasonality of topics in your niche or industry. You can use this information to plan your editorial calendar with content promoting those topics during their peak season.
For an excellent article on how to use Google Trends, go here.
Google Alerts is a free service from Google that lets you keep up-to-date with the latest news about all kinds of topics, stay informed about people and companies, and track what other people are publishing about you and your business online.
Google Lens lets you do ‘real world’ content research.
Google Lens is an image recognition technology developed by Google and available as an app for Android phones that uses artificial intelligence to identify text and objects in images and in a live view from a phone’s camera.
Google Lens lets you do “real world” content research faster using your mobile phone’s camera.
When you point the phone’s camera at an object with the app installed, it tries to identify the object by reading barcodes, QR codes, labels, and text, and shows you relevant search results, web pages, and information.
For example, here is a photo taken of a tea bag label with Google Lens installed on an Android phone…
Point your phone’s camera at an object and tap the Google Lens button…
Google Lens immediately identified the object and returned relevant search results…
Google Lens brings you search results and lets you do various things with the information.
When you point your phone’s camera at an object, Google Lens gives you the following options:
Translate – take a photo of words to translate
Text – take a photo of words to copy
Search – Search for information related to the object
Homework – Take a photo of a homework question
Shopping – Take a photo of products or barcodes
Places – Identify landmarks, buildings, etc.
Dining – Take a photo of food or a menu
You can scan and translate text from a physical document like a book, paper, business card, whiteboard, or with writing on it, then copy that text to your phone’s clipboard, and paste it into anything – a Google Doc, email, note app, Slack chat, etc.
You can also use Google Lens to identify plants and animals, and get information about landmarks, restaurants, and storefronts (e.g. historical facts, ratings, hours of operation), as well as find information about similar clothes, furniture, home decor, or other objects that you come across.
Google lens is an excellent content research tool. You can copy text from objects and send it to your computer, interact with text from images, search for online images that match real-world objects, save contact information, create calendar events, find answers to questions, and a whole lot more.
See this article for more ways to use Google Lens or scan the QR code below with your Android phone to download the app to your phone from the Google Play store:
Scan this QR Code to install Google Lens on your Android phone.
Google Scholar is another useful tool from Google that lets you expand your content research by searching for information across academic literature from journal websites, university repositories, Google Books, etc.
Google Scholar results
The Google Scholar index includes peer-reviewed online academic journals and books, conference papers, theses and dissertations, preprints, abstracts, technical reports, and other scholarly literature, including court opinions and patents.
The video below provides more information on using Google Scholar:
Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) is a free tool that gives you powerful insights into your website’s performance from various data sources like Google Search, Google Analytics, Google Ads, YouTube, social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter, databases, etc.
Exploding Topics – discover trending topics before they take off.
Exploding Topics helps investors and entrepreneurs find new and upcoming trends before they become popular.
The tool uses a special algorithm to analyze millions of searches, conversations and mentions across the internet to identify under-the-radar industries, products, and categories.
Simply type in a search term into the search engine field, and its extensive database returns relevant and accurate results on where to find infographics matching your search term.
Infographiqs search results
From there. click on an entry from the results to visit the site with the infographic.
Wolfram Alpha is an answer engine based on natural language processing and a large library of algorithms.
According to the website:
Wolfram Alpha represents a fundamentally new paradigm for getting knowledge and answers—not by searching the web, but by doing dynamic computations based on a vast collection of built-in data, algorithms, and methods. Bringing broad, deep, expert-level knowledge to everyone… anytime, anywhere.
Wolfram|Alpha aims to make all the world’s knowledge computable by computing expert-level answers using Stephen Wolfram’s breakthrough algorithms, knowledgebase, and AI technology.
Its mission is to collect and curate all objective data; implement every known model, method, and algorithm; and make it possible to compute whatever can be computed about anything.
In terms of helping you with content research, Wolfram Alpha’s website is divided into several categories, like Mathematics, Science & Technology, Society & Culture, and Everyday Life. Each of these areas contains many subcategories.
So, for example, go to Everyday Life > Personal Finance and you will find ways to compute useful answers to thousands of personal finance questions, from computing interest rates to analyzing and projecting returns on stocks and other investments, converting world currencies, and more.
Wolfram Alpha lets you find answers by computing whatever can be computed about anything.
The website builds on the achievements of science and other systematizations of knowledge to provide a single source that can be relied on by everyone for definitive answers to factual queries.
Content curation tools offer a strategic approach to content creation by not only streamlining the process but also inspiring creativity by sourcing, organizing, and presenting relevant content from diverse platforms.
Scoop.it
Scoop.it – Content curation tool for individuals and businesses.
Scoop.it offers a robust content curation tool designed for individuals and businesses, enhancing your ability to research and publish top-tier content.
For Individuals:
Effortlessly publish topic pages featuring curated content in minutes.
Automatically distribute curated content within your network to bolster your professional brand.
For Businesses:
Curate, share, and read content within private hubs.
Publish curated content on websites, blogs, newsletters, and social media platforms.
Aggregate curated content seamlessly across multiple WordPress blogs.
Key features of this tool include:
1. Discover, Select & Editorialize, Distribute
A powerful content engine that monitors global sources to curate relevant third-party content.
2. Boost Credibility and Brand Awareness
Establish thought leadership and strengthen influencer connections.
Access diverse sources ranging from mainstream media to niche publications.
3. Create and Share Curated Content Pages
Publish topic pages swiftly.
Share curated content with your networks to build your professional brand.
Automatically feed social channels with curated content.
Embed content pages on your website.
Leverage curated content in templated newsletters.
4. Monitor and Share Knowledge Privately
Facilitate team collaboration with easy content discovery, curation, and sharing.
Automate content monitoring.
Share curated content privately within your team.
Generate internal email newsletters effortlessly.
Create private curated content hubs for your team.
Seamless integration with SSO, intranet, and enterprise social networks.
5. Publish Curated Content for a Targeted Audience
Store, share, categorize, and disseminate curated content.
Aggregate curated content on one or multiple websites.
Publish content on one or multiple WordPress blogs.
Share your team’s content on multiple social media platforms.
Generate customized newsletters for Mailchimp or any emailing solutions.
Scoop.it empowers users to streamline content curation, fostering brand credibility, thought leadership, and effective collaboration within teams.
Curata is a content curation tool that lets you streamline your curation experience.
Curata’s Content Curation Software (CCS) scours the web using keywords, news sources, authors, bookmarked or shared content, etc., and returns relevant published content that you can then curate, add your own summary and brand voice to, embed royalty-free imagery, schedule, and share.
Key features of this tool include:
1. Find
Automatically receive the most relevant content from hundreds of thousands of sources.
Dynamic adaptation to your content preferences.
Enable crowdsourcing across your organization.
2. Discover Fresh Content
Curata’s engine employs natural language processing to adapt to your preferences.
Fine-tune content flow by refining sources and focusing on preferred platforms like social media.
3. Curate on the Fly
Instantly curate content while browsing with a convenient browser plugin.
Empower your team through crowd-sourced curation and content suggestions.
4. Quality over Quantity
Curata’s engine programmatically filters out outdated, multilingual, or duplicative content.
With Curata, transform curation into a seamless three-step process: Find, Curate, Share.
Pocket is a content curation tool that allows users to save, organize, and manage articles, videos, and web pages from the internet for later consumption.
Its main function is to provide a convenient way to store content that users find interesting but may not have time to read or view immediately. Users can save content directly from their browser or through apps like X (Twitter), Flipboard, Pulse, and Zite, making it accessible from any device with an internet connection.
Once saved, content can be tagged for easy sorting and retrieval, although Pocket does not offer organizational tools such as collections, unlike some other curation tools like Feedly.
It also curates guides to the best of the web, featuring top-saved stories from its user base, which showcases popular and trending content across various topics.
Overall, Pocket serves as a personal content library where users can accumulate a personalized mix of content tailored to their interests and preferences, which they can access and read at their convenience.
Feed Readers
Feed Readers save you time visiting all of the different sites you like to keep up with when searching for new content posted on these sites, by allowing you to view all of the content on your desktop or phone from a single source.
Feedly
Feedly
Feedly is a content aggregation and curation tool designed to help users streamline their process of accessing, organizing, and sharing content across various topics. It functions primarily as a news aggregator, allowing users to subscribe to multiple online sources and organize articles into collections based on topics of interest.
This tool is particularly useful for social media content curation, as it enables users to create feeds tailored to specific content themes, making it easier to share relevant content across social media platforms.
Feedly employs AI to enhance its curation capabilities, suggesting content based on the user’s preferences and previous interactions. This AI component helps in discovering and following favorite sources and topics more efficiently, thereby keeping the user’s feed fresh with highly relevant content.
Additionally, Feedly integrates with various other tools and platforms, enabling a smoother workflow for gathering, reading, and distributing content.
Feedspot
Feedspot
As the video below states…“things move fast on the web and it’s hard to keep up with your favorite sites by visiting each of them separately. Feedspot lets you subscribe to websites so new content comes to you when it’s posted.”
Like most feed readers, Feedspot lets you add feeds from different sites to its service, as well as feeds from blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, news sites, and RSS feeds. You then view the aggregated content from the tool’s content reader.
Watch the video below for an overview of Feedspot:
Get valuable insights into the latest trends, research reports, case studies, and white papers by performing a Google search for:
Reports: [your industry] + [research report].
Case Studies: [your industry] + [case study].
White papers: [your industry] + [white paper].
You can also link to tweets, papers, or reports from industry professionals and subject experts.
Subject Matter Experts (SME)
“A subject matter expert is a professional who’s cultivated a deep well of knowledge. They may be knowledgeable about a niche topic, a skill, a process, or a particular set of technologies, machinery, or materials.”
As part of your content research, you can find and follow influential people, interview subject experts, or reach out to social media influencersin your industry.
Following influential people can provide you with timely news, quotes, and more.
Interviewing subject matter experts is a great way to create content like videos, podcasts, and blog transcripts. Before interviewing a subject matter expert, make sure you’ve prepared your interview questions.
Social media influencers can ask your target audience questions about specific pain points and frustrations that your content can then address.
You can find subject experts and social media influencers on websites, social media platforms, forums, networking events, and many other places.
Let’s explore some of these places…
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an excellent resource for finding subject matter experts and doing content research.
For example, LinkedIn lets you explore trending topics, news, and popular questions in your industry or niche.
Use LinkedIn’s content suggestions feature to research and discover new content ideas from areas like Trending Articles (shows suggested content based on current trends across LinkedIn), and Company News (shows content suggestions based on your organization’s mentions in the news).
Use LinkedIn’s content suggestions feature to explore new content ideas.
Hashtagify is an advanced Twitter hashtag tracking tool that lets you find hashtags to enhance your social media strategy through hashtag marketing, reach your audience, get custom suggestions, and analyze influencers’ and competitors’ strategies.
You can search real-time data and gain insights about Twitter hashtags (popularity ranking, related hashtags, trends, etc.), track hashtags, follow and analyze Twitter users and trending hashtags, monitor relevant content, and find influencers.
The tool also provides data in easy-to-read dashboards and charts, so you can audit performance, monitor aggregated analytics, and build custom reports.
Use Twitter Polls to gain insights from Twitter users for your content.
Twitter Polls is a feature of Twitter that lets you create polls to research opinions and gain insights from other Twitter users.
You can use Twitter polls to get customer feedback about upcoming events, new content, new product launches, rebranding, new releases, etc., curate industry-relevant discussions, and test how your audience feels about a certain topic before creating your content.
Forums are a great place to research information, especially if you are creating content designed to solve problems or looking for ideas to develop new products or services.
Often, you can find answers on forums that you cannot find by searching on Google. Forums allow you to engage with people, so if you type in your topic and find that an answer doesn’t exist, you can always ask the question.
Here are some popular forums and forum-like sites:
Quora
Quora
Quora is a question-and-answer social media and research website where users answer each other’s questions about all kinds of topics.
Quora has over 300 million monthly active users and over 400,000 topics to explore, so it’s a great site to research topics and questions people are asking and use the information to develop new content ideas relevant to your industry.
Reddit is another commonly used platform where you can find answers that will help you with your content research.
Reddit is a social networking site where over 300 million monthly active users (known as Redditors) share, interact with, and consume the latest news and trending topics. If you are unfamiliar with using the platform, see this Beginner’s Guide To Using Reddit before engaging with the community.
In addition to the above, you can join various social media groups and participate in communities of like-minded people across many different social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.
Content Idea Generation Tools
Below are some tools you can use to help you generate new ideas for content.
Infinite Content Creation Course
We provide a comprehensive 120-lesson FREE content creation email course right here on ContentManagementCourse.com, so make sure to sign up below to learn how to never run out of content ideas for your blog, website, or newsletter:
Keyword Magic Tool
Keyword Magic Tool
Keyword Magic Tool lets you find and explore millions of keywords for content ideas and SEO.
Note: You will need to set up an account with SemRush to use this tool.
Simply enter a target keyword related to your product or service into the tool and the Keyword Magic Tool will return a list of related keywords and metrics like average search volume, keyword difficulty, and additional features included on the SERP page for your keyword.
For example, suppose you are looking for content ideas to write about air fryers.
Go to Keyword Magic Tool and search for the phrase “air fryer” …
Next, select the “Questions” option in the toolbar to filter the results to questions, and you’ll see a list of the most frequently searched question-based results related to your search that contain your seed keyword.
Keyword Magic Tool returns a list of question-based search results.
In the above example, “how to clean air fryer” is searched 9,900 times per month. This indicates that users searching for this phrase may have a problem cleaning their air fryers or are beginning their buyer’s journey into buying one and are looking for help or solutions.
You could use this information to educate or engage your audience and provide them with advice or a solution. For example, you can create a guide on air fryer maintenance, or an article or video on cleaning air fryers and promote air fryer cleaning equipment or products, etc.
AnswerThePublic.com is a free tool that you can use to research new topic ideas for content marketing, SEO, etc.
Simply enter 1-2 words to describe a topic, band, or product, and click on the Search button.
The tool then explores autocomplete data from search engines like Google and returns ‘mindmap’-like visualization charts with useful search phrases related to questions people are asking around your keyword (e.g. where, what, how, why, etc.), searches based on your keyword+prepositions (e.g. near, for, with, to, etc.), and even comparisons (great for creating review articles).
Use AnswerThePublic’s visualization charts to explore ideas for new content.
The tool also provides a downloadable list of results segmented alphabetically.
Generate lots of great content ideas quickly with AnswerThePublic’s free tool.
Use this tool to generate and brainstorm useful new content topic ideas, and even to help you develop new products and services based on what consumers are searching for.
Ubersuggest is a keyword research and SEO tool that lets you generate content and keyword ideas, track your rank daily, do a competitor analysis, conduct a site audit, and more.
Get useful search results for content ideas.
Ubersuggest’s domain tool lets you reverse engineer your competitors’ SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing strategy, so you can get insight into strategies that are working for others in your market.
The tool’s Top SEO Pages report is an SEO analyzer that lets you see which of your competitor’s pages are ranking for popular organic keyword phrases and getting attention on sites like Facebook.
Use the free keyword research tool to research hundreds of suggestions for keyword ideas, from head terms to long-tail phrases, with analytic results for volume, competition, and seasonal trends for each keyword. You can also generate a list of keywords that let you see what is working for your competitors and what people are typing into Google.
Additional features include results for top-performing content pieces for your searched keywords with social shares and check for backlinks in your niche.
Ubersuggest provides keyword and content ideas based on your search.
Additionally, Ubersuggest integrates with an AI content writing tool, allowing you to create AI-generated content from your keyword searches.
Generate SEO-optimized content from your search results using an integrated AI content writer.
Keywords Everywhere is a browser addon (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) that lets you perform SEO, content marketing, competitor research, PPC and social media marketing while browsing the web.
It adds the following functionality to your browser:
Free version:
ChatGPT Prompt Templates
Instagram Hashtag Generator (no volume data)
Pinterest Insights and Trend widgets (no volume data)
The paid version includes everything in the free version plus accurate monthly search volume, CPC, competition & 12-month trend data.
Additional features of the paid version include:
Related keywords on Google & Bing, People Also Search For (PASF) keywords on Google.
Trend chart in Google & YouTube.
YouTube insights & YouTube Tags.
Monthly estimated traffic & the top 10,000 keywords that any URL ranks for
URL Analysis to get the list of keywords in the content of the page, and the density of those keywords.
Historical volume data in the trend charts for Google & YouTube (from 2004).
Support for 15+ websites, including Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, Google Search Console, Google Analytics.
Import keywords for accurate monthly search volume, CPC, and competition analysis.
Having a huge library of content research tools and resources at your disposal is great, provided you can access these quickly and efficiently.
Here are some tools and resources that will help you save time accessing your content research tools.
Web Browser – Bookmarks
You can speed up your content research simply by organizing and storing access to the URLs of the sites, platforms, services, and tools you regularly use in your web browser’s bookmarks…
Chrome Bookmarks
We recommend planning your bookmarking folders first so that when you come across content you want to save to research later, you have an organized way to retrieve it.
Planning your bookmarking folders will make it easier to find stored bookmarks later.
Additionally, you can edit the bookmark name to suit your own needs.
You can edit your bookmarks if it helps to improve your content research process.
See these guides to using bookmarks in different web browsers and devices:
You can also use content organization tools or apps to build up a collection of research notes, copy and paste snippets, ideas for blog posts or web pages, etc.
One Note
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook that lets you store and organize all of your notes into sections and pages and share these across all of your devices.
You can also highlight important and “to-do” notes, draw and annotate your notes using a stylus or your finger, record audio notes, insert online videos, add files, save content with one click, and share notebooks with your coworkers.
Simplenote
Simplenote
Simplenote is a free cross-platform note-taking tool that lets you organize your thoughts and content ideas, add tags to find notes quickly with instant searching, share to-do lists, post instructions, and publish your notes online.
Your notes automatically stay updated across all your devices, in real-time, and get backed up with every change you make.
MyInfo
MyInfo – organizer application for Windows.
MyInfo is another tool you can use to collect, store, and organize your content ideas, research notes, lists, links, to-dos, etc.
Some screens from the MyInfo application.
The tool lets you collect and organize information in a number of ways, including assigning tags and attributes, using entry forms or typing free text, creating notes from templates or from scratch, and using search filters.
Text Editors
Built-in Plain Text Editor
A plain text editor lets you save content research notes and create draft content without distractions.
Your computer’s built-in plain text editor like Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Apple) is a great tool to jot down and save your content ideas, rough notes, snippets, swipe files, research, quotes, link or image URLs, write an outline of topics, and organize your content research.
It also lets you quickly create content drafts without distractions (like formatting or styling text) so you can focus entirely on what you want to say and get your ideas or points across.
NoteTab – Text And HTML Editor
NoteTab Pro – Text And HTML Editor
While using a plain text editor is great, sometimes you may want to have multiple text files open while you work.
For example, let’s say that you are editing multiple articles or snippets of content on multiple text files and decide that you need to perform a search and replace operation across some or all of these files.
Being able to do one search and replace across all files would be a huge time saver. With your computer’s built-in plain text editor software, however, you can’t do this unless you merge the content of all your files together.
NoteTab is a powerful text and HTML editor tool that lets you edit multiple text files simultaneously, strip HTML from code, and a whole lot more. You can even use it to perform search and replace operations across multiple text files at once.
It’s a great content editing tool that will improve your productivity and help speed things up, especially when working with text or HTML snippets.
NoteTab Features
NoteTab is available in three versions: NoteTab Pro, NoteTab Standard, and the freeware NoteTab Light.
We recommend downloading and using the PRO version.
NoteTab Pro offers great features like:
Multiple-level undo/redo
Fast and flexible search & replace tools
Easy-to-use wildcards for searching (like * and ?)
An integrated two-pane outliner
Real-time word count (NoteTab or Microsoft Word method)
Text statistics for SEO (HTML code automatically ignored)
Support for HTML5 and CSS3
Support for Twitter’s Bootstrap toolkit
Syntax highlighting for HTML, XML, and CSS files
A multilingual spell checker and thesaurus
Customizable menu shortcuts and toolbars
The table of features below shows the differences between the three versions.
NoteTab – Feature Comparison
If you need to get more done in less time, NoteTab is fast, handy, reliable, and packed with time-saving productivity tools not found in other text editors.
You can copy and paste text from images using image capture tools to speed up your content research.
Swipe File Folders
Electronic folders are great tools for keeping your content research files organized.
By creating a hierarchy of nested folders mirroring your content structure, you can build an effective archive for your content research notes and files. This also lets you quickly locate archived files in the future should you ever need to retrieve these later.
The sites below provide additional useful resources for your content research.
Statistics & Data
Visit sites like the ones listed below for statistical data and information to validate your articles when getting your point across and adding credibility to your content:
Statista -Statista is one of the leading sites for market and consumer data.
NCBI – The National Library of Medicine’s National Center for Biotechnology Information site, which provides access to biomedical and genomic information to advance science and health.
JSTOR – JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
Idea Sharing Sites
These sites attract subject experts and independent authors willing to share their ideas on a wide range of topics:
Ted Talks – TED talks are short, online video talks and presentations designed to inform and educate global audiences by presenting “Ideas Worth Spreading.” TED Talks provide access to new knowledge and innovative research from experts across a wide range of fields, including science, technology, business, art, design, and more.
Towards Data Science – a site where independent authors publish work and share concepts, ideas, and codes on data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and programming.
Start it up – This site is aimed at the “creator economy” and focuses on all things that help people “get smarter at building their thing” through newsletters, podcasts, self-published books, online courses, social media channels like YouTube, TikTok, Clubhouse, etc.
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange – This is a “question and answer” site designed to provide detailed answers to every question about English language and usage. There are no “chit chats” or discussions on this site. Simply ask your question and you’ll get an answer.
Substack – Substack is a site where independent writers and podcasters publish directly to their audience and get paid through subscriptions.
Codeburst.io – If your content targets developers, coders, or programmers, this site provides an abundance of tutorials and ideas for technical content writers.
Video Courses For Beginners – Content Research
The video courses below cover basic areas of content research and are ideal for beginners (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
Password Managers provide an easy and secure way to keep track of all your passwords. This video course shows you how to use powerful and FREE password management tools.
The World Wide Web is a huge library of content research. All you need are the right tools to perform your research effectively. This section provides a list of time-saving content research tools and resources.
Action Steps
Use the content research tools, sites, and resources listed on this page to save time researching content ideas and to help you and your team with your content planning and content production.
Resources
Subject Matter Expert Interview Template (CoSchedule) – If you plan to interview subject matter experts, this question and note-taking template can help you during your interview.
Useful time-saving content editing tools and resources to keep the quality of all edited content consistent and error-free.
Content Editing Tools And Resources
These useful content editing tools and resources will help you save time and keep the quality of all edited content consistent and error-free.
Depending on the kind of content you publish, you may need to edit your content regularly to keep the information relevant and up-to-date.
The tools and resources in this section will save you time editing content and hopefully provide your team with content editing guidelines to help maintain consistency and quality in all published content.
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Spell Checking And Grammar
Whether your team is publishing articles and blog posts or creating digital information products like ebooks, reports, or any other kind of written documentation, it’s important to make sure that your content is free of grammatical errors and misspellings.
Here are some tools that can help to improve your content:
Grammarly
Grammarly – Free grammar-checking software
Grammarly is a FREE grammar checking tool that helps to improve your content writing by correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes while also catching contextual errors, improving your vocabulary, and suggesting style improvements.
Grammarly analyzes your work, spell-checks it, and offers suggestions on how to improve sentence structure.
The software’s online grammar-checking algorithms have been developed and are regularly maintained by linguistic technology experts.
You can use this software to check your articles, blog posts, reports, e-books, or any kind of written documentation.
How To Use Grammarly
You can install Grammarly on your web browser, on a word-processing application like Microsoft Word, or on your desktop.
Install Grammarly on your web browser.
Once installed, the tool lets you check your content anywhere online, including Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and WordPress.
Use Grammarly to check your content for errors.
If you are writing a post, for example, you can run your post or article through Grammarly before publishing to make sure that your content has no errors.
Check your posts for errors before publishing.
If you don’t see the symbols when checking your content, make sure that you have enabled Grammarly for your site.
Make sure that Grammarly is enabled.
Note: To use some of the software’s features you need to make sure that you’re logged into your account.
Make sure that you’re logged into your account and that Grammarly is enabled.
If you can see your Grammarly dashboard, you’re logged in.
Grammarly Dashboard
To check your content for errors inside applications like Microsoft Word, make sure that the tool is enabled.
You can use Grammarly with MS Word.
Grammarly will begin scanning your document for errors. Depending on the size of your document, allow a few minutes for the scan to complete.
Grammarly scans your documents for errors.
After the scan is complete, the tool’s menu bar will display the number and types of errors found in your document.
Grammarly scan results.
A screen opens up next to your content where you can view the critical errors and advanced issues the tool has found after scanning your content.
Grammarly displays the number of issues found in your content.
To view and correct issues, click on the error counter and Grammarly will scroll through your content until it finds an issue. You can fix critical issues with the free version of the tool (repairing advanced issues requires upgrading to the premium version).
Grammarly not only catches all of your spelling and grammatical errors, it will also point out errors in your punctuation (e.g. wrong use of commas, double spacing between words, duplicated words, etc.).
Fix punctuation errors.
Grammarly scans your text for common and complex grammatical mistakes, spanning everything from subject-verb agreement to article use to modifier placement, missing articles, weak adjectives, repeated words, etc.
Delete duplicate words.
Work through your content to fix all mistakes in your sentence structure and style.
Fix mistakes in your sentences.
As you scroll through each error, Grammarly shows you what’s wrong and gives you the option to automatically fix errors with just one click.
To correct mistakes, just click on the suggestion.
Click on suggestions to correct errors
You can also ignore the suggestions and keep scrolling through to the next item or scroll back to view previous items.
Ignore suggestions to continue checking for issues
The premium version of Grammarly takes your content checking to a whole new level, allowing you to repair advanced content issues, view suggested vocabulary enhancements, detect instances of plagiarism, etc.
As you can see, Grammarly is a powerful and essential tool for content writing.
Once you begin using it to improve your content, you will not want to publish articles or blog posts again without first scanning for grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
ProWritingAid is an AI-powered writing assistant software that provides more than just grammar checking, helping writers to identify and improve style issues such as repetitiveness, sentence length and variation, readability, overused words, redundancies, and transitions.
With over 20 different writing reports and 3,000 explanations and videos written by experts, ProWritingAid offers easy-to-follow suggestions and advice to help you improve your writing like a pro.
The software delivers thousands of grammar and style improvements in real-time as you write, with a team of copy editors hand-coding thousands of rules to cover the most vital style improvements.
In-app suggestions, explanations, videos, and quizzes help you build your writing skills while you edit, and the Word Explorer and contextual thesaurus helps you find the perfect words.
ProWritingAid easily integrates with popular writing platforms such as MS Word/Outlook, Google Docs, Scrivener, Open Office, and Final Draft, and even offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari to check writing on almost every website.
Whether you’re an individual writer or an organization, ProWritingAid gives you and your team the ability to customize the software to your specific needs and create style guides and dictionaries, ensuring consistency across your writing and editing.
Hemingway Editor is a free tool that checks your writing for technical errors and readability. It is designed to be like a spellchecking tool, but for style. It helps make your writing bold and clear to make sure that your readers focus on your message, not your prose.
The Hemingway Editor highlights in yellow and red where your writing is too dense. Use the tool’s recommendations to remove needless words or split a sentence into two.
The software’s features help you to:
Improve your content’s readability
Write first drafts free from distractions
Strengthen your writing with powerful and more vivid-sounding verbs instead of using weak adverb constructs (e.g. instead of saying that someone is “walking slowly” you can say that they “tip-toed” or they “crept.”)
Eliminate complicated words and replace these with simpler words (e.g. replace words like “utilize” with “use”)
Change sentences from passive to active voice,
Format your content with text-formatting tools (e.g. bold, italicize, bulletize, numberize, turn highlighted text into links, change paragraphs into different heading sizes, etc.)
The desktop version of Hemingway gives you access to updates whenever a new version is released.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel and create your own content styles and formatting guides from scratch. You can simply adopt an existing style or format as your own.
Style Guides
Wikipedia Manual of Style (MoS)
Wikipedia Manual of Style
Wikipedia uses this style manual for all of its English articles.
If you are looking for a style guide, this is a very useful resource and covers everything from article titles, sections, and headings, to capitalization, formatting content, grammar, and usage, etc.
This is another excellent style guide used as a writing and editing reference in newsrooms, classrooms, and corporate offices worldwide.
Its specialized chapters cover guidance for writing about people with disabilities, sports, business, data journalism, digital security, health and science, news values, polls and surveys, inclusive storytelling, religion, social media, and more.
The Chicago Manual Of Style (CMOS) has evolved over more than one hundred years from a style sheet created by the University of Chicago Press to a pamphlet circulated throughout the University, to a book containing a compilation of typographical rules, to its modern version… an authoritative reference work for authors, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, with more than a thousand pages in print and more than two thousand hyperlinked paragraphs online.
The CMOS is regarded by many as the industry leader in style matters and provides up-to-date recommendations for the digital age on electronic workflow and best practices in electronic manuscript preparation and editing.
Here are some useful tools that can help take the guesswork out of formatting your content:
TitleCase.com
TitleCase.com
TitleCase is a free online tool that lets you convert post and article titles into different cases.
You can select a case from the Convertors menu…
Select different TitleCase convertors.
Or simply type or paste in your post title and click on the Convert button.
TitleCase.com – Enter Text field.
TitleCase converts your title into different cases and displays the results. Browse through the different options and copy and paste them into your content.
TitleCase.com converts your sentences into different cases.
Knowing the word count of your content can be important. For example, you may need to create a piece of content (e.g. an article, essay, whitepaper, eBook, etc.) with a minimum or a maximum number of words.
There are many online word counters you can use to get statistics about your content like the number of words, number of characters, check grammar, etc.
Here’s a great tool you can use to get text statistics:
WordCounter
WordCounter.net
WordCounter is an online editor that can do more than just counting words and characters. It can help you to improve word choice and writing style, and, optionally, help you to detect grammar mistakes and plagiarism.
To check word count, place your cursor into the text box above and start typing. The tool will display the number of characters and words and increase or decrease these as you type, delete, and edit them.
You can also copy and paste text from another program into the online editor. The Auto-Save feature makes sure you won’t lose any changes while editing, even if you leave the site and come back later.
WordCounter helps to ensure that your word count reaches a specific requirement or stays within a certain limit.
In addition, WordCounter shows you the top 10 keywords and keyword density of the article you’re writing. This lets you know which keywords you use, how often, and in which percentages, preventing you from overusing certain words or word combinations and checking for the best distribution of keywords in your writing.
The “Details Overview” lets you see the average speaking and reading time for your text, while “Reading Level” is an indicator of the education level that your readers would need to understand the words in your content.
Google Docs is a great tool for editing content collaboratively.
With Google Docs, you can share your drafts with other team members and have them edit the content directly or add suggestions that you can then accept or reject.
Additionally, Google Docs provides tools that let you see your content’s word count and the number of characters.
Use Google Docs’s Word count feature to calculate your text statistics.
For tools that let you convert content into different media formats (e.g. videos into GIFs), see this section: Media Editing Tools
Video Courses For Beginners – Content Editing
The video courses below cover basic areas of content editing and are ideal for beginners (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
In this practical step-by-step video course, you will learn how to use text-to-speech and the latest AI voice technologies to create professional and realistic-sounding voice narrations from text files for a wide range of commercial uses and business applications.
Editing content can be time-consuming. The right tools and resources can help your team save time editing content and ensure that the quality of all published content remains consistent and error-free.
Action Steps
Help your team become familiar with these content editing tools and resources and make sure to implement standard guidelines for consistency in your content documentation.
Resources
Avoiding Widows and Orphans – ‘Widows’ and ‘orphans’ are terms used to describe unwanted stray words in typography. This tutorial explains ways to fix and deal with these issues.
Keyboard Shortcuts– See this section for ALT code keyboard shortcuts for adding international characters and symbols to content.
Use these tools to convert your media files into different formats and file types, resize your files, and more!
Media Editing Tools And Resources
Use these tools to convert your media files into different formats and file types, resize your files, and more!
Best content SEO practices usually require uploading images and media files to your site optimized for faster page loading speeds.
This may involve editing media files, cropping or resizing files, or converting media files into other formats.
This section provides a list of online tools you can use to convert or resize your media files.
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Media Conversion Tools
Use these tools to help you convert your media files into different formats.
CloudConvert
CloudConvert – Online File Convert
CloudConvert is an online file converter that supports almost all audio, video, document, ebook, archive, image, spreadsheet, and presentation formats.
You can convert almost any file type from one format into another (200+ formats), optimize files, create and extract archives, merge PDF files, and even create and save website screenshots without downloading any extra software.
Convert files online without downloading any additional software.
CloudConvert is also a secure online conversion tool. Only you have access to your files.
Additionally, you can set the quality of your conversions and adjust many other options.
Converting files from one format into another is as simple and easy as selecting a format to convert from into a format to convert to.
Search and select the format and file type to convert files from and to other formats and file types.
For example, let’s say you want to convert an image file saved as a GIF into another format (e.g. a video or audio file).
CloudConvert lets you convert files from and to GIF files into many different formats.
Cloud Convert lets you convert an extensive number of files from and to GIF
You can also select files to convert from various sources. For example, you can upload the file from your computer, paste in a URL, upload it from an external storage service, etc.
Cloud Convert provides various uploading options for adding your files to its conversion tools.
Upload your file and select the format to convert it to. In this case, we’ll convert our GIF file into an MP4 video.
Let’s convert a GIF image into an MP4 video format.
After choosing the format to convert your file into, click the Convert button.
Click Convert to begin processing your conversion.
CloudConvert will begin to process your file.
Cloud Convert processes most file conversions very quickly.
Once your file has been converted, a window pops up showing you the resulting file. Click the Download button in the popup window to save it to your hard drive.
Our file is now converted and ready for download.
You can also convert multiple files and click the Download button to save these to your hard drive.
You can convert bulk files too!
You can use CloudConvert for free for up to 25 conversions per day. If you need to process more files than this on a regular basis, you can choose conversion packages or subscriptions to suit your needs.
Convertio is a browser-based online conversion tool that supports over 300+ media file formats and lets you convert your media files into any format and on any platform without the need to download or install any additional software.
To convert your files, simply drop your files on the file loader, choose an output format and click the “Convert” button.
Most conversion types also support advanced options (e.g. video converters let you choose quality, aspect ratio, codec, and other settings, and rotate and flip).
The conversion process takes about 1-2 minutes to complete. All conversions take place in the cloud and uploaded files are instantly deleted for security and privacy.
You can convert files up to 100 MB for free. If you plan to convert a large number of files on a regular basis or need to convert larger-sized files, Convertio offers paid plans with unlimited daily conversion minutes, unlimited maximum conversion time per file, and ad-free pages.
Use the tools below to resize large media files into smaller, and faster-loading files for your content.
Ezgif
Ezgif – Online GIF maker and image editor.
Ezgif is an online GIF maker and image editor that lets you edit, shorten, merge, resize, crop, and optimize GIFs, and create high-quality animated GIFs free of watermarks or attribution.
Ezgif includes various online tools, such as:
Video tools: GIF to MP4 converter, online video cutter, video reverser, video crop tool, and video rotator.
File converters: PDF to GIF, PNG to JPG, WebP to JPG, HEIC to JPG, AVIF to JPG.
Other image tools: Image to Data URI, Cursor converter (.ani). TIFF converter, MNG tools, FLIF tools
You can automatically convert files and create GIFs by uploading a sequence of GIF, JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, HEIC, AVIF, and other types of images, a ZIP archive containing images, and even mix different formats and sizes.
To resize a GIF file, go to Ezgif.com/resize and upload an image from your computer (and click on the ‘Choose file’ button to upload the image) or paste the image URL into the field…
Upload your GIF file in the Animated GIF resizer tool.
After selecting your GIF image, click on the Upload button.
Upload your file.
Enter the dimensions you would like to resize your image to and click on the Resize image! button…
Resize your file’s dimensions.
Once the image has been resized, click on the Save icon button…
Click the Save icon button.
Save the resized image to your computer.
Save the resized GIF file to your computer.
Your resized image will be saved as a smaller sized-file.
Your resized GIF file should be smaller than the original.
See the tool’s help section for tips on how to optimize animated GIFs, merge multiple animated gifs, make a GIF with transparent background, add background images or colors to transparent GIFs, make animated PNG images, and more.
Adobe Express offers a range of cutting-edge generative AI media-editing tools that let you create images from text prompts, text effects, etc., in addition to useful tools like its Video Resizer, which reduces the video file’s dimensions (use this tool if you are struggling to edit a large MP4 video).
In addition to the tools mentioned above, there are several image editing tools available that can help you edit images for the web, and many are available for free.
Online Image Optimization Tools
Here are some other popular online image editing tools for web optimization:
Compress Now – Offers online image compression with various formats supported.
JPEG Optimizer – Provides optimization specifically for JPEG images, ensuring reduced file sizes without significant quality loss.
TinyPNG – Specializes in compressing PNG and JPEG images while maintaining their exceptional quality.
Optimizilla – Online tool for compressing PNG and JPEG images with a user-friendly interface.
JPEG.io – Supports compression for popular formats like PNG, JPG/JPEG, and GIF with impressive results.
ImageRecycle – Offers compression for JPEG, PNG, GIF, and PDF images, providing significant reductions in file size.
Compressor.io – Allows for efficient compression of images, reducing file sizes while maintaining quality.
Ezgif – Apart from GIF creation, it also provides image optimization services, making it versatile for web optimization needs.
Dynamic Drive Optimizer – Provides optimization tools for various image formats, aiding in reducing file sizes for web use.
Smush – Smush is the leading free image optimization plugin for WordPress. If your website runs on WordPress, Smush can automatically optimize, resize, and compress images, as well as convert images to WebP format for faster loading web pages.
Online Image Resizing And Cropping Tools
Here are some popular free image editing tools that offer features like batch processing, resizing, and cropping images for the web:
Adobe Express – Offers a free image resizer tool for resizing photos online quickly.
PicResize – A free online tool for cropping, resizing, and editing images since 2005, providing various options for image manipulation.
Pixlr – Provides a free online AI photo editor with resizing and cropping capabilities, along with other advanced editing features and editing tools, Pixlr is great for users looking for more customization options.
Canva – Offers a free online photo editor with easy-to-use resizing and cropping tools, as well as a wide range of effects and filters.
BeFunky – Provides a free online image resizer for easily changing the dimensions of images without sacrificing quality. This tool is great for adding fun effects and filters to your images, making them more visually appealing.
PicMonkey: This tool is great for editing photos with its easy-to-use features like touch-up tools, filters, and overlays. You can create images using effects, graphics, templates, and more, and even save images to the platforms cloud storage to re-edit later for free, but a subscription is required to download or share images images.
Fotor: Fotor offers a free online photo editor with everything you need to enhance and edit photos. With Fotor, you can create collages, add text, and apply effects to your images to make them stand out on the web.
LunaPic: LunaPic offers completely free online photo editing with no signup, login or install needed. With LunaPic, you can animate your images, add borders, and apply artistic effects to make your photos pop.
GIMP: A free and open-source alternative to Photoshop, GIMP offers powerful editing tools for advanced users.
Video Courses For Beginners – Media
The video courses below cover basic areas of media production and editing and are ideal for beginners (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
Learn how to access and use free image creation and editing tools, basic and advanced image editing techniques using tools like Photoshop and free alternatives, creating images for web content, presentations, infographics, social media, and so much more.
If you need to edit media files, crop or resize files, or convert media files into other formats, this section provides a list of online tools you can use to convert or resize your media files.
Action Steps
We recommend bookmarking the sites containing tools that you find useful and sharing these bookmarks with your team.
Digital Business Video Courses – Video courses to help you develop the digital skills you need to manage content effectively.
WordPress User Manual – A detailed and comprehensive step-by-step WordPress user manual for non-technical website users.
Image Management Guide – A comprehensive guide on effective web image management, from image formats to image tools, and image security and SEO optimization.
Create and edit product, sales, promotional, and training videos with these video tools and resources.
Video Tools
Create and edit product, sales, promotional, and training videos with these video tools and resources.
This section covers media creation tools referred to in various lessons throughout this course.
Use the tools and resources on this page to create and edit media like:
Screencast videos
Product videos
Explainer videos
Sales videos
Promotional videos
‘How-to’ training & tutorial videos
And more
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Video Creation Tools
Use the tools and resources below to create videos to suit a wide range of purposes.
Screen Recordings
Screen recordings are great for video tutorials and video-based training content. Use the video tools below to create screen recordings.
Camtasia
Camtasia – Screen recording and video editing tool.
Camtasia is the leading screen capture video recording and editing software tool on the market.
You can create professional screen capture videos, record on-screen activity, customize and edit content, add interactive elements, import media, and create high-quality videos in a range of formats and sizes.
Create professional screen capture videos with Camtasia Studio.
AI video creation tools provide a time-saving, cost-efficient, and affordable alternative to traditional video creation.
Use the AI video tools below to create your marketing videos inexpensively:
Synthesia
Synthesia – AI video creation software
Synthesia is an AI video creation platform that allows you to easily create professional videos in 120 languages without requiring any video editing experience.
This web-based platform is affordable and intuitive, making it easy to turn plain text into engaging training, how-to, or product marketing videos.
With Synthesia, you can save up to 80% of your time and budget when creating videos. You can localize your videos for a global audience by choosing from over 120 languages and accents. The app is accessible in your browser and it’s an affordable option suitable for beginners.
Synthesia offers a time and cost-efficient alternative to complex and expensive traditional video creation processes that allows you to create professional videos 10 times faster than ever before, without any prior knowledge of video editing.
With Synthesia, you can use digital twins of real actors known as Synthesia AI avatars to get professional actors without studio time. You can also turn text into professional voiceovers without the need for a microphone, thanks to Synthesia’s digital clones of real voices, known as Synthesia AI voices.
The video below provides an example of Synthesia’s AI technology in action:
Creating and updating videos is quick and easy with Synthesia. You can edit or update your video at any time, without needing any prior video editing skills. You also have access to over 60 fully customizable video templates, a built-in screen recorder and media library, and closed captions are included.
With over 100 diverse AI avatars to choose from, you can get an exclusive AI avatar for your brand or create your own custom AI avatar. Synthesia ensures consistent audio quality at scale and offers a range of features, including PowerPoint to Video, Text to Video, AI Video Generator, and Online Video Maker. Over 40,000 training, support, and marketing teams trust Synthesia for their video creation needs.
With Synthesia, you can easily create professional videos from plain text in just minutes. You can edit or update your video at any time and localize it in over 120 languages and accents. Synthesia is 10x faster than traditional video creation processes, and you don’t need any prior knowledge of video editing. Share, embed, or download your video as an MP4 with this powerful AI video generator.
Use the tools below to create professional animated marketing videos, cartoon videos, and “whiteboard” hand-drawn sketch videos.
Toonly
Toonly – Drag-and-drop explainer video creation tool.
Toonly is a simple, inexpensive, and powerful drag-and-drop explainer video creation software tool that lets you create professional cartoon explainer videos quickly and easily without requiring video creation skills, animators, illustrators, etc.
Toonly was developed by the creators of Doodly, another powerful video creation tool that lets you create doodle videos.
Toonly is available for PC and Mac users. After installing and launching the software, simply login…
Toonly login screen
And you will come to the main dashboard (‘My Videos’) section, where you can create a new video or edit an existing video…
The Toonly dashboard
Toonly has an intuitive interface. You don’t have to be a video designer to start creating videos, as the software provides a growing library of built-in scenes, backgrounds, animated characters, text, objects (including the ability to upload your own images), royalty-free music backgrounds, and more. You can also add voiceovers directly into your videos…
Build your explainer videos using Toonly’s simple video creation interface and drag-and-drop tools.
To create your video storyline, just drag and drop text or images (called objects) into a ‘scene’, adjust timelines, specify settings for your objects, preview and save, then create the next scene…
You can build an animated explainer video with multiple scenes.
Toonly provides many different scenes, scene transitions, characters, props, objects, etc. to build your video storylines. All characters are custom drawn by the software’s own graphic design team, and you can import your own images into the program to add to your videos.
Animated characters come with dropdown menus allowing you to select the activity you want them to engage in during your scene. You can even make characters engage in multiple actions within a scene (for example, they can walk into a room, shake hands with another person, talk on a cellphone, then sit down and start working on their laptop, while other characters and objects are also performing their own actions…
Animate your video characters with different actions.
Toonly also provides keyboard shortcuts to help make creating and editing videos faster…
Toonly keyboard shortcuts
Toonly is well supported. As a user, you get access to video tutorials where you can learn how to use all the features of the software, a Facebook group where you can post questions and engage in discussions with other users, FAQ and customer support sections, a feature request page, and more…
Toonly provides access to tutorials and support.
The software is also regularly updated with new features and new elements…
Toonly is regularly updated.
Toonly is an ideal and inexpensive video creation tool that can be used in any niche, industry, or profession. It suits users such as:
Small Business Owners & Service Providers
E-Commerce Store Owners & Digital Marketers
Information Technology Companies
Human Resources Departments
Trainers & Presenters
B2b Sales
Non-Profits
Etc.
Here is a cartoon explainer video we created from scratch using Toonly in just a few hours…
If you are looking for a powerful and inexpensive video creation tool that lets you create professional-quality engaging animated cartoon explainer videos quickly and easily without requiring any video design skills, then consider using Toonly.
Create Cartoon Explainer Videos Easily With Toonly
Explaindio
Explaindio – Animated video creation tool
Explaindio is an all-in-one video editor that lets you easily create HD videos with animation, hand-drawn whiteboard (doodle-sketch) videos, combine text overlays, animated slides, images with videos, and more.
Explaindio includes features like:
Simultaneous multiple animations
Full multi-timeline editing
Full 3D animations
Import external 3D elements
3D models and animation customization
180+ pre-made text animation elements
140+ pre-made videos, images, and doodle objects animations
Keyframe animation
And more.
The demo video below shows what you can do with Explaindio …
If you are looking for a powerful video creation software tool that can help you create 2D & 3D animated marketing, explainer, and training videos, doodle sketch videos, and motion videos, then Explaindio is a tool that can do this for you in minutes.
Viddyoze lets you easily create stunning live-action video intros and logo stings with no video editing or production skills, and eye-catching professionally branded video intros and logo stings that command attention.
The video demo below shows the software in action.
Viddyoze Live Action’s video animation engine uses groundbreaking point-and-click automated technology that combines high-quality live video action effects, professional actors and models, and custom 3D digital animation to create beautifully branded eye-catching videos.
Add your own images and logos to create stunning live-action effects.
No video production experience is needed to use this tool. Just choose your live-action template, upload your logo and customize text and colors, and click a button to create an HD-quality video. Your video will be fully rendered and ready to use in minutes.
Create amazing live video intros using point-and-click.
The video below provides a tour of Viddyoze’s video creation process.
Watermarks: Add watermarks to videos that only you can remove.
Audio: Every Viddyoze Live Action template includes a custom-created audio track to match the video footage.
Cloud Service: Viddyoze Live Action is entirely cloud-based, so there is no software to download and no video animation equipment to purchase. You can create your videos anywhere using your smartphone.
Designer Template Library: Viddyoze includes dozens of professional video templates suitable for a wide variety of niches and office-based businesses, like restaurants, coffee shops, gyms, beauty salons, tech firms, creative and professional services, etc.
Full Training: The member’s area includes full training, including user-friendly set-up videos showing you how to get the most from the system.
Easy Customization: Choose the color palette to match your logo and add text to your videos. The software will do the rest.
100% compatibility: Viddyoze Live Action renders all videos in MP4 format, allowing you to use these with other video editors and web platforms.
Support: Viddyoze provides access to a dedicated support team 24/7 and is supported by a full-time team of designers, videographers, and developers.
Unlimited usage rights: Use the animations as many times in as many videos as you like.
Licensing options: Viddyoze offers personal and commercial licensing. Choose the commercial license if you want to create videos for other businesses.
If you’re looking for a way to create video intros that will help your business stand out from the crowd, grow more sales and get more clients, then definitely check out Viddyoze’s live-action video intro-maker.
You can use hundreds of built-in characters, props, images, fonts, and sounds, or upload your own images, fonts, and sounds, then export and share your videos in multiple formats and quality levels.
Klippyo is a time-saving cloud-based video creation tool that lets you create highly engaging videos optimized for social media marketing.
With Klippyo, you can edit videos directly from your phone and create amazing video content without relying on video templates.
Klippyo was developed by the same team that created the Viddyoze live-action video animation tool, which lets you create animations such as logo stingers, video intros, and outros with the click of a mouse, in consultation with Derral Eves, a successful video producer and YouTuber with over half a million subscribers and clients including Red Bull, Google, Amazon, and Adobe and whose advice has helped thousands of fans build successful YouTube channels that attract millions of views.
Viddyoze is an ideal complement to Klippyo. Both integrate seamlessly, so you can add visually stunning video animations directly into your Klippyo projects.
Check out Klippyo’s video promo below to see just some of its amazing features …
This software includes all the features you need to create videos that will deliver you more engagement, better conversions, and more channel subscribers, as well as commercial rights to all the videos you create using Klippyo’s Studio version.
Create engaging videos optimized for social media with Klippyo.
With Klippyo, you can easily shoot, edit, and post engaging, exciting, and dynamic videos directly from your phone in formats that are correctly optimized for social media, such as:
Square videos
Social video memes
Emojis and Stickers
Intros and Outros
Captions
Quotes
Filters
And more!
Klippyo offers a professional video editing suite with direct social media integration and a huge library of video objects and elements like stock video clips that lets you create classic videos, square videos, vertical videos, captioned videos, meme videos, compilation videos, banner ad videos, and videos with multiple aspect ratios from a single app, without the need to record a single frame of footage.
Social media and video marketing research show that videos that use features like the ones built into Klippyo can increase viewer engagement by 100% or more, reduce video ad costs by 35%, and get viewers watching your video all the way to the end.
Klippyo lets you create every type of video you want!
Klippyo is 100% web-based, so you can log in from anywhere, work from your mobile device, tablet, Mac or Windows laptop, or PC, shoot your video with your camera, upload your footage or import a pre-existing video into the Klippyo editor, then easily add professional intros, outros, filters, emojis, and interactive captions to your videos, as well as audio tracks and visual elements from its vast built-in library (300,000 stock video clips), and publish your finished video to multiple social media accounts like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc. right from inside the app.
Klippyo offers a 30-day risk-free, full money-back guarantee, and 24/7 customer support.
Moovly is a that lets you create your own videos ads, product videos, marketing videos, explainer videos, and company videos in-house without a big budget or design skills.
Moovly provides many customizable video templates where you can adjust anything you want to match your company brand style, including text, colors, images, footage, and music… even create your own templates!
Customize templates to create all kinds of videos for your business.
You can also easily automate the production of videos using Moovly’s automated video technology to offer your team or customers customizable video templates, create personalized videos and product videos generated automatically from your CRM, email client, or marketing automation tool, and connect to RSS feeds and news streams like Twitter to create videos when new tweets are sent.
Vyond is a video creation software tool that lets you create engaging videos with characters to fit any context, customizable templates, and whiteboard animations.
You can also create MP4s or animated GIFs for social media, host your videos wherever you like, or import them into other platforms.
Here is an example of a video created using Vyond:
Animoto is a free drag-and-drop video maker that lets you easily create promo videos, slideshow videos, social media videos, tutorial videos…even birthday, graduation, and wedding videos with no design skills required.
Animoto provides a huge library of time-saving templates, stock images and videos, music, fonts, video editing and voice-over tools, and more.
The free plan lets you use all of the tool’s standard features to create unlimited videos, while paid plans allow you to create videos without Animoto’s branding, access millions of stock images and videos, and more!
Lumen5 is a video content creation tool that combines powerful artificial intelligence (A.I.) with a simple drag-and-drop interface to help you create professional video content in minutes. It offers customizable templates to help you communicate effectively and consistently, while also staying on brand, on budget, and on time.
One of the standout features of Lumen5 is its ability to turn written content, such as blog posts or whitepapers, into videos using A.I. and machine learning. Simply enter a link to your blog post, and Lumen5 will automatically fetch content from the link and begin transforming it into a video. The A.I. will summarize the content and match each scene with relevant stock footage, while also algorithmically determining the timing of each scene based on average reading speed.
Once the video has been generated, you can access a variety of tools to make your own edits and enhance the video with your finishing touch. You can switch up colors, add watermarks, or reformat into different aspect ratios in seconds. Lumen5 also offers features for adding talking head content, callouts, cutaways, and captions to enhance the video further.
The transcript-based editing feature of Lumen5 makes it easy for anyone to create amazing content in minutes. Simply select words in the transcript and match visuals directly to the timing of the audio.
With Lumen5, you can create professional video content without the need for expensive equipment, technical knowledge, or time-consuming editing.
Motion Objects – Powerful Animated Objects For Video Marketing
One of the challenges of promoting your business using video marketing is that your videos have to engage viewers and stand out from the crowd of ‘me too’ video graphics and templates.
Adding engaging animated objects to videos can help boost your conversions.
Motion Objects saves you time and money hiring a high-end professional video production team or graphic designers to create custom video graphics.
The copy and paste animated objects are designed to work with all video creation tools, including:
The entire collection includes over 100 animated objects grouped into the following modules:
Module 1: Online Business – Animated Objects
Module 2: Online Business – Static Objects
Module 3: Offline Business – Animated Objects
Module 4: Offline Business – Static Objects
Module 5: Health & Fitness – Animated Objects
Module 6: Health & Fitness – Static Objects
Module 7: Relationships – Animated Objects
Module 8: Relationships – Static Objects
Module 9: Home & Kitchen – Animated Objects
Module 10: Home & Kitchen – Static Objects
Module 11: General – Animated Objects
Module 12: General – Static Objects
(Motion Objects animated video objects sample)
All objects work on Mac and Windows environments and come in 4 different formats: 3 animated (MOV, SWF, GIF), plus 1 static PNG. These graphics can be used anywhere, even uploaded straight to WordPress and inserted directly into your pages and posts. Video training is also provided on how to edit the templates.
The graphics collection comes with personal rights, allowing you to use these images in all of your own video projects. A developer’s license is also available if you plan to use the images in client videos.
Learn how to drive more traffic to your site and more customers to your business by getting your videos to rank higher on YouTube and on Google’s search results.
Create and edit images, logos, infographics, charts, graphs, flowcharts, and covers for your eBooks, guides, and reports with these image tools.
Image Tools
Create and edit images, logos, infographics, charts, graphs, flowcharts, and covers for your eBooks, guides, and reports with these image tools and resources.
This section covers media creation tools referred to in various lessons throughout this course.
Use the tools and resources on this page to create and edit media like:
Images, illustrations, photographs, and screenshots
Logos
Covers (eBooks, Reports, etc.)
Infographics
Flowcharts, charts & graphs
***
Image Creation Tools
Use the image tools below to help you create professional images and screenshots.
Screen Capture Software
Screen capture software is useful for creating tutorials, training documentation, explaining product features, etc.
There are various images tools available that you can use to capture screenshots and add them to your content.
Snagit
Snagit – Screen Capture and Recording Software
Snagit is a powerful and feature-rich screen capture and recording software tool that lets you quickly and easily capture images of your screen and camera, create screencast videos, add additional context, and share your images, GIFs, and videos across different platforms.
You can capture your entire desktop, a region, a window, a scrolling screen, or a full-page, scrolling panoramic screenshot, mark up your screenshots with text, arrows, and callouts, trim your video screencasts, use pre-made layouts and templates to create visual instructions, tutorials, guides, and training materials…even capture text from images.
With Snagit’s screen recorder tool, you can:
Record yourself working through different steps or grab individual frames from your recorded videos, then save your video files as an mp4 or animated GIF.
Include audio in your videos from a microphone or your computer’s system audio.
Record your screen or camera (or record them both at the same time with picture-in-picture).
Turn short MP4 recordings into animated GIFs.
Trim video clips and remove unwanted sections from your screen recordings (e.g. cut sections from the beginning, middle, or end of your videos).
Create videos from images, talk, and draw over a series of screenshots to create quick “how-to” videos or GIFs.
Automatically make objects in your screen captures movable. Rearrange buttons, delete text, or edit other elements in your screenshots (e.g. delete or move a captured cursor icon).
Sync your image captures to cloud services.
You can also share or save your images and videos to Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook,
Google Drive, TechSmith’s Camtasia, Gmail, Dropbox, Slack, YouTube, Twitter, and many other applications.
Snagit is a paid tool, but it offers a fully functional 15-day free trial version,
Screenrec is a free alternative to SnagIt. It’s a full-featured cloud-based screen capture, screen recorder, webcam, and voice-recording tool that lets you capture screenshots and record your desktop in one click and share these instantly with no watermarking or time limits.
Photoshop is the world’s leading image editing software tool.
Photoshop lets you do virtually anything with images…from simple image editing and photo touchups to highly sophisticated advanced image editing tasks like removing backgrounds from photos, composite image creation, adding overlays, text effects…even creating website mockups!
If you don’t want to invest in a program like Photoshop but would still like to be able to create your own images, then you may want to look at a free software program alternative like GIMP.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free graphic editing software that requires no Photoshop skills and can be used to create and edit images, Facebook covers, video graphics, flyers, infographics, business cards, YouTube channel art, banners, headers, and more.
Colorcinch is an easy-to-use photo editor and cartoonizer.
Colorcinch (formerly Cartoonize) is an easy-to-use, fully-featured, web-based image editing program and photo editing software that lets you edit photos and create realistic paintings, artwork, memes, cartoons, sketches, etc.
You can use the tool to import and edit existing images and enhance it with all kinds of cool effects…
Enhance and add effects to images quickly and easily.
Creates memes for social media, and more!
My gardening philosophy…immortalized in a meme with Colorcinch!
Colorcinch provides loads of great features and essential built-in tools for quick and easy image editing including cropping, resizing, exposure and color adjustments, vignette, sharpen and clarity enhancements, a full-fledged text editor, masking, layering, blending, and more!
Colorcinch is packed with useful image editing tools and features!
You can also create and organize project elements with layers, export images for high-quality print (up to 400 DPI), and access the software from your internet browser or install it as a standalone app.
The free version (called Basic) requires no registration and provides access to a number of essential effects and features.
The paid version (called Plus) provides access to all premium effects and features, all graphics and icons, higher resolution export options, and much more.
Logo makers are ideal for testing out content ideas (e.g. creating example companies to show how your products or services work), presentations, etc.
See our section on logo makers if you are looking for tools that can help you generate professional logo designs quickly, easily, and inexpensively.
eBook Cover Creators
You can create eBooks as PDF documents and use realistic 3D images to create attractive-looking covers to promote your publications.
You don’t need to hire an expensive designer to create your eBook cover. You can use Photoshop with action scripts like the one below to create stunning eBook covers quickly and easily.
Venngage is a very popular tool used to create infographics. It offers a handy image search feature that makes finding and adding images to your infographics really easy, and thousands of infographic templates created by a team of professional graphic designers.
While this software is primarily aimed at helping users create infographics, it can also be used to create diagrams, reports, and more.
Venngage offers a free plan and paid subscriptions, which include features like font uploading, the ability to export in Powerpoint, and interactive PDF options.
Adobe Express lets you create infographics for free very quickly and customize them with images, icons, fonts, and graphics.
With Adobe Express, you can design a unique infographic by choosing a template, customizing it with your branding, logo, text, colors, and more, then resizing it to share via email, social platforms, and print media.
Use the tools and templates from Adobe Express to make step-by-step guides, statistical graphics and charts, timelines, recipes, polls, lists, comparisons, and more.
Adobe Express – Infographic templates.
You can also use the libraries of icons and design assets to find shapes, lines, and graphics to display data, upload chart images, crop them or remove the background to add them to your infographics and turn any new or existing project into shareable templates.
The free infographic maker is easy to use and offers many features including thousands of templates, photo editing and effects, animation, and 2GB of storage.
The tools below will help you create flowcharts, charts, and graphs for your content.
Google Drawings
Create flowcharts, diagrams, concept maps, storyboards, and more with Google Drawings
Google Drawings is a diagramming software and collaborative virtual board tool inside Google Drive that allows you to create content by drawing, pasting images, linking videos and websites, and inserting text, shapes, tables, and other content.
Google Drawings is included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google.
To access the tool, go to Google Drive, click New > More and select Google Drawings…
Create new Google Drawings files in Google Drive.
You can use this free tool to create flow charts, diagrams, infographics, concept maps, mind maps, collaborative visual storyboards, original art and custom graphics for presentations, design wireframes, annotate screenshots, and even create hotspots on images that you can embed into your content, or download and share as a PDF file.
Here’s a great video tutorial on how to use Google Drawings:
Google Drawings is a powerful but underutilized tool worth exploring, especially as it’s free!
Google Charts is another excellent free tool from Google that lets you create interactive graphical charts from information that you supply.
Use Google Charts to create all kinds of charts, from simple line charts and pie charts to complex hierarchical tree maps, plus graphs, infographics, and more. Add the charts to your content and display these on your website, embed them into presentations, lead generation reports, etc.
Google Charts also provides a chart gallery with many ready-to-use interactive charts and chart types.
Google Chart Gallery
Here’s a great short video showing you how to add animated Google Charts to a spreadsheet.
The most common way to use Google Charts is by embedding simple JavaScript into your web pages.
Microsoft PowerPoint also lets you create and add simple charts and graphs to your content.
Create charts and graphs using Microsoft PowerPoint.
For tutorials on creating charts in PowerPoint, go here or watch the short video below:
Microsoft Office also provides many different chart types and templates you can use to create charts and graphs in PowerPoint.
Note: You can make a chart in PowerPoint or Excel. Microsoft recommends creating your chart in Excel and then copying it into your presentation if you have lots of data to chart or if your data changes regularly and you want your chart to always reflect the latest numbers (if so, when you copy and paste the chart, keep it linked to the original Excel file).
yED Graph Editor is a freeware tool that lets you create flowcharts and generate high-quality diagrams quickly and easily.
You can download yEd as a desktop application that runs on all major platforms or use yEd Live, the browser version of the desktop application, which requires no installer.
yEd features automatic layout algorithms that let you organize complex flowcharts with a press of a button.
yEd Live is the browser version of the powerful yEd desktop application. No more installer is needed to quickly and effectively create high-quality diagrams.
This feature is shown in the video below:
Here is a 5-minute tutorial on creating a flowchart using yED:
The video courses below cover basic areas of media production and editing and are ideal for beginners (note: you can access all of the video courses below with a single all-access pass):
Learn how to access and use free image creation and editing tools, basic and advanced image editing techniques using tools like Photoshop and free alternatives, creating images for web content, presentations, infographics, social media, and so much more.
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Are your customers spending a huge amount of time searching through your documentation for answers? Do you wish you could automate your customer support and free up valuable time for your team?
Content management is a critical aspect of modern businesses and organizations.
A Document Management System (DMS) can play a crucial role in your 
If you are looking for a cost-effective and time-saving way to create a professional-quality logo for your business, online logo makers may be the solution you are searching for.
Without a compelling post title or an attention-grabbing article headline, your site visitors may never get to see your message.
A Content Management System (CMS) is a software application that allows users to easily create, manage, and publish digital content, typically for websites.
WordPress is:
On this resources page, you will find a comprehensive collection of tools and resources for creating, promoting, and managing your content effectively.
Sending and receiving files to and from other users, transferring files between different devices, and uploading or downloading files or media from various computer devices to your website, server, or remote storage services are all essential aspects of managing your content effectively.
An efficient 
After creating content, your aim should be to promote it effectively through all the distribution channels specified in your 
Depending on the kind of content you publish, you may need to edit your content regularly to keep the information relevant and up-to-date.
Best 
This section covers 
