Online content comes in many forms. Some is provided by friends and family on social media. Other content is found by Google when searching for specific information.
Email marketing consumes our inboxes. Some of it we receive when we subscribe to businesses. Some are generated from third-party cookies on websites we visit.
Another segment comes from the email lists being marketed by businesses without our consent.
The point is content creation is huge in marketing today. It comes in different forms, and if your business isn’t creating content, you’re not reaching potential customers.
There is no excuse for not utilizing content creation tools to grow your business in today’s digital-driven technology. Not only is it financially feasible, but there are so many companies offering essential software as a service (SaaS) to assist in making marketing more manageable.
Follow along as we share the best content creation tools for SaaS companies with you.
Understanding Content Creation
Before we dive into the types of content creation tools available, let’s talk about the benefits of content creation. On average, people spend about two hours and twenty-four minutes online every day. And that’s time spent on social media.
The number of people who come online to check their emails, search for a product or service, or to do research is in the billions. As a business looking to reach customers, your goal is to meet people where they’re most likely to learn about your product or service.
The first step to content marketing is to understand your target audience. You need to know the following:
- Demographics
- Socio-economic status
- Online habits
- Buying traits
Content creation is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Once you’ve created a profile of what your potential client looks like, you’ll have a better idea of how to market to them. The more you learn about your audience, your marketing strategy becomes stronger.
Planning Your Content Creation Strategy
Having a content creation strategy sets the foundation for your marketing campaigns. The last thing you want to do is throw stuff out into the universe, hoping it will render results.
No, your content must have a purpose. You must have anticipated results to measure whether the campaign is working.
Keep in mind your brand reputation is at stake every time you launch a new marketing campaign. We’ve seen popular brands take a hit over the years because they didn’t carefully vet content ideas. Make sure your creative teams are diverse, looking for long-term results, and not creating content solely for viral results.
Each marketing campaign should have:
- Marketing budget
- Target audience
- Dedicated platforms
- Multiple versions
- Follow-up content
- Analytic reports
Marketing Budget
Content creation software makes it possible for everyone to create high-quality, engaging content. Before your teams can start working on content creation, they first need to know their budget. Not having a large budget doesn’t equate to low-quality content.
The best content creation tools level the playing field for everyone.
Target Audience
These are the people more likely to be interested in your product or service. Most social commerce platforms have content creation tools to help you define your audience for campaign advertising.
Dedicated Platforms
Creating content for B2B marketing is different from B2C marketing. Just as every platform isn’t geared to every online user, every business model is not geared towards every platform. Having dedicated platforms for sharing your content is essential.
Choose tools for content creation designed to integrate with other platforms. For example, an email marketing platform could have better tools than the email marketing offered via your website.
Multiple Versions
It’s essential to have multiple versions of your marketing campaigns to fit the online mediums you’ll be using. People react to content differently based on when and where they see it.
The email content is formulated differently than a short video. Yet, they both convey the same message.
Follow-up Content
Every business should have some form of sales funnel or lead generation strategy. The funnel takes the user from the introduction phase to the purchasing phase. Once a user interacts with your content, you can use retargeting to create follow-up content.
Follow-up content can include pre-planned progression emails, an invitation to receive a free eBook, or a how-to video.
Analytic Reports
It is irresponsible to choose a SaaS product that doesn’t include analytical data in today’s digital-driven world. Google Analytics is great for tracking traffic across the web. However, to drill down into the performance of the software you’re using, you want specific data.
In 2022, content creation tools should track data that shows performance and offers insight on improving engagement.
Next, we’ll move into the various content creation tools on the market today. There are tools available for every aspect of content creation, including the different online mediums listed below:
- Blogs
- Ebooks
- Social posts
- Live video
- Digital ads
Let’s look at the 2022 content creation tools every SaaS company needs in its content creation bag. The majority of the content creation software ranges from free services to pricing structures that offer premium tools.
Research
Your content creation starts with an idea. Whether a team member has an “aha” moment or your creatives brainstorm new ideas, you need a starting point.
Once a decision is made, you want to find out if it’s possible to build a marketing plan around the idea. To do this, you can incorporate content research tools to see if it’s currently being used or if there is an interest already generated.
If an idea isn’t trending, it doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea. Your goal is to figure out how to get people to consume the content. That’s where these research content creation tools come into play.
AlsoAsked.com
AlsoAsked.com is essential for blog creation. The software is an excellent resource for finding the right keywords for blog posts. You can choose search criteria based on geographical regions and languages.
Your results are easily downloaded into a spreadsheet for future use. It is an essential tool to have when optimizing content for SEO value.
The search tool allows for 10 free searches before prompting users to move to their premium platform.
AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic is another keyword search tool. Its key feature is providing questions based on the user’s input. Enter a keyword, and the tool will create a list of questions using 5-Ws, plus are, can, how, will, and which.
The software is a fantastic tool when you’re looking for section headers for your content creation.
The software has free and premium packages. The company also offers master classes to assist clients in using the product to its total capacity.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a free product that helps users perform basic research to understand the best keywords for content topics. Because Google collects so much data, they have a firm grasp on what keywords are trending.
Semrush Topic Research Tool
With Semrush, you can research content topics, optimize the SEO content, track rankings, and other vital features. The process is as easy as providing your topic and where the content will appear.
It is a premium service but one of the best content creation tools available to get your project off the ground.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is how Google recognizes your content. The ultimate goal of content marketing is to reach the top of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). Most users do not search beyond the first page of results.
Here are the top content creation software applications to improve your SEO rankings.
Writing
There are two important reasons to investigate writing tools for content creation. One, readers want well-crafted content that is easy to read and in an authoritative voice. Two, you want to put your best writing before your audience.
There is a third reason that doesn’t apply to authentic content creation. Google frowns upon copied content that violates copyright laws. It’s vital to post original content in your brand’s voice.
Here are a few tools to help improve your written content.
Copyscape
Copyscape Premium protects users from plagiarism. There are millions of documents and books that have been written. You don’t want to reinvent the wheel for popular topics.
The goal is to provide a fresh perspective with new ideas and focus. Copyscape gives users the ability to track matches in real time.
Grammarly
Grammarly is a popular content creation software that allows users to tighten their writings. It checks for spelling and grammatical errors. It also offers suggestions in a multitude of writing categories like sentence structure.
CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
No longer wonder if your article titles are engaging and powerful. With CoSchedule, you get a tool that analyzes and optimizes your headlines. The stronger the headline, the more likely your blogs and articles will gain traction.
The content creation software checks for:
- Character count
- Clarity
- Headline capitalization
- Reading level
- Word balance
The software is compatible with multiple writing apps and platforms.
Visual
Visual content creation includes images and videos. The images and videos can appear on your website, email campaigns, blogs, social media, and paid online advertising.
Visual creation is not a role for someone who doesn’t have experience creating visuals that sell. You want to capture the audience’s attention and tell a story within seconds.
There are many content creation tools to choose from for visuals. The first step is to have content at your disposal. There are several ways to access visuals.
- Hire a photographer/videographer
- Capture images yourself
- Subscribe to a stock image service
- Use content creation software
Here are a few examples of the best 2022 content creation tools for creating visual content.
Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform essential for creating visuals for social media. It is quick and easy to transform an image into artwork for a marketing campaign. Your teams can use stock images from the software or upload company graphics.
Veed
Veed is an all-in-one editing tool that allows users to access features many editing programs do not offer.
- Add subtitles
- Add video effects
- Translate videos
- Transcribe audio files
The transcription ability is an excellent tool to create written content from video streams.
Veed’s subscription prices can get pricey. You’ll need to contact the company for enterprise pricing.
Giphy
We’ve all seen gifs on social media. Most platforms have catalogs for the use of short clips that convey emotions. Gifs aren’t limited to scenes from our favorite TV shows or viral videos.
You can create gifs from company videos or images using Giphy content creation software. They also offer a custom background tool for video streaming. Their latest product is Giphy stickers, which allow you to add gifs with transparent backgrounds to animate images and videos online.
Filmpac
Filmpac is a stock video service valuable to your content creation tools. The use of stock footage allows content creators to tell a story using relevant footage. The footage includes a multi-clip film package of scenes cut into short clips shot from different angles.
Filmpac has thousands of scenes covering a gamut of topics. They also have a diverse catalog of actors.
Filmpac offers multi-tier pricing to fit every budget.
Live Streaming or Podcast
If your company isn’t using video in some form of content creation, you’re behind in the game. Users have consumed over 9.3 billion hours of live streaming content. The numbers show that consumers want to engage with brands.
Live streaming is an extension of blog content creation. It allows you to go beyond the bullet points and get into the meat and potatoes of what your company offers.
You don’t need a professional production team to create engaging video content. Your marketing team can produce a video or a weekly podcast with the right content creation tools.
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is a popular live-streaming app used on streaming sites like YouTube and Twitch. It offers a robust API that allows for plugins and scripts so your production team can customize functions.
OBS also offers an intuitive sound mixer and studio mode to preview footage before it goes live to your audience.
Adobe Premiere and Adobe Rush
Adobe Premiere and Adobe Rush are video editing software that is easy to use. They both come with editing tools that allow content creators to produce high-quality videos.
Adobe Rush is a streamlined content creation app designed for short-form videos for social media.
Streamyard
Streamyard is very similar to OBS Studio but is favored among new vloggers wanting to stream to multiple social platforms at once. There is a slight learning curve because the app’s functions are self-explanatory.
Pricing includes two premium packages ranging from $20 to $39 a month. You can also use the service for free.
Zoom
If your business moved to remote work during the pandemic, you might already be familiar with Zoom. It is a popular live-streaming app used primarily for meetings. Zoom also allows for virtual collaborations among content creation teams.
Social Media
The 2022 content creation tools aim to optimize content for social media usage. Your most significant online audience is on one or more social media platforms consuming content by family, friends, and businesses.
If you haven’t defined which social platforms work best for your business, here are the top social media tools for sharing content creations.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is an extension of the social media platform. There are roughly 1.3 billion users on the app. Businesses can utilize Messenger to run Facebook ads as an extension for chatbots and email marketing.
Ten years ago, Facebook purchased Instagram, making it one of the best content creation tools. Businesses can upgrade their Instagram accounts to a business profile and integrate it with their Facebook business page.
The integration allows for content sharing, messaging, and analytics between the platforms to be more accessible. You can also auto-share posts simultaneously, including paid advertising.
LinkedIn hosts 800 million members spanning more than 200 countries. The business networking app is also a space to share content creation with business leaders and decision makers.
Share long-form videos and host a blog to market your product or service.
Twitter offers business accounts tools for content creation sharing. Over 70% of B2B and B2C marketers use the platform.
Twitter requires users to understand the language of the platform. Hashtags equate to SEO keywords. Using the @ symbol is how you mention brands and users in your tweet, which is jargon for posts.
If your channel becomes certified, you’ll earn a blue check.
Content Management Systems
Content Management Systems (CMS) are content creation software used to create, manage, and edit content for your business website. It is beneficial for creators who don’t have extensive technical experience.
A CMS is a huge asset for websites using images and video. After creating the content, you upload it directly to platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Some platforms also offer social media integration. Photo sharing apps are available with customization tools.
You can also integrate videos from YouTube to your site without utilizing the allotted bandwidth for your site. A CMS can also allow for document storage if your business wants to grant free or paid access to eBooks or PDFs.
CMS Hub
Smart technology is the key feature content creators can expect from CMS Hub. Smart CTAs, Smart content, and Smart forms are their three selling points.
What smart technology does for content creation is take it to the next level by anticipating user behavior. For example, if someone watches a video on content creation, the system determines the best video to recommend next. It also allows content recommendations based on the user’s past interactions on the website.
The smart forms feature is a content creation tool that allows businesses to gather data from users. When someone first visits your website, you want them to subscribe for updates and newsletters. Additional forms are created to grow the user profile based on the information provided and site history.
Joomla
Joomla is a global CMS that offers businesses the ability to manage their websites in the following areas:
- Analytics
- Archiving
- Collaboration
- Creating
- Distribution of content
- Editing
- Publishing
- Reporting
It is the perfect content creation software for collaboration among virtual team members or when you outsource duties like SEO and marketing.
Analytical Data
Analytics and content creation have a direct correlation. Without understanding how users interact with your content, you can’t progress with your marketing strategies.
As we mentioned earlier, analytical data can tell you a lot about the competition and targeting of your content. We’ve already touched on Google Analytics. Here are two additional content software tools to consider.
Mixpanel
Mixpanel allows marketing teams to analyze how site visitors interact with your products. The data tracks the time of purchase, the item purchased, and the cost. It also tracks user behavior.
The data allows your teams to follow engagement trends, build sales funnels, and measure the success of marketing campaigns.
SimilarWeb
SimilarWeb is a unique tool that measures your content engagement and website traffic to industry standards. The results allow your teams to modify processes for better results.
You’ll gain more significant insights into who your customers are and their behaviors. Plus, you gather data on visitors that browse the site but don’t buy.
Your Audience Wants to Hear from You!
As a SaaS provider, you understand the rigors of operating a software company. SaaS companies have untapped audiences like every other business. With the right content creation tools, you can reach a wider audience.
Incorporating tools into your marketing strategy allows your teams to focus on selling your software with ease. The right content also shows your company as knowledgeable in your industry. This alone is a strong selling point.
If you’re ready to take your marketing to the next level, our teams are ready to help. We have marketing veterans from multiple industries with a wealth of knowledge.
Click here to schedule a consultation to discuss customizing a strategy that works.