Harness the Power of Visual Content Marketing to Grow Your Business
Your business can differentiate itself from the competition by utilizing visual content marketing. Learn how to engage clients and increase website traffic by using photos, videos, and more.
Content Development: The Key to Unlocking Your Growth
Unlock the full potential of your content marketing efforts by learning how to develop content that engages your audience.
35 Free Content Marketing Tools That Will Propel Your Business [+Free Template]

There are so many content marketing tools out there that it can take time to know which ones to use. And once you do find a tool or two, it can be tough to keep up with all the new features and updates. It gets even more complicated when you are on a budget, especially if you are just starting as a content marketer or running a small business. Subscriptions for content marketing tools can add up quickly and cut into your budget. We have done the research and here are the best free content marketing tools out there to help you save time and improve your content strategy. These tools have got you covered, from keyword research to social media scheduling. We have grouped these tools into nine categories: research, SEO, creation, curation, graphics design, organization, publishing, analytics/content tracking, and promotion to make it even easier for you to find the perfect tool for your needs. Let’s dive in! Tools for Generating Ideas and Keyword Research 1. WordStream Free Keyword Tool The WordStream Free Keyword Tool is a quick and easy way to find the right keywords for your content. All you need to do is to enter a word or phrase into the tool and get results in seconds. You can use the keyword tool to find new ideas for blog posts, articles, and other types of content. Aside from being completely free, what makes WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool a must-have for content marketers is that it provides keyword suggestions based on the words you have entered. This means you can quickly find related terms and save time from researching them manually. 2. Answer the Public This tool generates questions about your chosen keyword, giving you ideas for FAQs or blog post titles. This tool will be useful for creating content that directly speaks to your audience’s needs and interests. The program is owned by Neil Patel Digital, which offers a Pro version with additional features for $99/month. You can enjoy the free version with up to five hundred thousand searches monthly! 3. Google Trends Google Trends shows how often particular terms are searched for on the internet. This can be useful for understanding what topics resonate with people at any given time, allowing you to adjust your content strategy accordingly and boost your digital marketing. Google Trends is completely free to use, meaning you can save money on other content marketing tools. 4. Portent’s Content Idea Generator This fun tool generates content ideas based on the keyword you input. Simply enter a keyword, and the program will generate a title for a blog post, article, or even an infographic. The idea generator is free, but Portent offers a range of content marketing tools starting at $49/month. Content Marketing Tools for SEO 5. Uber Suggest Uber Suggest is a free keyword research tool created by Neil Patel. This program will generate hundreds of keywords related to your topic based on searches, helping you find the most popular phrases used in your industry. On Uber Suggest, you can also access keyword difficulty to ensure you target keywords with enough search volume but not too much competition. 6. Yoast SEO This plugin is a staple for WordPress users, and it’s free! Yoast SEO helps you optimize your content for the most popular search engine optimization strategies. It also offers an analysis of your content, letting you know what you need to do to make it more SEO-friendly or perform better on search engines. With over five million installations, Yoast SEO is the go-to SEO tool for anyone looking to improve their website’s visibility in search results. 7. Ahrefs This program is renowned for its keyword research capabilities, but it also offers other SEO features like backlink analysis and website audits. Ahrefs has a free version with limited features, but you can upgrade to the paid plan for more advanced tools starting with as low as $20/month. What distinguishes Ahrefs from other SEO tools is its extensive keyword database, which helps you find the best keywords for your content strategy. 8. Backlinko This website is run by Brian Dean, an SEO expert who offers comprehensive advice on all things related to search engine optimization. He shares his knowledge through blog posts and videos, which are free to access. While Backlinko doesn’t offer any tools itself, the information provided can help you understand how to optimize your content for better search engine rankings. 9. Screaming Frog Don’t think frogs can help with content marketing? Think again! This program is a must-have for any SEO strategy – it crawls your website to identify technical issues and provides useful data like broken links, duplicate content, keyword information, missing meta tags, and more. The basic version is free, but if you want access to all the features, you’ll have to sign up for the paid plan at $209/year. Writing and Editing Tools (Content Creation) 10. Hemingway App Hemingway has acquired a fine reputation as one of the best content-creation tools. This tool helps make your writing clear, concise, and easy to read by highlighting unnecessary adverbs, complex phrases, and passive voice. It also gives a readability score to ensure your content is accessible to all audiences. The app uses colors to highlight problem areas and has a desktop version available for purchase at a one time payment of $19.99. 11. Grammarly Grammarly goes beyond your basic spell checker to catch grammar mistakes and spelling errors while offering suggestions for alternative word choices and sentence structure. The free version is available as a browser extension and can be used on various platforms, including Microsoft Word. They also offer a premium version with advanced features for $11.66/month. 12. Google Docs This free word-processing software from Google has many of the same features as Microsoft Word and is accessible from any internet-connected device. Google Docs also makes it easy to collaborate with others in real time, which is perfect for content creation. The many free add-ons available
The 8 Content Marketing Goals That Are Critical to Your Business

If you’re running a business, having a content marketing strategy is key to success. Why? Because it helps ensure your content is working towards your overall business goals. Plus, today’s customers are bombarded with choices, and if you want them to pick your product or service, you need to have great content that cuts through the noise. Not sure where to start? Check out our list of eight goals for any successful content marketing campaign. These tips will help you create content that resonates with your audience and drives conversions. Why Alignment With Content Objectives Is Crucial Here are some benefits of aligning your content marketing campaigns and strategy goals between all relevant stakeholders within the company: The 8 Critical Goals of Content Marketing Now that we’ve defined content marketing and discussed its importance, let’s dive into our eight critical goals for a successful content marketing strategy. 1. Increase Brand Awareness and Recognition One of the primary goals of content marketing is to increase brand awareness for your business. After all, if people don’t know your company exists, they can’t become customers or clients. Creating high-quality content is one of the best ways to get your name out there and attract the attention of your target audience. Think about the relevant content that will help you achieve these marketing and business goals. For example, if you’re looking to increase brand awareness for a new product launch, you might create blog posts or social media updates leading up to the launch date. Or, if you want to raise awareness for your business in general, you might create thought-leadership content that showcases your company’s expertise. No matter what type of content you create, you aim to get it in front of as many people as possible. So be sure to promote your content across your channels, from your website and blog to social media and email. You can also use paid advertising to amplify your reach and ensure your target audience sees your content. One company that has successfully used content marketing to increase brand awareness is Coca-Cola. For example, in 2016, they launched their “Taste the Feeling” campaign, which featured a mix of print, TV, digital and out-of-home advertisements. The campaign was designed to underscore people’s emotional connections with Coca-Cola products. This strategy raised brand awareness, as the “Taste the Feeling” campaign garnered over 278 million online views. And it helped Coca-Cola boost its sales by 3% in the first quarter of 2017. By creating high-quality content that resonates with its target audience, Coca-Cola has effectively built awareness for its brand and increased its bottom line. 2. Generate More Qualified Leads Generating leads is an important goal of content marketing. Businesses can attract potential customers and convert them into leads by creating compelling and engaging content. While some customers may immediately commit to a product or service, others may require more nurturing before they are ready to make a purchase. Businesses can develop targeted marketing campaigns to move leads through the sales funnel by collecting data from each interaction with potential customers. Effective content marketing can thus result in increased sales and revenue for businesses. One of the best ways to generate leads is to create gated content, meaning people have to give you their contact information to access it. For example, you might create an eBook or whitepaper and require people to fill out a form with their name and email address before they can download it. You can also use lead magnets, such as free trials or coupons, to entice people to sign up for your email list. Once you have their contact information, you can follow up with targeted emails that will move them further down the sales funnel. 3. Build Brand Loyalty and Trust Fostering brand loyalty is essential for any business that wants to build a lasting relationship with its customers. After all, why would someone continue to buy from a company they don’t trust or feel loyal to? As a content marketer, you have the opportunity to help build both of these things through the stories you tell and the experiences you create. Loyalty is often built through shared values and everyday experiences, so tell stories highlighting these things. For instance, if you’re marketing a sustainable fashion brand, you could tell stories about the people who make the clothing and how they work to reduce their environmental impact. On the other hand, if you’re marketing a new kind of workout gear, you might share stories about how it’s helped people achieve their fitness goals. In both cases, you’re giving your audience a reason to feel loyal to your brand. Trust, on the other hand, is built through transparency and consistency. Be clear about who you are and what you stand for, and be consistent in the messages you share. In addition, with content marketing, your company may host a giveaway or a contest, offering your consumers the opportunity to win a reward and, as a result, celebrate your customer base. Customer loyalty and trust are essential for any business that wants to thrive in the long term. As you achieve this, your audience will come to trust you as a source of reliable information. 4. Garner More Web Traffic With Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Websites are much like storefronts; the better they look, the more likely people will come in. But, of course, there’s a little more to it than that. Just as you wouldn’t put a store in the middle of nowhere, your website also needs to be easy to find. One way to do this is to use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. SEO involves using keywords and other strategies to improve your site’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). This ensures that your website comes up near the top of the results when people search for keywords related to your business. You can also generate traffic by advertising your website on social media or through pay-per-click ads. And, of course,