8 powerful writing tools to improve your blogs
We’re all busy, that’s why sometimes having a handy tool in your back pocket will save you hours. Whether it’s coming up with a topic, writing a great headline or checking your spelling there are some easy ways you can elevate your writing for free.
But with so many tools out there it’s hard to know what the best ones are. Here’s my quick run down of the best free blogging tools out there right now*.
Inspiration
Answer the public
If you want to know what people are talking about in relation to your service then this is a useful one for you. It pulls together a list of questions and phrases that are being searched about right now. You can then go through this and start to identify pain points or issues that are impacting people right now, and craft your blogs around those.
HubSpot
Tucked away is an idea generator tool. All you need is a noun to describe your service and it’ll give you some creative ideas. Some might be completely irrelevant but others might get your juices flowing.
This really could be about 3 different tools. Because, unsurprisingly, Google is packed with different ways it can help you with your blogs.
First up is the search engine itself. Type your subject in and scroll down to be inspired - pay particular attention to the people also ask and the related searches.
Google Keyword Planner is the next one. This is designed to help with PPC campaigns but you can also use it to find ranking keywords and phrases. Again put your main subject in and a whole host of related keywords will appear, including their search volumes and difficulty. It’s easy to get lost in a rabbits warren of words here so stay focused!
Google Search Console can be used to see what words you’re already ranking for which then might spark inspiration. For example, if you’re appearing in searches for recruitment agency then creating more content around that key phrase is a good idea.
Portent Idea Generator
Stuck for ideas? Look no further than Portent Idea Generation. Pop in your subject and up comes a juicy title. Some might not be to your liking, but it might inspire your thinking. Perfect for days when your brain really doesn’t want to think.
Editing
Hemingway
Do you sometimes write really long sentences without realising it and without including any grammar which makes it really difficult to read and sounds really boring? Then you need Hemingway. It shows you where to make changes to create punchy, easy-to-read sentences.
Grammarly
Struggle with spelling and grammar? Don’t we all! With Grammarly you can download a plugin so that it checks what you’re writing wherever you’re writing it. Some of its suggestions are questionable, so don’t just accept them. But it’s great for catching those silly errors.
Cliche Finder
A cliche is good from time to time but it’s easy to fall into the trap of packing your blogs with cliches. Because they’re so embedded in our speech it’s also tricky to identify them so this handy tool spots them for you, leaving you to decide if it’s worth it’s weight in gold or should be thrown out with the rubbish.
Get it done
Focus Writer
Ever go to write and then get distracted by anything and everything? Me too. That’s why Focus Writer is handy. It creased a distraction free writing environment so you can crack on, fully focused.
*So there’s an elephant in the room here. I haven’t mentioned AI. Maybe I should have done but for now it’s not made the list. Why? Because while there are some great ways to use it, in my opinion it shouldn’t be used to write an entire blog. The quality isn’t there and you’ll spend more time editing it than you would writing from scratch.
No tool can replace you. Your opinion, your thoughts, your strategic thinking is essential to crafting a great blog. But there are tools out there to help inspire, polish and push you to get it done.
Are there any tools I’m missing from my list? Let me know and I can add them in.
