Useful tools and applications every freelance content writer should know
As a freelance content writer, you must have faced many issues, that’s because when you work on your own there is no one to tell you about your mistakes, that you usually do when you work. Also working on your own can sometimes result in learning on your own. Which is like sitting alone in an entire classroom. It might seem less like a cool idea but it also leaves you on your own to deal with every single issue. Which is not possible.
Day by day problems just increase and not every problem can be solved on your own. That’s why we need certain tools and applications to help us get through. From the past ten years there have been numerous apps & online tools made in order to help freelancers. From amazing cell phone keyboards to editing tools, there are so many applications that are available within a click that we can use to make our work stand out from others. In this blog we are going to discuss some of the tools and applications that you can use in order to make the process of writing a bit easy.
Tools & Applications used by Freelancer Content Writer
Microsoft Office/ M.S Word (Mobile Version) –
No I am not discussing the ordinary MS Word that you use on your PC or laptop. I am talking about the cellphone version of MS Word. All you need to do is go to the play store and download MS Word on your phone. It requires a minimal login with your Google account and that’s it. There’s a big reason why choosing the mobile version of this app can be beneficial because of these new features,
Pros – When your hands get tired after typing a lot, you can easily transfer your file to the app via email and start typing on the phone. There’s not much difference.
- It also comes with a mobile view which makes it look a bit more easy.
- The best feature about this mobile version of MS Word is that it has a voice command button in it. So when you get tired of writing you can easily use the voice command and it will start converting your voice into words on the page. By using this feature you can complete your work in less time. Isn’t it great!
Cons – This application doesn’t have any such major issues. Just a friendly reminder to check your file on the computer as well after completion of your work in order to reduce mistakes.
Google Docs (Mobile App) –
Many freelancers have to submit their work in different file formats such as pdf, doc, word document etc. But when you have to convert a word file into a Google document on your laptop or PC it is a very complicated task that new writers are not that familiar with. You need to have very good information about MS office and file conversion. But this app makes everything really easy. All you need to do is go to the play store and download it.
Pros – You can easily upload any file on the app using Google drive and then upload it on the app.
- You can click on the option “Share & Export” and then “Save as” it gives you 7 – 8 different file formats in which you can save your file as.
- It is easy to export files from the app to different platforms.
Cons – There is just one that you have to download the file on drive first and then after completion you have to download it again on Google doc and then again on Google drive
WPS Office (Mobile Version) –
WPS office is actually a better option when you don’t have access to MS Word. If you have bought a new Laptop or a mobile phone and you don’t have MS Word in it, then you can easily download this office suite on your device for free and enjoy the art of writing with more interesting features in it.
Pros – It has all the features that MS Office has.
- It also works perfectly with Google Classroom, Zoom, Slack and Google drive.
- You can easily scan, edit, view and convert file formats using this application.
- It has dozens of layouts, animation and transition effects to make a better PowerPoint presentation.
Cons – It is a good application but doesn’t have a strong ability to replace MS Word because it’s not superior to it.
Grammarly Keyboard –
It is not the usual keyboard like “Gboard” that can only tell you the correct spelling of any word or just a small correction. It provides you hundreds of checks and features along with seamless integration.
Pros – Mistake free writing with sophisticated grammar checker, Contextual spelling checker, Advanced punctuation correction and vocabulary enhancements.
- It works everywhere and is easy to set up.
- You can easily see explanations for every correction in order to understand your mistakes.
Cons – Sometimes it shows errors even if the spelling of the name is correct.
Proofreader –
It is an interesting app to correct and improve your English skills, check grammar mistakes and sentence structure.
Pros – It has AI powered checkers to point out the smallest of the mistakes.
- It can translate between 100 languages.
- Provide your dictionary.
- Come with a text reader to understand the pronunciation.
- It is a privacy focused app with easy & secure integration.
Cons – It is not 100% correct in case of different languages and their conversation. So you may need to double check.
Pocket –
On Google play store it is an editor’s choice app. It is basically an app that provides you a platform on which you can save, read and listen to your favourite news, stories and videos across the web.
Pros – It is a great platform to find great content when you’re not able to.
- You can listen to articles and also save them from anywhere.
Cons – Although it has a wide variety of subjects to choose from, sometimes you might not find what exactly you’re looking for.
Snapseed –
This is a photo editing app by Google that edits your photos into high resolution.
Pros – It has many features and tools that work offline as well. From a usual photo editing app it provides more features that are way better than most apps.
Cons – It doesn’t have an option of copy – paste images.
1Password –
If you need to share a password with a client, 1Password makes it easy.
Pros – It’s secure, so you won’t have to worry about hacking. It’s also useful if you have way too many passwords and can’t remember them all.
Cons – You should pay attention to which password you are sharing.
Dropbox –
If you have loads of photos you’ve sourced with Creative Commons licenses, then Dropbox can be a solution for you.
Pros – Dropbox makes an excellent place to organize files by category. There are plenty of other uses for Dropbox, including sharing folders with others.
Cons – Sometimes there’s a problem in uploading items.
Trello –
If you are working together on a blog post or another project with a team of members then this app can help you navigate.
Pros – Trello helps you ensure the team always knows about deadlines, expectations, and progress. It’s easy to notify the whole team, or an individual member.
Cons – It sometimes has issues when multiple people join at the same time.
Slack –
This app lets you connect with other freelancers, or chat with your clients.
Pros – Slack lets you do this in a single go. It can also integrate with other apps, including Trello, to streamline your processes.
Cons – The app seems to hang sometimes.
SelfControl –
While searching for content if you keep visiting distracting sites when you’re trying to work, then this application is best for you.
Pros – It is a self-control app to rescue you from distracting websites. Once you’ve blocked those sites, you can’t open them until your session is over.
- Even restarting your computer won’t get you access.
Cons – don’t have that many cons but you need to ensure that you have blocked the distracting websites.
Headline – Analyzer –
If you don’t have a solid headline or you don’t get that many ideas, then you should definitely try this tool.
Pros – It can give you approx a score of 70 or higher so that you can choose an appropriate headline for a blog.
Cons – Don’t have that many cons but it hangs sometimes.
Coggle –
While prewriting any phase, you might need a way to organize all the amazing ideas your brain comes up with. Coggle helps you create the mind maps to visualize your thoughts.
Pros – You can also share your maps with others, and work together to find the idea of the plan before you start writing.
Cons – App hangs sometimes.
Hemingway App –
Do you have a habit of writing in a passive voice too often while writing or you use too many forceful verbs and precise language. Then this is the right app for you.
Pros – It can help you get your writing ready for the website.
- Copy and paste your text and then hit the edit button. You’ll receive colour coded feedback designed to help you write better.
Cons – Even after using this app not every sentence gets corrected. You need to check before you submit.
Hootsuite –
Hootsuite let’s you bring all your social media profiles together in a single dashboard.
Pros – it’s simple to use, and will help you interact with your audience.
Toggl –
It helps you to create time estimates for any project, and alerts you when you’re close to your deadline.
Pros – You can edit your time and add time manually, which is really helpful for freelancing tasks when you’re not at the computer.
Skype –
If you feel frustrated while tagging email or try to pinpoint your client’s expectations, then this app will help you. Emails are not the best option for everything. And this app does exactly that work for you.
Pros – It gives you the option of video or audio only calls. No matter which one you choose, with this app there’s no need for a long string of emails.
Canva –
It is a great online tool that allows you to create any kind of image consisting, blog post images, presentations, Facebook and Instagram posts, covers for social media accounts, resumes, letters, and more.
Pros – It allows you to add text on your images and use pre-made images and templates. You can adjust any of them to your file.
Copyscape –
Plagiarism is a common problem in the writing business. It is hard to find original content and this app helps you identify that if the article is original and unique.
Pros – It is very useful when you’re going to publish a guest post on your blog or buy some ready-made posts.
These are just a few of the applications and tools that I have seen many freelancers use. I have also tried them. Some of them have become staple while I use others when needed.
These applications and tools are very helpful while you work as a freelancer. Personally, I have used them and you can try them as well and see what works best for you.
