Seven Content Marketing Aids: Ideation and Content Management

Whether it's for finding content ideas or organizing content projects, did you know there are many useful tools that can help with your content marketing? They don't have to be expensive, and we have selected seven convenient aids that can make life much easier for content managers and also improve work outcomes.

Whether it’s for finding content ideas or organizing content projects, did you know there are many useful tools that can help with your content marketing? They don’t have to be expensive, and we have selected seven convenient aids that can make life much easier for content managers and also improve work outcomes.

Brainstorming

1. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo can analyze what kind of content does, or does not, attract users to a brand or a topic.

The tool shows the type of content very often shared across the social web (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest), which may relate to a particular website, or to any particular keyword. So themes that are regularly discussed on the Web can be quickly identified.

To find new content ideas, it’s first useful to check via BuzzSumo which articles on your own website were the most popular over any given period (settings from the last year up to the last 24 hours). In addition, an analysis of your rivals’ most widely shared content can also be very revealing.

When you enter certain keywords such as “content marketing,” you can then determine which topic-related content gains the greatest user attention. It is feasible, for example, to analyze which content formats, such as lists and quizzes, and what sort of headlines and text lengths work best in any particular industry.

A standard BuzzSumo account is free though an upgrade to a Professional Account (from $99 per month) would be required to filter search results by country and language.

2. Keyword Tool

Keyword Tool allows you to provide users with essential keywords related to the content they are looking for, and it’s an interesting alternative to the well-established Google Keyword Planner.

It can provide up to 750 suggestions for each keyword by automatically generating Google’s auto-suggestions.

This is based, among other things, on how often users searched a particular term on Google in the past and employs frequent queries about products, services and topics in order to generate new content ideas around these concepts.

All keyword ideas can be filtered according to search engine and language, and they are easily exported.

3. MindMeister

Brainstorming is a proven method of finding creative ideas, and MindMeister collects and structures the results in Mind Maps.

MindMeister’s Mind Maps are created online in real time, and the tool allows an unlimited number of users to contribute their input. This makes MindMeister particularly suitable for collaborative brainstorming.

MindMeister uses online cloud storage to store its Mind Maps, and these can be accessed through a browser, or via iOS and Android mobile apps &ndash, so Mind Maps can be edited while on the move.

The free basic version is limited to three Mind Maps, but if you want to use other functions, such as uploading files and images, the paid-for version starts at $36 for six months.

Content Management

4.Evernote

With Evernote, you will never lose another content idea. Whether it’s important search results or inspiring graphics, Evernote offers a practical, one-click note storage facility on PC and on smartphone when you’re on the move.

Just jot down everything from short lists to long texts and access your data from anywhere in the world.

But Evernote can do much more than this: Its Web Clipper function is an easy way to save interesting online articles and images, and its integrated text recognition means it’s also possible to capture handwritten notes.

The app lends itself very well to content planning and management. You can, for example, gather everything that inspires you about a specific topic in one content notebook.

Alongside your own notes in text or audio format, you can easily archive interesting articles, PDFs and images.

Similarly, the results of your keyword research on a topic, or designs for future articles, can be saved in Evernote. These notebooks can also be shared with other people, who can then edit them.

A basic Evernote account is free, and a fully featured premium account, with the ability to upload larger files, costs $5 per month.

5. Wunderlist

Primarily used for creating shared shopping lists, Wunderlist is also suitable for managing content projects.

Even though it offers fewer features, the simplicity and clarity of Wunderlist’s Notes tool makes it a viable alternative to Evernote.

Whether it’s a simple to-do list or a sophisticated strategy document, with Wunderlist, you can create practical lists quickly and easily, share them with other users, and edit them on your PC, tablet or smartphone.

You can collect ideas and plan tasks in collaboration with other people, and if required, Wunderlist can also remind you about dates and deadlines.

For example, you could record content ideas, or outline your content strategy, in Wunderlist. Your colleagues could then edit these from any device and add their own ideas. You could also use the comment function to exchange ideas and tasks.

The basic version of Wunderlist is free, and the Pro version, which for example allows attachments with an unlimited file size, costs $4.99 per month.

6. Trello

Trello is also a good organizational tool for all kinds of projects and displays all project information at a glance.

Each project is broken down and clearly displayed as individual organization cards (e.g. Ideas, To-dos etc.). The activities of all users who work on the project are displayed in real time, and Trello uses a simple Drag & Drop method to record progress.

Trello is, therefore, well suited to content projects requiring work and input from multiple users. Together, they can gather ideas for content, offer each other feedback and get a visual update on the status of each To-do.

Trello is available as a desktop app as well as for smartphones and tablets. A basic account is free, and a business account costs $5 per month.

7. Teamup

A Content Calendar is essential for professional content management because, after all, it contributes to the scheduled publishing of content. Our article “5 tools for Content Planning” already suggests some practical templates, but Teamup is another useful application for creating an editorial calendar.

The calendar can be shared by an unlimited number of users and also password-protected if required. Editing rights can be assigned to different users.

Teamup’s ability to take different time zones into account is especially useful, and it’s also possible to integrate custom branding and logos. The interface is available in German and English.

The basic version of Teamup – with up to ten sub-calendars – is free, and a Plus plan is available starting at $8 per month.

Conclusion:

Finding good content ideas is easier with the assistance of these little helpers, and the organization of content projects becomes more professional using certain tools.

Which tools are best for you is, of course, a matter of personal taste, so have fun trying them out!