How fortunate we are to live in the present day. Minus catastrophic pandemics, of course, things are pretty good for copywriters. Imagine living 100 years ago, or even 50 years ago, when all you had to rely on was a pen and paper, maybe a typewriter (if you were lucky), a thesaurus and a library.
Now we have the internet. Sweet, sweet technology. And that means we can pull any number of digital tools out of the duffel. If you’ve been wondering “How to improve my copywriting…” then the seven copywriting tools listed below are a great place to start.
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What Copywriting Tools Do I Need?
Professional copywriting isn’t just a matter of opening up Google Docs and hammering away at the keys. If you’re serious about it, you need to set yourself up for success with the best possible equipment, both on and offline.
It doesn’t matter if you’re hustling for copywriting gigs or writing up some posts for your business blog; it’s important to do anything and everything to a professional standard. There’s loads of poorly written, error-ridden copy out there. Don’t add to the pile!
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Professional Copywriting Tools
The first thing you need to sort out is your offline toolbox. You’re going to need a reliable desktop or laptop computer, a mouse (with an actual mousepad – don’t use a notebook!), headphones, a comfy chair, a level desk and a proverbial IV of coffee.
This might sound frivolous (and alright, the coffee suggestion might be) but think of how much time you’re going to spend sitting down and typing. Ideally, a lot. So don’t skimp here. Make sure you’re in a comfortable, ergonomic environment and that all your equipment is up to scratch.
Do I need any tools for copywriting? Oh yes – quill and ink ain’t gonna cut it anymore, sadly.
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The Best Copywriting Tools
Now, the main event: your online duffel bag. As with many industries, there are practically unlimited options out there for the fledgling copywriter (and indeed the veterans). Here are the seven best copywriting tools that we reckon are the most useful.
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1. Google Drive
Not only does Google Drive give you a convenient way to write your material, it also ensures your long-laboured musings are not tied to the fate of your machine. In other words, if your hard drive implodes then your work’s still there. 10/10 for peace of mind.
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2. SEMrush
SEMrush provides great bang for your buck, giving you an all-in-one tool suite for improving your online visibility through your content. Learn relevant and trending keywords for your industry and zero in on specific long-tail keywords for your niche.
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3. Hemingway
Named after the master scribe, Hemingway App is a tool for keeping your writing short, sharp and punchy. Boozing and brawling in between assignments is optional and not recommended.
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4. Unsplash
Whatever you’re writing, visuals matter. Unsplash provides you with a catalogue of copyright-free images with which to adorn your content.
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5. JSpell
Good grammar is critical in your copy. JSpell provides you with an online grammar and spell-checker that can catch even the most insidious mistakes. It’s also good for flicking between languages; US and UK English are ostensibly the same language, but there are numerous differences between the two.
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6. Yoast SEO Premium
The king of SEO tools, Yoast is simply invaluable if you want to turbocharge your SEO and boost your WordPress site up the rankings and onto the Holy Grail of Google’s first page.
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7. Power Thesaurus
Ahh, the latter-day iteration of the old reliable: the thesaurus. We all have a tendency to use the same words over and over again. Diving into Power Thesaurus can really raise, elevate, enhance, improve, advance (you see what we’re doing here) your writing game.
Of course, you don’t have to use all these copywriting tools all the time! But it’s a great idea to familiarise yourself with them and it’s a comfort to every copywriter to know that they’re a mere click away.
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Featured image by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
Centre image by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash
