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    Copywriting Tools (most of them free)!

    If you're a surgeon, it's very helpful to have some good surgical tools.

    If you're a carpenter, it's very helpful to have some good carpentry tools.

    If you're a copywriter, it's very helpful to have some good copywriting tools!  

    As a copywriter myself, here's a list of the most useful tools I've personally found:

    Copywriting Tools

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    P.S.  What are the secret tools in your copywriting toolbox??


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    Good stuff Nev and lots of great suggestions from your tribe... especially your 'on screen editor'. Luv Luv. As a graphic artist, site builder and writer one of the most time consuming tasks is trying to match up existing fonts and sizes. Recently found this tool and use it to the max.

    WhatFont Chrome Extension

    https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/whatfont/jabopobgcpjmedljpbcaablpmlmfcogm/related

    This handy little Chrome extension allows you to quickly find out what fonts a website is using. Saving you having to sift through the source code to find out. Just point and click on the font on any website and it will tell you what it is.

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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hey Sam, I totally agree it's great to do the most with the least.....BUT, if there's a tool that will max out your productivity, I would definitely suggest you get it.

    Just a little time saved each day adds up quickly. Thanks for the suggestion, checking it out now!

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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Thanks for the suggestion Rory, and glad my stuff has helped you out. I hope to continue delivering :)
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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Thanks for the suggestion Mark! I usually don't have a huge problem with that, but it's definitely a chore if you're a designer. Good recommendation!
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    I always forget about Google Draw. You and Henneke Duistermaat from Enchanting Marketing have inspired me to start including cartoons aka stick figures in my upcoming blog posts.

    I have a big ol' bag of tools I use to write copy:

    Research Phase: I'm a true believer the best copy comes from your market's mouth, not your head.

    So I crack open a fresh GOOGLE DOCS OR SHEETS-

    Lable it : "Topic or Audience" Super Secret Spy File

    Then it's off to FACEBOOK GROUP LAND. I use the SEARCH THIS GROUP FUNCTION (the little magnifying glass right above the pictures of group members) and search "I just can't" or "how do you" "No one will" "Rant" "Vent" "Venting" or a board topic. Cut and paste peoples' questions or excuses in my DOC.

    Normally I just stop there but if it's a bust I go to REDDIT, QUORA, AMAZON BOOK REVIEWS, or I search for trade journals/forums in that industry. I'll also check out BUZZSUMO for popular articles on the topic then search "?" in the comments section in those posts.

    I'll also peek in my swipe file for hooks + inspiration. "The Classics" are kept in a file on my mac air, the rest are safetly tucked away in EVERNOTE notebooks

    Writing It Phase:

    Either GOOGLE DOCS (I love the free voice -to-text feature because I suck at spelling. Plus I can thought vomit on the page) or FOCUS WRITER (https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/) it's a free distraction-free app for both PC + MAC. No bells and whistle just a wooden background and text editor. (Since I have a MAC I hit the FN button twice if I want voice to text)

    Editing Phase:

    I use idiomsite.com, thesaurus.com, rhymezone.com to edit in the awesome

    www.hemingwayapp.com to trim the fat.

    Then I backaway from the mac air for at least 1-2 hours to let everything sit and my brain rest. (Playing with kids outside, going for swim, coloring with kids or housework)

    Next up headline time:

    I write 10 headlines per blog post and 15+ for sales pages - everything starts off as "how to". I'm also I big fan of your desire + time + exuse formula.

    If nothing feels right I'll peek into my headline formula swipe file/spreadsheet or go to Portent’s Content Generator or Sumome Headline generator (sumome.com/stories/headline-generator).

    Then I run my headline through CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer for kicks.

    I have my mac-air read back everything I write (including this comment - total life saver).

    General tools:

    Coffee (duh),

    Hulu + Roku 2 + Snacks + Juice (I've got two kids. Somedays I can't get all my writing done before they wake up/naptime)

    Google Calendars for time blocking, batching, alerts

    Airtable for my content + promotion ideas & calendar

    Asana/Trello for project mangement

    Use StayFocus + Momentum Chrome Extension

    BeFocused App ( It's a Pomodoro Technique Timer)

    One Big Thing App

    Canva for graphics

    Buffer for social media

    Turn off notifications on my mac-air and use 'do not disturb' on my phone

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    Guest Aman Ahuja

    Posted

    Great post+pictures! I've become a fan of iPad Pro myself.

    I would add:

    1. Quick online photo-editing with picmonkey.com

    2. Pocket for saving and sorting articles

    3. Snagit for screenshot

    Question: Which app do you use in your iPad for drawings and making sure they sync on the cloud to avoid the fear of losing them?

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    Guest Zohara Binah

    Posted

    Hi Neville!

    I loved this..I'm just starting out as copywriter and this list was super helpful. I use OneNote like a lot and I will def try all your suggestions! Thanks

    Link to comment

    Great article. I may ditch Microsoft Office in favour of Google Docs. Also loved the tip to edit websites and the way you use Siri as well as the google drawing. Thank you for sharing!

    I got laser eye surgery earlier this year. Game changer after wearing contact lenses for nearsightedness for over 10 years. Think about all the time, trouble and cognitive load over a year; buying lenses, making sure you have lenses on you in case one falls out, putting on and taking off everyday etc etc : ).

    I also use brain.fm and find it extremely useful.

    Recently I've been experimenting with the "Block & Focus" chrome extension which allows you to set Pomodoro style work/rest timers and choose which websites to block during your work times.

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    Guest Norman Haase

    Posted

    Jason, is that limited to 30 seconds of voice recording before it cuts you off to upload what you've said? I haven't found an app for my iPod Touch that doesn't require you to tap on the microphone logo to continue for an additional 30 seconds with voice-to-text. It's very annoying.
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    Guest Serge Rehem

    Posted

    I use http://txt2ppt.appspot.com to create Video Sales Letter powerpoint slides.

    This is a 100% free tool I developed. You can create your sales letter using Google Docs or any text editor, paste the text in txt2ppt.appspot.com and click Generate PPT do download your slides.

    After that, I use https://screencast-o-matic.com to record my slidecast (with my Blue Yetti USB mic), and some video editor (Sony Vegas, DaVinci Resolve) to make the final edition.

    Best regards,

    Serge Rehem

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    Guest Tavleen

    Posted

    What a list! Including the ones suggested in the comment section.

    Two of my secret (no more) copywriting tools:

    - NevBlog

    - KopywritingKourse T-Shirt :D ;) (kidding)

    Lemme me add my (1) headline swipe file and (2) story deck

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    I iz alwayz confused... 2 main google accounts, 4 yahoo, 1 outlook and then there are the other "productivity" tools...

    Asana.com

    Trello.com

    FreedCamp.com << I like

    The there is the real nerdy one...

    Podio.com

    What have I done?

    More will get sucked into TMT Syndrome!

    (TMT= Too Many Tools)

    Link to comment

    Oh no... more for you... as I'm a closet SEO, can't tell you who I work for as I would have to erase the internet...

    Here are some research tools for topical ideas and keywords - BTW from an SEO viewpoint, don't obsess on specific keywords - Remember "Things" not "Stings (keywords)" - The big G can "understand" what your writing about, it just wants focused quality answers or information, add in some good old mind-control (e.g. great answers that lead onto good sales copy) and you have a win-win situation.

    http://answerthepublic.com/ < love this for ideas on article topics or for targeting ad campaigns

    http://keywordtool.io/ < get lists of search terms that people are actually typing in based around a seed keyword.

    Copywriting... sorry! I mean Kopywriting and SEO should be a hand-in-hand process. If you are spending all that time writing stuff, aim it at people who are actively looking for answers to the problems your "thing" can solve.

    Cheers

    Nick

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    Guest Katz Yair

    Posted

    HemingwayApp improved my writing tremendously. Helps me write shorter sentences, and straight to the point. Thumbs up.
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    Guest Matt Graham

    Posted

    Google Keep let's you write on colored "sticky notes" and arrange them.

    Easily one of my most used apps. I just brain dump everything in a sticky note there.

    Link to comment

    Hi Nev,

    Thanks. Your post had some great straight-forward and actionable tips. Also got some gold from some of the comments too. What a great community you've created.

    My comment is related to earplugs. I'm interested in giving these a try.

    Supposedly they work heaps better than the standard earplugs since they can attenuate a greater range of frequencies.

    Has anyone tried these?

    Link to comment

    Hey Neville, nice tools..

    These are some that I find super useful:

    - Hemingway App to make sure my grammar and style doesn't go out of hand

    - Workflowy to organise ideas, links, inspiration, scheduling etc

    - Trello as an experiment design board for my content efforts

    - Canva for easy-to-make designs

    - I also review your kopykourse from time to time for inspiration

    - Evernote to keep a swipe file

    - Buzzsumo for content ideas

    - The almighty AIDA/4Ps formulas to organize my writing <-- Thanks to you!!

    - Instapages for easy-to-make landing pages

    - Rescuetime to see what I'm wasting time on

    - web.mention.io to stay on track of company mentions

    Link to comment
    Guest MamaRed

    Posted

    Hey there Nick...sticky notes and such are great (as already mentioned). That's the basic structural approach behind Scrivener. The ability to throw "pieces" together, move them around, rearrange. It does have a learning curve (that I'm still working through). It was originally created for novelists (which I'm definitely NOT!) and I've found that it has some great features for non-fiction writers (which I definitely AM).

    It isn't free, and is very inexpensive. Have you checked it out to see if it might help you do what you mention?

    Hugs&Blessings. MamaRed.

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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Great list Esther! Maybe shirt-worthy comment :)

    Only thing I haven't heard much about on there is Workflowy.....might try out the Chrome Extension thanks to your recommendation!

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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Seen em....haven't seen any working prototypes in the real-world that are really great. Ear plugs for now are easier (and CURRENTLY available)!
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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Great recs Nicks! I like the layout of AnswerThePublic......great for jogging the brain. Bookmarked!

    I use KeywordTool.io sometimes. Normally I just use Ahrefs and the Google Keyword Tool instead.

    But yes, SEO and good kopywriting are definitely skills that when learned together can really dominate!

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Awww thanks Tavleen, glad I'm the "tool" you use for kopywriting :-)
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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    I generally use Camtasia for all my screen casts, but that one looks super easy to use, thank you Serge!
    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Oh cool, another OneNote user! Most people have no clue what it is :)
    Link to comment



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