14 apps that will make content creation a breeze

Hey, you! And if you’re new, HELLO!! We’re more than half way to 1,000 readers!!

Coming to you today from not-so-sunny Florida with the biggest iced coffee in hand. If you’re a coffee lover, you must try the Toasted Marshmellow Nutpods. I am addicted.

Before we get into possibly my favorite newsletter of the two i’ve put out (lololol), I want to thank those who have taken the time to write back. This has really become something I enjoy and look forward to every week and you are a HUGE reason as to why.

So, TLDR is: don’t stop plz. Feedback, thoughts, questions are all welcome so don’t hesitate and only help me create content suited for you. Also if you missed newsletter #2, you can read it right here.

Before, we get into it, this edition of No Filter is brought to you my a company that I have used since 2021 so it feels kind of surreal to say that today’s newsletter is proudly brought to you by my friends at Air, the only content organization platform I have used to years. You can see a case study I did here! I broke down the why behind Air in my creative process with clients below.

Shane, Ari, and the team also just released the coolest manifesto called “Space to Breathe”, which outlines the future of creative work and why (!! ) it’s important to be creative. I’ve been reading it and staring (it looks dope on my coffee table) non-stop because it has awesome insights into current market dynamics around content management, the current trends that shape how brands like Sweetgreen have been able approach visual content, and more.

My biggest takeaway? If you want a solid social and media presence, you need systems that allow your team to be able to take time to dive into their mind, not be heads down in their keyboards 24/7 clicking and clacking. Sooo, do yourself and start 2024 organized alongside brands like Soundcloud, Sweetgreen and many more.

With that said, I have a gift for y’all. Get a free copy when you sign up to chat with them now. Name a more fun demo. You can’t.

Ok, now grab your notebooks and favorite pen (we all have one right???) because this one is juicy.

Today’s newsletter is going to cover literally one thing:

1. The apps and tech platforms that have allowed me to scale my content creation, get better at organization + comms, become a better writer, and more. These apps are responsible for over 2,000+ pieces of content in the last 3+ years. I feel crazy even writing that.
   

   No Filter Note: An app cannot save you. It is your output + having the right team + the help of these platforms.

The Tech Stack for Content Creation

Making Content:

• Ever wondered “how the heck do I get rid of watermarks?”. Well, you do it with Snaptik for Tiktok videos and SnapInsta for all Instagram content.

• Sick of missing content you’re missed in or want to track a gifting campaign? Archive allows you to pretty much collect content while you sleep. At it’s core, it’s an Al-powered platform for social listening and UGC management. There’s literally nothing worse than asking a big creator to resend you content because you missed the tag on their Instagram Story.

• Become a meme master with tools like Mematic (I use the phone app!) Yes, I love memes. Yes, I think they can be used correctly in a strategy.

• Out of concepts for Tiktok? Use the easy templates on Capcut or if you need a quick editing tool, it’s foolproof.

• Become a better and simpler writer with Hemingway. If a drunk person can’t understand what you’re saying, it’s too confusing. Hemingway will basically say “hey, make sure a 5th grader can read this!”

• Need Inspo? Look outside of your niche on Instagram, Tiktok, and other platforms. Vary your consumption and be mindful in how much you consume. The more you consume, the more you look like everyone else. I truthfully am always trying to get better at this.

Content Management + Planning

• I know not everyone loves project management tools. When it comes to keeping your team on track and allowing visibility across what’s going on, especially if you have a biz where content affects all channels such as social, email, editorial, etc. You should look into the following: Asana or Notion. I personally use Asana for myself and for clients, but everyone is very different, but Asana is more user-friendly IMO.

  • I like using Asana for my content calendar as well with their easy calendar format. This also allows me to work cross-functionally with my designer, content creators to track the progress on certain pieces of content, or people in other departments.

  • Creating on a very small budget? Good ol’ Google Suite to the rescue. I have had my days of building out calendars in Google Sheets and although, it’s not the best, it can get the job done.

• When it comes to scheduling out your content, I have always been a Sprout Social stan. I first started using it in 2018 and yes, I do think it’s an investment especially these days. They do have a few bumps in their systems tbh, but when it comes to scheduling, competitive reporting, social reporting, being able to handle community interactions, and more, they are the best IMO. However, you can also look into apps like Later, which I have also dabbled with!

Social Listening:

• Want to know where you’re being spoken about and by who? I learned about Brand24 in 2023 from my friend, Zawaar. Brand24 basically uses AI to aggregate mentions across social media, news, blogs, videos, forums, podcasts, reviews, and more. You can add in any keyword or your brand name and it’ll show influencers who have mentioned you (love this for finding new potential creators to work with!), reddit threads, articles that might appeal to your company (ex. if you’re science-backed), press articles your PR team may have missed and more. It’s really helpful for community managers I have worked with to see where else we can play and integrate ourselves online.

  • Sprout Social also has a social listening tool. I haven’t personally used it, but if you’re on a higher tier plan you can use it.

  • Similarly, Archive also does it, but not on the level of Brand24 as it’s more social media oriented (stories, in-feed posts).

Content Organization + Communication

• Communication is so important when it comes to working on a team whether you’re a consultant (like me!) or full-time. I love using apps like Loom to screen-record and talk through either a problem I am facing, feedback I want to deliver, or walking through a creative project or decks. Plus, it just saves like 1,000,000 slacks back and forth.

  • P.S. Did you know you can see how many slacks you have sent in your lifetime? Yeah, i didn’t want to know it either.

• If you’re a brand who works with tons of external partners (think: agencies, content creators, designers, etc.), you need a centralized place to put all the pieces of content that you’re receiving AND creating. That’s where Air comes in. You read my obsession, but now let me tell you why i personally love it as both a consultant/freelancer/whatever you want to call me and someone who works day to day with external partners. TLDR: Everything you hate about Google Drive and Dropbox, they have found a way to automate and you can literally start for free here.

  • Work with External Teams without a headache. You create public boards to allow guests (ex. content creators) to upload directly to your workspace so that that one piece of content you really needed never gets lost in your inbox. Leave comments, discuss, and make selects in context, blah blah, you get the gist. Job done? Expire the link to remove access to avoid anyone playing in there. This has literally saved by life on clients like Graza and Honey Mama’s as I manage upwards of 8-10+ creators a month who have to hand in photos, videos, and more.

  • Work async, right on the content itself. Custom fields allow you to structure any process your workflow requires, including making selects if you’re a brand producing A LOT of #content. Is there anything better than knowing that you’re keeping your entire team on the same page. You can practically make selects in your sleep. You can even find approved assets instantly by searching your workspace by any custom field value — filter your entire library to see only your best assets. Even sort by approval date, if it’s approved for paid. On Graza, this feature comes in handy for paid ad assets from UGC we collected from our community, for emails based around certain culinary moments, and more.

Brand of the Week: OLYRA

TBH Olyra is one of the most underrated brands on a supermarket shelf. I can’t stop eating these. I keep clearing a box every 4 days. Every time I am at Expo, I am the one hounding these, particularly their sandwich cookies.You can find them at Whole Foods, on Amazon and at other various retailers. The Hazelnut is ultimate my weakness. Whether to have as a little sweet treat before bed or mid-day pick-me-up, there’s just something about the ratio of biscuit to filling that scratches a certain part in my brain and makes me smile. If you’re a chocolate lover, please trust me and get yourself a box or 5 before i make my way around the country and buy them all.

That’s a wrap for this week!

Thank you SO much for reading. If you liked it, I would love to learn more about you and what you would love to see or what questions you would love answered from this weekly newsletter so hit the reply button and shoot one back.

Also, if you have a friend or coworker who you think would love to join the part, just shoot them this link 🙂 https://kendalldickieson.beehiiv.com/subscribe

See you on the flip side.

-KD

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