10 Top Tools You Need to Be a Social Media Content Creator

Social Media is a big part of most people’s lives, and it should be a big part of your business as well. Many brands are taking advantage of what social media has to offer. Everyone is getting on TikTok or building their Instagram profiles, and interacting with their audiences on Twitter. Creating content for social media for some people is easy. But if you’re just starting to create content, it may not be that easy. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Creating engaging social media content starts with having the right tools. In this article, I’ll share with you 10 Top Tools You Need to Be a Social Media Content Creator.

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What is a social media content creator?

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve spent some time on social media and have probably noticed that there are lots of people out there making money by creating content for their followers. The exact nature of these people can be confusing because they go by many names: influencers, bloggers, vloggers, etc. But in order to make sense of it all, we have to ask ourselves one big question: What is a social media content creator?

There are many different types of people that fall under this title. Anyone who is paid to create content for an audience can be considered a social media content creator; this includes bloggers (like me), Instagram models, makeup artists, and even comedians. They all create optimized posts that get more engagement than other kinds of content—which means advertisers want them as spokespeople for their brands—and they’re willing to pay for it.

10 Top Tools for Social Media Content Creators

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1. A smartphone or tablet

I know this is going to seem pretty obvious, but you’re going to need a smartphone or tablet to be a social media content creator. Using a phone or tablet makes life so much easier because you can record videos and take photos at any time, and edit photos and videos on the go. You can also use it to manage your social media accounts and research topics that might be relevant for upcoming posts. I have a Samsung S22 and I absolutely love the quality of the pictures and videos.

2. Camera

A camera is the most essential tool you can use in order to create excellent social media content. There are several different types of cameras that you can choose from, but it’s best to start with a point-and-shoot one as a beginner: they’re easy and convenient, and will help you learn what kind of equipment works for your needs.

As time goes on and your skills improve, consider upgrading to a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera in order to take professional quality photos—these are more expensive than point-and-shoot models but have better image quality, interchangeable lenses, and other features that make them more versatile in different lighting conditions or settings.

3. Photo and video editing software

Photography and videography is a huge part of the social media content creator’s job description. You need to be posting photos that are high quality and engaging—but you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on software to do it! These four tools will help you make your photos look amazing without breaking the bank.

• VSCO: An all-in-one photo editing app that allows you to quickly edit photos, apply filters and create collages.
• Snapseed: A free mobile app that lets users enhance their pictures with various features such as selective focus, crop, exposure correction and more.
• Camera +: A free photography app for the iPhone that includes various manual settings for professional photographers looking for a great camera experience on their phone.
• CapCut: A video editing app that allows you to add text, music, transitions and more!

4. A laptop

A laptop is the most essential piece of equipment you can have as a social media content creator.

It’s small and portable, so you can take it with you wherever your job takes you (which is probably everywhere). It also offers an enormous amount of power at an affordable price point—and it comes with a keyboard, which is critical for writing down ideas and organizing your thoughts.

If you’re just starting out, a Windows or macOS laptop will work just fine. But if you’re planning on getting serious about creating social media content at some point, I recommend getting a Macbook Pro or MacBook Air 13-inch model—they’ll last longer and come with apps like iMovie, Garage Band, etc. If those options aren’t in your budget right now though, don’t worry: there are plenty of other excellent choices out there.

5. Ring light

Ring lights are a must-have for anyone who wants to take selfies and videos at home. They’re super easy to use, inexpensive and can be used with any camera you have. Ring lights are portable, easy to set up, and work great for all types of content creation—especially when you need professional lighting or want to look like a celebrity on Instagram!

6. A tripod and other accessories

You definitely need a tripod for content creation. If you’re shooting on a surface like grass or sand, it’ll help stabilize your phone to keep your shots steady. Tripods are also useful for shooting in low light conditions (like indoors), as it will allow you to use longer shutter speeds that capture more light and reduce noise in the resulting shot.

If you want even more control over your shoot, consider picking up some accessories like a microphone and remote so that you can add sound effects without having to resort to overdubbing later on. For instance, I love this Rode VideoMic because it’s compact and easy to use while still providing excellent audio quality.

Finally, if all of this sounds like too much work—or if your subject won’t stay still long enough for long exposures—you can always try drone photography!

7. A strong internet connection.

These days you can’t do much without the internet, and that includes creating content. You’ll need to be able to upload content, download content, and access the internet itself. It’s also helpful if you can access social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter in order to share your best work with the world.

8. Social media management tool

Social media management tools are essential for content creators, as they allow you to schedule your posts, track engagement and manage multiple accounts.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a social media management tool in your toolkit. Scheduling posts means that you don’t have to worry about when to post them, since the tool will take care of it for you. This allows you to focus on other aspects of content creation such as creating graphics and stories with relevant hashtags.

To top off all those benefits, some platforms offer analytics for tracking your post-performance over time and comparing against competitors or industry benchmarks so that even if you hire someone else to outsource their job of posting on social media channels; they would still need access through one platform (for example Buffer) in order to not only upload but also schedule posts across multiple platforms.

9. Canva

Canva is a free tool that allows you to create graphic designs for social media posts, blog posts, presentations, and so much more!

There are so many options for font selection, color choices, and image styles that you really don’t need to know much about design to get started with using Canva. All you have to do is pick the template or image that best fits your needs (or create your own from scratch) then fill in the blanks with paragraphs or bullet points. You can also add filters if necessary so everything looks consistent across all platforms–and voila! You have yourself a highly-shareable post!

10. Organization tools (Trello, Airtable, etc.)

As a social media content creator, you’re going to need some organizational tools. You can’t just wing it—you need to be able to keep track of all your projects, clients, and deadlines. There are tons of options out there for project management software, but here are three that I love:

• Trello is great because it’s easily accessible on any device and has a clean interface.
• AirTable is more robust than Trello, but still easy enough for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
• Google Drive gives you access to all your files even when you’re offline (which is important if you don’t have reliable internet).

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed reading 10 Top Tools You Need to Be a Social Media Content Creator. Becoming a social media content creator can be a lot of fun because it lets you use your creativity to your fullest potential. If you’re still unsure about posting on social media check out 7 Amazing Benefits of Social Media Marketing. Everyone creates content every day and as a business owner, it is important to take advantage of this as free advertising. And because almost everyone is a content creator now, it’s more important than ever to leverage your skills and talent and make the most of it.

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