9 Must-Have Tools for Freelance Copywriters
As a sustainability copywriter, there are many tools I use daily to keep my business going and my client’s happy. A lot goes behind a good piece of copy, and today I wanted to share some of the tools that help me craft great copy and manage my business.
Whether you’re a copywriter or a business owner trying to write your own copy, these are set to help you succeed.
I’ve tried and tested many tools as a freelance copywriter and these have stood out to me as the best out there. I’m only sharing the ones I’ve been using for a while and have exceeded my expectations.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I only share about companies that I have tried and truly believe in.
SEO & Research Tools
My latest obsession… RankingGap. There simply isn’t another tool like this one. I use it to create the most effective content marketing strategies. And this tool is king at what it does.
So what does it do exactly? It allows you to compare your (or your client’s) website with main competitors. It then gives you a detailed analysis of what keywords your competitors are ranking for, unique keywords you’re ranking for, content gaps, and a lot more.
Why do I love it?
There are many things I love about RankingGap, but some of the top qualities are finding content gaps and competitors. First, if you’re struggling to find who your competitors are in the first place, RankingGap has you covered. One of their functions lets you type a URL and gives you a list of competitors.
Then, you can take your competitors and compare them directly with your website. In the results you’ll get 4 main analyses:
Common keywords: these are the keywords both your website and your competitors are ranking for.
Missing keywords: the ones all your competitors are ranking for and you aren’t.
Gap: Keywords some of your competitors are targeting and ranking for that you aren’t. This information is highly valuable for strategic SEO. It lets you identify and target keywords you’re lacking in your website, and create relevant content out of it.
Unique keywords: the ones you’re ranking for and your competitors aren’t.
With every single keyword, you get all the juicy insights you need too. This means you get the exact ranking you and your competitors have for each keyword, search volume, SEO difficulty, SERP features, and more.
All the information is presented in a comparative table that’s super easy to understand and navigate.
RankingGap is the true definition of working smarter not harder. Check them out!
2. Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is an SEO tool created by Neil Patel. It helps you find SEO issues on your website, do keyword research, see your organic traffic, and more. It’s great if you’re starting since it’s super user-friendly and has a free version.
Why do I love it?
The main reason I use Ubersuggest is the SEO audits. It’s super easy to track progress on your website’s SEO with this tool. It gives you very specific instructions to help you fix issues and a graph with organic traffic growth.
Also, Neil Patel has a great website with tons of information on SEO and how to make the best out of Ubersuggest. I highly recommend going through the content and taking the time to truly understand this tool as he gives great insight into it.
3. Prepostseo Plagiarism Checker
If you’re writing content that will be posted online, doing a plagiarism check is essential for absolutely everything you post. Since so much content is created every day, even if you wrote everything yourself, you can plagiarize content unintentionally.
A plagiarism checker helps you make sure all your content is original. Posting content on your website with high plagiarism deeply hurts your SEO and can be penalized by Google.
Why do I love it?
It’s easy to use and free for up to 1,500 words per query (if you make an account). Plus, it gives you the exact link to where the plagiarised content is, so you can compare the texts. They also have lots of SEO tools to work with!
4. Hemingway App
SEO is not only about backend stuff and posting lots of content. The things you’re posting online must be well written, easy to understand, and skimmable. And Hemingway App is the perfect tool for that.
In this app, you simply paste your written content and it’ll tell you what needs better phrasing.
Why do I love it?
Because it’s a simple yet effective tool to give your writing a quality boost. The app points out passive voice, hard-to-read sentences, complex words, and more. It’s the perfect tool to learn how to say more with less— which is necessary for online content.
Plus, it’s free ;).
The Best Email Marketing Tool
5. Flo Desk
Flodesk is my favorite and the fastest-growing email marketing platform. I have used quite a few with both client work and my attempts to create and grow an email list and Flo Desk takes the premium spot for me.
They offer everything you need for email marketing on a user-friendly, motivating platform you’re going to fall in love with.
Why do I love it?
Flo Desk has a minimalist feel to it that speaks to me. It’s SO easy to use and integrate with your website. The email designs are simple yet stunning— and of course, highly converting. The branding matches my brand perfectly and I truly believe it gives you the most value for your money.
On the technical side of things, keeping track of email analytics it’s a breeze. They give you beautiful and easy-to-understand graphs with everything you need to know. This includes open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe percentages, and more. All without any overwhelm.
Another big plus is their Flo Desk Academy which is filled with top-notch, actionable tips to boost your email marketing game. And on top of it, it’s super affordable compared to most platforms.
Affordable and effective. What else do you need? Snatch a 50% off your subscription with my affiliate link. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments!
My Business + Client Management
6. Dubsado
Dubsado is my absolute favorite CRM. I use it to send proposals, contracts, schedule calls, email reminders, and more. They’re truly a one-in-all and give you everything you need in one place.
Why do I love it?
One of the main reasons I love Dubsado is their incredible support. It can be a bit overwhelming navigating through the platform for the first time… BUT, they make a great effort to make this process as painless as possible.
They offer a 1:1 walk-through to answer any question you might have and to teach you how to make the best use of their platform. Every single time I have an issue or question, someone answers within an hour.
I’ve created branded templates for proposals and contracts, workflows, canned emails, and so much more. Every time I get a new client, I spend almost no time on proposals and contracts. The smart fields saved on them update the information for every client, so I don’t have to.
Get a 20% off your first month or year using my affiliate link!
7. Squarespace
A website is essential if you’re trying to build a sustainable freelance career (or any business). Most of my clients have come from organic traffic— plus it’s the place to show your expertise.
After having a website on WordPress… and crying on my laptop for months without being able to figure out what to do anywhere on the site… Squarespace saved me. It’s easy to use, fast and has beautiful templates you can simply update with your color, logos, and information.
Save the tears for something other than building a website.
Why do I love it?
As you can tell, I love user-friendly tools. It makes life easier and I’m all about saving time and tears. Squarespace is also affordable and makes your site look super professional. It pays off. You can also integrate a store to sell products on your site and they offer an email marketing integration to promote your products. And the benefits of Squarespace keep growing as the company does. Highly recommended!
My Favorite Productivity Tools
8. Pomodoro Timer
This is a well-known productivity tool and as many other people do— I swear by it. It’s so effective. For me, it has kind of the effect going to the gym has. When I get to the gym my body knows is time to move, the same way as when I turn the timer on, my mind knows it’s time to focus.
The way it works is, you work in 25-minute segments. Start the timer and focus on 1 task only for those 25 minutes. When the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break and then start the timer again. After two or three 25-minute segments, take a 10-20 minute break. Then start all over again.
Why do I love it?
Because it’s simple, free, and super effective. I have tried every productivity tip out there. All kinds of apps, tools, and agendas. Truth is, most of them distract me more than they help me.
But not my Pomodoro timer. It’s effective, easy to use, and you don’t have to do anything other than press start and get to work.
9. Meditation and Sound Therapy
Copywriting and marketing, in my opinion, are about creativity just as much as skill. Of course, a base knowledge of both is necessary, but creativity is what makes it stand out. And I’m all about channeling that creativity and applying it to my work.
To keep my creative juices flowing, meditation and sound healing are an essential part of my routine. They help me get clear on ideas and projects and stay calm and relaxed during my workday— even if I have timelines I’m behind on.
Why do I love it?
I have seen such a difference in my work, mindset, and mood since I started meditating regularly. I’m way more productive now that I use these tools. And way more creative too. Success doesn’t come only from ‘doing doing doing’. Rest is just as important.
Giving my mind a break is helping me boost the quality of my work.
You can listen to some of my sound healing work here.