Maya, Brand Building Expert
To people outside of the marketing world, content creation for social media seems simple.
But you and I both know that isn’t always the case.
As a virtual marketing assistant, I know how much work goes into creating beautiful, high-quality images. Thankfully, if you aren’t a graphic designer, there are plenty of tools (many of them free) that make designing and editing picture-perfect content a breeze.
Since I’m no gatekeeper, I’m here to share the best design and editing tools you absolutely need to put in your digital marketing toolbox as an eCommerce seller right now!
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Canva
Canva is, without a doubt, the most popular content creation tool today, and for a good reason.
Even if you have little to no design knowledge, you can still create incredibly aesthetically-pleasing pieces of content in just a few steps using the library of available templates. You can create anything from blog posts, social media graphics, and ads, to videos in a matter of seconds! Customizing your designs is super straightforward, and you can either use Canva’s existing elements or add your own for a unique touch!
If you only have a fundamental level of design knowledge, but you want to produce eye-grabbing designs, you’ll love working with Canva.
Pros
Little-to-no design knowledge needed
Budget-friendly: Free and paid plans
Variety of templates and elements
Share on social media and other platforms
Cons
Cannot download Raw file
Free version is limited
Cannot move one design to another
Cannot create unique elements
VistaCreate (Formally Crello)
VistaCreate is similar to, but a more advanced version of Canva in that it’s a content creation tool that allows you to create visually appealing videos, graphics for social media, animations, and other designs with a wide range of templates.
However, VistaCreate is for people who have a bit more design experience and want better variety in their content. It’s best for small business owners, social media marketers, bloggers, and other professionals who want to create daily content without spending a large budget.
Pros
Fully customizable with a drag-and-drop feature
Massive library of over 50K static and animated templates, video and audio files, and over 200M royalty-free stock images.
Free and paid plans
Can invite team members
Cons
Limited number of downloads in the free version
Limited video-editing capabilities
Powtoon
If you don’t want to drain your marketing budget, but you want to create fantastic video content that hits the mark, you absolutely must take advantage of Powtoon.
Powtoon is for small business owners who want to produce high-quality video content for presentations, marketing, training, and more.
Pros
Straight-forward, user-friendly design and editing tool
Multiple export options
Highly-customized animation capabilities
Cons
Locked features for non-paying users
Limited music library
Animoto
If you need a simple, easy-to-use video content design tool, Animoto is an excellent solution! In the blink of an eye, you can design videos with their ready-to-use templates or customize your own that are perfect to put on your e-Commerce website or to use for promos.
Pros
Inexpensive paid plans
Drag-and-drop features
Variety of templates
Cons
Free version has their branding
No undo tool
Limited editing features - lack of user-control
Creatopy (Formally BannerSnack)
Creatopy is a life-saver if you want to create eye-catching ads but have limited design knowledge. It’s the perfect tool for designing and editing social media ads, banner ads, and video content for your e-Commerce website and blogs.
Pros
Tiered pricing allows you to choose a plan that works for your needs
Can embed banners to your website
User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop features
High-quality, HTML ads
Cost-efficient
Cons
Free plan is basic, with limited functions
Free plans include a watermark
Limited design tools
To Sum It Up
Regardless of if you are looking to design content for social media, produce eye-grabbing video ads, or if you want to create the perfect product images for your website, these design tools are invaluable tools to make it happen!If you need help deciding which tool is perfect for you, or if you want someone to take the weight of content creation off your shoulders, get in touch!