Author: Christopher Jan Benitez

ContentStudio Review: The Swiss Army Knife Of Social Media Tools
Fact: Content marketing can be challenging. While it’s lucrative and promising, it can cause you to flip tables out of frustration and go all over the place.

So, this is for bloggers, owners of online businesses, and anyone who wants to step up their content marketing game.

In this ContentStudio review, let’s discuss ContentStudio and find out whether it is the ultimate social media marketing tool that it claims to be. We’ll dig into its features, pricing, pros and cons, and my verdict on it. We’ll also take it out for a spin and walk through a step-by-step process on how to use it.

Let’s jump into it!
Table of Contents
[Open][Close]
What is ContentStudio?
Features
Discover
Content Discovery Feature
Influencer Discovery
Publish
Composer
Approval workflow
Assistant
Comments
SEO (blog posts only)
Planner
Automation
Analyze
Inbox
Additional features
How to Use ContentStudio
Step # 1 – Create a workspace
Step # 2 – Discover influencers, content insights, and new content
Articles Published Over Time & Engagement
Articles Published Over Time and Sentiment
Average Engagement by Network
Step # 3 – Connect accounts
Step # 4 – Compose a post
Step # 5 – Invite team members
Step # 6 – Analyze
ContentStudio Pricing
Pro
Small
Medium
Large
Enterprise
ContentStudio Review: Pros and Cons
ContentStudio Reviews
What is ContentStudio?

ContentStudio was founded by Waqar Azeem, a world-class digital marketer, in 2018.

It’s a cloud-based content marketing solution that primarily works as a social media management tool. Its concept lets you work more effectively as you manage all your content in one place.

It kicks things off by prompting you to create workspaces — with the ability to work closely with team members. And regardless of whether you’re a part of agencies and startups or flying solo, you can enjoy this powerful tool.

INTERFACE

The commands and navigation menu are incorporated clearly. As a result, ContentStudio offers no distractions.

USEFULNESS

This automation tool performs very well. The Assistant feature is handy, too.

USABILITY

ContentStudio distributes your content across multiple social media accounts. Additional integrations would be better.

EFFECTIVENESS

The tool lives up to expectations. When it says it can help you with content curation and social media management, it delivers.

Features

The reason ContentStudio works seamlessly is the suite of products behind it. Use the suite well and you’re about to elevate your marketing.

What the products can do for you are:

Discover

It unearths everything you need to make your content more powerful. You can get your hands on the best content and influencers out there.

Content Discovery Feature

This is where you can easily research top-performing content in your niche. All you need is a keyword or domain name to get the flow going.

What makes this feature so unique? ContentStudio crawls over 4,000,000 domains to find the best and most relevant content for you. Plus, a vast search comes with an incredible content variety.

And as if this isn’t enough, you can also add your own source. If you have an RSS feed of a website or blog that you want to keep tabs on, you can add it as a source.

Influencer Discovery

It lets you identify the right people who can amplify your content’s reach. This includes pioneers and key influencers in your niche.

It is useful because it gives you a peek at an influencer’s following. You will see their number of followers and their engagement level.

Here’s a sample image I took when using this feature:

Publish

This feature introduces tools that allow you to publish content better. You’re granted better control of all the unlimited social posts you can create here.

Composer

Here, you can create, collaborate (with teams and clients), and distribute content. For example, what you can compose is a social media post or blog post.

It also prompts you when you want your post to be published. The more familiar options are Post Now and (save as) Draft. You can also Schedule your post, Add to Queue, and Add to Content Category.

And before you publish your post, you should specify whether you want it to be distributed repeatedly. If you do, the tool will automate the repeat process for you.

Approval workflow

The Composer is also equipped with a feature-rich approval workflow. The approval workflow permits every team member to customize the content’s structure.

When you tag a post as “Needs Approval,” that post doesn’t leave ContentStudio until a team member approves it. This feature helps grant the freedom to each team member to create a post for a higher-level member to give their green light.

Here is a screenshot of an approval workflow when I was creating a social media post:

And here is a screenshot of an approval workflow for a blog post:

Some of the Composer’s most useful sidebar features are:

Assistant

This helps you easily locate the content you want to include in your post. As a result, you can save time and keep your focus while “your assistant” hustles on your behalf.

To use this feature, enter a search term and specify the channel you want to look into. The list of channels includes YouTube, Dailymotion, and Twitter.

Comments

This lets you add comments to posts. With comments, you can leave notes and end up collaborating with your team better.

SEO (blog posts only)

The SEO Toolbox can guide you as you create SEO-friendly content. This feature is straightforward. Once you load it up, you’ll immediately notice your content’s page score.

Are you familiar with a popular WordPress plugin, Yoast? That plugin also helps create SEO-friendly content. So, if you can understand how Yoast works, you’d have no trouble using this ContentStudio feature.

To use it, type in a target keyword. Then, read through the notes to determine areas in a post that needs improvement.

Planner

This is where you can visualize and monitor the content that goes into your blog and social media accounts. It’s useful for helping you handle your account from a long-term perspective. For one, it can help you identify the kinds of content that you’ve already posted.

Also, it comes with powerful filters and list and calendar views. With these filters and view options, you can decide which planner entry you want to see — and how.

Here is a screenshot (in calendar view) of the feature:

Automation

This is where you can auto-fill channels using Automation Recipes. Go through a four-step process to begin.

And as the default setting goes, you can use seven Automation Recipes. These recipes can assist you as you repurpose readily available quality content.

Analyze

This feature lets you analyze posts based on the social media accounts that you connected to ContentStudio. Here, you can determine the total number of shares, reactions, and more. You can also look at the overall performance of your posts.

You can also access the Reports Hub here. It’s where you can view the engagements for the posts you published.

Inbox

This is ContentStudio’s new feature. The Social Inbox is unique because it gives you better control of all the exchanges across all social channels.

It comes with various filters so you can easily segregate conversations. For example, you can segregate conversations based on their status or go through each conversation by channel.

Additional features

Another impressive aspect of ContentStudio? The team behind it addresses customers’ feedback.

The team listens. And as a result, it loaded up the tool with features based on what customers were asking.

How to Use ContentStudio

To use ContentStudio, create an account (or sign in to an existing one).

Then, proceed to the following steps:

Step # 1 – Create a workspace

Specify a workspace name and slug for a project. Choose an appropriate time zone and workspace logo, too.

Want to create multiple workspaces? Your desire to do so isn’t impossible to understand.

The tool’s pack of features can lessen the load if you have multiple projects and clients to watch over. However, you still might get lost because it comes with various features.

So, here’s a tip. Start with one workspace to get a feel of the tool. Then, you can easily add more workspaces only after you get the hang of using ContentStudio.

Step # 2 – Discover influencers, content insights, and new content

You can get inside ContentStudio and access the tool’s dashboard with a workspace. There, you can use its core features.

Launch the tool’s DISCOVER feature to begin the simple process of creating and publishing a social media post. Under it, fire up the Influencers section to determine the people who can help you out.

You can reach out to these influencers later on (once your content is ready). Or you can take inspiration from the content they post and how they engage with others. You can also check out how they run their account.

Under DISCOVER, you can also load content and search for relevant content using a keyword.

Here’s an example. Based on the search term “productivity,” here’s a glimpse of the results:

This is also where you can discover key insights (through graphs and charts) on the top-performing content. You can then review this information to understand the content that will be most impactful to your target.

Examples of content insights that you should look into are:

Articles Published Over Time & Engagement

This refers to the number of published articles and their engagement levels. With these data, you can determine the piece with which people will be most involved.

Articles Published Over Time and Sentiment

This refers to people’s sentiments or how people feel about a particular piece of content. You can use this data to use people’s sentiments as the basis for the direction of your post.

Let’s say the majority’s sentiment over content is negative. Therefore, you should consider creating different content.

Average Engagement by Network

This singles out the engagement levels of the particular kind of articles posted on specific networks. Based on the information you gather, you can get a clue about the networks that are more responsive to the articles you’re about to compose.

Step # 3 – Connect accounts

You can explore ContentStudio as much as you want. However, you can’t maximize the results unless you connect an account.

So, on the dashboard, click your account’s picture and expand the general settings. This way, you can access the Workspace Settings and Account Settings.

There, expand Social Accounts under Workspace Settings. This will redirect you to a page where you can easily connect your social media accounts.

This is when you should add integrations, too. So far, the tool allows these integrations (featured in the following images):

Step # 4 – Compose a post

Now, hit up Composer. You can find it in the drop-down menu under PUBLISH.

From there, you’ll be asked what you want to compose. Here, choose Social Media Post.

You’ll then be redirected to a window where you can compose your social media post. There, use the sidebar features as you see fit. Then, based on the content insights you gathered earlier, write a post that will be a hit over time or for years to come.

Ready to get going? All you need now is to specify when and how you want to publish your post. And if your post requires the approval of someone in your team, tick the box that says Needs Approval. Then, complete the process by clicking post Now.

Step # 5 – Invite team members

To add team members, access the tool’s general settings. Under Workspace Settings, launch Team Members.

You’ll land on a page where you can click the Add button.

Step # 6 – Analyze

Remember, a way that ContentStudio can give you an edge is by providing useful reports about your post’s performance. So, don’t forget to hit up the ANALYZE section from the dashboard regularly.

Here, you can check out how your post is doing and find out what it can do for your business.

ContentStudio Pricing

ContentStudio offers plans available for businesses of different sizes. The good news is, regardless of which plan you subscribe to, you can save — and get 2 months free — if you pay annually.

Below is a screenshot that can provide you with ContentStudio’s annual pricing structure.

Want to see if it’s the right tool for your business before you officially go on board? Then, sign up for a 14-day free trial.

The process is easy and doesn’t require a credit card. Simply sign up with an email account. Or you could use your social media account.

Pro

Having a single workspace to manage without team members to chip in makes you ideal for this. For example, if you’re a solopreneur, ContentStudio’s Pro plan can accommodate all your needs for $49 per month.

The image below will show you what’s included in the package.

Beyond the features above, the Pro plan also includes:
- Discovery, Publishing & Scheduling features
- Social media and blog posting automation
- Editorial Calendar
Small

Have you assembled a small team of five members? Need about five workspaces to work effectively?

Then this package, for $99 per month, is for you.

The image below will show you what’s included in the package.

Beyond the features above, the Small plan also includes:
- Everything in Pro
- Workflow & Collaboration
Medium

Upgrade to the Medium plan for $199 per month if you want something over five workspaces. With it, you can create up to 10 workspaces and invite 10 team members.

The image below will show you what’s included in the package.

Beyond the features above, the Medium plan also includes:
- Everything in Pro
- Workflow & Collaboration
Large

For $299 per month, ContentStudio’s Large plan will cover the needs of social media companies. It allows you to create up to 20 workspaces and manage 20 team members.

The image below will show you what’s included in the package.

Beyond the features above, the Large plan also includes:
- Everything in Pro
- Workflow & Collaboration
Enterprise

Don’t you think the above plans can suit your business’ size and cater to its needs efficiently? Then, subscribe to ContentStudio’s Enterprise plan.

As to how much cash you will shell out, it’s up to ContentStudio’s team. First, it will evaluate your business, then propose a reasonable price.

ContentStudio Review: Pros and Cons

Like any other product, ContentStudio comes with upsides. And like any other product, some aspects are worth ironing out.

Here are the pros and cons of the tool:

Pro: Automation feature saves resources

Time, energy, and money will be used with ContentStudio’s automation feature. Once your social media accounts or websites are connected, the tool can automate content distribution — like clockwork.

Two ways to play this out? You can compose a post and then schedule it to be published later. Or you can leverage the tool’s automation recipes.

Con: Doesn’t allow direct posting to certain social media channels

If you run lots of social media accounts, you’d be disappointed to know that ContentStudio doesn’t support some of these networks.

For one, there’s Instagram. Considering how it’s one of the most popular social media networks, the tool’s inability to directly post to Instagram is a bummer.

Pro: Assistant feature is a winner

Inarguably, ContentStudio makes curating high-quality content easier. This feature doesn’t require you to open a new tab to look for content.

It acknowledges that searching the internet for the content you want to add to your post isn’t effortless. Instead, it can consume time and mess with your focus.

When you’re in the middle of composing a post, hit up your assistant. Enter a search term, and you’re good to go.

Con: Extra features and integrations could be better

A muting feature would be handy. Since ContentStudio is feature-rich, it can call your attention to non-urgent aspects of the tool.

Its limited allowance for integrations is a concern, too. Integrations with Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks have the green light. The tool has your back if you want to post to blogging networks such as Medium and WordPress.

However, if you want to join forces with your account on Slack or Zapier, you won’t get your way.

Pro: Social Inbox feature makes for flawless collaboration

ContentStudio acknowledges how transparent communication is integral to a marketing team’s success. And with the Social Inbox feature, social media managers will have a much easier time getting each team member on the same page.

It’s a big plus that it comes with search functionality. This way, you won’t have to spend hours looking through your inbox for important details. Instead, you can enter a keyword and then dig through specific conversations.

Con: Commands can be challenging to learn

ContentStudio isn’t for people who lack patience. After all, it takes a lot of time to set up.

You need to key in many answers, and the process isn’t straightforward. For some social media marketers, it cannot be very encouraging.

An example is when you set up a new campaign for the tool’s Automation Recipes.

The good news? Once finished with the setup for these Automation Recipes, you can jump to using the tool seamlessly.

Pro: Reliable 24/7 support

Once you invest in the tool, ContentStudio will invest in you, too. With the tool’s pursuit of regular upgrades, it’s understandable to have concerns at some point.

Fortunately, the staff can support you anytime. You can raise concerns through the website’s contact page or chat with a dedicated client relationship manager.

You can even book a live demo and have one of ContentStudio’s experts show you around. Then, you have nothing to worry about, from account setup to how this social media management platform can help save time and maximize your efforts.

ContentStudio Reviews
ContentStudio Review: Verdict
INTERFACE
USEFULNESS
USABILITY
EFFECTIVENESS
Conclusion
I like how helpful Content Studio is. I also like that it stays true to its claim that it can help create content and manage social media in one place.
It’s an advantage that the people behind the tool are very ambitious. Their consistency in wanting to improve is praiseworthy. In addition, they wanted something that could handle multiple tasks for content creators and social media marketers — so they built one!
The fact that a Chrome Extension is in the works? Huge bonus!
As it is, ContentStudio streamlines the automation process. With how functional the web-based tool is, the promise of a Chrome extension is worth anticipating.
4.6/5
TRY NOW FOR 14 DAYS FREE!
June 28, 2020
Does Guest Posting Still Work? Why Or Why Not?
So, you want to submit a guest post to a highly authoritative website that welcomes millions of monthly visitors. And if what you’re hoping for is for your submission to elevate your own blog’s status, you’re on the right track.

The catch is, you have to pull your weight.

So, we’ll get into what you have to do in this article. Here, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about guest posting. This way, you can get your blog or website to rank on search engines and grow your audience in 2023 and beyond.
Table of Contents
[Open][Close]
What is guest posting?
What are the issues with guest posting?
How to write a guest post that works
What to look for in guest blogging sites
Conclusion
What is guest posting?

Guest posting is posting on websites or blogs as a guest author. While more than most blogs write only five guest posts every month, a small percentage hosts over 100 guest posts.

These webmasters welcome guest posts for traffic generation and other reasons. And most times, their reasons boil down to their need to increase valuable content on their website.

Notice how they include a backlink or link to a guest author’s bio on a host website? Take the image below, for example. When Backlinko’s Brian Dean submitted a guest post to Entrepreneur, his author bio on the website contained a link to his own blog.

Now, let’s look at guest posting from the perspective of guest authors.

One reason guests submit posts to popular websites is to direct traffic from host websites to their own blog. The more established the host website, the better it is for them.

So, if you plan on submitting a guest post, an effective way to get around to it is to write a post for well-established and popular websites. Doing so lets you tap into their audiences.

Let’s say millions of visitors view a host’s website every month. So, millions of people can read your post.

Beyond that, you can also enjoy guest posting as it:
- Increases search value – Always include backlinks in your guest submissions. They help search engines find your content easier.
- Builds authority and credibility – Create top-notch quality guest posts and they can see you as a top-notch content creator. The better your content, the higher the respect you earn from a host website’s readers.
- Connects to people – Reach out to new bloggers and introduce yourself to their network of colleagues. These new acquaintances can open doors for you.
What are the issues with guest posting?

Back when he was the former head of web spam, Google’s Matt Cutts, once, said this:

According to his bold claim, guest posting is an unreliable way of building your status. Among other reasons, “it’s just gotten too spammy”.

Soon enough, though, he retracted his previous statement. And in a new one, he corrected himself by saying guest posting still works to a certain degree.

However, it seems he was on to something in his original post. Sadly, if you browse the web, you’ll uncover spammy guest posts. There are spun contents and the rest are of little value.

Here are the other poor practices tied to guest posting:
- Over-optimized content – So, don’t stuff too many keywords into your post. Rather than impressing search engines, always focus on providing value.
- Too many backlinks – Limit the number of backlinks you include to one or two. And avoid any explicit self-promotion.
- Poor quality content – Instead, write unique, engaging, and high-quality posts. And don’t submit guest posts for the mere sake of having a guest contribution.
How to write a guest post that works

Webmasters accept guest posts submissions if these posts are rich in value. This is often non-negotiable because they can easily reject submissions.

Here are common reasons site owners often reject guest posts:
- No visuals – Include relevant images, charts, and graphs. We know these to increase conversion rates.
- No sources – Unless you cite the source of every information you present, webmasters will associate you with unreliability.
- Generic pitch – Pitching your intention to guest post on many websites is fine. Just remember to assure webmasters you’ll be writing an exclusive post.
Don’t want to get a “no”? Always write a substantial post. All over the internet, you can find many ideal guest post examples. Below is one of them:

It’s a guest submission published on Deep Green Permaculture, a website about sustainable living. What makes it count as a great example of a guest post? It contains visuals and links to sources. It’s also:
- Informative – It contains in-depth information about what you need to know about living in a tiny home. So, create informative content because the more information your post has, the more attractive it is.
- Easy-to-read – It uses simple words that don’t complicate readers’ lives. Because the words are carefully chosen, even children in elementary school can understand.
- Relevant – It’s centered solely on tiny homes. It doesn’t discuss the drawbacks of apartment living, for instance.
That, and you need to respect what the host website wants. It’s their website. So being a good guest, observe proper etiquette and play by their rules. Otherwise, don’t submit.

Fortunately, many webmasters’ guidelines for guest post submissions aren’t too strict. Most of their rules include proper formatting.

If you write posts regularly and you’re familiar with how to format standard posts, you wouldn’t have a hard time coming through.

Remember to read through every portion of the guidelines, though. While they can be no-brainers, it reflects poorly on you if you receive a rejection notice for not following a basic regulation.

Here’s an example of a batch of guidelines from a pet website that accepts guest posts:

What to look for in guest blogging sites

Found a website that appeals to your target audience?

Then, it looks like a website worth submitting a guest post to!

Don’t submit a guest post on random guest blogging sites. It’s a terrible idea. Remember, even if your guest submission is likely a good enough content by a webmaster, it doesn’t automatically mean that it’s the best place for a guest post. Instead, be mindful of websites where you make your mark.

For one, make sure that your guest post’s destination website accommodates the readers your post is for. This lets you stay relevant and maximize the effectiveness of your post. Not to mention, it’s a surefire way of avoiding unwanted scenarios in your career as a content creator.

For example, you plan to submit a guest post that targets people who are into vegetable gardening. So, submit to a website that entertains readers about vegetable gardening topics — or something similar.

Don’t insist on submitting a post to websites that discuss palliative care tips only. Few readers of that website will bother with your post. And if someone stumbles on what you’ve whipped up, you’ll probably appear a joke to them.

Here are the other points that you should look into, too:
- High engagement rate – Guest post on popular websites with engaged readers for your post to be the subject of buzz. As long as your post is relevant and thought-provoking, the readers are likely to engage with the author.
- Strong authority – Be a guest on websites that are highly reputed. The more prominent they are, the more influential your post can be.
- Social profile – Choose webmasters active on social media. That way, they could share your post to different social media channels and amplify its reach.
Conclusion

Does guest posting still work? Yes, it does.

The best thing about it? It’s a two-way street where both the author and the webmaster can benefit.

So, if you’ve encountered the ideal website where you can send a pitch for the intention to submit a guest post, go ahead. Reach out to the webmaster.

Want a handy tip? Check out their website or blog and get a feel of what their posts are like. Then, submit something similar.
June 22, 2020
Why is Grammarly So Expensive? The Real Reasons
For something with a free version, Grammarly sure charges a steep price for its paid version. If you’re wondering why is Grammarly so expensive, we looked closely on what it offers to help you understand why.

As you can see in the table, the only similarity between the Free and Grammarly Premium versions is the critical grammar and spelling check.

Out of 5 major features, you only get one with Free. So what picture does that paint for writers?

To better appreciate these, let’s first look at the benefits of each one.
Table of Contents
[Open][Close]
Is it worth paying for Grammarly?
Advanced checks
Vocabulary Enhancement
Genre-Specific Style Recommendations and Goal Setting
Plagiarism Checker
Where can I use Grammarly?
Is Grammarly the best grammar checker?
ProWritingAid
Ginger
Hemingway
Conclusion
Is it worth paying for Grammarly?

From pinpointing basic errors to identifying context behind the writing errors, Grammarly Premium has a lot to offer writers.

Let’s do a quick rundown so you can see why is Grammarly so expensive:

Advanced checks

If you’re serious about your writing and trying to go beyond grammatically correct, this feature is for you.

While the free version gets things done and helps keep your documents error-free, you can’t count on it to help with the tone.

With the advanced checks, you can maintain or change the tone you want to achieve.

For example, you want a business proposal to ooze with confidence and you feel there’s something missing with your document to achieve that to close the deal.

The advanced checks can do a splendid job here by identifying areas for improvement for your desired tone. This is where it’s worth paying for Grammarly Premium.

Bear in mind that there’s also a Grammarly Business version that lets you cover the costs of Grammarly Premium for your team members. This is ideal if you’re running a content agency and you want the writers to submit content cleaned up using Grammarly.

Vocabulary Enhancement

Whether it’s search engine rankings or overall readability you’re after, you don’t want to keep using the same words throughout your content piece.

Those adjectives that keep showing up every other paragraph? Grammarly Premium will surely detect those and suggest synonyms.

More than just using the ‘right’ words, your document will become more readable after implementing suggestions.

After all, you’d want your readers to never tire of moving from paragraph to paragraph and the premium version ensures just that.

Genre-Specific Style Recommendations and Goal Setting

Whatever you’re writing now, there’s always a goal and one that you can achieve with the right tone.

If it’s fantasy fiction you’re going for or educational content, that’s engaging, there are words, phrases, or sentences that can send a better message.

Based on the goals you set, Grammarly gives suggestions to a better point you in that direction.

With the Domain, you can also set it to:
- Academic
- Business
- Casual
- Creative
- Technical
As a result, it synchronizes you and your document so you can better relate to your target audience.

This is probably the biggest benefit Grammarly can give its users.

Plagiarism Checker

Since the introduction of the internet, too many content pieces get published and plagiarism soon became common.

Writing professionals now have to avoid plagiarism since facing lawsuits comes with a steep price–thousands of dollars.

To properly cite references, Grammarly Premium offers a plagiarism checker that not only tells you if the content matches another piece but also pulls from its comprehensive database so you know what sources to cite.

Even if the content doesn’t match exactly, it helps to know if you’re at risk for plagiarism so you can cite the proper sources to remain safe.

Where can I use Grammarly?

Grammarly is probably the biggest writing aid app out there and integrates nicely with the most frequently used tools of today:
1. On Google Chrome as an extension
2. In Google Docs with its beta version specifically made for it
3. On its own website where you can upload content for checking
4. As a Microsoft Word extension
5. As an Outlook app for Microsoft Office
6. As a mobile app for iOS or Android
7. As a desktop app for Mac
With this, you can see how the app works for most platforms to serve any kind of need from story writers to students or professionals making a formal document.

Even if you aren’t a professional writer, Grammarly helps by providing suggestions full of context to help make you a better writer.

Is Grammarly the best grammar checker?

‘Best’ is indeed a powerful word. While there is a good number of checkers out there, let’s run down the features of only the well-known grammar checkers so you can see the position and worth of Grammarly:

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid also works as a great grammar and spell checker. Even for its free version, it helps improve the readability of your work.

Unlike Grammarly, it keeps most of its correcting powers. However, it compromises on usability instead since you have to use the tool native to its site and only with 500 words at a time.

You’d have to go for Premium should you have it compatible with your favorite platforms – Chrome, Microsoft Word, etc.

Another bonus it has versus other editing apps is that it tackles some bigger picture issues like writing style.

Spelling mistakes, passive voice, and sentence formatting that makes readability weak will all be highlighted.

Plus, it’s an excellent option as a free plugin for WordPress.

In a nutshell, it competes nicely with Grammarly but falls short on intuitiveness.

Other than that, it is a good alternative at a lower price point.

Ginger

A tool made by Ginger Software, it rose in popularity through language enhancement technology that’s quite adept at using language processing to get a good grasp of content.

What this means for users is that you can easily correct spelling and grammar issues and it also has all the tools you need to do this well.

It works for Windows, iOS, Android as apps and with Chrome and Safari as extensions.

A downside to Ginger is its usability on certain platforms. With Chrome, it doesn’t work with all text input fields such as the ones in WordPress. At least you have Jetpack for that.

However, the pop-up editor works fine and you can copy, paste content there, then bring it back to MS Word or wherever it’s supposed to be.

A word of warning though—links seem to disappear when pasting content back from the editor tool.

Hemingway

This tool has noticeable differences compared to other commonly used checkers. For one, it highly encourages a big picture look at your writing.

What this means for writers is that there is more focus on readability. Specifically, the tool emphasizes words or phrases that compromise the form or flow of your sentences and comes up with suggestions.

A clear disadvantage with Hemingway is its absence of integration–no extensions, plugins, etc. You just put the content in the tool then edit.

A great way to use this is by having another tool work in tandem. Maybe install Grammarly Free and then filter the readability further with Hemingway.

Conclusion

Like most things, there is no one size fits all solution for writing. That’s because you can’t make creativity something rigid.

However, you can always go for the tool with most of the functionalities you’re looking for.

When the flow calls for dramatic, redundant lines, go for it. Tools like Grammarly may give suggestions, but they definitely have their limits.

Knowing this, it pays to know what’s on the market and what alternatives you have and don’t have access to.

So is Grammarly the best?

In many ways, the answer is yes. But the others bring something to the table.

Hemingway and Ginger are great for editing but don’t integrate with the commonly used platforms. If this is fine with you, you can go for these since they’re free after all.

This way, we can better understand why Grammarly charges a higher fee for its Premium version. It simply offers great usability and effective writing suggestions.

Writers who focus on workflow and user experience can benefit and enjoy the features of Grammarly Premium.

If you’re looking for a solid tool that covers a lot of these while offering great usability, Grammarly Premium is a great bet.

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June 18, 2020
Does Grammarly Work on Google Docs and How to Use it?
If you’re looking for programs to help you step up your writing game, Grammarly would be a natural first choice.

Looking back on my Grammarly Premium review, it is probably one of the most powerful extensions for Google Chrome—let alone a stand-alone editing software that can vastly improve your writing!

As a writing tool, the first thing you will look into is why it fits into your writing workflow. For example, do you have to copy and paste your content on the tool to check grammatical errors?

Thankfully, Grammarly integrates with various third-party tools to simplify your writing process using it. In particular, it works “well” with Google Docs.

“Well,” being the operative term.

Since its Google Docs integration, Grammarly has been in the beta stage for far too long now. This could lead you to think that the integration isn’t working properly or there may be some issues with it.

This post will look into how good Grammarly for Google Docs is and how much it can improve your writing.
Table of Contents
[Open][Close]
How Good is Grammarly?
How to use Grammarly on Google Docs
Why is Grammarly not working in Google Docs?
Non-Standard English
Turning it On and Off
Is Grammarly Premium worth it?
Grammarly versus Humans
Conclusion
How Good is Grammarly?

One common first step for writing any content piece is doing a brain dump. You can see Grammarly shine when you put all your key ideas in one play with no regard for how perfect it looks or sounds.

Some would claim that Grammarly is not one of the most affordable tools in the market. However, when you see the benefits it brings to the content you write and publish, you will understand how its excellent features justify its costs.

Below are reasons why Grammarly is one of the best grammar checker tools in the market:
1. Form. It aims to correct grammar mistakes on top of other basic errors in spelling, punctuation, and wordy sentences.
2. Clarity. When the message of a sentence isn’t precise or if the paragraph drags too long, the tool provides you with writing suggestions, such as breaking it up into more sentences.

3. Anti-Plagiarism. Grammarly also detects if you’ve copied content from other sources or shows citations for parts of the content you are quoting.

4. Tone. A neat new feature with Grammarly is how it captures the tone of your content overall, whether it’s Confident, Optimistic, Joyful, Formal, etc.

Sure, we can probably tell how we come off to our audience or correct minor grammatical errors. Also, Grammarly competes well with other free extensions offering similar features.

It does well on many standards compared to other free document checkers online.

Ginger, ProWritingAid, and others all provide grammar and spell checks but don’t do so well with the user interface.

P.S. ProWritingAid is a very close competitor to Grammarly Premium and should check out.

Users of the free version will still have their hands full since Grammarly offers more checks in certain situations.

*Grammarly extension on Google Chrome

How to use Grammarly on Google Docs

Usually, Grammarly is used for Google Docs since it works through browsers.

That’s because a lot of collaboration happens there, knowing that Grammarly has released a beta version specifically for Google Docs.

Seeing this trend, the people behind the app made a beta version to work better with everyone’s favorite Google tool.

Before releasing this to the public, Premium users could test it with their writing.

This should mean a lot of the kinks are okay before you hear about the integration to Google Docs.

Just be sure to install Grammarly Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store, and you’re good to go.

It’s pretty straightforward—just open Google Docs, open a document, and it should run as long as you already have Grammarly for Chrome.

Note: To make this work, you need to sign up for a Grammarly account (even a free one) and a Google Docs account.

Let the Grammarly extension suggest changes to your content for longer pieces, and you’re all set.

When activated, see the green Grammarly icon in the upper right portion of the browser. Click on it to enable Grammarly on your Google Docs.

Whenever you type something, you can see underlined potential errors to quickly check it out as soon as they come and accept the correction as needed.

If this is not what you see, you may have the default check by Google Docs. Try turning Grammarly on.

After turning it on, you should see the Grammarly icon on the lower right side of the screen. Click on it to open the Grammarly sidebar. From there, you’ll be able to access the suggestions you can implement to your content.

Why is Grammarly not working in Google Docs?

As mentioned, the Google Chrome extension of Grammarly remains in the Beta version. So it’s normal for you to experience difficulties from time to time.

With that, it gives ‘corrections’ that are not necessary. You can always ignore these words to remove the red line.

These are general expectations that Grammarly may fall short on.

Now that that’s out of the way let’s see what the errors in Google Docs may look like.

Here’s a sample snippet of a wrong suggestion.

Non-Standard English

In Grammarly’s defense, there’s a reason why these are referred to as “suggestions.”

As great as Grammarly is, it won’t be able to provide you with the correct suggestions all the time.

There’s always a margin of error when it comes to tools like Grammarly that predict the right suggestion based on collected information regarding good writing through the years.

More often than not, the tool proves helpful and shows corrections you may miss.

Plus, it works for English only. Though it accommodates non-standard English, it doesn’t do too well with standard terms for the tech industry, slang, and acronyms.

Turning it On and Off

Grammarly is not a native tool of Google, so it must be installed and added to the list of extensions Chrome should run.

Clicking “add extension” the moment it’s downloaded and installed should do the trick.

You can also toggle it on and off, so be sure it stays on while you’re editing your documents. You can try to turn it off and then on again or refresh the page.

When everything doesn’t seem to work anymore, check if your document is getting long. It turns off after a specific word count, and you’d need to let it perform a check at that point.

You should be able to find a prompt in the form of the Grammarly icon in the lower-right portion of the document.

Is Grammarly Premium worth it?

If you’re enjoying Grammarly’s free version and using it for your business, imagine what Premium can do.

As with most things, investing in something means putting a little skin in the game–paying fees, and Grammarly is no different.

When your writing is the bread and butter of your business and not a drop of wrong grammar should ever make it to your document, this is definitely for you.

On top of the basic features, Premium can help you improve your writing from many angles by giving suggestions to improve your writing style and analyzing where your errors are coming from to provide deep context.

*Premium suggestion prompts by Grammarly

Grammarly versus Humans

You may ask yourself–why not hire an in-house editor?

That is a good point since artificial intelligence can’t entirely replace creative minds like journalists and editors.

Knowing this, Grammarly will still surely miss a few errors. For example, you can spell a word correctly, and it can be technically the correct one to use, but not the best. Machines can’t detect that yet.

Also, if you’re paying attention to the flow and how it’s supposed to be longer or more dramatic, you’ll need a human mind.

So the answer is that a human editor will still be the better option. However, even when said that way, the tool is only an indirect competitor.

It excels with casual writing and pays off even more when done in volume.

This way, you can use your time on the essential things, while the extension can significantly reduce your load by correcting the more common errors.

Knowing this, your $139.95 annual fee can be worth the investment.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this post answered the question “does Grammarly work on Google Docs?“

Even if it has its flaws, the tool is invaluable for writing work, especially when paired with Google Docs.

Whether you use the free or paid version, Grammarly in Google Docs gives serious spelling and grammar power when focusing on other parts of written output, such as flow and tone.

Its paid version is invaluable with professional documents because it’s intuitive and makes for a smooth user experience.

Just be sure to have a good eye that can differentiate the good suggestions from the bad. Do not take all corrections at face value.

After all, Premium gives a good context for corrections it makes and the overall momentum you can make if English is not your primary language. You can then take it from there.

The work hours you can save can determine how good this editing software is for you.

So if you’re looking to streamline your writing process beyond just hiring a writer, getting Grammarly Premium helps. It’s simply the wiser investment for making the workflow more efficient.

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June 16, 2020
9 Profitable Types of Blogs that Make Money
One of the best things about blogging is that you can explore practically any topic. Blogs are essentially a reflection of the author. You can write about whatever you want to share with the world. But, not every blog niche can make a lot of money. If the financial aspect of blogging is something you care about, we have splendid news–some niches can make you rich! So, unless you’re doing it just for fun, make sure you do your research to identify the blogs that make money.

If you’re wondering what makes a profitable blog in 2020, we have listed some important features of successful blogs. If you’re looking for inspiration to get started with your own blog and choose the right niche, read our section on the most lucrative blog niches.
Table of Contents
[Open][Close]
Things all types of blogs that make money have in common
Large audience
Great design
Personal touch
Effective images
Engaging content
Regular content
Clear focus
Popular blogging niches that make money
Personal finance
Moving
Health and fitness
Parenting
Food
Fashion and beauty
DIY
Personal development
Lifestyle
Things all types of blogs that make money have in common

Large audience

It may seem logical to choose topics that not everyone blogs about. After all, every other girl is a fashion blogger nowadays, and the last thing people want is another fashion blogger. Right? Well, that’s not entirely true. Competition is not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary–a competitive market proves that a niche has a large audience, which is exactly what you need. It is better to have fierce competition than to have no competition but also no readers. Ideally, you would have to find a topic many people are interested in but no one writes about. Unfortunately, that would be not only hard but also risky.

Great design

Since this is the first thing people see, popular blogs usually have a stunning design. This is a place to express what your blog stands for, so it shouldn’t be generic. Default themes are not recommendable because they are some of the least inspiring designs. A basic, boring design sends the wrong message. It suggests that you are not trying and that your content is just as boring. Custom themes, on the other hand, look more professional and add a personal touch, which leads us to the next characteristic of profitable blogs…

Personal touch

Even if you cover a popular topic, make it unique. Uniqueness sells a blog. You can achieve it in various ways–with a customized theme, an individualistic writing style, memorable photos, etc. Adding your personal experiences makes any topic more interesting and helps you gain readers’ trust. That’s why you can create a blog catered to your own interests. There are some types of blogs that make money where being personal is important.

Effective images

Images are one of the first things that attract readers and make your blog posts stand out. Successful bloggers avoid overused images that everyone else in their niche is using. If possible, include your own photos. For example, if you are a food blogger, take a picture of each dish after you prepare it. Remember, it’s all about being original and avoiding clichés.

Engaging content

Bloggers should be able to engage their audience and open a debate. That’s why they typically end their blog posts with a question for the readers to comment on in the comment section. If there are many comments at the end of every post, you’ve done your job well. Creating thought-provoking content that builds relationships with readers and encourages them to leave feedback should be one of your main goals. Have in mind that engaging content is not only unique and well-written but also relevant.

Regular content

Another mutual characteristic of blogs that make money is regular content. Having a lot of competition means you should be posting regularly. Although quality should be your number one priority, try to post at least once a week. The more the better.

Clear focus

All blogs that make money have a clear focus. Define what your blog is about and stick to that niche. Writing about everything will make you lose credibility. Besides, you can’t be equally passionate about a million things.

Popular blogging niches that make money

Personal finance

Let’s start our list of niches proven to make more money than others with something that concerns everyone – personal finance. Finance is a niche that will always be relevant.

You can discuss saving money, managing a family budget, paying off a debt, etc. Few people can say that they’ve never had money problems. Also, saving money has always been an attractive concept, no matter how rich or poor a person is.

Writing about money is a good way to make money while helping others do the same. Even though you won’t be able to advertise many expensive affiliate products, you can make money from ads and the traffic you generate.

Moving

Moving is a popular niche among readers who are planning to move, and that is a huge audience. You can write about packing various types of items, coping with moving anxiety, moving with pets, finding reliable movers, avoiding moving scams, etc. You can also write about moving to specific cities/countries while promoting professional moving services. Sharing your own experiences with relocation would give your blog the personal touch it needs.

Health and fitness

This is another universal theme with a large target audience and multiple sub-topics. You can offer content ranging from healthy eating habits, muscle building, weight loss, etc. With so many myths and misconceptions related to health and fitness, people may get confused, overwhelmed, and in need of advice.

Don’t let the competition scare you though. This blog niche usually allows you to promote pricey affiliate products, from supplements and weight loss products to exercising equipment.

Parenting

This is a brilliant niche choice for new bloggers. Parenting is universal and never goes out of style. Parents, especially first-time moms and dads and parents-to-be have a million questions, which means you can never run out of things to blog about. Plus, the list of products you can promote while giving advice, and sharing relatable stories is endless.

Related: Blogging for Parents (and Kids): Examples & Tips

Food

You may have heard that food blogs are hard to monetize because readers don’t engage too much with the content and focus only on the recipes. But, that shouldn’t stop you if you are passionate about all things food. A simple food blog can grow into so much more if you have what it takes.

Most food blogs have a similar content pattern of recipes divided into categories (Meat, Fish, Soup, Pasta, Salads, Desserts, etc.) that you can also divide into sub-categories. There are often videos that go with the recipes. Some bloggers focus only on desserts, healthy food or a specific cuisine.

Fashion and beauty

This niche is not only for female bloggers. Men can make a lucrative income in this field as well whether they focus on male or female audiences. When we say fashion and beauty, we mean everything from clothes, shoes, and accessories, to hair and makeup.

You can offer advice on what to wear, where to find it, how to wear it, post photos of your own outfits and makeup tutorials. You can write about fashion designers and their work or review unique makeup brands.

Many successful fashion/beauty bloggers have an impressive number of followers on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. It pays them to recommend products (which they get for free) or make money selling their own lines.

Famous bloggers are often getting invites to fashion shows, parties, and branded campaigns so they can blog about them. This means you get to attend exclusive events, wear pieces from the latest collections, and meet influential people in the industry. It is a dream come true for fashion lovers.

DIY

Another blog niche that makes money is DIY. If you like arts and crafts, this is a perfect way to unleash your creativity and let your imagination run wild. Many DIY blogs are about interior design, home re-modeling, life hacks, etc.

In DIY blogging, there is a sea of possibilities. You can write about crafts to do with kids, DIY home décor, storage hacks, sewing, knitting, etc. Just like food bloggers or makeup bloggers, DIY bloggers need to make sure their audience can recreate their blog ideas.

Personal development

This niche is not going anywhere, anytime soon. Personal development, also known as self-improvement or self-help refers to helping people change their life for the better. The aim is to help readers get to know themselves, grow, set goals for the future, and achieve them. Topics range from dating and relationships, to family, happiness, success, motivation, and emotional mastery.

Lifestyle

A lifestyle blog gives you a little more freedom by allowing you to cover different topics. But, these blogs that make money usually address one demographic, such as pet owners, or moms. So, there is still some clear focus. It is recommendable to choose one core theme that targets one type of audience and help them solve their problems while promoting specific products and services. A lifestyle blog can cover all the areas we have mentioned in this article and many more – but with a specific demographic in mind.
Jacob Daniels
SEO Content Manager and Copywriter, Movers Development
Jacob is an aspiring SEO content writer that is building his presence in the digital marketing world through testing his limits in writing articles related to SEO, PPC, marketing, software, moving industry news, and trends, everyday life topics…basically, whatever he can find and twist to his mindset.
May 25, 2020
Do Ghostwriters Get Royalties from their Precious Work?
Are you thinking of paying royalties to ghostwriters?

If they accept royalties as a payment option, then go ahead. If you’re being fair or not, offering them royalties for ghostwriting services is another story.

So let’s discuss what you need to know. By the end of this post, you’ll find out the answer to the question “do ghostwriters get royalties” and what the best course of action is. This way, you’ll get to the bottom of things if you’re considering using royalty payments.

This also targets beginner ghostwriters trying to break into the publishing industry but don’t know where to begin regarding payment schedules, upfront costs, and others.

Do ghostwriters get paid in royalties or not?

Ghostwriters don’t get paid royalties for their services. That’s how the general traditional publishing process goes, anyway.

And paying a ghostwriter for their services is both simple and practical. So why would you want to complicate matters and propose to pay royalties?

To elaborate on this concern, let’s check out what dictionaries say about royalty. Encyclopedia Britannica, for one, explains that royalty is a payment option in law.

Wondering how royalty payments work, though? Then here are some points to ponder:
- The basis of product performance – How is the product doing? Royalty payments will depend on how much the book sells over time.
- The basis on royalty percentage agreement – For example, the average starting royalty percentage is 5%
- The need for a royalty contract – A detailed description of the ghostwriting arrangement prevents feud. This includes the coverage and limitations involved in the work.
However, this was back in the day. Nowadays, if you insist on paying royalties for the services of a professional writer, you’re somewhat asking that person to work for free. And don’t you think it’s unreasonable?

Remember, a ghostwriter can’t pay their urgent bills with the promise of royalty payments. That, and they wouldn’t be able to support their daily lifestyle.

If you want to offer royalties to a ghostwriter, here is some practical advice:
- Supplementary royalty payments – Offer royalty only after providing monetary rewards. Let royalty payments serve as extra compensation or bonuses.
- Guarantee of success – Is the success of your publishing content set in stone? Then there’s a guarantee of recurring income, which you can give to a ghostwriter.
- Passion project – Does a ghostwriter love working on a project? Are they 100% willing to accept royalty as a payment option?
Related post: Do Ghostwriters Get Credit or Not? The Real Answer

And do ghostwriters get credit too?

In most cases, no. Ghostwriters don’t get to claim a published work is theirs without their client’s consent. Even if every word is theirs, they can’t “own” it.

Most ghostwriters are aware of this. So if you’re working with a professional ghostwriter, there’s nothing to worry about.

Besides, regardless of getting credit for their work, other rewards await them. Here’s a look at some of these:

Freedom to work

Ghost writers, like most freelance writers, can work anytime and anywhere they want — if their client is good with the setup. They’re free to hustle however they wish as long as they meet their client’s expectations about a project.

And beyond the benefits of a highly autonomous work setup, here’s how awesome their freedom to work extends:
- Unlimited earning potential – No fixed income. Ghostwriters can earn more if they take on more work.
- Stable work – Written content isn’t losing value, and so the work for ghostwriters is always going to be present.
- Ability to choose projects – Don’t like a project? Without a boss to force them to work on it, they can choose to decline an offer.
Ability to network

With every client ghostwriters work with, they meet people. And to those acquaintances, they can shake hands with potential clients. The more clients they score, the bigger their network becomes.

Here are some tips on how to help them get more out of networking:
- Commit to leveling up – Adopt the right mindset, be sociable, and be engaging. You can also devote an hour per day to growing your network.
- Attend events – For example, your town is hosting a small party for businesses relevant to your niche. So be there!
- Seek exemplars – Connect with successful individuals and praise-worthy
Opportunity for advancement

Ghostwriters can apply their experience in working on writing projects to real-life situations. And in turn, these newfound skills can help further their career and improve their lives.

Let’s shed light on the matter above – the ability to network – to cite an example. Building a network of social connections is a lot like writing content that you want audiences to vibe with. And that isn’t easy.

For one, it takes having a pleasant attitude to give other people reasons to associate with another.

Beyond that, here are some valuable non-writing skills that they can learn with every work opportunity:
- Time management – They learn to manage their time better and set priorities. For example, they understand it’s best to allow 3 hours per day for a project.
- Organizational skills – Dumping loads of work and expecting them to attend to everything isn’t an effortless task. Experienced ghostwriters can handle it, though
- Listening and comprehension skills – Over time, ghostwriters better understand clients.
Ghostwriter prices

One of the main reasons ghostwriters get into ghostwriting is high monetary compensation. However, they can live comfortably if they can write and use it to embody another person’s writing style.

However, while ghostwriters are tied to good pay, it doesn’t mean there’s a cookie-cutter approach to this. Remember, each ghostwriter sets prices differently. This can depend on the category of ghostwriters they belong to.

Some ghostwriters charge a flat fee. This benefits you if you have a lengthy project for a professional ghostwriter like 20,000-word e-books. This way, you can just give them a project, expect them to deliver high-quality output, and pay them a set price.

They might not charge much if they’re novice ghostwriters who could still use writing advice. However, if they’re high-end ghostwriters with years of experience up their sleeves, they can charge high ghostwriting fees.

Here’s a lowdown on the average annual salary of ghostwriters based on experience:
- $5,000 to $9,000 range – This is the average rate of ghostwriters with about 3-5 years of experience
- $9,000 to $20,000 range – If they have about five years up to a decade of experience in ghostwriting, expect to pay this
- At least $20,000 – If you’re looking for professionalism and experience, go for ghostwriters with over ten years of experience. Then expect to pay them compensation in this range.
However, ghostwriters can base their fees on a per-word or per-page rate, especially if they prefer to work as freelancers, they’ll charge you differently.

What makes this pricing system a suitable fit for you? Well, if you have a quick project that can be completed in less than a week, this ghostwriting work is what you should aim for. Examples are a 1,000-word blog post and a brief two-page case study.

In this case, here are the factors that also come into play:
- Level of difficulty – If your project requires the need to delve into complex subjects, be ready to pay a ghostwriter high for it
- Word count – You’ll have to pay based on the length of your project
- Urgency – Want ghostwriters to work on a time-sensitive project? Then expect to be charged a higher amount.
Summing it up

What matters the most is that you and the ghostwriter you’re looking to hire come to an understanding with your publishing house. In the ghostwriting business, paying royalties isn’t standard practice in the publishing industry.

However, it’s not wrong to consider proposing it during your talks with publishers. If they refuse to accept it as a primary payment option, the discussions above should help you see their point. Now, if you want to know how to proceed with offering royalties, the discussions above also have your back.

Still have questions about royalty payments? Then you’re welcome to contact me!

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May 18, 2020