In the world of social media, it’s a constant battle to be seen through the mass of digital content that crowds our newsfeeds.
But think about the last piece of content that caught your attention – what did it look like?
Why did it grab your attention? Did you ask yourself: ‘how do I make something like that?’
There is good news – it’s easier than you think. Here is a list of the best content creation apps to help add some competitive and creative edge to your social media marketing. The best part – they’re all FREE.
1. Spark Posts
If you’re familiar with Canva then you will be LOVE Spark Posts. If you aren’t familiar with Canva, well there’s an extra app for you to check out.
Spark Posts is essentially a graphic (image) creator with the added capability to add subtle animations to text. When you first open the app, you’re greeted with stacks of user created content of which you can actively select and edit however you like. If you’re set on creating something unique to you then you’re able to begin a creation with a blank canvas. Add in whatever images you like, whatever text you need and style both the image, text and other elements to your perfection with the easy-to-use tools. The point of difference is the ability to add animation to your text which ensures your creation is more attention grabbing. Take a look at a few examples below.
2. Splice
I’ve always been a loyal user of iMovie on my iMac but when it came to editing videos on my iPhone, I didn’t enjoy the iMovie app the same way. Thankfully, I came across Splice, which is a GoPro-created app whose primary reason for being released was to allow GoPro users to edit their videos on the go. Splice has the same simple and easy feel that iMovie on the iMac does and also allows you to export videos in HD. Simply import your video and configure the basic settings to suit you. Once done, you’ll be taken into the editing area where you will be able to cut, slow down or speed up, or add music to your video. The app even offers their own library of music which is copyright free. You can of course use your own iTunes library to add music to the videos. Take a look below at a sample video below.
3. Flyr
If you enjoy the textual animations of Spark Post but want to incorporate videos as well as images, then Flyr is the app for that. This app is presented very similar to that of Spark Posts so you won’t have to stress over opening up something completely foreign. Simply browse the preset templates available or create your own and edit them however you like, there is no limit to your creativity.
4. Cinemagraph
If you don’t know what Cinematography is, it’s simply the combination of camerawork (film-making) and photography. The end result is often a still photo with a specific element of that photo made to animate. The final product is always extremely attention-grabbing as it’s a form of media the majority of consumers are still getting used to. Don’t mistake that for ignorance either, they certainly get drawn in to this particular kind of media and certainly, if you use it well, it can be a really great tool to separate you from competition. Take a look at how it looks and works below.
5. Arrow
Augmented Reality is essentially a computer-generated image that can be placed into the real world as you view it through your phone. It can be moved and looked at as a 3D object and often portrays every minor detail.
When you open the Arrow app you’re met with user-submitted content which you can view and engage with (liking/commenting). To create your own, simply hit the create button down the bottom of the screen and go through the wide selection of AR objects. You can take a photo or video in real time with the AR objects in the frame. You will notice the complexity of these AR objects once you start to record videos. Once you hit “record”, the AR object will lock to the section it was placed and you can view the object at any angle on its plane – it’s truly impressive. Look at an example I made below to understand what I mean.
So, there you go! Five great free apps you can use to create exciting and engaging creative content. If you have an app that you use that wasn’t on this list, let me know.