Great tools in the hands of a business owner are like a master craftsman's chisel: they shape vision into reality with precision and efficiency.
After years of working on online creative projects for many years, we've found and bookmarked the tools on our Chrome browser that we use almost daily. We all know of Canva, Hubspot, Trello... but what about the FREE sites / tools that don't get as much recognition but make our jobs easier?
1. LunaPic
LunaPic is an online photo editor and art animation creator that allows users to edit images, create animations, and apply various effects. It offers a wide range of tools for tasks such as cropping, resizing, and adding text, as well as more advanced features like creating GIFs, blending images, and adding filters and borders. LunaPic is widely used for its ease of use and accessibility, as it does not require downloading any software. Users can upload images from their computer, use a URL, or import photos from social media platforms.
We use LunaPic to delete backgrounds off of our images to create transparent PNG files.
2. iLovePDF
iLovePDF is an online service that provides a suite of tools for working with PDF files. It allows users to perform a variety of tasks related to PDF documents, including merging PDFs, splitting PDFs, compressing PDFs, converting files, editing PDFs, rotating and arranging PDFs, unlocking and protecting PDFs, and adding watermarks.
We use iLovePDF to compress our PDFs. (We use iLoveIMG to compress our PNG files).
3. YTMP3
YTMP3 is an online tool that allows users to convert YouTube videos into MP3 audio files. This service is commonly used to extract audio from YouTube videos for offline listening. Users can enter the URL of a YouTube video into the YTMP3 website, and the tool will convert the video into an MP3 file that can be downloaded to a computer or mobile device.
We use YTMP3 almost every time we edit video content.
4. Artlist
Artlist.io is a music and sound effects platform designed for video creators, filmmakers, and other content producers. It provides users with access to a vast library of high-quality, royalty-free music and sound effects that can be used in various types of media projects without worrying about copyright issues.
While most Artlist users pay for a subscription to remove copyright watermarks, users are able to create a free account and download previews. We use Artlist for free, downloading the HD Preview video footage and using only a small part of each video for our video content.
5. Vecteezy
Vecteezy is an online platform that offers a vast library of free and premium vector graphics, stock photos, and video footage.
We use Vecteezy to download video footage for our video content.
6. Pixelcut
Pixelcut is perfect for social media posts, online stores, and marketing materials, as it lets you easily remove backgrounds, add text, and use stylish templates.
We use Pixelcut to upscale our photos.
7. PlayHT
Play.ht is a text-to-speech (TTS) platform that provides users with high-quality, AI, realistic voice synthesis in multiple languages and accents.
We use PlayHT sometimes to create narrations for our videos.
8. Time and Date
Time and Date gives comprehensive information about current local times, time zones, calendars, and weather. It offers a range of tools and services, including world clocks, calculators for time and date differences, a calendar generator, and information on holidays and events.
We use Time and Date to convert time zones for scheduling meetings.
9. Sharethrough Headline Analyzer
Sharethrough Headline Analyzer is designed to help users create compelling and effective headlines for their content. By analyzing the structure, word choice, and emotional impact of a headline, the tool provides a score and actionable suggestions for improvement.
This is a nice site to use for blog titles, social media video headlines, etc.
10. David Rumsey Map Collection
The David Rumsey Map Collection is one of the largest private collections of historical maps, with over 150,000 items. It features a vast array of cartographic materials, including atlases, globes, wall maps, maritime charts, and a variety of maps from the 16th to 21st centuries. The collection emphasizes the Americas, but it also includes world maps and maps of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
While this site may not be a "use often" site for some businesses, these maps are beautiful and give visual appeal for many types of posts.
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