As a web writer or publisher, you can easily use Google Docs to create new online-based content by selecting the “Blank” document template on the desktop website. Or rather, by clicking the plus sign icon on the mobile app. That said, in this article, we are going to look into details about what Google Docs are, and how they work in simple steps.
As well as how to create a doc on your computer or mobile device. You can Get Started right away or just follow my user-based guide first. Technically, the chance to share a working document among a number of people is the selling point for most people. So, with that in mind, you can create Google Docs and later share them with others for editing content.
Or even share the document right from the start and work together in real time. Let’s learn how you can do this in detail below! But first, the fact that you can watch as your colleagues work in real-time is what makes an online-based documents editor so convenient. Whereby, you can see them type in content, edit, revise, or even work within the document together.
One such great tool to use other than ClickUp is Google Docs. And now, it’s time to learn more about it in detail.
What Are Google Docs?
To enumerate, Google Docs is an Online Word Processor that’s included as part of the free, web-based documents editor suite offered by Google. It also includes Google Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, Google Sites, and Google Keep. Just like in ClickUp, Google Docs is a powerful and flexible way to create and share information on the web for free!
Such Docs are effortlessly integrated with your tasks and projects, empowering your team to take action immediately and get work done faster. And just like everything else in Google, Docs incorporate smoothly into the larger business ecosystem. Basically, within a Doc, you can mention a user, task, or even another Doc!
Technically, you can embed other resources from both within and without Google. You can even create as many “pages” as you want in each Doc, a great way to create a glossary or wiki. And all of that is in addition to “normal” word processor functions. Such as adding a table of contents, comment, or table. Plus, anyone with access to a Doc can add to or edit it so easily.
Whilst, making it a great collaboration tool! That said, you can check out these powerful and flexible web document features first to gather more resourceful information.
Features:
- Pages
- Import
- Export
- Doc Tags
- Views
- Add Docs to the Sidebar
- Templates
- Privacy and Sharing
- Relationships
- Protecting Docs and Pages
- Settings and preferences
- Archive Docs
In simple terms, Google Documents, or Google Docs, is a free web-based cloud platform that allows you to create, edit, and share documents via a cloud-hosted server in real-time. You can share your Google Docs documents in three ways, namely, “restricted”, “anyone with the link”, or with “a particular organization”.
In case you couldn’t tell, I’m pretty enthusiastic about both ClickUp and Google Docs! I even keep a Doc with notes from all my meetings, where each meeting is a line in the table of contents for quick reference. This way, I have a running log of all topics, tasks, and assignments that are mentioned in any meeting I’m in.
Surprisingly, if you were to ask 100 ClickUp and 100 Google users how they use the Documents Feature, you will likely get 100 different answers. As an example, our CEO, Joseph Mucira, uses Google Docs to draft ideas and think through things. Whilst, ClickUp Enterprise Product Manager, Vincent Khadige, embeds various Views into Docs.
More so, in order to “interact with them in real-time from anywhere.” These two examples alone show the wide range of uses for Docs:— from note-taking to high-level project overviews and everything in between.
The Benefits Of Using Google Docs For Creative Content Writers
Notably, as a web-based journalist, it can be hard to decide between the two-word processing giants vying for attention — and that’s Google Docs and Microsoft Word. So, which of these two tools has the best functionality and tools for article writing? You share your answer with us below this article.
As for now, I want to share with you seven advantages that set Google Docs apart. For decades, Microsoft Word — now Microsoft 365 — has been the word processor of choice for writers worldwide. And as the first-ever word-processing tool, generations of writers have grown up with it since the 1980s.
It’s followed them from school, to university, and even right into the newsroom. But, as technology has marched on, more collaborative and freely available online tools have since emerged on the market. Some offer up benefits that Microsoft simply can’t match – namely greater efficiency, flexibility, and collaborative features.
Google Docs, for instance, is skyrocketing in popularity. In 2019, G Suite (the home of Google Docs) hit 2 billion active monthly users, according to Google. And this number is only set to grow. Below are the key benefits that Google Docs offers its users that are worth mentioning.
The Key Benefits of Google Docs include:
- The Google Docs Tool is totally free and user-friendly
- Google cloud storage allows you to share, retrieve or modify documents via any platform or any device from anywhere
- It allows real-time collaboration plus it’s fully compatible with Microsoft Word
- You can track versions, document changes, and restore edits at any stage of your feedback process
- A sudden power outage isn’t feared as Google Docs autosaves your work
- Even if you aren’t online, you can work in offline mode with Google Chrome extensions’ added functionality to help
- It has powerful formatting compatibility to aid with earlier versions of Microsoft Word or any other word processor
- Uniquely, it offers voice typing instead of writing to facilitate the speed of writing
- It has many more options for font types than Microsoft World or other text editors
- Tagging an individual or a group of people in comments to track specific changes is possible
- It allows maximum transparency and visibility for users
Personally, what I can say is that the software is unparalleled in its ability to help journalists collaborate with editors on the same document under tight deadlines. Say goodbye to the time-wasting “back-and-forth” of emailing Word doc edits. Let’s now learn more about how to use Google Docs as a content creator.
How To Use Google Docs In Simple Steps
Within your organization, you have further options for document sharing. You can either index the document and make it searchable on the web or via a customized URL. Google Docs is available on all released versions of operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, Linux, Unix, or even mobile operating systems if you may.
The likes of Android or Apple iOS (for iPads, MacBooks, and iPhones). To create a document using Google Docs, all you need is a stable internet connection and a compatible web browser. Because the software runs on the cloud, your Google Docs files are autosaved.
In nutshell, the Free Word Processing Tool sits within Google’s Online Office Suite, G Suite;— that’s fully compatible with Microsoft Word. Users can create, view, and edit documents online while collaborating with colleagues in real-time – from any device, anywhere.
Okay, now that you know how it all works, how do you use Google Docs as a content creator? Well, to get started, you can see the simple steps below. It’s very easy and elaborates for everyone who wants to go digital with their content creation.
Step #1: Create A New Document
You can start working on your very first Google Docs by simply visiting docs.google.com. From there, you navigate to other cloud applications that are a part of Google Workspace, like Slides, Spreadsheets, or Forms. The homepage is a central repository of all files you have created using Google Docs.
For a new online document, click the Blank icon on the home page to a fresh document. Google Docs is also accommodated with a predefined template gallery comprising hundreds of personalized and responsive templates for different purposes like project proposals, meeting notes, brochures, newsletters, cover letters, or business letters.
The Smart Compose feature of Google Docs helps you start or finish a sentence with perfection to reduce grammatical errors. With built-in Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, Google Docs auto-completes the sentences you write. In this case, to create a new document, you’ll need to do the following:
- On your computer, open the Docs home screen at docs.google.com.
- In the top left, under “Start a new document,” click Blank.
You can also create new documents from the free web documents creation URL link here docs.google.com/create.
Step #2: Edit & Format Your Document
By the same token, in order to edit a document, you’ll need to do the following:
- On your computer, open a document in the Google Docs web tool.
- To select a word, double-click it or use your cursor to select the text you want to change.
- Start editing.
- To undo or redo an action, at the top, click Undo or Redo.
Note: To edit a document on a touchscreen device, like a Pixel Book, double-tap the document to start typing. You can even add and edit text, paragraphs, spacing, and more in a document. And, as such, you can read and learn more about;
Step 3: Share Documents & Work With Others
Lastly, you can share files and folders with people and choose whether they can view, edit, or comment on them. Perse, in this article, you can also learn how to print Learning Center guides, save them as PDFs, or customize them for your organization.
Equally important, you can as well Add Docs to a Task as Attachments too. To do so, just click “Add” next to “Attachments” in a task and select “New Doc”! Not to mention, this is a great resource when you are working on a task that might involve a lot of text (such as writing a blog 😉).
You can also Add Docs as a View to a List or Folder as well. Eventually, this is perfect when you have content that many people will need to reference or add to. Such as a glossary, best practice doc, or SOP. In fact, if you’re looking for a good place to start with Google Docs, I recommend creating a Doc or two.
In that case, you’ll be able to easily experiment with the features mentioned above. Docs provide a great sandbox environment for notes as well as connecting and visualizing just about anything. For instance, from data stored in tables to the tasks stored in the dashboard. Below are more content creation tips to consider;
Learn how to do the following:
- Access stored Drive files offline
- Create document templates
- See changes in Drive files & folders
- Check or revert to earlier file versions
- Share “Make a copy” links to your files
- Share links to PDF versions of your files
- Work with Microsoft Office files
- Use shortcuts to create new files
As you can see from the list above, Google has quite a lot to offer in terms of web tools. As an example, with Document Templates in Google, you easily edit Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, or even Sites. Whereby, you can even choose an existing template or create your own. The choice is all yours!
You can also take advantage of a host of Google Chrome Extensions to further streamline your editorial workflow. Now that it comes with plenty of tools for article writing for you to fully utilize freely. Not unless you’d like to upgrade later on with the best plans that best suit your unique business needs.
Takeaway,
In a nutshell, Google Docs is a cloud computing platform that comes with several plug-and-play add-ons for you to explore. You can add tables, design charts, infographics, graphs, and clip art! Perse, the sky is the limit. This platform is agnostic and runs on any gadget like tablets, desktops, or mobile devices for comfortable and creative writing.
What’s more, it supports rich text format (RTF), plain markup, zip files, and Microsoft Word documents. These files can easily also be parsed into the post-data format without any indentation or linguistic errors. Generally, besides using Docs, there are also many other Key Google Products that you can consider. More so, in order to improve your Workspace collaboration.
As well as performance, file storage, and general Workplace productivity between teams. In the end, you’ll be able to thrive in all hybrid work environments. Whether you are working with remote or even in-office colleagues, these productivity tools are best suited for everyone. And, the most important thing is that; most of them are totally free to get started with.
Consider the following related web tools:
- Email & group communication
- File storage, collaboration & docs
- Meetings & Scheduling
- Mobile training and help
- Managed teams (G Suite Essentials)
- Chrome Browser training and help
- Cloud Search training and help
- See the Full Products List for more
And now, having said that, it’s time for you to give Google Docs a try. Notwithstanding, creating the same types of files over and over can be time-consuming and inconsistent across team members. That’s why, for instance, you should consider saving your time with tools offered by Google Docs.
My hope is that you’ll consider using Google Docs in your next text formatting, editing, or even web-based document collaboration; among many other uses. Furthermore, as I mentioned, it’s very easy to get started. All you’ll need to do is Sign Up or even Sign In — if already registered — using your User Email Account.
Do you want to learn more?
- Get Ready to Switch to Google Workspace
- How to Work from Home with Google Workspace
- 10 Google Workspace Tips For Strong Proposals
- 20 Google Workspace Tips For Administrative Assistants
- Get Help From The Community Editors Team
But, if you’ll need more support, you can always Contact Us and let us know how we can sort you out. Whilst also, bearing in mind, you can also share your additional opinions thoughts, suggestions, contributions, and recommendations with us. You can also share a few of your questions in our comments section below.
Otherwise, don’t forget to spread the word with your online friends, especially, by sharing this blog using the social icon button. Likewise, in order to motivate our team, you can also Donate to support what we do. And now, until the next one, thanks for taking the time to stop by and for reading this guide to this end. You are always welcome for more!
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