I thought I would share a list of my favourite blogging resources with you. There are so many tools for bloggers out there that it’s hard to know which ones to choose.
The products and services on this page are ones that I have tried and would absolutely recommend. Most of them, I use daily and would be lost without them.
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Blogging Resources
Books & Courses
Kindle Ebooks– Continually reading is an important part of learning and staying on top of new trends and best business practices. The Kindle app makes it so easy to take a book with you anywhere and read on any device you own. (Try Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans
Audible– If you struggle to find time to sit down and actually read a book, then how about having one read to you? Audible books are perfect for the person who wants to read but is just too busy to sit down and do it themselves. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
Strategies Worth Sharing– Learning how to grow a Facebook page is a task that makes most bloggers cringe these days. I definitely learned a LOT about Facebook from this book and would highly recommend it and the full course to anyone.
Email Marketing
Mailerlite– I love this email service. It’s simple to use and free for up to 1000 subscribers. I use this service to send out emails to my mailing list.
Drip– If you need advanced email marketing features, then try Drip.
Blogging
WordPress– This is the content management software that I use for this website, leisurelydoesit.com.
Bluehost– I chose this service to host my blog. Their price and service has been great.
Siteground– Siteground has a record of excellent customer service and is a fast and reliable option for hosting.
Genesis Framework– Genesis is not an actual theme but is more of the framework that runs your blog. You’ll need a child theme that works in tandem with this to make your website pretty.
Restored 316– If you want a gorgeous, feminine theme for your website, then look no further than Restored 316. I use their Darling Theme.
Google Forms– Create surveys, forms quizzes and more with this free service.
Thrive Themes– I personally use Thrive Architect, Ultimatum and Leads on my website to design landing pages and email opt-in boxes. I love how innovative the company is and their email newsletter always proves very useful. You can opt to download any of their plugins for a one-time fee or sign up for the membership to access all that they offer.
Plugins
Yoast– This is a must-have if you want to make SEO easy.
Genesis Simple Hooks– Only for websites that run the Genesis Framework. This plugin allows you to add code to specific areas of your website without tinkering with your theme code.
Askimet– Protect your website from spam.
Social Media
Tailwind– This is an app that allows me to schedule my pins for Pinterest so I don’t have to do it manually everyday.
BoardBooster– I also use this to loop my older pins and keep my content circulating on Pinterest.
MiloTree– I love this plugin because it is the only pop-up approved by Google for mobile. It allows you to collect email sign ups and advertise your social media accounts.
Social Warfare– If you want to allow your website visitors to share your posts across various social media sites, then you need this plugin. Customize the buttons to show in different areas of your website and to match your colours.
JQuery Pin It Button– Add a pinterest share button to the photos on your website.
Photography and Editing
Canva– I primarily use this website to create my blog and social media graphics. They have an awesome selection of free graphic templates in the sizes recommended for various social media sites.
Be Funky– This is an awesome online tool that you can use to edit photos and create graphics.
Pixabay– A great source of high quality photos for your website.
Organization and Productivity
Trello– Whether I’m creating to do lists or just need to stay on top of important information, I love the simplicity of Trello. It’s a great way to assign tasks and collaborate on projects with members of your team as well, if you have one.
Google Calendar– I love this resource to schedule the editorial calendar for my blog. I also use this to remind me of tasks I need to complete throughout the day.
Zapier– Connect and automate various services using the Zapier API. There are so many combinations that you can think of and they are always adding to the list of services they work with. For instance, add someone to your email list whenever they purchase a product if you use a service that doesn’t integrate directly with your email service provider.
Online Storage
Dropbox– If you need a place to store files, then this is it. Dropbox also integrates with Gmail so there’s no need to worry about attachment size limits.
Payment Processing
Gumroad– Create an online store that’s simple to set up and use. Want to offer a membership, subscription or an affiliate program for any of your products, you can do that too! Customers can securely purchase products via PayPal or credit card.
Did you find this list useful? If so, don’t forget to share it on Pinterest!
