Today I want to share five essential tools necessary for blogging. Since starting my blogging journey I’ve ran across so many tools that are necessary to take your blog to the next level. The five tools I am going to mention have changed the way I manage my blog daily, weekly and even monthly.
These tools are essential for beginner bloggers or bloggers years in which is why I’ve managed to track all of my tools that I couldn’t work efficiently without and share them.
Tool #1
BlueHost – BlueHost is a leading web hosting solutions company. They provide comprehensive tools to millions our the world. The web hosting packages they have service beginners and pros. BlueHost & WordPress have been partners for 10 years which is why if you obtain web hosting through BlueHost than you can create your very own WordPress site at the convenience of one click.
Before using BlueHost I was using blogger which is a free website. I didn’t have any issues with them but after months of researching new platforms to house my blog I ran across many great things about BlueHost. Even though BlueHost only provides self hosting they partner with WordPress to provide a free website. I didn’t hesitate on switching platforms. They have so many themes to choose from. The best part about it all is it’s very user friendly. The cost is not very expensive at all. I paid about $65 for a year of web hosting. I suggest you looking into web hosting with BlueHost.
Tool #2
Convertkit – Convertkit is the email service provider I currently use. I personally love and appreciate them because they have so many tools and resources available to help professionals utilize their services to the fullest. The process of syncing my email subscribers from blogger was seamless. You have the option of creating automations, forms, sequences and broadcasts. To some that may sound foreign but the good thing is they provide tutorials on all things. If you are looking to switch your email provider definitely check them out Convertkit!!
Tool #3
Canva – Canva is the platform I use 90% of the time to make all my graphics, business cards, flyers, board covers etc. There are two plans available: free account which is limited to some point and the for work account which costs monthly or annually. I’ve used both and the for work account is the best because it offers more. With the free account you are limited on graphics, templates etc but with the for work account you have more access to the premium items. If you have never used Canva definitely use the free account to see what it offers and if you find yourself liking it you can easily upgrade your account.
Tool #4
Tailwind – Tailwind is the social media scheduler platform I use to schedule my Instagram & Pinterest posts. They provide a free trial for each account you add but you can only do so much on your demand of posting. I used the free trial which is 30 post a month (pretty much once a day) but after that I decided to upgrade each account and now pay $14.99 per each account. That may sound like a lot but for IG it gives me the chance to post how often I want. With the demand of engaging with my audience posting once wasn’t enough for me. Tailwind gave me the opportunity to personalize my own schedule based on peak/non-peak hours.
The same goes for Pinterest but there are some differences because they are two totally different platforms. Pinterest is a bit different because it’s based on pins I currently have the option of pinning 400 pins monthly. One of my faves is bulk uploading/creating multiple posts from any page on the web at once by using their Browser Extension. This works for me because having different boards I like having the option of pinning 1, 5 or even 10 or more pins at once to the same board. It’s makes pinning so much easier. With this process it take no more than one hour to schedule my pins for 30 days at a time. Another option is being able to create pins or IG posts on the go with Tailwind‘s mobile app.
Tool #5
PicMonkey – PicMonkey is another platform I use to create graphics, board covers etc. When I first started using this platform I will admit I was overwhelmed but after using it often it became easier. They have so many templates, graphics etc. available for creatives to create amazing products, and graphics. To take advantage of PicMonkey‘s free trial click here!
Conclusion
I know that each of these tools are necessary for blogging and thought I would share why I invest in these tools monthly. If you would like to check any of these tools out click on the specified tool and follow the instructions.
Hope you enjoyed my recommendations on necessary tools for blogging!!
