In today’s post I wanted to give any new or struggling bloggers 10 tools to help grow and improve their blog.
Growing and expanding your blog can be tough. There’s a lot of competition out there when it comes to grabbing people’s attention. These days, people consume more information than ever and it can be hard to stand out in the crowd.
That’s why I’m going to give you my tips and tricks when it comes to growing a successful blog.
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
Before we jump into it, I wanted to express that these are only 10 of the tools I use and enjoy when it comes to blogging. There are a number of other sites and sources that I use to be successful.
I have “favorites” when it comes to affiliate networks, influencer networks, sponsors, keyword research tools, SEO plugins, etc. I’ll have to dive in to those in another post.
For this one, you can expect tips on equipment and storage as these items are the backbone of any good blog and blogger.
1. Grammarly
Grammarly is one of those programs that every blogger should know about. I had no idea Grammarly existed until a few months ago and since using it, I have not gone without it.
Though there is a paid version, I use Grammarly for free at the moment. I’m not yet sold on the premium version yet but it is something I’ve considered.
The best uses for Grammarly that I’ve found are:
- Editing blog posts
- checking grammar for short stories and novels I write
- Correcting grammar on important emails (like for my freelance work or for my clients)
Definitely check out Grammarly if you’re serious about writer and (like me) can’t afford a human editor!
2. WordPress
Okay, I get it, I talk about WordPress a lot! But can you blame me? WordPress was a GAME-CHANGER for me and my blog. I had no idea how amazing it was when I joined.
If you want to know more about the transition, or about my blogging story, you can view my post on Why I Moved my Blog to WordPress.
I fell in love upon my first day using WordPress. Albeit, it was a bit intimidating at first. There are a lot of exciting things happening on a small screen!
What do I love most?
- Plugins
- themes
- Site speed
- Easier to understand html
- The design within blog posts
Plugins:
Plugins are like the staple of WordPress. There are thousands of them and so many good ones to choose from. I love elementor for setting up site pages, yoast seo for (you guessed it) SEO, and Jetpack for site security. But there are dozens upon dozens of plugins to help you achieve the site of your dreams.
Themes:
A big problem I ran into with blogger was that there weren’t a lot of themes that worked exactly as I wanted them to. I was picky and often had to code the stuff I wanted into my theme.
Not with WordPress!
I’ve used two themes on WordPress so far and both have been amazing. I miss my old theme a lot, but it ruined my site speed so I had to change. On the bright side though, I now have the homepage of my dreams!
Site Speed:
A great thing about WordPress is that it has a built-in integration for google site kit which includes Google’s page speed test. I love that I can view all of my analytics in one place AND view my site speed.
I also use plugins like smush and hummingbird to better optimize my site to provide a faster page speed response.
Easy html:
Remember how I said Blogger sucked when it came to html and setting up the site to look how you want? With WordPress, there are easy to understand plugins to help you with html and a number of resources to help clear up confusion.
Better Blog Post Set-up:
Recently, WordPress updated their posting platform and now, writing posts is so exciting. There are more drag-n-drop features that before. Here’s an example one below!
3. Bluehost
Bluehost is the site I use to host my site. Essentially, a blog host is a server that holds and stores your blog information for a small fee.
The thing I love most about self-hosting with Bluehost is how simple the layout is for all of my blog files. I absolutely love the user friendly interface. If there are ever problems on my blog (and believe me, problems DO arise) I can go into my files, find the bug, and fix it.
When I used Blogger (and for anyone not self-hosting), I couldn’t access all of my site files like I can now. If there was a problem, it could mean the end of my site.
Not only that, but self-hosting gives you complete ownership of your blog, which of course is a huge plus!
4. Canon Eos Camera
If you’ve followed me long enough, you know I love my canon EOS rebel. I own the Canon EOS Rebel T6. But I have also looked into the Canon EOS M50 for better Youtube creation functions.
I’m a huge supporter of Canon and I absolutely love their gear. It’s long lasting and super affordable.
Why am I asking you to invest in a canon camera?
As a blogger, you know how important quality images are. Chances are, you’ll want to use your own photos whether for photography for Instagram, blog posts, or Pinterest. And I think that Canon is the best way to go.
5. Camera batteries
For some reason when I started blogging, I thought one camera battery would suffice. Ha!
Honestly, I didn’t even think I’d use my camera for my blog, but turns out I use it almost all the time! Pinterest graphics, blog photos, and Instagram photos all require my handy camera.
Since filming as well, I’ve found that one battery simply can’t hold out for an entire workday.
That’s why I ended up buying a battery charger and two more batteries for my camera.
Additionally!
Extra flash drives and a wireless chargers for camera batteries and your laptop can really help when it comes to never losing your progress again!
6. Ring light
I have yet to get a “good” ring light and believe me, it shows. My YouTube videos and my original blog images are not very bright. This means that I have to invest more time in editing and photoshop to make sure the content is clear and well lit.
Here are a few ring lights I’ve been looking at to help amp up my blogging game:
Is a ring light a make or break item? Not really. It’s great to have and certainly makes your content appear more professional. But it is by no means a necessity.
7. HP laptop
I’ve mentioned this before in my Equipment Every Blogger Needs post, but I use the HP Elitebook with an i5 core. I got mine refurbished from amazon for a really great price.
The things I looked for in a good laptop were:
- Lots of storage space
- A smooth and reliable processor
- Guarantee of longevity on wear and tear
- A brand that is versatile and has loads of positive reviews
My parents had an HP computer in the past so I knew the quality would be up to my standard. I avoided chrome book because the only experience I’d had was with the crappy ones my high-school gave out.
I wanted a laptop that was reliable and had all of the necessary features for blogging. I needed lots of storage to hold all of my videos, documents, and blog images (you’d be surprised how much space those items take up!)
Overall, I’ve been really happy with my HP laptop.
If you want more suggestions, check out my post Equipment Every Blogger Should Have for a more in depth view into choosing the right computer.
8. Google Drive
Google Drive is a godsend. I love that I can back up all of my photos into google photos, put my documents in drive, and create organized folders for my needs.
The thing about your computer is that, though it can hold a ton of stuff, it can’t hold EVERYTHING.
Not only that, but having your stuff backed up in several places offers a secure peace of mind.
I back up all of my documents, posts, photos, and videos with Google Drive as well as a personal flash drive so that everything is in three distinct places (should I lose the content).
I also use google photos daily to help transfer photos from my phone to my computer. I know that I can just transfer the content via Bluetooth, but it’s never as smooth and reliable as google photos.
Plus, I can access photos through google drive and it’s really nice to just have everything in one convenient place.
9. Tailwind
I say this every time: I KNOW you’ve heard tons of bloggers talk about Tailwind. But it’s amazing. Really. You can’t blame me for wanted to boast about how convenient it is!
As a blogger, tailwind has been one of the greatest investments I could have made. It saves me so much time when it comes to pinning on Pinterest AND tailwind has increased my blog traffic (and thus my revenue) by a near 200%.
That’s insane!
Tailwind posts your pins (or instagram images) at optimal times in the day. With tailwind, you can write captivating descriptions and add tags to your post, schedule it in the queue and then sort of just sit back and let it do its thing.
Tailwind is not “cheap” if you’re a new blogger with little money. But it IS fair. The site is certainly worth the cost.
As I said above, my numbers skyrocketed when I started using tailwind. And though I sometimes find it troubling to keep creating news pins and churning out NEW content for tailwind (so as not to be too spammy) I really enjoy other aspects of the site.
First, I love that I can schedule pins to group boards as well.
Also enjoy tailwind tribes. Has tribes given me a ton of growth? Not exactly. But it’s certainly contributed to that 200% increase I mentioned earlier.
I have a YouTube video on my blogging mistakes where I talk about how great tailwind has been. Definitely check that out if you want to learn more!
10. Pinterest
To go right along with tailwind and to round up today’s post, I wanted to talk about Pinterest.
Pinterest is a bloggers best friend.
Pinterest is the best way to market and promote your content online. You can partake in all the SEO strategies you want to help rank on google, but when it comes to cross-promotion, branding, building an audience, and gaining traffic, pinterest should be your number one.
Pinterest is a great vertical, visual platform and is one of the highest ranking/used search engines in the world.
Every blog I’ve ever encountered uses Pinterest and it’s no wonder why. Over 75% of my blog traffic comes from Pinterest pins alone.
I put a lot of focus and effort into the platform as a result of this. And if you’re a blogger, you should too.
Don’t shy away from paying a little for ads either. It goes a long way!
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the world of blogging, the right tools will help you to better your site. It’s important to learn from the facts and invest in the right equipment for the job.
Do your research and find what works for you!
We can all win together.
If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below:
Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know any good Chicago restaurants you’d like me to review and try!
You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $6.99!
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
Thanks again