I’ve been blogging for over eight years. Back in the dark ages, I used a terrible default layout on Blogger. My blog style has thankfully evolved over the years. And the blogging resources I’ve used over the years have also evolved. I always enjoy reading what other bloggers use to run their businesses, so I thought I would share what I use. These are my go-to blogging resources, and I use most of them on a regular basis.
Canva
I love Canva. It’s the perfect graphic design tool for someone like me who has zero skills for graphic design. I use it for pin templates, social media posts, and so much more (I’ve also used it a lot for work). They have a ton of resources that are completely free. You can also upgrade to a professional membership or buy design elements as you need. Canva has really helped me improve my pins, and I’ve definitely noticed more page views and traffic. It’s hard for me to undersell Canva. I recommend it to everyone, whether you have a blog or not.
WP Tasty
I decided to upgrade my recipe plug-in and found WP Tasty. It’s from the talented team at Pinch of Yum. It does cost about $79 a year, but it’s a worthwhile investment for me. The plug-in is so easy to use, and you get professional recipe cards. It really is plug and play: you fill out the recipe details, and it generates the recipe card you picked. The recipes are also incredibly easy to edit and update. If you have a food blog or ever share recipes, take the time to consider WP Tasty.
Tailwind
Where would I be without Tailwind? It’s really upped my Pinterest game and helped me get up to 700,000 monthly views. I use it to schedule pins and make sure that I’m pinning across my boards evenly. Tailwind is also great because you can set it and forget it. I tend do a batch of scheduling every few weeks to include my new posts and updated pins. I actively pin few times a week to help boost traffic, too. This is another resource that I can’t recommend enough. If you invest the time and learn how to use it, you will see incredible returns for your time, money, and effort.
Lightroom
If you take photos, you should check out Lightroom. I think it’s easier to use than Photoshop, and it’s pretty easy to teach yourself. You can also download a version for your phone to edit on the go or to access your edited photos on the go. Once upon a time, I didn’t think I needed to edit photos. That was a lie. Edit your photos. You and the people who read your blog will appreciate it.
Hootsuite
I have to admit that my Hootsuite usage varies from regular to non-existent. Hootsuite has some great features that allow you to schedule social media (like tweeting old posts). I honestly forget to use it on a regular basis. But I can see a bump in page views and traffic when I schedule tweets.
What are your favorite blogging resources?
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Ashley @ A Cute Angle says
I love Canva! I haven’t used/heard of any of these others, but I’m eager to check them out now, especially Hootsuite. Thanks for sharing these!
Lisa | Extra Black Olives says
They’re definitely worth checking out. I’ve used Canva and Hootsuite for both blogging and for work.