We are frequently asked for advice on various blogging tools, training, resources, and services. People are especially curious about the tools we use to run our blogs.
As a result, we’ve compiled a list of blogging resources that we’ve either used directly (in most cases) or have come strongly recommended to us by people we trust.
This website contains affiliate links, which means we earn a reward if you make a purchase using our links at no extra cost to you.
We’ll keep adding to these lists as we come across new blogging resources that we think you should check out.
Platforms for Blogging
WordPress
WordPress.org is our clear recommendation for blogging platforms. We have not built a blog on any other platform in the last ten years, and it is also the blogging platform of choice for the majority of other bloggers today.
Of course, there are more platforms, such as:
WordPress.com is a blogging platform that is hosted for free.
Blogger, another free hosted option owned by Google,.
Hosting
There are other blogging hosting options available, however we definitely recommend Hostpyters.
The WordPress Starter from Hostpyters is a game changer in that it allows you to create your own personalized WordPress site in just a few clicks.
Whether you’re just getting started, growing your blog, or a “pro” blogger, Hostpyters’ managed hosting services can scale with you:
Hostpyters is one of the leading WordPress hosting providers, recommended by WordPress.org. They have a solid reputation for providing excellent 24/7 customer service and support, along with a comprehensive array of WordPress-specific services and solutions. There are loads of performance and security features with constant updates and enhancements on top of its robust and ultrafast hosting platform that employs the unique Cloud infrastructure
Blog Design/Themes
There are tens of thousands of WordPress blog themes available. My only piece of advice is to choose one that is routinely updated for security flaws, as you do not want your blog to be hacked by a badly built template.
StudioPress is a premium theme provider that I have used and highly recommend throughout the years. I’ve used their themes in the early days of several blogs and appreciate not only their design but also their support.
Tools for Graphic Design
Canva – is an online graphic design tool that even I can use to make decent visuals for my blog! Excellent for making visuals for social media.
PicMonkey – is yet another great tool for creating visually appealing material for your site.
99designs – Do you need a professional to produce some graphics, a logo, or any design element? Check out the services provided by 99designs’ thousands of designers.
Easel.ly – The free method to create a compelling infographic from your data. They also provide a paid premium service. Easelly assisted us with the design and art of our freelance writers guide infographic.
24slides – is a group of experienced presentation designers who specialize in creating amazing PowerPoints, Keynotes, and other presentations. A reliable service that will make you seem nice.
Content Writing Tools
Jasper – is a new artificial intelligence platform that helps you create content faster.
Copy.ai – you can quickly generate high-quality copy that resonates with your target audience and helps you stand out from the competition.
Image and Video Creation
Adcreative – Generate conversion focused ad creatives and social media post creatives in a matter of seconds using Artificial Intelligence. Get better results while saving time.
Pictory – Video Making Made Easy: Create Short, Highly Shareable Branded Videos from Your Long-Form Content Quickly, Easily, and Cost-Effectively – No Technical Skills Required!
Social Studio – Automate your Instagram content creation, design, and posting with your own Artificial Intelligence assistant. Streamline your workflow and save time by leveraging the power of AI to create stunning visuals, captivating content, and engaging posts that will help you reach your target audience.
Email Marketing Tools and Services
ConvertKit – Designed specifically for bloggers, we recommend this email service for novice, intermediate, and ‘pro’ bloggers. Converkit now has a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers that includes landing pages, lead magnet delivery, tagging, and automations, as well as excellent training to help you get up and running quickly.
Drip – is the email service provider that ProBlogger employs. Recommend for advanced bloggers who wish to boost their email marketing and monetize their blogs.
Feedblitz – is a fantastic tool for managing your RSS feeds and email subscriptions.
SumoMe – is a platform for collecting email addresses via a variety of popups, greeting bars, welcome mats, and other unique features.
OptinMonster – is a program similar to SumoMe
LeadPages – which is a strong tool for creating landing pages for your blog.
Tools for Social Media Management
AgoraPulse – is a sophisticated tool that we use to schedule and track our social media updates.
CoSchedule – is a must-have blogging tool that allows you to control your social media message, blog post production, and editorial calendar all from within WordPress. We adore CoSchedule for ProBlogger.
Edgar – is a social media tool that has completely changed the way I approach my social media strategy. It’s really strong, allowing you to make the work you put into making tweets and social updates work for you permanently.
Sprout Social is a tool similar to AgoraPulse (which we previously utilized).
Productivity and Team Management Tools
Evernote – is where we manage a lot of our brainstorming, note taking, idea capture, blog post authoring, and much more!
Slack – is the technology we utilize for internal team interactions.
Trello – is another communication and project management application that we use internally.
Fantastical – is a fantastic calendar app for Macs and iOS devices.
Wunderlist – is a to-do list app.
Other Blogging Tools and Resources
Ecamm Live – is a fantastic solution for Mac users who want to generate Facebook LIVE videos.
BuzzSumo – is a fantastic tool for analyzing how well material gets shared on your (or anyone else’s) website.
MarsEdit is a small Mac blog editor that allows me to create content and publish it to my blog without having to log into WordPress.
Easy Digital Downloads – is a terrific solution for selling things from your site that you can utilize from within WordPress. It’s how we sell our eBooks here at ProBlogger.
E-Junkie – is another shopping cart option if you sell things from your blog. It is not as powerful as Easy Digital Downloads (EDD), but it is much easier to set up and use. We’ve used it on both of my blogs throughout the years, but we’re switching to EDD now.
Auphonic – is a nice little web application that we use to level out different tracks and levels in our podcast production.
Zoom – is a platform that we use for webinars as well as to broadcast to Facebook Live video, which allows us to bring in guests and share screen space.
ScreenFlow – is a recording tool. Screencasting
Grammarly – is a fantastic Chrome extension that automatically examines your spelling and grammar!
Google Analytics – is a fantastic free metrics and analytics application. It is an industry standard, and you must have it installed!
Headline Studio (by Coschedule) – To gain specific, data-driven feedback on our keyword choices, we frequently use Coschedule’s FREE Headline Studio to assess our blog post titles and email subject lines.
Monetization of a Blog
There are numerous ways to make money blogging, much too many to list on our resources page. However, the following networks and services may be a good place to start:
Thrivecart – is much more than a shopping cart; it can also be used to construct high-converting cart pages, funnels, affiliate programs, courses, and other things. We use and strongly recommend Thrivecart.
Google AdSense – is one of the most popular monetization options for blogs.
Amazon Associates – Earn money by recommending products from the world’s largest online retailer.
Genius Links is a fantastic tool/resource for managing your affiliate links, especially if you have a global readership and monetize through Amazon’s affiliate program.
Ultimate Bundles – is one of the best bundle providers, delivering high-value collections of ebooks and e-courses at steep prices in a variety of genres. Sign up to earn affiliate commissions by marketing bundles spanning business, health, lifestyle, family, and other topics…
