The key to doing any job well is to have the right arsenal of resources at your disposal; blogging is no different. This list of blogging tools and resources are what keep my business running productively each day. Today, I’m diving into how I use them, how much they cost and what versions are best for your business.
Google SiteKit plugin on WordPress
SiteKit comes with several tools that will help you optimize your site in different ways. If you host through BlueHost and use the WordPress editor like I do, it’s relatively easy to setup. Below are the different tools that come with the SiteKit plugin. Note: When searching for the plugin, search for “Google SiteKit”, not the individual features.
AdSense
This is where you can set up, monitor and analyze your ad performance and revenue. Your dashboard within your web editor will let you see high level earnings, revenue per thousand impressions (RPM, a standard unit of measurement for ad revenue across the board), your overall impressions and your click through rate (CTR). There’s also a link to the full AdSense website on Google which allows you to run really in depth reports. Overall, AdSense takes some work to setup, but is worth it to start generating revenue from your existing content.
Search Console
The meat and potatoes of this tool are are the total clicks, total impressions, average CTR and average position. Total clicks are pretty self explanatory; this measures how many times someone clicked on a link that brought them to your site. Impressions are measure how often you simply appeared in a search result. This means someone didn’t necessarily have to click through to your site, but you were an option (which is great because it means Google is seeing your content as relevant and suggesting it to consumers). And as mentioned, CTR is the number of times someone saw you as a result and actually clicked through to your site.
Average position is one you don’t hear as often, though. This number is the average position your page ranks on a search result. For example, if you search “low caffeine starbucks drink” my Starbucks Low Caffeine Drinks post is the #1 search result. Pretty cool, right? That’s why creating unique content and richly tagging it is so important.
Analytics
Google Analytics is arguably the most important of these features. While it doesn’t generate revenue directly like AdSense, it will give you valuable, authenticated data about the traffic that comes to your site (which can lead to earnings in other ways).
Think of Google Analytics as the IG ‘Insights’ tab equivalent of your blog. Not only does this give you an idea of how your content is performing – which allows you to tailor future content and cross promotion efforts – but it gives brands confidence to invest in your platform. Analytics can pull data on your site’s Users (unique IP page views), Sessions (total number of page loads overall), Bounce Rate (what percentage of users leave after one page) and Session Duration (how long visitors are on your site).
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If you’re not using an SEO plugin on your blog, you definitely need to start! I use the Yoast SEO plugin and really like the ease of use, it’s helped up my site traffic and ultimately my ad revenue in the past year that I’ve been using it (literally about doubled on average and at some points quadrupled!). There are several great SEO plugins out there, so find the one that works for you and dive in deep. If you’re not super familiar with SEO in general I recommend finding some SEO experts and reading some articles to get started. Sadly, I don’t consider myself an expert in this field (yet).
Cross Promotional Blogging Tools and Resources
After Search Engine Optimization (SEO), my favorite way to ensure my posts get exposure is to Pin them to Pinterest and save them to Mix. While Pinterest is very familiar to most, Mix might not be. I’m newer to it myself, but am not one to turn my nose up at any viable option to give my content more exposure.
Mix.com
Mix reminds me of a toned down version of Pinterest. You’re not seeing as many images all at once, but it does learn what kind of content you want to see by letting you give each post a thumbs up or thumbs down. In all honesty, I don’t spend much time on Mix itself, but I always add my new posts to the “mix” when they go live.
When I created my account, I installed their browser plugin. This allows you to Mix any webpage you’re on without leaving the page (I also have the Pinterest one installed). You can elect to do that, or on your own Mix page (mix.com/yourusername) there’s an orange plus sign icon in the top right that will prompt this pop up. You can paste your new post links here to launch them into the Mix universe for added exposure. As mentioned, I’m newer to Mix, so I don’t have a lot of data on how much traffic it brings. But again, additional exposure never hurts especially when it takes so little effort to Mix your posts.
The most common question I see creators ask about Pinterest is if they should have separate personal and blog accounts. My answer will always be absolutely not. It’s just not necessary. Pinterest allows you to make boards secret so you don’t have to share everything publicly, so why go through the trouble of logging in and out of two accounts? It’s a thousand times easier to keep your “personal” boards secret so you can Pin more efficiently in one session.
My account is the same one I’ve had since Pinterest first launched, so it was very established once I started to promote my own content. Really devote time to your account by Pinning other content because a little love goes a long way on Pinterest. A lot of you probably do this without realizing it (Pinning for parties, vacations, etc.). You can also Pin your Instagram feed posts once published if you’re looking to grow your exposure there.
I could write a whole post about strategically organizing your Pinterest, but for now, have a look at my boards. This’ll show you how I use rich keywords, board descriptions and the 30 maximum hashtags on my Pins to maximize exposure. Let me know in the comments if a Pinterest strategy post is something you’d be interested in; I’d love to share the knowledge but want to make sure there’s an audience for it first!
Planoly for Instagram and Pinterest
Planoly and Later are very similar tools. Both are now official Instagram partners, so either are good sources of information, but tool-wise, I switched from Later to Planoly a few years ago. I used Planoly free for a while before upgrading to the Solo plan. You can probably get what you need with the free version, especially if you’re still newer without steady income to support tools and subscriptions. A big drawback of the free plan is that you’re limited to 30 posts/month. You can easily go through those if you change your mind/delete/re-upload content, even if you don’t post daily.
Another drawback is that you don’t get the Planoly Pin Planner, which I’ve really grown to love. It lets you schedule up to 30 Pins that will auto publish on your set schedule. Your 30 Pins are based on the Pin, not the number of times you schedule one to post, which is awesome. To make the most of the feature, I schedule one graphic over the course of 6-8 months; this is only counted as one Pin in your tally even though this Pin will re-post XX number of times! I can’t sing the praises of this tool enough. Try Planoly for yourself here.
Email Lists
I’ve used the free versions of Mailchimp from the start and still recommend it. There are definitely more artsy and design-centered options out there (I think Flodesk is really pretty!), and I’m definitely considering making a leap to one eventually, but right now I just don’t need to spend the money. The only thing I don’t love about my free Mailchimp account is that they place their logos at the bottom of every email. However, you get to choose the logo type and it’s really not that big of a blemish. If you don’t mind a simpler email tool, Mailchimp free is what’s up!
Financial Blogging Tools and Resources
If you’re not currently tracking your financials, start today. This is one of the most important things you can do for your business. You don’t even need fancy software to do it! I’m including a few very user-friendly options below.
Google Sheets
This is my current keeper of all important data. This all-in-one workbook includes sheets with financial data, contacts and affiliate links. I have tabs for each of the following:
- Income
- Expenses
- Contacts (brand emails, type of collaboration, last contact, etc.)
- Affiliate Links
The first two tabs are pretty self explanatory; on each I keep a column for campaign/expenditure, financials, posting date, status, deliverables and notes. The second two tabs were added later once I realized I needed a home for each of those large databases. Contacts is a running list of every brand email I encounter, regardless if we’ve worked together or not. This way, I have a contact if I want to work together in the future, or can use that contact in a trade with other creators if I’m looking for another contact, etc.
My affiliate link repository has been one of the most convenient things I’ve developed and I highly recommend having one. Even if you’re an influencer who hasn’t made the jump to blogging yet, this concept is incredibly handy. Having all these links in one spot is great for plugging into Instagram stories, providing to people who DM you and more, especially on an app like Google Sheets that is easily accessible from mobile or desktop.
Quickbooks Accounting Software
Several small business owners I’ve connected with use and recommend Quickbooks for their business financials. There’s a self-employed plan that is about the cost of one large, fancy latte per month; that plan is also perfect for bloggers. I plan to look into that soon and move my expenses over in 2021 to make everything very smooth come tax season.
Recommended Blogging Tools and Resources
- Canva: very dynamic graphic design tool. Earn a Canva Credit after creating your first design.
- Planoly: I use the Solo plan for IG feed and Pin planning. Highly recommend!
- Mailchimp: a free basic email list tool.
- Flodesk: a more artsy, modern design email list option.
- BlueHost: my web hosting company with amazing customer service. Highly recommend!
Do you use any of my recommended blogging tools and resources already? Or perhaps you once did, but moved onto a different solution. Let me know your take on these apps and plugins, or ones you’ve found greater success with in the comments. I’m always open to a new and better way to operate my business, and suggest the same for you!
More Blogging Tools and Resources
- Blogging 101: Starting a Blog (part 1 of 4)
- Blogging 101: Monetizing Your Blog (part 3 of 4)
- Blogging 101: Advanced Blogging Strategy (part 4 of 4)
- Using Lightroom to Up Level Your Photos
This post contains referral/affiliate links. A small commission may be earned if products are purchased through my links. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.
