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Hello and Welcome to a a list of the great blogging resources straight from The Savvy Sagittarius! Blogging can be so hard because there are SOOO many resources out there to use. I feel like everyone is suggesting 100 different tools that they use and it can be hard to figure out exactly what you need to get started.
I wasted money on things that I definitely didn’t need to buy and I have bought courses that weren’t worth my money. My goal is to help create a process for other new bloggers that doesn’t leave them super confused about what to use. In creating this list, I hope that other bloggers don’t have to feel like they are wasting their money to get to where they want to be with their blog! I get asked all of the time what products I use for different things.
I am always getting asked what I use for certain things! There aren’t a lot of things that I am willing to pay for, but I am finally creating list of the few that I have really found helpful since I started blogging. Instead of getting continually asked, I thought I would create a list! I also want people in the debt free community to see that while blogging is the start of a new business and costs a little up front, it can be one of the best side hustles. If you aren’t sure about it, check out my post 5 Things I Learned From My First Year of Blogging and Why YOU Need to Start One NOW!
Maybe you haven’t started yet and you are trying to figure out if blogging is worth the investment! I sure love it, but if you don’t enjoy writing then it may not be for you! If you love communicating with people and telling a story, blogging might just be the perfect side hustle for you and your debt free journey!
Here are just a few of my favorite online resources!
Blogging Resources:
Bluehost
I use Bluehost for my host site and I haven’t had any problems with them! Hosting is all of the background stuff that makes a website work, so you don’t have to worry about They make it super easy to set up my website and my WordPress! They have always been super helpful! If you need some advice on how to get your blog started check out my post on How To Start a WordPress Blog in just MINUTES. Or, just jump right into it by getting your Bluehost hosting for less than $4 a month!
I have had a few instances where I just didn’t understand something with my blog or I changed the wrong thing on coding and they fixed it! Let me be very real with you, I have ZERO clue about coding. I am not a computer person and for the longest time, I couldn’t get certain things to work on my INSTAGRAM. Multiple times a month, I still have to Google different tutorials.
Tailwind
Tailwind: A majority of my traffic to my blog comes from Pinterest. For a long time, I would read other bloggers say this and not believe them, but it is true. Most people who find my blog, find it because of Pinterest and Instagram. Tailwind lets you schedule out your pins for weeks at a time. It gives you intervals that work to boost your traffic and tells you the best times of day to pin!
I LOVE this for busy weeks when I don’t have time to be on Pinterest! If you sign up through my link, you will get a free month of Tailwind! I love using Tailwind because I can schedule out all of my Pinterest pins for the entire week (or longer). It pins my posts to different boards as well as other people’s pins.
With Tailwind, I don’t have to try to keep track of which board each blog post has gone to and how many pins are in between. I usually pin a week at a time and then go back to update it with more of my posts as I post them! When I don’t have to run my social media for my blog, I get to focus on content more.
Convertkit
Convertkit: I am working on putting together an e-mail list so you can subscribe and get every blog post, plus any updates about great sales and really anything else that I am running or things that I find as I am continuing to learn how to blog. Sign up for my e-mail list and never miss a blog post or update again. When you sign up through this link, you will get your first month of Convertkit for free as a chance to get started!
Canva
Canva is probably one of my favorite resources to create beautiful pictures. It is also where I created all of my workbooks. I upgraded to the Pro version for like $13 a month and I think it is totally worth it. You get hundreds of stock photos and graphics. This gives you EVERY single thing you need to create gorgeous graphics and printables is all in one spot. There are also tools to help you create your brand kit and content calendar right in Canva!
YouTube:
Like I mentioned above, I am NOT computer savvy. I don’t pretend to be and I am really not working on getting better at it. Ironically, I know just enough to run this website and really nothing more. When it comes to fixing things and trying new things for this site, I always go to Youtube tutorials to help me create beautiful, seamless looking posts with very little skill. YouTube has the answer to EVERYTHING!
Social Media:
I am kind of lumping these together, but Pinterest and Instagram are a must! Start social media right away! Having a Pinterest and Instagram are the two biggest social media pages to focus on when just getting started. Facebook is great, but it is slow to gain a lot of traction and your reach is limited. To get your blog views, start a Pinterest and Instagram for your blog.
I don’t recommend switching your personal social media to a business one. If they aren’t interested in your blog, you can lose people before you even gain them. Start fresh. Start new. It is actually a really great feeling. I share my blog posts on Facebook, but it isn’t a site to focus on at first. If you start new, you can let people find and follow you who are genuinely interested. Share your account on your personal page, but enjoy your fresh start!
Blogging Courses
Blog by Number
Start a Mom Blog-Blog By Number: This is the first course that I took as a blogger. It really helped me figure out how to set everything up. Suzi gives tips on how to write a post that people want to read! She does a fantastic job making it super simple for any level of technology experience! The best part is, her course is SUPER affordable when you are just starting out! She has a series for everything you could want to do with your blog. From e-courses, printables, e-books and just blog posts, she has it all! Suzi is my go to resource for all things blogging tools (even if you aren’t a mom!) Because you get life access, I still refer back to her course if I have any questions! Absolutely worth every penny! I strongly recommend getting started on your “Blog by Number” Course!
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing: Once you have dug a little deeper into the blog world, it’s time to start making money. I mean, that is why most of us start blogging, right? To make money, sometimes you have to spend money! Taking this course changed the way I look at blogging! I am super excited to share Michelle’s course. She makes over $100,000 a MONTH blogging while her and her husband travels the world. She definitely knows what she is talking about. For $197, you learn everything there is to know about Affiliate Marketing and how bloggers make their money! I promise that if you implement her course into your blog, you will earn that money right back!
Don’t make your blog a money trap right away!
There are so many blogging resources out there that you could use to create a super successful blog. This list is just a few of my absolute favorites. As I find more favorites, I will be sure to keep you updated with them! Blogging doesn’t have to be expensive, but I set aside about $100 a month for blogging expenses. Because it is in my budget, I don’t worry as much about spending the money on it. As I have started earning money, I just invest the money straight back into my blog. By the end of the year, I hope I can make a little profit from my blog!
If you haven’t started a blog yet and are ready to start, check out my guide to setting up your blog!
If you don’t understand how to make money from a blog, check out my mini guide on how I made $4,000 from my blog last year!
There’s definately a great deal to know about this subject.
I love all of the points you have made.