Hi! This page has a list of my favorite resources for bloggers plus the best articles to help you be a successful blogger. Many of these links take you to a product or service that I have used and loved. Some are affiliate links. All are wonderful.
Getting Started Online
- The best guide to starting a blog.
- What is a self-hosted blog
- How to decide on a hosting company for your blog.
My favorite hosting companies
My current favorite hosting option for bloggers is SiteGround . Their hosting is fast, secure, and they have a great backup plan. Customer service is top notch with little wait time. I frequently speak to the same person on chat.
Another great option is BlueHost. They are an affordable hosting option for new bloggers.
If you get a lot of traffic to your blog you should check out WP Engine, FlyWheel, or Synthesis to host your blog. It’s more expensive, but with that kind of traffic you need the speed and support.
Making your blog look good
- Why I love Genesis
- The importance of a quality WordPress theme
- How to pick a theme for your blog
- Top 10 Genesis themes for bloggers
- Add content boxes and blockquotes to your blog
- Helpful tutorials for customizing your Genesis theme
WordPress themes
I use and recommend Genesis themes. With Genesis, you’ll get clean code, SEO optimization, secure updates, great support.
Looking for something pretty? Restored 316 Designs add a feminine touch to Genesis.
Customizing your blog
Marianne of designyourownblog.com has an awesome book guide for customizing your blog. Check out her 50 tips and fixes for making your blog beautiful and functional.
Sending out a newsletter
Tools for newsletters
I currently use MailChimp to send out my newsletters. It is free for the first 2000 subscribers and easy to use.
I also use the Ninja forms MailChimp extension + the Module app for creating a click-able pop up subscription boxes like this one.
Socializing
- Setting up social media accounts for your blog
- Understanding the @ sign on twitter
- Everything Pinterest
Helpful tools for scheduling social media.
Pinterst – Scheduling pins with Tailwind makes my Pinterest life SO MUCH EASIER. I use their Schedule it pin button and they add the pin to my schedule (which they populate for me). Their Pinterest analytics are also really helpful.
Facebook – Facebook is the best way to schedule your FB posts. Rumor has it that the Facebook algorithms place less importance on posts pushed from third party hosts. There’s no credible source for this, but its hard enough these days to get noticed on Facebook, so I don’t take the risk.
Twitter – I use HootSuite to schedule my tweets. You can use it for other social media platforms, but I only use it for Twitter. It is also a helpful dashboard when trying to keep up with twitter chats.
