Note: Affiliate links may be used in this post. I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use my affiliate link. Full disclosure policy here.
Blogging Tools and Resources
I often receive questions about the blogging tools and resources that I have used, so I decided to put my recommendations all in one place for easy reference!
These are all tools and resources that I have personally used and loved. As a full-time blogger, these are the things that keep my blog business running!
I only recommend products that I can vouch for 100% and that I think will help you too. If you decide to make a purchase using one of the links below, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. 🙂
If you haven’t started a blog yet, be sure to sign up for my free Blogging Bootcamp email course to get your blog started ASAP.
Web Hosting
The first step to starting your blog is getting web hosting. This is basically where your blog will “live” on the Internet. It’s important to go with a self-hosted web hosting company instead of a free platform if you want to monetize your blog.
Bluehost
This is the web hosting company I use to host all my blogs. I’ve used Bluehost for many years now and have had a great experience. They offer fast, reliable, affordable web hosting and are the perfect choice for new bloggers.
Best of all, they have the lowest prices out of any web hosting company. It’s just $2.95 per month, and you get your domain name for free.
Click here to read my step-by-step guide for setting up your blog with Bluehost.
WordPress Themes
Once you have started your blog, you’ll need a WordPress theme. While there are plenty of free themes out there, I prefer premium themes because they have more customization options and functionality.
I have worked with all of the following themes over the years and can highly recommend purchasing a theme from any of the following theme designers:
All of these themes come with great set-up documentation and customer support. This is crucial if you’re a new blogger and need some extra help!
Blogging Education
I highly recommend investing in blogging education such as online courses and ebooks to help you reach success faster as a blogger.
Start a Mom Blog
Don’t be fooled by the name, Start a Mom Blog courses are great for ALL bloggers, not just moms. 🙂 These courses were created by Suzi, a former engineer turned mom blogger. Her course Blog by Number is perfect for beginners.
Pinteresting Strategies
This is my go-to recommendation when I get questions about Pinterest. Pinterest can be an AMAZING way to get traffic to your blog, if you know how to use it right. I took Pinteresting Strategies (created by Carly, a successful blogger who gets 200k+ pageviews per month from Pinterest) as a new blogger and it skyrocketed my traffic within a few weeks. It’s also VERY affordably priced (and you can get an additional $5 off with the discount code PINNING5.)
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of my main sources of income as a blogger, and I learned basically everything I know about it from this awesome course! Created by Michelle, a blogger who earns over $50,000 a month from affiliate marketing on her personal finance blog Making Sense of Cents, this course is a great, in-depth guide to making money from affiliate marketing as a blogger.
Ultimate Bundles
Ultimate Bundles is a company that creates “bundles” of digital products like online courses, ebooks, templates, and more. These bundles are available for an extremely discounted price (think under $100 for $5,000+ worth of products) for a limited time only, usually as part of an annual one-week sale. The Genius Blogger’s Toolkit is one of their most popular bundles that contains dozens of amazing resources for bloggers. Sign up to be notified when it goes on sale next!
Software
There are a few programs that I use on a regular basis to run my blogging business. Some of these I pay monthly for, while other tools I use are free.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is the email marketing platform I use. With ConvertKit, I have grown my email list to over 5,000 subscribers. You can sign up for their free plan here. (It’s 100% free for sending emails up to 1,000 subscribers.)
Canva
I use Canva for designing all my Pinterest pins and any other graphics I need for blog. Best of all, it’s totally free and extremely easy to use!
SendOwl
The absolute EASIEST way to sell your digital products is with SendOwl. I use them to sell my ebooks. It’s literally the easiest platform to use and so quick to set up. Plans start at $9/month, but you can get a free month trial here.
BHW Products
I have several online courses and ebooks for bloggers.
If you’re looking for affordable resources that will help you start and grow your blogging business, check out my best-selling educational products below:
Online Course for Bloggers
Ebooks for Bloggers
- Amazon Affiliate Affluence (How to make money as an Amazon affiliate)
- Get Paid to Pin (How to make money from affiliate marketing on Pinterest)
- Niche Selection Secrets (How to choose a profitable blog niche that you love)
Helpful Blog Posts
Finally, I have lots of free content on my blog to help new bloggers! My main mission is to provide helpful, actionable content to help you succeed at blogging.
Not sure where to start?
Here are my recommendations for where to start learning:
- What Is a Blog? Explanation of Blogging Terms for Beginners
- 6 Things to Do Before Starting a Blog
- 7 Blog Niches That Make Money and Get Traffic
- How Much Does It Cost to Start a Blog?
- What Type of Blog Should I Start? (Free Quiz)
- How to Start a Blog for Beginners
- 37 Most-Asked Blogging Questions Answered
- Blog Name Ideas: How to Choose a Blog Name
- What to Blog About: 150+ Profitable Blog Niche Ideas
- How Do Bloggers Make Money? Top 5 Ways Explained
- How Many Pageviews Do You Need to Make Money Blogging?
- How Long Does It Take to Make Money Blogging?