Our Recommended Blogging Resources & Tools
Blogging Platforms
My recommended blogging platform is none other than WordPress.org. It is safe to say that WordPress is the clear choice for not only myself but millions of other blogs and websites that use the platform.
WordPress is easy to use and learn, even for someone who has no prior knowledge of HTML or CSS. In addition, the WordPress community is huge! You can find a solution to any problem you may face.
With WordPress.org, you have full control over the design of your blog.
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Blog & Web Hosting
With so many blog hosting services available, it can be difficult to find the best one for you.
The blog hosting services I recommend is provided by Bluehost.
Bluehost offers a variety of plans that can exactly fit your hosting needs. Bluehost’s basic plan is perfect for any new blogger or small website just starting out. As your blog or business grows you can upgrade to one of their larger plans and gain more benefits.
WordPress has been recommending Bluehost for blog and web hosting since 2005. The two go hand-and-hand. When you sign-up, Bluehost will even offer assistance in setting up a WordPress website.
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Blog Theme
It took me quite a while to find a theme that did exactly what I wanted it to. Finally, I found OceanWP and haven’t changed since.
OceanWP is a fast-loading WordPress theme that is updated quite often. It supports every plugin I need and pairs nicely with drag-and-drop page builders, which is a necessity if you’re unfamiliar with HTML and CSS.
The theme is responsive and completely customizable. You can upgrade your theme package for additional features.
WordPress Plugins
WPForms is my recommended plugin for creating online forms. I use it for just about every form on my blog. It is a drag-and-drop form builder that you then can integrate into your pages, posts, widgets, etc.
WPForms has a lite version but I recommend upgrading. Upgrading WPForms gives you access to critical form features and addons that you need to make your blog or website completely versatile.
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For SEO, I suggest downloading and installing the YoastSEO plugin. This WordPress plugin allows you to edit various aspects of your blog including titles, meta descriptions, etc. It can help maximize your SEO efforts.
If you are looking for an easy way for your visitors to share your content across multiple social media platforms, then I recommend downloading the Sassy Social Share plugin. This plugin will display a social sharing bar on any page you choose.
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Elementor is a drag and drop page builder tool. This plugin pairs nicely with OceanWP. It allows you to create and design web pages/posts without having any prior knowledge of HTML or CSS.
Email Marketing Tools
OptinMonster
OptinMonster is a tool that helps you collect user email addresses. This is the best lead-generation plugin you can find on WordPress. You can design OptinMonster’s forms to your liking which look great and convert!
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Mailchimp is perfect for creating email marketing campaigns, advertisements and custom landing pages. I use Mailchimp’s email marketing features to send newsletters out to my blog subscribers.
Images & Design Tools
Adobe Spark is a paid software by Adobe. Although the pricing may be a little steep, it is great for creating various images quickly. Adobe Spark has a variety of templates to choose from including Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Blog templates.
Pixabay is a free image website. You can search for just about anything and download the image for use.
Pexels is the same as Pixabay but with different photos, you can download.
Blog Monetization
If you’re looking to get your feet wet in affiliate marketing, I recommend ShareASale as your starting point. ShareASale lets you browse merchants that offer affiliate programs.
All you have to do is simply apply and give a quick summary of how you can promote their business.
Once approved, you will be given affiliate links that will track whenever a user clicks on it. You will receive a commission based on the sales made through your blog.
This is the best blog monetization option for new bloggers.
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Google Adsense is Google’s ad network. Anybody with a website can sign-up. However, profit margins can be low if you lack traffic. Adsense displays advertisements related to the content on your blog.
Being an Amazon associate can be beneficial for those who like to review products. You can advertise Amazon products on your website. You will make a small commission for any product sold from your website.
You can choose your own products to promote or opt-in to have Amazon display advertisements based on keywords found throughout your content.
Affiliate Disclosure
There are affiliate links within this page. Meaning every purchase you make through my website I will receive a small commission for. I only list products I use myself or absolutely love!
With each purchase, you will get a great feeling knowing you are helping out a blogger pay off his student debt! Thank you!