You can make blogging easier if you have the best blogging tools. And when blogging is easier it’s also easier to grow your site and your income. These are the 10 best blogging tools according to a full-time blogger.
I’ve been blogging for almost 15 years and over that time I’ve used many different blogging tools. Some have been very useful while others were major flops, does anyone remember Board Booster?
After a lot of trial and error, I have found my must-have blogging tools for running my six blogs. Some are free and some are paid but all are worth it.
The Best Blogging Tools
I’m going to share a lot of details about each blogging tool but in case you are in a hurry I’ll give you a quick overview of the best blogging tools. Keep reading for why I love each tool and to get some discounts and free trials.
- ConvertKit
- Tailwind
- Canva
- AirTable
- Rank Math
- SemRush
- Google Analytics
- Grammarly
- Teachable
- ConvertBox
ConvertKit – Email Marketing
Email is very important when it comes to blogging. It’s a way to connect with your audience outside of your blog and social media. Unlike social media, you own your list and control what people get to see.
I used Mailchimp and Mailerlite before switching to ConvertKit and it is far and above the best option. It’s not cheap but if you use your email list wisely you can use it to boost not only your page views but also your income.
Get a 14-day free trial to ConvertKit!
Tailwind – Social Media Scheduler
I’ve been using Tailwind for several years now. I switched over from Board Booster when it closed after it came out that they were violating Pinterest’s terms of service. Tailwind is an approved partner with Pinterest so you don’t have to worry about this.
While you can use Tailwind for Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and even email marketing, I only use it for Pinterest scheduling and their free Instagram bio link page.
It’s very simple to use and by using Tailwind to schedule your pins on Pinterest you can make sure you are keeping your account active and growing your traffic. It’s a huge timesaver for me.
Get a $15 credit for Tailwind!
Canva – Graphic Designing
I’ve used many different programs to create graphics for my website but the easiest and most useful is Canva. I’ve used it for a few years now and it’s the best option I’ve found for bloggers. Within Canva you will find a lot of free tools but I personally use Canva Pro to get full access to what it has to offer.
Canva not only allows you to edit photos and graphics, but they also have tons of templates for social media graphics, videos, printables, and more. You can create just about every kind of graphic you need for your blog in Canva.
You also don’t need any real graphic design skills to use Canva. It’s simple and very user-friendly.
Get a free 30-day trial of Canva Pro.
AirTable- Spreadsheets
AirTable is almost always opened in a tab on my computer, it’s open right now. It’s a workspace where you can create helpful spreadsheets and documents to keep all of your information for your blog.
Since I run 6 different blogs I find AirTable a must! I have what they call workspaces for each of my sites and within those, I have a lot of bases which are basically spreadsheets of different kinds.
AirTable has a lot of spreadsheet templates you can use or you can start from scratch. You can also use it to collaborate if you have other people working on your site with you. I just use the free version of AirTable and find I can do everything I need to.
Rank Math- Seo tool
If you have been looking at starting a blog or already have one you have likely heard about the SEO tool Yoast. I used it for years but had some pretty bad experiences.
In 2018 Yoast had a big bug that caused many blogs to lose rankings on Google. Two of my sites were impacted and it took me months to get those rankings and traffic back. Mistakes happen but this was a really big one and it took a while for them to find it and share it with their customers.
I started looking for an alternative after that bug and ended up finding Rank Math. I joined very early on and have loved it since. I have used Yoast again recently on a blog I purchased and it just confirmed that I find Rank Math to be the better option.
The free option can work fine, especially when starting out but I purchased the pro version at just $59 a year and find it very worth it. I can use it on all of my sites for that one price. Sometimes the price is higher but if you watch they have sales often.
SemRush- Seo Tool
SemRush is a tool that helps you improve your SEO by searching for keywords, tracking your site performance on Google, finding SEO errors, and more. It’s been very valuable in helping me improve SEO on my sites.
SemRush can be pricey but you can share your account with other bloggers to reduce the cost. Simply ask in a blogging group if a few people want to share an account. You’ll want to create a schedule so you know when each person is using it. I share an account with a few other bloggers and we each have a 2-hour window every day to use it. There are also hours that aren’t scheduled that we can use as needed.
Before deciding if you want to join a group or if you want to start your own you can get a free 14-day trial
Get a 14-Day Free Trial of SemRush!
Google Analytics- blog stats
Google Analytics is something every blog needs to have. It’s the gold standard for monitoring traffic on your site. It’s also a free tool by Google so there is no reason not to use it.
You will need the data from Google Analytics if you ever want to join an ad network and having the information for yourself can also help you grow and adjust your site.
Get Google Analytics for free!
Grammarly- grammar and spellcheck
I’m dyslexic and spelling is quite difficult for me. After years of writing, I’m better at it but I still make a lot of mistakes. That can be pretty embarrassing, though it really shouldn’t be, a lot of people struggle with spelling.
Something that changed the game for me is Grammarly. It’s a browser extension that tells you as you are writing not only what your spelling mistakes are but it also helps with grammar.
And the best part is that Grammarly can be used for free and works perfectly with the other blogging tools I use and with WordPress. There is a paid version but I’ve never found that I needed it.
Teachable- selling tool
If you plan to sell courses, or digital products, or offer coaching Teachable is a great tool to have. It’s where I sell my products and it’s helped me increase my income.
There are many similar platforms out there but the main reason I use Teachable is that they take care of taxes, including VAT tax. You of course still need to pay income tax on what you earn but they will deal with the taxes that people pay when buying your products. This is a huge timesaver and prevents some headaches.
I am testing out another option that also pays VAT tax for you and that’s Payhip. It’s a lot cheaper and even has a free option so that’s something to consider as well.
ConvertBox- popups
I recently started using a ConvertBox which is something you may have seen on this site. It’s the company I use to create my popups for emails. Popups can be annoying but they also convert!
It’s an easy program to use and can help you build your email list, sell products, and more. The best part is you only pay for it once! It’s not cheap but it’s a good investment and in the long run, will save you money.
Get a lifetime ConvertBox membership.
These are just some of the helpful tools out there for bloggers. I also often share great tools and sales in the free Bloggers’ Coffee Hour Facebook group.
Helpful Blogging Tools Summary
Are you a skimmer? This was a long post with a lot of information so here is the TL;DR. Don’t forget to save the post to refer to later.
- ConvertKit– Email List Management
- Tailwind – Pinterest Scheduler
- Canva– Graphic Design
- AirTable– Spreadsheets
- Rank Math– On-Site SEO Tool
- SemRush- SEO Tool
- Google Analytics– Tracking Stats
- Grammarly– Spelling & Grammarly Browser Extension
- Teachable– Sell Digital Products, Courses, and Coaching
- ConvertBox– Create Popups
More Blogging Resources
Want to learn even more about blogging? These are some articles you can find here on this site.
Leave a Reply