After a year of Blogging, I have tried a bunch of different software that has been recommended to me by other bloggers. Here are my favorites.

Wix Hosting

I know that most bloggers swear by using Wordpress to set up your blog, but I have also heard that it requires some coding, and I am not proficient in that at all. I just want to write.

Wix is really plug-and-play.

When you first set up your blog, there is a wizard program that walks you through setting up your blog. It allows you to make your own logo, and a theme. You can use the same headers and footers on every page.

You can put your social links in the header or footer so they display on every page.

Also, you can insert your Ko-Fi link easily as well.

You can view your page on desktop and mobile, and easily optimize for both. Most of my views come from mobile, so this is really important. You want your webpage to be easily readable.

It is easy to insert Graphics, both your own or premade graphics and pictures from Wix and Unsplash.

Wix allows you to use their blog template, and shop template. You don’t have to use a 3rd party site for either one. Your shop can accept paypal, credit card, or bitcoin. You can also sell your products on Amazon or Etsy (for a fee) if you want to, and it links directly.

You can also set up an email sign up to build an email list, and send emails directly through Wix.

It allows you to set up social media posts, and make promotional videos.

There is a free comment app that you can use.

Wix also has a bunch of great analytics, through google and elsewhere so that you can see where your views are coming from.

Wix is a one-stop-shop for everything that you need.

You do have to pay for a custom domain, if you don’t want it to be myblogname.wix.com. I got hosting for 2 years for under $200. It includes everything that I need.

If you want a members-only area, you can set that up too, as well as chat forums. I haven’t done this though, so I can’t speak to how well it works.

Overall, I have been very happy with Wix, as it is easy to use, and their customer service replies quickly if you are having any problems. I would highly recommend Wix to anyone starting a blog if you aren’t very tech savvy.

Pinterest

Pinterest is one of the most important platforms for bloggers to be using. Pinterest is the biggest visual search engine on the internet, and is free to use. It is like a social media search engine.

You can share a graphic that is connected to your blog post, so that anyone searching your topic will see it.

There are algorithms, just like on Medium, that will determine how many people see your posting. You also get followers much the same way.

You can also post affiliate links direct to Pinterest. This allows your links to be shared with a wider audience, without having to click through to your blog. This can be useful if you are in a lot of affiliate programs.

In addition to sharing your own content, you can learn a ton about blogging by using Pinterest. In fact, that is where I got the idea to be a blogger in the first place.

There are many articles about blogging to be found on Pinterest, and you can learn all the ins and outs from experienced bloggers for free, if you invest the time in reading a lot.

Here is my Pinterest blogging board, if you want to check out what I am talking about.

https://www.pinterest.com/nicoledake/girl-boss/

Pinterest also offers advertising, so that you can promote either a single pin, or a group of pins. I have had fairly decent results with this when I promoted links to blog posts, and my book release.

You can choose amounts to spend on daily advertising for different lengths of campaigns, and the minimum is $3 per day, which is pretty affordable.

Canva

Canva is a graphics site that allows you to make pictures for your blog posts, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and even book covers and other printables.

If you try the Pro version, you also have access to a host of other graphics, as well as a calendar to schedule Pinterest posts ahead of time.

There are many free templates that you can download. You can also make your own templates, or buy some from Etsy for as low as $4.99.

I make all my Daily Affirmations posts with Canva, as well as the graphic for my pinterest pins. For example:

Tailwind

When I started using Tailwind to schedule my social media content, it was a game changer.

Using Canva, even with the scheduler, I was spending 1–2 hours a day just posting to Pinterest. Now, I spend about 30 minutes twice a week to schedule all of my content.

All you have to do is put in the link to your blog post, and it makes a bunch of designs for you to select from. You can make the same post for all your socials at the same time.

Tailwind allows you to use the graphics from your post, or select from stock photos.

What I love is the ability to have consistency across all the platforms, as well as being able to schedule much more quickly.

Tailwind sets up the layout for you, so you aren’t wasting time centering graphics, or adding different graphic and text elements to your post. It also allows you to automatically put your blog address on every post, or your logo, if desired.

You can use premade color schemes as well, so that you have a similar look and feel to all your posts.

Tailwind has free and paid versions as well. With the free version, you get 20 posts per month. On the paid version, you can choose a plan with 100 or 1000 posts per month.

Also, Tailwind has communities, that are set up a lot like Pinterest Group Boards, and you can share your posts there too. This way, you can get more shares of all your postings.

Conclusion

These are some of my favorite blogging tools that I use on a daily basis. I hope this helps you get a feel for some things that may be useful for you in the blogging world.

Each of these platforms is very useful, and offers a free trial so that you can get a feel for them before making a purchase.

Here are the links if you want to get started:

Wix | Pinterest |Canva| Tailwind

Let me know what blogging tools you love in the comments! Let’s share the wealth.

❤ Nicole

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