Blogging can be overwhelming. I have been blogging less than a year and there is still so much I do not know. From taking courses, reading articles, and networking with other bloggers, I have found a ton of useful blogging resources. These are the 12 free blogging resources that I have found the most helpful.
Writing Blog Posts
1. Capitalize my Title
Sometimes I am not sure on what words to capitalize (I always second guess myself). This website is super easy to use. You just copy and paste your blog post title and it automatically adjusts the capitalization. This has saved me tons of time.
2. Headline Analyzer
Coming up with unique, fun, and catchy headlines can be hard. I am not a very creative person. You can input your title into headline analyzer and it will score it based on how unique it is, how many words, and other criteria. I obviously don’t stress over this until I get a score of 100 (never have on a title) but it does help me realize what I could change to make it a little better.
3. Keyword Explorer (SEO help)
I am no SEO/keyword expert so I will take all the help I can get. Keyword Explorer on moz.com helps you determine how popular a keyword is and gives you other suggestions. You can then take this keyword and put it in your Yoast SEO WordPress plugin.
4. Grammarly
I have talked about Grammarly before but I honestly don’t know how I wrote any blog posts without it (they probably weren’t great). You can either copy and paste your post right into the Grammarly website or you can download the plugin and it will edit the post as you go. Personally, I have the plugin because it now edits my emails, school papers, and blog posts. Click below to get started!
5. Pexels
I am awful at taking photos and to be honest I am too lazy (and cheap) to buy a nice camera and take a photography class. Pexels is great for free stock photos and is perfect for most blogs. You might see the photos on other blogs but personally, I do not care. For more free feminine styled stock photos make sure to check out my friend Kim’s post.
WordPress Plugins
6. Pretty Links
If you are using affiliate links on your blog you definitely need this plugin. This allows you to label the link so it doesn’t seem so “spammy”. It is important to note that if you are an Amazon affiliate you cannot use Pretty Links for Amazon links (they don’t allow it). Make sure that your affiliate program allows cloaking and if it does then use pretty links! It is also nice because you can just update the pretty link if something changes and it changes it for every post the link is in. This avoids a major headache if that link is in many posts. If you are interested in making money through your blog make sure to check out my post on the best affiliate marketing programs for beginners.
7. UpDraft Pro
I use UpDraft Pro to back up my blog. I currently back it up to google drive so if something happens to my blog (knock on wood), I have a backup readily available. If you don’t already have a way to back up your blog I highly recommend getting this plugin ASAP. You don’t want to lose all of your posts!
8. Instagram Feed
Want to link your blog Instagram account to your blog? I love this plugin because your readers can find you on Instagram and see what you are posting. You can put in in your sidebar (which is where mine is) or at the bottom of your page. Whatever works best for you!
9. Yoast SEO
You might already know about Yoast SEO but if you do not you NEED to get it. SEO is so important for getting ranked on Google and having your blog be found by randos online so this plugin is super helpful. You set the keyword for your post and it will give you recommendations on how to make the post rank better (and how its readability is).
Promoting Your Blog
10. Canva
Like I said before I am 0% creative/artistic. Canva is how I make all of the images for my blog and social media accounts. You can use their templates or create your own. You don’t need to guess sizes because they have preset sizes based on what you are looking for (Facebook post, Instagram post, cover photos, book cover, etc).
11. LinkTree
It sucks that Instagram only allowed one spot for a link. This is super frustrating when you have a new post, facebook group, giveaways/ebooks, and other things you want your followers to see. Link Tree solves that problem. This allows you to post multiple links on Instagram! You post your linktree link in your Instagram bio and it takes your follower to a page similar to below (that is my linktree). I cannot believe Linktree is free but I am not complaining!
12. Hellobar
Are you trying to grow your email list? Need a way to get people to subscribe to your blog without annoying popups? Hellobar is the perfect solution. There is a free and paid version but I use the free one. It is very easy to set up on their website and you can link it to your email marketing provider (mine is MailChimp). When someone subscribes through Hellobar they get added to my email list in MailChimp.
*FREEBIE* If you need help staying organized with your blog download my free Blogging Calendar.
Related Posts
- 7 Blogging Myths Debunked
- 6 Affiliate Marketing Programs for Beginners
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course Review
What other free resources do you use for your blog?
