8 resources to boost your blog

Today’s post is a little different for me. I want to highlight some of the top blog resources that I’ve been using over my blogging journey.

Blogging can be a full-time gig – even as a hobby. You get out what you put in. But when you’re working full-time, it can be a nightmare keeping on top or even staying inspired.

I’ve been doing this for five years. From initially posting every review I did, to understanding about promotion, platforms and, finally, making the switch to self-hosting.

I’m sharing my top resources that keep me blogging. I’ve personally used, and would recommend, everything featured here.

*Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Aff links are clearly marked as such.

Twitter

Promotional tweets are a huge part of blogging – and so time consuming. It’s taken a few experiments, but scheduling the entire week in advance is my preferred method.

* Tweetdeck

It’s not the most flexible – you can’t adjust the tweet once it’s scheduled other than deleting and going again. But there’s no limit on how many you can do, which is key for me. It’s an easy system to use and completely free.

* Buffer (free version)

I use to reschedule tweets, as well as occasional tweets if I know I’ve just posted. I’d love to go pro with Buffer because it’s flexible and easy to use, but I’m staying with Tweetdeck until I can justify spending the money.

Pinterest

This platform is huge right now. It’s important to say that not every niche does well, and you shouldn’t expect every pin to be viral. As a book blogger, I see some solid traffic (in relation to my other channels) but I’m not talking big numbers. Some topics are better suited, so expect different results depending on your niche.

That being said, it’s still one of my strongest platforms for bringing in traffic. I’ve tried a few courses this year to improve.

* Ultimate Pinterest Marketing Guide (AF)

The Boss Babe Chronicles is a master at Pinterest. She gets millions of monthly views, and clicks in the thousands. Her guide has been a game changer for me.

Over 100 pages of Pinterest know-how, from board covers to schedules, design to Tailwind. I’ve learnt so much and regularly go back to check if I’m doing something right.

Her latest update (March 2021) has just saved me over £100! I’ve finally learnt a quick way of scheduling on Pinterest itself, and now can set up all my pins on there. What does that mean? It means I’ve finally cancelled my Tailwind, not needing to pay out for something I can do easily myself. All because of the clear how-to in here that I had no idea about before. Definitely recommended!

Instagram

My Instagram is poor. There’s no hiding it. But I also haven’t put the time or effort into it or focused on my photography, so there’s no one to blame but myself. But, like everything else, I have my resources.

* Later

It’s free and although there’s a limit, it’s about 30 posts. I’m lucky to have even one lined up!

If your Instagram is a business account, you can auto-publish. Even if you’re not around, you can reach your audience at their optimum time. If you don’t have a business account, you receive a notification to push out the post.

And my favourite part? You can write captions on a laptop – I’m rubbish at writing them on my phone!

Blogging

What would a resources post be without some more general blogging advice?

Jenny In Neverland is my go-to girl for this!

A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Blogging (AF)

This is fantastic for new bloggers to help get your head in the game about what all this blogging business is about. But it’s also great for those who’ve been doing it a while. I’ve recently been re-reading the section on disclaimers and privacy pages, and about SEO and DA. It’s got post ideas, photography tips, blog layout advice… every topic you can think of!

A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Blog Following (AF)

Another incredibly useful guide. If you’re not sure what channels to use, what to engage with, what’s worth it…. You need to check this one out.

Both are super affordable (and I mean super affordable!) and packed full of great advice.

I’m also constantly trailing her blog every time I have a blogging question, knowing I’ll find the answer in her posts of blogging wisdom!

Affiliate Sales

I’ve only just started branching into this, and have a long way to go.

What’s really helped me though is Kayleigh Zara. Having made a sale every day for a month, this girl is the goddess of affiliate sales.

A Beginner’s Guide to Affiliate Sales (how’s this for irony, this isn’t an aff link, it’s just a high recommendation!).

If you’re looking into starting to make money from your blog, I definitely recommend grabbing a copy of this and using her fantastic advice and knowledge to start your journey.

My blog has been a big focus this year. Without being able to schedule promotions in advance, I’d stand no chance. Without having the opportunity to learn more, I wouldn’t know what my next steps are. I hope some are useful to you if there’s an area you’re interested in.

Lyrical Host

In 2020, I made the scary decision to go self-hosted. After doing my research and some fab advice, I settled on LyricalHost (AF). Honestly, I couldn’t recommend them more. They have been beyond helpful getting everything set up, helping me sort out redirects, answering all my questions, giving advice and fixing things when I made a massive blunder and managed to delete a ton of old posts. I’ve never once felt out of my depth with them.

If you’re looking to switch, get 10% off your first hosting plan with code: ARamblingReviewer10

What are your top blog resources that help you out?

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