The more I write, the more I notice that there are some things that I just can’t do without! When it comes to boosting blog growth, organizing subject matter and sharing it with YOU great people, I need all the helpful tools I can get!
Some of these tools I use constantly and some I just use occasionally, but they are all great time-savers and they do exactly what they claim to do.
There are many apps and programs available to bloggers that are created specifically to boost productivity and to increase blog growth. I’ve listed a few of the ones that I use on a daily basis and that frankly, I couldn’t live without!
1. Bluehost Web Hosting
I use Bluehost web hosting for this site and I have used it for two other websites that I have had in the past. I have always been very satisfied with their customer service and as a hosting provider, they really cover all the bases.
The WordPress platform is unbelievably easy to install on Bluehost and this is the primary reason that I recommend them. They will walk you through the complete installation onto your blog and if you have questions or concerns, they will respond quickly and efficiently.
I think it is important for EVERYONE to benefit from all of these tools and Bluehost and WordPress both really come through with their user-friendly systems.
Use this link for a substantial discount in Bluehost web hosting.
2. WordPress
WordPress is a free blogging software used for content management and is the most popular blogging system used on the internet. One thing that I find attractive about WordPress is the fact that it is so user-friendly and beginning bloggers as well as pros can have great success with the WordPress platform and themes.
3. Blog theme
Your blog theme is what sets your blog apart from others. It shows your style and personality. Choose a blog theme and customize it to be distinctly “YOU”.
WordPress offers a variety of themes for websites, some free and some paid. Other places that we’ve had experience with that also offer gorgeous blog themes are Restored 316 and Pretty Darn Cute Designs. Both have many unique and beautiful themes to choose from.
4. Use Tailwind for amazing blog growth
Hands down, the one tool that has helped us to massively grow the number of visitors and page views on our blog is Tailwind.
With Tailwind, you can schedule your pins to post on Pinterest at future times. There is a “Smart Schedule” in Tailwind that pinpoints exactly when your times of highest engagement are on Pinterest and that’s when your pins are scheduled.
Tailwind also has a feature that makes pinning so convenient. There is a Tailwind extension to install on your browser which enables one-click pinning to your Pinterest boards. So easy!
Get a one-month free trial of Tailwind and use that time to experiment to see what Tailwind can do for your website. There’s really nothing to lose..they do not require a credit card for the free trial. Try it and then evaluate the resulting blog growth. If you’re happy, then spring for the paid version!
5. ConvertKit
As Tailwind has helped to grow my blog by bringing more visitors and more page views, ConvertKit is responsible for growing my mailing list. Since starting with Convertkit, my e-mail list has more than tripled in size.
With Convertkit, you can create opt-in forms and content upgrades effortlessly and simply, placing them anywhere on your blog. It is possible to place a different opt-in form after each blog post and Convertkit keeps track of which subscriber downloads which form.
I highly recommend Convertkit to handle your subscriber list. Try it for one month free and evaluate where your list stands at the end of that month. I guarantee that you will see growth!
6. Yoast SEO WordPress Plugin
If you’re anything like me, grasping the concept of SEO and all that it entails is mind-boggling. Enter the Yoast SEO plugin. This simple little addition to your website takes care of everything for you by guiding you to write content that will help your post to rank higher in search engines. It makes you choose keywords and criticizes you until you change things to make its little green light come on. Amazing.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR BLOG FOR SEARCH ENGINES
7. WordPress Editorial Calendar
This is a plugin that I have used for a long time on my WordPress site. It is exactly what it says it is: a calendar that allows you to easily schedule posts to be published on whatever day/time you choose simply by dragging and dropping.
The great thing about this calendar is that you can look at the entire month at a glance and see what you have published and what is scheduled to be published in the near future. And… it’s free!
8. PicMonkey
PicMonkey is an incredibly simple photo editing site that I find so easy to use. I use this tool to create blog images, Pinterest pins, and to edit photos.
PicMonkey has lots of fonts and design templates to choose from and makes creating beautiful images a snap! I could not do without this tool in my blogging toolbox.
Try PicMonkey free for 7 days or choose a monthly or annual paid subscription.
9. Google docs
Writing my blog posts in Google docs has been a major convenience simply for the fact that wherever I go, my work goes with me.
Documents can be accessed on computer, phone or iPad, and can even be shared with others if needed which is really convenient if you find yourself somewhere away from your workplace with a little time to work on a post.
Google docs also has lots of different fonts to jazz up your post and images and links and images can also easily be inserted.
10. Google spreadsheets
The main thing that I use Google spreadsheets for is to keep my Pinterest board pinning organized.
I list each board across the top with each board’s rules and enter the date that I post every blog post to that board. That way I can make sure that I am not overstepping the rules of each Pinterest group board by pinning too often or by pinning the same thing twice.
Just like Google documents, Google spreadsheets can be accessed and shared with others.
11. Buffer
Buffer is another tool that has helped me to free up my time. It schedules to all of your social media platforms, although I just use it for Twitter.
With the free version you can schedule tweets for the day and with the paid version you can schedule tweets to run for days. Buffer works with Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and more!
12. Google Analytics: To keep up with BLOG GROWTH!
Google Analytics installed on your site will show you everything you need to know to monitor your blog’s growth. I think it is something you should not be without!
Google Analytics provides you with so much valuable information. While you may have to dig deep to get all the details, it allows you to do extensive research on WHO your audience is, WHAT they are interested in, and HOW OFTEN they are visiting.
All of this is information that will help you to target your audience and write for them. This is part of growing your blog!
13. Pinterest
Last, but certainly NOT LEAST, the single most important tool that we have in our blogging toolbox...Pinterest. Our blog growth can absolutely be attributed to our participation on Pinterest. Pinning our pins, sharing the pins of others…This is what has brought us massive blog growth.
If you are a blogger and are not taking advantage of Pinterest, START TODAY! Set up a pinterest profile, create pins for every blog post, join some group boards, and get to pinning!
This goes hand-in-hand with Tailwind (see our #4 above). Scheduling pins throughout the day in our optimal time slots has brought many, many readers to our blog.
If you would like to join our Pinterest group board, Blogging Superstars, follow these steps:
1. Follow us on Pinterest
2. E-mail your Pinterest URL with your request to join our group board to pineapplesocial1@gmail.com
There you have our favorite tools! If you put your focus on growing your blog traffic and mailing list, then many of these tools are things that you can’t do without! These particular ones will make it easier and simpler than ever.
I’ve never tried Google docs, but it sounds perfect for jotting down drafts when I’m out of wi-fi reach. The other app that sounds good is board booster. I had no idea that there was an app that posted to Pinterest. Thank you for sharing what you know.
xx
Hi, Debbie! Google docs has really helped me to get more organized with my writing. And you have GOT to check out Boardbooster! It really has been a game-changer for me! Thanks for your comment!
I use Board Booster, but I recently started the free version of Tailwind. I really like Tailwind, and I have seen more growth since I added it. The Hello Bar also helps grow your email list.
Hi, Rachel! Yes, I think Tailwind is helpful, too. And the Hello Bar has helped me to grow my mailing list…I think Sumome calls it the “Smart Bar” but I think they are similar. Thanks so much for your comment!
Thanks so much for your fabulous blog growth tools. You are my Over the Moon Link Party choice for Featured Blogger this week. Come back some time from Sunday evening through Thursday evening and get your Featured Blogger badge and don’t forget to share your new posts. Congratulations!
Hi, Sandy! Thank you so much for the honor! I enjoy participating in Over the Moon Link Party and I thank you for hosting it. I will definitely be back! Thanks again for your kind words.
So glad to have found your terrific site through the No Rules Weekend Blog Party (I LOVE these parties: not only do I have an opportunity to get visitors to our site but I get to discover great blogs to follow, too.
While we already use a number of the tools you mention, I’m really keen to check out Boardbooster for Pinterest. Thanks so much for the great suggestions.
Hi, Aliyah! I’m so glad you found our blog! I agree, parties are a great way to connect with other bloggers! I think you’ll really like Boardbooster. I highly recommend it! Thanks so much for the comment.
Great list! Blogging with good tools is so very helpful! I am going to need to look into ConvertKit. I am on the fence about MailChimp even though I use it. Thanks for sharing this at the #happynowlinkup
Thank you, Jen! I’m glad you found something interesting in our list! I enjoy participating in #Happynowlinkup. Thanks so much for hosting!
I’ve been blogging for a while but some of what you mention here is foreign to me. Can’t wait to check it out.
Glad you found something interesting here! Thanks for the comment!
This is a great list. I’ve been wanting to try both CoSchedule and Board Booster (or another Pinterest scheduler). Schedulers are a lifesaver! Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips!
Hi, Wendy! Yes, CoSchedule and Boardbooster are both excellent timesavers. So glad you found the post helpful! Thanks for the visit and for the comment.
A lot of good ideas here. Unfortunately, I have a free WordPress account so I can’t instal plugins… So frustrating but I will go around that LOL #overthemoon
I know what you mean..I had a WordPress.com account many moons ago and I can’t believe the difference in free/paid. I definitely suggest the change for you! Good luck with your blog and thanks for the comment.
Such a helpful list thanks! I really like using canva for my pictures. I find it pretty easy to use and the pictures turn out well. I also really like using hootsuite to schedule Twitter posts.
Yes, Nicole, I love Canva, too! I use Buffer for tweets, but I’ll have to check out Hootsuite! Thanks for the visit!
These are interesting suggestions and I love Canva.
Dropped by from #BloggersPitStop Congrats on your feature there. I will share this so others can find it. 🙂
Hope this weekend is treating you kindly. 🙂
Thanks so much, Donna. The folks over at #BloggersPitStop are so supportive and encouraging and I always enjoy sharing there. I love Canva, too! And PicMonkey as well 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a happy weekend, too!
Great tips for boosting blog growth
Thanks for linking up with Welcome Home Wednesdays! Live every Wednesday at 7AM CT.
liz @ j for joiner
Thanks, Liz! I always enjoy sharing at Welcome Home Wednesdays!
Yay! You won the Blogger’s Pit Stop with this post and will be featured on my blog this Friday.
I stumbled it!
Janice
Janice,
Thank you so much! I hope that the post introduced some of the readers at Blogger’s Pit Stop to some new tools for their blogs. Thanks for stumbling the article and thanks for hosting Blogger’s Pit Stop!
Hi,
I finally confirmed my subscription to your blog! We are like-minded bloggers. I look forward to your perspective on the content I write.
I have often written about these tools. I am writing about PicMonkey for the first time this Sunday.
Janice
Janice,
Thanks so much! Yes, I share the feeling that we are coming from a similar place on most things! I appreciate your perspective, as well, and I always benefit from your point of view. I feel that you bring fresh new content that I’m not finding everywhere else and I also feel that you are the type of person who cares about others and are willing to help others to reach their goals. That is a rare thing, and I admire you for that. Thanks so much for all you do, and thanks for the visit.
I am pleased to say that this post is among the most clicked on The Bloggers Pit Stop. Congratulations, be looking for a feature on Friday.
Kathleen
Bloggers Pit Stop
Thank you so much, Kathleen! And thanks for all you do over at Bloggers Pit Stop! We appreciate all that you do to promote our posts!
I see several tools above that i use and love. PicMonkey is the best! Love all the function that it supplies. I have tried Canva and it is really confusing to me and I got frustrated. But they do have some great features if I can figure them out. LOL
This is a great list for bloggers to consider using, they help make blogging possible and easier.
Yes, Nikki, I completely agree about PicMonkey vs. Canva. I find PicMonkey so simple to use, but it takes me forever to do the same thing in Canva. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve used PicMonkey so much more and I’m used to it, or if Canva is just more complicated. Thanks for your visit! I always love reading what you have to say 🙂
Caught you on the Blogger’s Pit Stop. I like anything that makes my blogging life easier. I’m still new at this so really appreciate all your advice. I’m also looking to drive more traffic to my site. I hope you come by for a visit and let me know what you think. New eyes always inspire change that you didn’t see, because you were working on it for too long….I will be pinning you and sharing you on all media.
Thanks, Olivia! I’m glad to be of help! Getting more traffic to your site is definitely a full-time job. I think consistency is the key..and promotion of posts. I visited your blog and can see that you have put a lot of time and effort into it! Keep up the good work! If I can help you in any way, feel free to email me. I will respond right away. Thanks again for the visit!
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I use Buffer and love it and now I’ll b e checking out the others. Thanks for sharing!
Glad to be of help, Teresa! I love Buffer, too..it’s such a time-saver for me. Yes! Check out the others to see what would work for you. Thanks for the visit!
These are all very helpful blogging tools. I use most of them. Yeast is one of my favorites it has helped me tremendously, couldn’t be without it. Buffer has been a lifesaver as well. I need to give google docs a try. Thanks for sharing your list of tools!
Yes, Linda, I don’t think I could do without any of them! It’s amazing how much time they save in a day. Google docs has been a lifesaver, too, since your document will show up on iPhone and iPad just when you need it! Thanks for visiting!
Good information. I need to look deeper into Coschedule, Boardbooster and Buffer to get my social media rolling along. And can I say a big “thank you” for not just publishing a list of affiliate links- I get so tired of those posts!
Thank you, Shelly, for your kind remarks. The main goal of our posts on blogging is to share with other bloggers the things that have worked for us or that have helped us in some way. I’m so glad you found the post helpful. All of the tools you mentioned have saved us hours and hours! I recommend all three of them and encourage you to get started with them right away! You will be amazed at the results! Thanks so much for the comment and for the visit. Good luck with your blog!
Thank you for the great tips. I’m definitely going to take a look at board booster. Anything to cut down on the amount of time spent on Social Media!
Thanks, Marie! You definitely should check it out! It has saved me so much time and I feel that I can accomplish much more than before. Good luck!
I love your post. When I write about PicMonkey I will link to you.
Thanks for coming to Inspire Me Monday last week
Janice, Inspire Me Monday hostess
Hi, Janice! Thank you so much; I really enjoyed participating in Inspire Me Monday and I appreciate your kind words. I am joining up with you again this week! I have enjoyed your blog for quite some time…you do a great job. I always leave your blog having learned something new..you are always inspiring. Thanks again for everything!
I use 9 out of the 13. *smiles*. LOL Great post, I love how you share your personal experience with each tool. I find it helpful to decided whether it’s a good tool for me to try or not. I recently switched to a self-hosted site and I did it myself. I figured that I could do it on my own but ran into a few issues but the customer service from Bluehost made it that much easier! Hands down, I would recommend this host site to anyone. I’ll be sharing this post with my followers on Twitter. Thanks again for the personal testimonials. 🙂
Thanks so much for the comment, Rosie! Yes, customer service at Bluehost really can’t be beat. They helped me quite a lot when I was setting up this site. All of these tools have been timesavers for me. I was spending hours trying to get everything done manually until I discovered some of these! I’m so glad you found the post helpful. Thanks again for the visit!
These are all great tips! I keep hearing about ConvertKit; I must get on board! Pinning…
Hi, Carole! I really found ConvertKit easier to figure out than Mailchimp…It has saved me time and headache! It is important to choose the one that works best for you. Thanks for the visit! I love your blog!
Thanks for the list of helpful tools and apps for blogging. Enjoyed reading your post. I seem to fall in and out of blogging – my main focus is my pattern writing and my etsy and craftsy shops so blogging kind of takes a backseat. I wish I had more time but for now I can only do so much with running my shops, my family life and my website. I will check into some of the things you mentioned to see about helping manage my time better.
Thanks, Kimberlee! I do hope some of these tools will help you automate the things that take up so much time. I agree that it is so hard to do it all especially if you have a family to take care of as well! Good luck with it all..thanks for visiting!
Such great advice! I love using Canva as well. It’s got so many great ways to customize blog pictures 🙂
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
Thanks, Edye! Yes, I do like Canva, too. It has a few things to offer that PicMonkey doesn’t have, but then again, PicMonkey has a few things Canva doesn’t have! Sometimes I like to create something in Canva and then import it into PicMonkey to jazz it up. Thanks so much for your comment…I read your blog and think you’re doing an awesome job! Keep up the good work!