(Ahem, Amy here. I’m so excited to introduce you all to Pamela from The Picky Bookworm with this guest post on favorite blogging tools. Take it away!….)
All bloggers have their favorite tools. I can’t think of a single blogger you could find who didn’t have a list of at least 4 tools they use, and why. From automation to newsletters, bloggers have been finding ways to make blogging easier for years. I’ve listed my favorite blogging tools below, and I’ll tell ya, they make my job so much easier!
Thank you Amy for collaborating with me on this guest post! I’m so glad to be here!
CANVA
I use Canva to create images for my blog, and Social Media. Most of my images include a book cover image, especially if the post is a book review. I grab these book cover images from Goodreads, and have put a disclaimer on my website.
Canva is an amazing tool. Even the free version has so many options that it’s easy to forget it’s free. My friend Eliza has the premium plan, and from what I’ve seen, I will probably be investing in it very soon myself. If you are a blogger, and struggle with creating quality images for your blog, I encourage you to check out Canva, if you haven’t already.
CINCHSHARE
CinchShare is my social scheduler. It costs $10 a month, but is SO handy for scheduling blog posts to share. I learned recently that most social media networks want users to spend time on the platform, engaging with others, so scheduling all social media posts is a bad idea. This reason is why I only schedule blog posts. If what you see, especially on my Twitter account, is not a blog post, then it’s me.
I schedule my blog posts, because many of them are still relevant, especially my book reviews, and I want people to see them again long after I’ve written them. I don’t, however, have time to sit every day and share them manually. This is one thing that CinchShare does very well, and I love using it.
MAILPOET
I use MailPoet for my newsletter, and I’m a little obsessed. I looked at several others: ConvertKit, MailerLite, Creative Mail, among others, and never really felt at home. I didn’t feel like they did what I wanted. My goal is to be able to offer free resources to people who subscribe to my newsletter, and MailPoet not only allows me to do that, but has ways that I can offer multiple offers in several different ways.
For Example, I create a form that allows people to sign up for my list “Comma,” and when they do, an automatic email goes out sending them the free resource: an infographic on comma use. Having access to various types of forms, and ways that authors can sign up for my newsletter is really handy.
WORDPRESS
How would I run a blog without WordPress? Seriously. I know others who blog on Blogger, and while I tried that, it just wasn’t for me. I love the various templates and themes for WordPress, and the customization is incredible.
Since I host my site through Bluehost, I have access to tons of different plugins that make my blogging job so much easier as well. For instance, MailPoet is a plugin that I installed in my blog, so setting up opt-ins for my newsletter is just a few clicks.
MY TABLET (KINDLE)
I have the Kindle app on my tablet, which is how I read books that I review on my blog. I rarely, if ever, read a hard copy book, even though I own a bunch. My tablet makes it easy to carry my library with me, and makes it possible for me to always have something to read. I wouldn’t be able to run my book blog without books, and wouldn’t have easy access to eBooks without my kindle app.
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
Where would a book blogger be without the books themselves? My blog specializes in indie and self-published books, so it’s only fair that I include them in this list. I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of these fabulous people and stories. Some of my favorites include:
- Connor’s Gambit by Z Gottlieb
- Destiny & Other Dilemmas by Caroline Fleur
- Dark Blue by Elliott Motl
- The Goners, Vol. 1 by Kenyon Gagne
I wish I could list every book I’ve reviewed, because I love them all. Feel free to visit my blog to see all the books I recommend, but for this list, I’ve tried to give a variety of genres.
I hope these tools that I use for my blog inspire you to find the tools that work for you! Leave a comment below with your favorite tools, and come visit me at thepickybookworm.com to see them in action. Thank you so much to Amy for giving me a chance to share my favorite blogging tools! Until next time, bookworms!
Pamela has been the owner of The Picky Bookworm for almost two years, and has come to love the community she has acquired through working with authors.
Through book reviews, affordable editing services, podcasting, and an online shop, Pamela works hard to offer a wholesome community to indie and self-published authors. Her goal is to make these amazing authors feel supported and appreciated.
When Pamela is not working, you can find her on Twitter @pickybookworm, spending time with her husband, or playing with her cat, Simon.
Thanks for the tips. I outsource my covers to my illustrator, Sean Flanagan, who does far better than I can.
Scheduling posts would be nice. I tried it once using Bluehost’s WordPress, but it didn’t seem to work. I only write 2-4 blog posts a month, so it doesn’t seem worth $10/month.
I’m with you on Bluehost and WordPress. I picked WP because it had the most tools and was the most widely used. I haven’t regretted it.