21Top Blogging Tools You Must Use
Do you sometimes wonder what tools top bloggers use?
Well, I always recommend bloggers start a self-hosted WordPress blog that serves as their home base. This way, you'll have complete control over your content and how you connect with your audience. That said, you can also blog on platforms like Steemit.
Now once you're up and running, try these proven blogging tools on for size:
- IA Writer/Ulysses/Scrivener or a dedicated app to write your blog posts
- Markdown for laying out blog posts (it works on Steemit too!)
- Google Analytics for tracking your stats
- SurveyMonkey for asking readers what they want
- ConvertKit/Mailchimp or another email service provider for building relationships with readers
- MeetEdgar or Buffer for sharing your content on social media
- 1Password for managing all your logins and passwords for your tools
- Canva for creating images for your posts (or just buy stock if you're in a jam)
- Yoast for optimising your posts for search
- Buzzsumo for reverse engineering popular posts
- Google Drive or Dropbox for backing up your writing
- Evernote for organising your ideas and research
- Grammarly for checking posts for typos
- A premium WordPress theme... so your site looks pretty
- Sumo for increasing website traffic
- LeadPages for creating landing pages
- Trello for managing your workload
- Zoom or Skype for talking to readers (or coaching them)
- Adespresso for publishing your Facebook ads
- Topsy for researching popular blogs in your niche
- Coschedule for writing ace headlines that capture the attention of readers
As you can see there are many blogging tools and writing apps, and each will solve specific problems for you, but your craft should always come first.
Pick a tool or app from this list if it solves a problem for you and then get back to what counts.
Blogging like a boss.
Do you have a question about what blogging tools to use? Ask me and I'll help if I can.
You read my mind with this post. I've been drafting content for a few separate blogs that I plan on launching soon (sounds crazy, but it's really not that bad).
On my list was playing with some WordPress themes next week to see what I like. I've played around with WP a bit, coded custom theme for a local organization -- but there are still some pieces I'm trying to figure out to have a good end-to-end experience for the user (and me.) So next week it's time to dig in.
What tools, plugins ... do you recommend most to pay money for? (as opposed to going with a free version)
Btw... I just followed you, which comes with an auto-vote for all your posts. So even when I don't have time to read everything, I'll still be there...
... So keep the good content coming!