Must-Have Blogging Tools for Beginners
Blogging is an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs that requires minimal financial investment to begin. Unlike many other businesses that need a large amount of capital, there are a few essential blogging tools for beginners that will start a business off on the right foot!
Some of the most important things a blogger will need are not tangible products or lots of money to set up a blog. Successful bloggers also need to develop a growth mindset and practice self-discipline, along with growing their content creation and technical skills. However, there are a few basic tools that will set up a good foundation for your business.
Let’s dive in!
Content Management System
The most foundational tool that a blogger will need is a content management system. This is online software that allows users to generate and produce their own content while storing it online. With a good system, you can create and publish a complete website – without any prior design or coding experience.
We always recommend WordPress.org as the best content management system for bloggers. This system is free, and you will pair it with a paid online host. (Don’t worry – we’ll chat more on this soon!)
A self-hosted WordPress site has many advantages to helping you grow and monetize a blog. It can be as simple or as detailed as you like and it has the potential to expand alongside your business. Since it powers over 43% of all websites, there is no shortage of community support or resources to help you manage your blog there.
Learn more from our conversation about why WordPress is best for bloggers here.
Website Host
Because we recommend self-hosting your website on WordPress.org, you will also need a website host (also called a hosting service). A website host can be compared to a landlord, to whom you pay rent for your housing. Similarly, you will pay the host to house your site (domain) on the Internet.
When you self-host, you will pay a monthly fee to the third-party hosting service. We highly recommend one of the best in the industry, BigScoots, for WordPress hosting. With BigScoots, you can choose a monthly plan for your business size and find excellent customer support along the way.
Theme
Most content management systems (such as WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.) will have the option to design your blog by choosing templates and themes. These design frameworks will allow you to customize your site features such as fonts, colors, layouts, branding, and more.
With WordPress, you have the option to install a theme, which is more comprehensive than a single-page template. A theme will provide your entire site with the structure and design needed to create individual pages. You must install a theme for your site to be functional, and you can further customize your site by selecting both parent and child themes.
We recommend selecting Kadence as a parent theme (primary theme) and choosing a child theme from one of the beautiful designs at Restored 316. This investment in one of Restored 316’s child themes will truly set your site apart from others in your niche and allow you to creatively reflect your brand and business! Listen to our chat with Restored 316’s founder, Lauren Dierschke, about what to look for when choosing a theme and why a theme is a necessary investment for your business.
Plugins
Other must-have blogging tools include the right plugins for your site! Plugins are the extra features that add enhanced functionality to your site and improve the user experience.
In general, you want to keep the amount of plugins on your site minimal. This can prevent your site from slowing down or from visually overloading the reader. However, you do need a few quality plugins which will vary based on the type of blog.
For example, if you run a food blog, you will need recipe card plugins. Other plugins that most bloggers will need include options for social media sharing, resources for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and email list opt-ins. Some plugins will be free, and some will require a monthly or annual payment.
Find out more about the cost of starting a blog and our recommended plugins in this post.
Project Management Tool
Even if you are the solopreneur in your business, it’s a good idea to keep a list of projects and tasks in a central location. Staying organized and writing tasks down helps you prioritize and leads to overall success!
You might wonder whether or not another tool is necessary. We can attest that using a tool, even just for its base capabilities, will help you stay focused and get the most important tasks done. Some basic things to include in one tool are:
- a calendar,
- a place to store notes, lists, or ideas,
- and an option to prioritize tasks.
There are plenty of digital project management tools, and we love using ClickUp for the ability to automate tasks and share ideas across projects or teams. We discuss ways to implement systems into your business with tools like ClickUp in our conversation with systems expert, Kaci Ackerman. You can start with a free plan on ClickUp and we even have a free blog workflow template when you sign up here!
(If you love ClickUp like we do, you can also enroll in Kaci’s Confidence in Clickup Course to help you make this tool work for your business!)
We have even more resources to help you develop systems and workflows in your blogging business! Check out these posts:
Research Tool
A good research tool can help you maximize your time when creating content. It will also help you focus your efforts and discover ideas about what your audience actually needs or wants.
As a blogger, you will become well-acquainted with the term – and process – of keyword research. Keyword research is a way to find search terms that align with the audience you hope to serve and the content you want to create. When you optimize your blog with the right keywords, it can help your site appear in search engines, ideally at the highest levels possible.
Most keyword research tools will require a paid subscription. We recommend Keysearch as an essential for a blogging business and have included an honest review of Keysearch here. Keysearch stands apart from other research tools because of the many features available on a very affordable plan.
Additionally, Keysearch is a research tool that can work with your blog as it grows! This company offers plans at both starter and pro levels. You can also select monthly or annual (starter annual, pro annual) packages.
Design Tool
Besides your website theme, you will likely need another tool with design functionality to create graphics or edit images for blog posts or social media. You do not have to be a graphic design professional to create these features!
Keep it simple and start with free tools that will let you explore. Canva is a great, free option with excellent templates. You can also sign up for a pro plan for many more template and image options.
Canva, or another design tool, will also be a valuable resource for creating Pinterest images for your blog posts! Pinterest is another aspect of building blog traffic, and eye-catching images will attract clicks to your site. Kate Ahl, Pinterest strategist, shares lots more with us here about how to use Pinterest as a blogger.
Email Marketing Tool
Email marketing is one of the aspects of a blogging business that you’ll want to prioritize on your to-do list. Adding email subscribers to your email list is a core component of blogging. This list enables you to stay connected to your readers and generate ongoing traffic to your site!
An email marketing tool will be a lifesaver in making this an area of your business where you can automate subscriber management, schedule email content, and track data. We like to go over the basics of email marketing for bloggers often to encourage bloggers at every level to develop a deeper connection with their readers.
ConvertKit is our preferred email marketing option, and you can get started with a free plan! We appreciate that ConvertKit allows users to choose plans that grow with their subscriber base.
Final Thoughts on Blogging Tools
When you’re a beginner in the blogging space, just about every software or feature can look new, shiny, and exciting! But, before you invest in any tools, make sure that you have a clear idea of your goals and how these blogging tools will help you.
Keep it simple as you begin. And, don’t hesitate to try free software trials or other free plans before committing to one tool or another.
When you have the right tools from the beginning, it can set you on the path to blogging success!
Find many more resources for bloggers on our site, through our podcast, or on Instagram at @sparkmediaconcepts.