30 Phenomenal Blogging Tools To Help You Grow

Last Updated on June 23, 2020 by ellduclos

Let’s face it, growing as a blogger isn’t the easiest thing to do. There is so much information out there that it can get overwhelming. You learn about all of these blogging tools but, maybe you aren’t sure which tools are actually WORTH using? That’s why I put together a list of blogging tools that I use or have used in the past that helped take my blog up a level.

I wish I had this list when I first started blogging. There are so many helpful blogging tools and resources out there. These are my top 30 favorite blogging tools to use!

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Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used, you can read my full disclosure here.

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30 Phenomenal Blogging Tools To Help You Grow

1. Siteground

This has been my go to self host for 3 years now. If you aren’t self hosted you can read this post as to why I find self hosting to be the best option for bloggers. I was skeptical not knowing which self host would be the best fit for me. I heard so many great things about Siteground that I took that leap of faith and transferred from wordpress.com to .org through Siteground!

• Siteground has super fast server speeds compared to most self-hosts.
• Their live chat support team is phenomenal and they have walked me through plenty of technical difficulties I was having.
• Their servers have never crashed on me which is a huge plus.

If you want to learn how to start a self hosted blog check out this post.

2. Hello You Designs

These are some of my favorite WordPress themes to use. I use a genesis theme and I love all the customization abilities you have. They are gorgeous and sleek designs as well! 

3. Creative Market

This is one of my favorite websites to purchase graphics, fonts, templates, stock photos and even themes! They have so many awesome digital products for bloggers. I could spend hours on this site.

4. Pixi Stock

Pixi Stock is one of my favorite stock photo membership sites to use. She has gorgeous images and updates her library often. If you purchase the yearly membership you also receive access to customizable templates for course creation to even Pinterest templates.

5. Styled Stock Society

Another favorite stock photo membership I am a part of is Styled Stock Society. They have a HUGE library to look through and I love the variety they offer.

6. Ivory Mix

Yet again, another stock photo site that I love. This was the first one I ever signed up to.

7. Haute Stock

The last stock photo membership I am a part of is Haute Stock and I love their images. It’s so hard for me to stick to just one stock photo site because I use stock photos all the time for my Pinterest graphics. I need a variety!

8. Pinterest with Ell

Speaking of Pinterest, a great blogging tool to invest in is the Pinterest with Ell e-course. This course is for bloggers who are wanting to learn how to grow their blog traffic using Pinterest. I currently receive up to 120,000 blog views a month from Pinterest thanks to the Pinterest strategies that are taught in this course.

9. Tailwind

This is a blogging tool that I was hesitant to invest in but it has made a huge difference. I don’t have time to manually pin so I use Tailwind which is a pin scheduling tool that is Pinterest approved! The combo of Tailwind and the Pinterest strategies from Pinterest with Ell have been a killer combo.

10. Yoast SEO

This is a free plugin that I have used since day one of my blogging journey. To be honest, SEO is not my strong suit. There are so many steps to SEO but using this plugin helped guide me when it comes to optimizing my blog post for search engines.

11. Stupid Simple SEO

This course is a game changer for those who struggle when it comes to SEO. It teaches you LITERALLY EVERYTHING you need to know about SEO. It was a bit pricey to invest in but definitely worth it if you implement everything that is taught. You also get to access the course whenever you want. He has a free webmaster class as well that you should check out here.

12. Keysearch

The next blogging tool I can’t live without is Keysearch. This is a keyword research tool that I use. It helps me know which keywords are easy to rank for and which are trickier. I can also check to see which keywords are searched often and which aren’t. You can also check out your competitors too. 

13. Mailerlite

This is my go to email list builder. I gave Mailchimp a try but it was too complicated for me. Mailerlite is super simple to use and free for up to 1,000 subscribers! I even talk about how to set it up on your blog in this post. It’s important to build an email list just in case social media disappears one day, you can still send updates to your audience!

14. Legal Bundle Templates

If you are collecting emails, using ads, participating in sponsored posts, using google analytics, and using affiliate links then you need to make sure you have the proper disclosures and policies in place on your blog. I use this legal bundle from Amira who is a blogger and a lawyer. Definitely worth it to know that you have the proper legal policies in place.

15. Share A Sale

This is one of my favorite affiliate programs that I am apart of. They have a ton of affiliate programs in different categories that you can sign up for. If you want to learn more about affiliate marketing and making money as a blog then check out this post!

16. Aspire IQ

This is one of my favorite influencer marketing platforms. Aspire IQ is like the middle man for brands and content creators. I use this platform to reach out to brands for potential sponsorships

17. Lightroom

I love the Lightroom app for editing my photos, especially when it comes to creating and adding presets for Instagram. You can find a lot of awesome presets on Creative Market too!

18. UNUM

This is an app I like to use when I am planning out my Instagram feed. It’s great for helping you create a curated feed.

19. Boss Girl Bloggers

If you are looking for a community of like minded women who are trying to pursue their blogs full time, this community is for you! It’s filled with almost 40,000 inspiring women! Definitely join and connect with other bloggers and get your blogging questions answered. It’s a great place to collaborate and learn more about how to turn your blog into a career.

20. PayPal Business

I love using PayPal to send out invoices to clients. It makes it super easy to collect payments and keep track of earnings throughout the year and each quarter.

21. Teachable

The next blogging tool I have enjoyed using is Teachable. I have my courses hosted on the Teachable platform. It’s great because I don’t have to handle the backend “tech issues” and I don’t have to worry about handling payments either.

22. Podbean

This is the platform I use to host my podcast. I haven’t had a new episode in quite some time. I am hoping to get back at it soon!

23. Google Analytics

This is the blogging tool I use to keep track of my blog traffic and site visitors. It is the most accurate! You can install the Monsterinsights plugin for quick and easy access to your analytics as well. Just make sure you don’t accidentally insert the tracking code twice! 

24. Mediavine

I love using Mediavine ads. You can earn great money through Mediavine if you have the qualifying traffic of 25k sessions in the last 30 days.

25. Canva

This is my go to app for creating Pinterest, social media, and blog graphics. They make it super easy. Their app can be glitchy at times but it’s still worth it to use. I use their business plan which also allows access to hundreds of stock photos!

26. Lastpass

This is a tool I use when working with clients. It makes it easy to securely collect passwords so your clients don’t have to worry about you knowing their passwords. It also makes it quick and easy to login.

27. Activate

This is another influencer marketing platform that helps you connect with brands for potential sponsorships.

28. Namecheap

This is a great place to go if you want to purchase a domain name for cheap!

29. Google Search Console

This is an important blogging tool to use so you can see how your blog posts are performing on search. It will show you how many organic search hits your website is receiving and what posts and keywords are getting you these hits.

30. Instagram Crash Course

If you are interested in an Instagram crash course that teaches you how to grow an engaged Instagram follow then subscribe for FREE access to the course! 

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I hope you found this list helpful!