TGIT! Thank God it's Thursday!
I was thinking the other day about the tools needed for a blogger to be successful. I know plenty of new bloggers who look at other bigger blogs and think, "How did they do that?" So, to help those who may be new to this whole thing, I have put together a list of necessities for bloggers to have. If you've blogged for a while now you may have heard of most of these, but some may be new to you guys too. Here we go!
1. Passionfruit Ads: I know this one may be pretty well-known. The day I heard about Passionfruit I set up my account. I was having a hard time juggling all of my sponsors and this was like an answer to prayer. I had tried spreadsheets, email folders, reminders in my calendar, but I could never get my sponsor groove. At the time I only offered swaps, so this was great for me to start branching out into paid sponsor ads. The set up was so easy and Jason from PF was online chatting with me the entire time. I had never really heard of the lingo they were using so he was there defining everything as we went through the steps. No lie, in one hour I had my ad shop set up and all of my current ads imported. It was seriously a relief. If you have not checked it out, you should certainly do so!
2. PicMonkey: Was I the only one depressed when Picnik went away? Oh good. And I thought I was just weird. Well, no fear, PicMonkey is here! Let's hope to stay. I really don't need to explain this too much. If you are a blogger and you have not experienced the beauty that is PicMonkey, you are missing out. This thing is the jam. You can look tanner, brighter, whiter, wider, thinner, better, taller, shorter, or funkier. Photo editing does not have to be all complicated and stuff. Give it a try!
3. Mail Chimp: This is a new one for me. Man, that's two monkeys in one place! Mail Chimp offers free newsletters to bloggers, business owners, anyone. It's basically a way for you to communicate to your readers without having to take up more precious time on your blog. You can make announcements, do a little housekeeping, call for sponsors, all in one place. I recently created my account, and now I am keeping up with my sponsors without having to write a ton of individual or group emails. Plus, there are tons of templates to choose from to make it pretty. If you think this is something you'd be interested in, get started! They have video tutorials to explain the lingo and the processes. You can also leave a link up anywhere on your blog for your readers to sign up for your newsletter. It's fantastic! Speaking of, Sign up for the G&B free newsletter!
4. Social media outlets: A good blogger needs a voice. Well, you know what I mean. Of course, readers get a good sense of you by your blog, but they also want to know what's happening in real life too. Enter Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These are the most popular three that I use. I also have different roles for each. When I am not swamped at work, I take photos with Instagram of my outfits, hair, food (interesting I know), books I read, etc. It's a great way to connect with others with just a click and a camera. Facebook is where I update my followers that a new post is ready to view and I attach the direct link right then and there. Also, I don't just say, "New Post" whenever I announce it on Facebook. I make a segway into what the post is about. Twitter is where the interaction with other bloggers and readers really happens. I am not the best at this right now with a full-time crazy job, but when I get the chance I take it. I have also linked my Facebook to my Twitter so most of my blog related posts end up in both places. Easy right?
If you're new to this blogging thing, or you are looking to expand more, I have given you some tools right here! Sometimes it's not always about the blog design or template, it's about connecting with your readers and giving them the easiest ways to connect with you.
If you have any questions or tips I didn't cover, leave a comment below!
Enjoy the day friends!
