The thing about being successful in blogging is, you can’t go through it alone. There are countless resources, tools, software, classes, books and more to help support you. Below are some of the best blogging resources that have brought me from several hundred page views to 25K+ page views per month.
Getting Started
Bluehost is where I set up my hosting and domain name. It’s SO inexpensive and I’ve never had any issues with Bluehost. Many bloggers recommend multiple hosting sites, but I’ve only tried Bluehost and so far I’ve I’m happy with them. If that ever changes I’ll be sure to share why and update my recommendation here. Here’s my step-by-step tutorial on setting up a WordPress blog with Bluehost hosting in just minutes.
You can even get started here by seeing if your preferred blog name is available!
WordPress 101 with Blog Clarity is a free resource that will provide you with all the WordPress lingo you need to know. It’s so easy to get confused about widgets and plugins, but this FREE WordPress glossary will get you up to speed.
Books & Courses
Traffic Transformation Guide with Lena Gott
Her E-Book, “Traffic Transformation: 21 Strategies I Used to Increase My Monthly Page Views from 17k to 400k+ in 10 Months is the single best blogging purchase that I’ve ever made. I haven’t yet made it to 350,000 monthly page views, but I can also see an immediate return when I implement her advice. My favorite section of her book is the part about what exactly she does after publishing a post. The book goes into detail on what ROI you can expect from different sources like Pinterest vs. Stumbleupon vs. Google+. It’s quite eye-opening. I recommend reading through the book once then going back and taking action notes to start increasing your page views. Check it out here – she even offers several free resources.
Pinning Perfect is your solution to understanding the constantly changing Pinterest landscape. The course is run by two bloggers, one who receives 1 million+ MPV from Pinterest alone and another one who works directly with Pinterest at her day job. That insider knowledge is what set this course apart from others to me. Plus they have an active Facebook group and regularly update the course + send out emails whenever there is a major change with Pinterest. They truly feel like partners and you get your money’s worth considering it’s a lifetime course, not just a one-time lesson.
Affiliate Marketing
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing with Michelle of MakingSenseofCents.com is the ultimate affiliate marketing course. She’s truly a guru who knows her stuff. I was beyond impressed with the course and felt that it was worth every penny. She goes into so much detail about every aspect of affiliate marketing that you finish the course with a thorough education and how you can implement affiliate marketing into everything you do on your blog. Click here to learn more about Michelle’s course. Her course is the investment that can take you from a hobby blogger to one making a full time income.
If you want a quick intro to affiliate marketing before investing in “MSOAM,” then I would recommend House of Brazen’s How to Make your First Affiliate Sale ebook. This ebook is a simple, quick read but leaves you with some actionable steps so you can start making money. If you’d like to get an intro to affiliate marketing and testing it out, then I’d start with this e-book. No joke, I made an affiliate sale within 3 days of purchasing the ebook. After you’ve put in place her recommendations and feel like you have a good grasp on affiliate marketing, then you should really level-up with Michelle’s course.
Blogs and Websites with Great Blogging & Social Media Advice
The gals at Slaying Social have lots of awesome resources. I’m especially a fan of their info on Facebook video creation.
Helene Sula, of Helene in Between, is #MAJORGOALS. I’ve witnessed her grow her platform over the years and it’s always been authentic and inspiring. She’s a serious pro at Instagram and offers an Instagram Success course.
Believe in a Budget and Gina Horkey are the creators of the “Want to be a Pinterest VA?” course, and I’ve admired their writing for several years now. I’d recommend signing up for their email lists. Gina started as a VA (virtual assistant) and freelance writer, and I used her course to make a side income through freelance writing for several years when I needed extra cash. Here’s her introduction article that explains How to Become a Freelance Writer.
Kristen Larsen from Believe in a Budget is also all about making money through creative endeavors. She’s basically tripled her income from her desk job and now fully supports herself through her blog. If you want to get started on her path, she has a limited time $9 Side Hustle Ebook. You’ll get 17 strategies for making money on the side.
Other email lists that keep me inspired include Melissa Cassera and Alexandra Franzen.
