New Blog Design + Blogger Resources:
New website, who dis? For real though… you guys have no idea how long this has been coming. I can’t wait to share more of the behind the scenes and back story, because I know I can’t be the only person this has happened to… and I also want to stop it from happening to someone else! I’m going to share tons of blogger resources to make sure it doesn’t so stay tuned! Blood, sweat, and tears have been shed to bring this new blog love project to fruition and I’m so happy with the results. Please know some back end development is still going on and old content is still being merged. Bare with me, but take a look around because this new blog is so much easier to navigate and much more pleasing to the eye. This little corner of the internet can now be referred to as my REAL happy place, because it doesn’t give me headaches on the daily and I now actually understand how my site works… more on that to come.
I wanted to start this series and reveal by sharing some things that have truly helped me understand the backend of the blogosphere. Little known fact; most bloggers have no idea how to use their sites or the true backend requirement to make their blog successful. We are creative minded, and not always the most tech savy (some girls have it going on and can do it all, but I’m learning on the fly here). So, knowing why things aren’t working, how to make little creative elements that really make your post, site, social… errthang really, just pop! It takes a lot of work, but there are so many resources that can take the load off! For real! I’m going to share a small list with you today… and will continue sharing and will go more in depth on how to use, etc. in the future.
5 Blogger Resources that Changed the Game for Me:
- Canva: Canva is my little side-kick on the interwebs. It saves me a million hours and helps me create beautiful, cohesive images for pinterest, collage posts, and even my media kit without having to learn photoshop. Seriously, this little gem changed the game for me! Before canva, I was trying to use photoshop with a limited skill level (bad idea!). My graphics were hideous and still took me a million hours to create (so embarrasing!). Now I can create images for stories on IG, pinterest graphics, and much more that are on brand and look amazing. I’m going to do a full post on canva and how you can really reap the full benefits soon. I went over a year without really understanding all it can do… and I don’t want anyone else to have to do that. Stay tuned!
- Creative Market: Wow, just wow. How the heck did I not utilize this? With creative market I’ve been able to find my perfect preset, find the best font to create my logo, business card templates, and so much more. I cannot speak enough to the value of this resource! It pulls everything into one place so you don’t have to go to each designers site and search through for hours finding the right thing. It’s all there. I’m going to share more on this in a branding post… because let me tell you; I spent my first three years of blogging without having a true understanding of the importance of creating a fluid brand voice. This is everything and it’s changed the game for me.
- YOAST: A LOT of my blogger friends know about this now, but so many still don’t. Even if you aren’t a blogger… you need this resource! YOAST keeps your site’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in check. This means that if you are in the green, you’ve properly used your keywords in your post. Now, this doesn’t mean you’ve necessarily used the best keyword… so be very diligent in your keyword strategy. I’m going to share more on this in a full post, because SEO is your internet BFF… at least according to google rankings.
- Wave: A blogger friend of mine, Alicia introduced me to this. WAVE is a free accounting tool for solo-preneurs as I like to call us. It’s helped so much with keeping track of the boring stuff…”finances” meh. Oh… did you hear me say FREE? Yes, girl FREE!
- Siteground: Siteground is new for me. Before, I was using GoDaddy… and honestly I don’t think GoDaddy was meant for WordPress. It just wasn’t. Siteground speaks wordpress, which if you didn’t already know… is kind of it’s own language. It’s tricky and tiny things here and there can create mass havoc. You need a host that gets what you’re doing and where you’re going. Siteground starts their hosting plans at just 3.95. Oh, and it includes a SSL certificate. That’s major, because anyone collecting data like emails, or who have a shop page (even if it’s just affilliate links) needs to have one… or Google will dock you. That’s nerd for fewer people coming to your site. You need this now!
I hope this has been helpful for you. I’ve gotten so many questions about websites, plugins, how to make pinnable images, etc. over the last year. To be honest, I was still figuring it all out myself, so I wanted to wait until I had my new blog and a good grip on it before sharing this in an educational format. You can’t ever think you’re an expert on anything when it comes to digital. Things change on the daily and there’s no way anyone can be an expert. If they are telling you that: beware! Being skilled is something you can speak to, but an expert… no! I can’t wait to share more on this in the months to come. Plan for a once a month series and please email me with anything you would like me to discuss. Come say hi at hello@theglittergospelblog.com.
