If starting a blog is something you want to do, it can be hard to know where to begin. Blog hosting, email lists, social media platforms, it’s all so overwhelming when you’re just starting out. That’s why I put together this quick list of my favorite resources for bloggers. This list includes some of the best websites out there for creating and running your money-making blog. 

I’ve tried to give a brief overview and explanation of these resources here in this blog post, but if you know you’re ready to create a money-making blog and are looking for actionable steps to put in place, you should check out my free ebook: Everything You Need to Start a Money-Making Blog. It’s free in my resource library! Just join my email list here!

Otherwise, keep reading! I’m sure you’ll find the perfect tool to jumpstart your blogging career!

This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn compensation when you click on the links in this post at no cost to you. For more information, see our terms and conditions. All opinions are my own.

WordPress

Starting a blog on the right platform is important, especially if you want to eventually monetize your blog. I created my blog with WordPress site-building software, specifically WordPress.org. There are other site-building platforms out there, but WordPress is probably the most popular software for serious bloggers.

It’s important to note that there is a difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. The main difference between the two is that .org is self-hosted (you provide your own domain) and .com is hosted by WordPress. I’ll explain a little more because I know this part is confusing for most people, including me.

WordPress.com is free to use, but it has many limitations, the main one being lack of customization. On WordPress.com, you can’t customize your theme, add plugins, have your own domain name, or create an online store. This is a good choice only if you are planning to be a casual blogger who doesn’t want to monetize very much (a hobby blogger).

I use WordPress.org because it is so much more customizable as far as themes and monetization go. Using WordPress.org is free, but hosting is what will cost you something (although it’s very affordable). If you want to understand more about the difference between .org and .com, check out this helpful infographic. I highly recommend using WordPress.org if creating a money-making blog is something you’re interested in. 

You can download WordPress for free here: WordPress.org

WordPress.org is self-hosted, and I use Bluehost for hosting. Keep reading to learn why Bluehost is the best hosting option for your website.

Bluehost

When I first started blogging, I didn’t really understand what blog/site hosting was. Basically, a hosting website like Bluehost has a server where your website sits on the internet. Your domain name is just the name of your website. 

Here’s what I chose when I started my blog, and I have no regrets about this purchase: 

I knew from the beginning that I was serious about creating a blog that could eventually make money, so I wanted to get it right. I chose to use WordPress.org (which is free to download) for full customization abilities. I had heard a lot of good things about Bluehost, so I decided to use them to host my site.

All Bluehost plans include a free domain name (website name) for 1 year and a free SSL certificate. You can purchase a hosting plan for 12 months, but you’ll get the best deal if you go with the 36-month plan. That’s what I picked, and you can get the basic plan for only a few dollars a month!

In addition, Bluehost has a 24-hour chat service to help you whenever you have a problem or have something you don’t understand. I haven’t had many problems, but when I did, the Bluehost team helped me out quickly and easily.

You can use my link here to get Bluehost to host your website for only $3.95 per month! 

Tailwind

Tailwind is a Pinterest scheduling tool that has exploded my Pinterest traffic. Pinterest is the number one way to get traffic to your blog, so if Pinterest isn’t your priority, you’re going to have a hard time. 

Before I used Tailwind, I had to manually pin everything to various boards. Scheduling with Tailwind or any other scheduling tool spaces out your pins, and Tailwind even optimizes the pinning times to happen when your followers are most active. 

Tailwind has a free trial that lets you schedule up to 100 pins which can last you a week or months depending on how often you want to pin. I used my free trial and then decided to upgrade to the $10 per month plan. It’s so worth it!

If you use my link below, you’ll get $15 credit towards your Tailwind Plus account. That’s over a month’s worth of Tailwind if you choose the yearly plan like I did! 

My referral link: https://www.tailwindapp.com/i/maryatlifefulloflight

Canva

I use Canva to create all of my blog graphics. That includes Pinterest pins, blog banners, ads, Facebook graphics, and anything else you might need. Canva is very user friendly, and it’s accessible through the website on your desktop or with their mobile app. 

I highly recommend using Canva if you don’t know how to use Adobe Indesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop. Canva is great for creating graphics, and unless you are making something very customized, it’s much simpler to not have to figure out all the ins and outs of an Adobe program. Canva is free to use with the option to upgrade. You can sign up here for free.

I use the Canva app more than any other mobile app for my blog, but you can see the other apps I recommend for bloggers in this blog post:

8 Mobile Apps that Successful Bloggers Use

Side note: I also used Canva to create my opt-in freebies such as a printable bucket list, packing list, and more that I offer for free in my resource library. Opt-in freebies are an important part of getting your readers to subscribe to your email list.

Mailchimp

If you want people to subscribe to your blog, you’re going to need a way for them to join your email list. I use Mailchimp to collect my subscribers’ email addresses all in one place so that I can send out monthly emails. 

Mailchimp gives you the ability to create a landing page, automated emails, and more. I was able to set up my welcome email through Mailchimp so that anyone who subscribes to my list gets the same email. 

A landing page is important for getting subscribers. Here’s a landing page that I created with Mailchimp.

Mailchimp has paid options of course, but the free option is all I have needed so far. There is a limit to how many emails you can send per month, but until you have over a few thousand subscribers, you shouldn’t have to worry about reaching that limit.

Sign up here for free.

I hope you will consider these blogging resources when you create and manage your blog. I’ve loved using every one of them from day one of my blogging experience.

Still don’t know if you have what it takes to be a blogger? Check out my blog post: Are You Ready to Start a Money-Making Blog?

Or if you know you’re ready, join my email list to get the free ebook: Everything You Need to Start a Money-Making Blog. You will also get unlimited access to my resource library which includes a checklist to use as you set up your blog!