Are you a new blogger?
Have you been thinking about blogging, but don’t know where to start?
Have you been blogging for a short time and are ready to up your game?
Do you know a blogger or someone that is looking into a blogging career and you want to get them a gift that keeps on giving?
One of my personal passions is helping and teaching others, especially those that share the same interests as me. Over the last six months I have found myself time and time again assisting new bloggers with their journey … from helping them pick hosting and themes, to assisting with theme fixes, and providing general tips and tricks to make their job easier and get their blog looking the way they’ve always dreamed it would. Along that vein, I thought it would be great to share with you my go-to resources for the blogger.
Since blogging (obviously) lives in the online world, most of what you will need to be successful is … you guessed it … online! But there are a couple of tangible items you will need as well. All of these items I highly recommend because I currently use them and they work for me. I hope this gift guide of blogging essentials will help you, too!
(In the spirit of full disclosure links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy a product through them, I will receive a small commission. More info on my disclosures can be found HERE.)
Apple MacBook Pro MGX72LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (NEWEST VERSION)
Apple MacBook Pro
This year I made the switch from PC to Mac. What took me so long, I’ll never know. My oldest son has been a Mac user from the very beginning and every time I needed to get a new computer he’d tell me, “Get a Mac.” I never wanted to spend the money, though. I can honestly say that I should have listened to him years ago. Yes, they are a little pricey out of pocket, but absolutely nothing compares to the quality, speed, and ease of use, especially if you are a blogger. The thing that most impressed me when I first opened the box is that a Mac is literally a plug ‘n play. Unpack it, plug it in, and you are ready to go. There’s no additional software that needs to be loaded … it’s all there. The MacBook Pro is tough, too. You can take it anywhere, and outside of throwing it across the room, which you’d never need to do, it travels well. The best part? It performs exactly the same, day after day. You never need to worry when you turn it on that some virus has invaded it. So my computer of choice? Apple MacBook Pro. Hands down the best.
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Nikon D3200 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm and 55-200mm Non-VR DX Zoom Lenses Bundle
A Nikon DSLR Camera
Most bloggers take lots and lots of pictures. For any one blog post, depending on the complexity of the project, I quite literally will have taken anywhere from 50 to 200 pictures. Closeup, distance, step-by-step, adjustments for lighting, you get the idea. When you are first starting out you don’t need a super expensive camera, but you will want one that is fairly easy to use and can take an excellent picture. I’ve had both Canon and Nikon, and personally, I like the Nikon.
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Domain Setup and Hosting
The very first thing you’ll need to acquire to have a blog is a domain. A domain is your web address … the unique string of characters that identifies who you are online. My domain is simplyfreshvintage.com. You’ll want to spend some time coming up with a name, then head on over to GoDaddy and see if it’s available. If it is, then you’ll want to try and grab as many of the extensions as you can (.com, .net, .org, etc.). Your name is your brand and you want to make sure that you, and only you have as much real estate in that brand as you can.
If you are really serious about blogging, then you’ll want to use WordPress.org. Not .com … .ORG. There’s a HUGE difference. WordPress.org is self-hosted. That means you own the rights to your entire website. You can do anything you want on your site, including monetizing.
The next step will be to acquire a home for your new address. That’s where Bluehost comes in. Bluehost has a variety of packages, but to get you started, I recommend the “plus” plan. Bluehost specializes in WordPress.org websites (blogs), and it has a one-click WordPress.org installation in it.
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Genesis Framework
You have your address (domain) and your plot of land (hosting), now you need to start building. That’s where Genesis comes in. It’s a WordPress.org framework. The underlayment of the house, if you will, before all the pretties go on. You don’t “see” it, but it keeps everything water-tight. It acts as a design, security, and SEO foundation for your website. It also “future-proofs” your site customizations, so there’s no hassle when it comes time to upgrade your software with one click.
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Child Theme
Now you’re ready to make your website beautiful. No matter what niche you are writing about, you will want a theme that can easily be customized either by yourself or by the designer and a company that provides outstanding customer service. Restored 316 Designs is that company. Their themes are functional, clean, and very mobile friendly. Their staff is attentive and readily available and easy to work with. There are a lot of theme designers out there … Restored 316 Designs is my #1 choice.
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Training … Elite Blog Academy
If you want to get started on the right foot, or if you’re a seasoned blogger and want to take your blog to the next level of growth potential, Then Elite Blog Academy is the place to be. I signed up for this program a couple of months ago, and it has completely transformed the way I work with my blog. I wish this had been available when I started. I would have done a bucket-full of things differently and I would now be so much further in my blogging career. Thankfully, though, you CAN get started on the right foot! Elite Blog Academy (EBA) only opens a couple of times a year. The author and instructor is Ruth Soukup from Living Well, Spending Less, one of the most popular personal finance blogs on the net. Through a powerful combination of effective videos, practical and insightful handouts, and purposeful assignments, Elite Blog Academy will empower, enable, and inspire you to take the specific steps necessary to transform your blog into a successful and profitable business.
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Resource & Training … Building a Framework
Building a Framework by Abby Law, the blogger at Just A Girl and Her Blog, chronicles everything she learned in her first year of blogging. I refer back to this book time and time again. From start to finish, Abby gives step-by-step instructions for everything from purchasing your domain and setting up your blog, to writing great content, working with brands, monetizing, building your subscriber email list, working with social media, and everything in between. Also included with your purchase is Abby’s 20+ pages of blog binder printables that will help you keep everything blog-related organized.
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Resource & Training … Content Brew
Have you been blogging for a bit and have hit a roadblock in your creativity when it comes to creating new content? Then look no further … Content Brew will fill your cup to overflowing. Melissa Culbertson is the mastermind at BlogClarity.com. Her ideas and tips will have your blog in tip-top shape all year long. She’ll show you how to use a content calendar and learn techniques to come up with loads of ideas for fresh new content. By the end of the course you’ll have not only learned how to create content, you’ll also have from a month’s to a quarter’s full of content ready to go.
Blogging is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be confusing. I have personally picked each of the resources in this gift guide because they have helped me immensely with my blogging journey. I hope you find these resources helpful. If you have any questions, please contact me. I’m more than happy to give you more information on my personal experiences.