10 Best Blogging Tools For Beginners

Blogging Tools For Beginners

In order to effectively run a blog and be successful, there are essential blogging tools for beginners that are worth investing in up front. A lot of times you start a blog not knowing what tools or blogging resources are worth it.

Well it doesn’t matter if you are blogging part time or full time. Every blogger should invest in these blogging tools at the start of their blogging journey. If you don’t have a blog yet but plan on launching soon, this list will help you get started with the best blogging tools for beginners.

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10 Top Blogging Tools For Beginners

Website Hosting

The first step is to set up your website domain name and hosting. To do this, you are going to need a web host where your website will live. It is best practice to purchase your domain name and website hosting separately.

For your domain name I endorse NameCheap, and SiteGround or Bluehost for web hosting. There are some steps you are going to need to take afterwards to point your domain name to your host. But most of them provide a detailed step by step guide to follow or they may even guide you with setting it up.

Blog Planner / Journal

You can use my very own printable Blog Post Planner & Checklist. This planner is useful for planning and jotting down all your blog post ideas and for creating a schedule. If you need more of a daily planner book then I highly recommend checking out this one. You can cross tasks off the checklist once you have completed them.

Sometimes ideas come to your mind spontaneously, this is where the planner comes in handy for taking notes of your ideas as they come. You can then refer back to those notes when brainstorming blog topics.

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Blogging Tools For Beginners: DSLR Camera

Canon EOS 4000D DSLR Camera with 18-55mm bundle. There are lots of accessories included with the bundle such as a 64GB Memory,Case, Tripod and more. The bundle comes with 28 pieces in total. It is absolutely one of the best investment blogging tools for beginners that you will ever make.

If you require a DSLR camera that is less bulky then you can choose the Olympus Mark II camera instead. But it is best if you use a professional DSLR  camera for taking your blog photos.

Having a professional camera is great but you can also use your phone camera. If you plan on doing so, ensure that it has a camera of at least 10 Megapixels. Having high-quality photographs for your website is equally important as producing quality content.

On the flip side, if you are a fashion blogger you may opt for hiring a photographer.

Related: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PART TIME BLOGGER

Photo Video Editing Apps for Phone And Computer

Most people already have a basic photo editing software downloaded on their phones. Three of my favourite photo and video editing apps are Lightroom, InShot and Videoshop.

There are many other apps that you can use to edit your blog pictures and videos. Some of which are free while others require a monthly or yearly fee for premium features.

Alternatively, you may use professional computer software applications like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom or Illustrator to do your bulk editing depending on your editing needs. They are more advanced paid tools but you can also use CANVA free or paid version, which has many features as well.

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I can’t stress enough how life changing CANVA has been for my blogs and businesses. It’s a tool I use everyday and the free plan offers a lot. But if you need access to stock photos, more font options and advanced editing like removing backgrounds, then upgrade to the PREMIUM Plan.

USB Microphone

A USB Podcast Condenser Microphone that can do all your recording. Regardless if its for a podcast, Youtube video or for an e-course. I personally use this Fifine USB Microphone which comes with a built in condenser and I endorse it.

With this microphone I do not need to invest in another because it is multi purpose. However, if you want to get something more higher end, you can consider getting a Blue Yeti.

A lot of creators seem to prefer that brand but I’m happy with my current one. It’s definitely one of the best blogging tools for beginners.

Features of the Fifine USB Microphone:

• Plug and play USB podcast microphone that is compatible with Mac and Windows computers
• Comes with a volume control knob which makes it easy to control the output volume
• It’s sturdy, constructed with durable metal with an adjustable tripod desk stand. The USB cable is 6 feet long for secure and easily portable tabletop use
• Cardioid polar pattern for audio recording on YouTube or recording software like Audacity
• Sensitive vocal desktop microphone that makes clear voiceovers which is great for podcast and so much more!

Pocket Dictionary

An English pocket dictionary is very handy when it comes to writing content because you want to be certain that you are using proper spelling and grammar. Using simple language in blog writing is key but having too many grammatical errors look tardy and unprofessional.

Some people get turned off by this so that’s why it’s important to have a handy pocket dictionary as reference. If English is not your first language you could consider outsourcing a proofreader to proofread your content.

Grammarly is a great tool for conducting spelling, grammar and plagiarism checks, along with other great features.

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Photo Studio Backdrop

A photo studio backdrop with stand for photo and video shooting. When taking photographs of small items such as beauty products, you may need props to enhance the final output of your photos as they tend to stand out with a plain white or black background.

Additionally, if you are a fashion or beauty blogger you may want to use a backdrop to take photographs or film videos. The design is stable and durable and it comes with a ton of accessories which includes an adjustable tripod stand and crossbars.

Selfie Ring Light

A selfie ring light with tripod stand for taking photographs, shooting videos and doing live streams. Proper lighting equipment is highly recommended for shooting your photos and videos. It may not always be convenient to capture in natural lighting so having a light system will allow you to shoot any time of day.

I highly recommend this selfie ring light which is compatible with both iPhone and Android phones. Its packed with a lot of features:

• 3 Interchangeable and dimmable lighting modes so it can be adjusted based on the time of day or to suit your needs
• Comes with an extendable tripod stand so you can use it at a desired length, either place it on the floor or put it on your table for your convenience
• Functions as a 2-in-1 phone holder and selfie ring light which makes it a professional tool for creating live videos/recording with smartphone or computer 
• It is compatible with almost ALL smartphones with or without a case
• Works with most devices that support USB port and has an easy control on cord to power on/off or switch to the lighting mode you prefer.

Most fashion and beauty bloggers like to use ring lights. But I like having one or two umbrella lights as well. It gives the entire room a nice natural light effect.

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Apple MacBook Air

A 13-inch Apple MacBook Air with 256GB of storage which is a decent amount for an everyday use or blogging laptop. I ended up getting this MacBook Air on sale sometime ago during a Black Friday sale on Amazon.

So its definitely worth adding to your Wishlist if you don’t want to get it at full price. Apple computers are more of a long term investment but an affordable alternative from my next go-to brand is this HP Laptop.

Email List

One of the most important blogging tools for beginners, if not the most important is your email list. Every Blogger should strive to collect the email addresses of their audience. As your list grows bigger you can start selling your own products or services to your audience, converting them into paying customers.

An email list is a very important asset because no matter what happens, you own that list! It gives you direct access to the people that actually want to hear more from you.

To start building an email list, its best to create a lead magnet that you can give to your audience in exchange for their email addresses. It can be in the form of an e-book, checklist, cheatsheet or template and should be included in every single one of your blog posts.

In order to link your lead magnet to your mailing list, you’ll need to have an Email Service Provider account. As a beginner you can start out with Mailerlite, or if you’ve been blogging for some time I highly recommend ConvertKit.

Conclusion

Hope these 10 resources and blogging tools for beginners gave you some insight about some of the essential things most bloggers use and which ones are worth investing in.

As a new blogger, knowing what tools are worth investing in from the beginning can save you time and headache in the long run. Again, choosing will depend on your niche, individual needs and whether it makes sense.