This is going to be a different post than the ones I have been publishing. You may not find interesting at all how I choose to grow my blog and the blogging tools that help me every day in my mission, but I bet there are going to be some of you that will find it useful.
This one is kind of overdue but better late than never, right? The idea of writing a blog post about all the blogging tools and resources I use to help me grow my crochet blog is a bit unusual. That is why it was kept on the back burner for a long time. I know that most of you are interested in our beloved craft but there might be some of you out there that will benefit from the information I chose to share in this blog post.
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*This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may earn a commision if you use them. Be sure that I only recommend products that I use and trust.*
I know that because I was one of those people. When I started crocheting I loved it from the moment I touched the hook and the yarn. And then it was literally just a few short months before I designed my first pattern -a cute little baby seal, that never got to be published-, and then I wanted more!
I wanted an outlet to share those patterns and knowledge and give back to all the new crocheters that will come after me, as I got to learn from all of those that came before me.
So, if you are one of those people and a crochet blog is on the back of your mind or if you already are a blogger, then keep reading. I bet you will find at least one thing that you didn’t know or that you will be glad to give it a try.
Blogging tools and resources
This post will try to cover all the topics below, with recommendations of what I use and love and I believe you will, too!
– WordPress hosting provider
–Pinterest scheduling tool
–List building
–Affiliate marketing
–Wordpress themes
–Yarn related and coupon codes
–Blogging courses
–Pinterest courses
Hosting
This is the hosting service I use. After extensive research, I decided that Siteground was the best option for my needs. They actually make it very easy to decide to sign up with them. Check out these short videos they created, explaining their services and actually making it easy to understand even if you have no idea what a server is. Great price, excellent customer service, and amazing uptime. I am very pleased with my choice!
Pinterest scheduler
I don’t know how on earth I was doing things before Tailwind (hint: I wasn’t doing much)! It took me some time to invest in a scheduling tool for Pinterest but now I am so glad I did! All I did is use the referral code from another blogger to get my one month free and then I was hooked. After the trial period, I upgraded my plan and never looked back. If you have a blog I find Tailwind to be an essential tool. Just try it out and see what it can do for you and your blog. Another great benefit that will ease your mind is that Tailwind is an approved Pinterest partner, which means you won’t get in trouble by using it. Update: They now have Instagram scheduling, too! Yeah!
List building
I think you know by now the power that only an email list can bring. Even if you don’t, please, take my word on that and start, well-… yesterday, to build your own email list. Flodesk is here to help with beautiful email templates and elegant opt-in forms for your blog. You can also read more about Flodesk here.
MiloTree is a cute little pop-up box that helps me grow my social following, like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and also my mailing list without me having to do anything. It also comes with a free 30-day trial. Pretty cool, right?
Most of you know by now that I am not a native English speaker. Enter Grammarly! I have it installed on my browser and helps me keep my grammar and spelling in check. But even if your language skills are impeccable, you are will definitely make a mistake or two. No one is perfect, right?
Affiliate marketing
Shareasale is one of the affiliate networks I use and love for the friendly interface. Even if you are just starting out with affiliate marketing, you will have no problem finding tons of brands to work with!
Yarn related and coupon codes
Since I have a crochet blog and love yarn Love crochet was an obvious choice for me. They carry lots of well-known yarn brands, crochet hooks, crochet books and a bunch of accessories. Also, they have crochet patterns from indie designers and a beautiful and easy to navigate site. Did you know that I also sell my patterns there and you can create a library with all your pdf’s?
We are knitters is one of my favorite yarn brands and I use them as often as I can. They carry a vast amount of different yarn fibers and the quality is amazing! Also, if you don’t want to be bothered with finding a pattern for the yarn you fell in love with, they have plenty of awesome crochet and knitting kits for all levels. You can use my coupon code MGM8M1FYQ to get 12$ off in your first order! No expiration date!
Blogging Courses
Blogging isn’t something you do in a bubble. Which means you are not alone and you are not supposed to be alone. I came to accept that a few months into my blogging journey and then felt safe to purchase some courses which helped me a lot. Investing in your education, especially if you have no idea what you are doing, is really important.
I loved every single one of the courses and ebooks I am about to propose to you. Now, I always set aside a budget to expand my knowledge in certain areas. As you can see, I started small, and when I had no money to spend on literally anything, I am really glad that I took the plunge and invested in these courses.
I discovered Elna’s blog, Twins Mommy, when I was researching ways to get my own blog off the ground. She is a mom blogger who helps other mom bloggers to make an income and grow their blog. I can actually say that it was love at first read as I couldn’t stop reading her articles. Every time I finished one, I would find more that intrigued me, and I am not even a mom, yet!
Elna really doesn’t hold out on her information. She really gives them all away even with her blog posts. Which, of course, are completely free and yet you can learn so many things. I feel I can’t express in so many words how much she has helped me and how much I trust her to teach me new things. You can absolutely feel you are getting more than your money’s worth with her classes. Also, she updates them and adds new things all the time. How’s that for life-long learning?
The second class I bought from Elna is about Pinterest and you can find it just below.
Pinterest courses
Pinterest Perfection Masterclass
How to make your first affiliate sale in 24 hours
This is an easy-to-understand guide on how to use Pinterest to make your first affiliate sale as a new blogger. When Elise says no fluff, she means no fluff. She takes you by the hand, and walks with you, step by step, until everything is ready and working. I bet you have seen many other promoting this ebook and I really believe there’s a reason for that.
Pin this image for later… 😉
That was all the blogging tools and resources I have used so far. I will keep updating this blog post whenever I find new things that worked or even if something has stopped working. So don’t forget to stop by once in a while! Or even better, share and pin this blog post so you can have easy access to it, whenever you like.
Gayla Napier
Tuesday 8th of January 2019
One quick question-- what was the total investment for everything? All the tools you listed above in your blog post? Thanks Gayla
malloo
Wednesday 23rd of January 2019
Hi Gayla!
I really couldn't tell you a number, not because I don't want to but because most of these programs have different plans and the total amount depends on what you are going to choose. Also, some of these have a free month, so you get to use a program for a month, see if it is the right fit for you and then decide to continue or not. As you can see, you won't pay -and you shouldn't- all that money up front, but first test and then decide what is right for you. I hope this helped you a bit...