If you are new to blogging or are just trying to figure out what your next moves are, you need the right tools. You have to have them! Not only do you need tools, you need the *RIGHT* ones. Now, if you live on the WordPress platform as I do, then you know that it can be quite overwhelming with all of the plugins to play with. How about a few time saving blogging tools?
What I did is create a list of these time saving blogging tools that not only help me get my whole life together, they keep things operating smoothly- efficiently and effectively. Over the past 10 years, I have downloaded plugins, broken my site a few times (call it a rite of passage), and tried more than a few tools.
As I am here to help you get your blogging life together, I thought, why NOT share with you what I am working with? Right?
Right.
So, take a read, take a few notes, and do not hesitate to chime in with your must-have tools for your site.
*Some links are affiliate links, and should you decide to purchase, I will earn a percentage of the sale. This helps defray operational costs*
7 Time Saving Blogging Tools I LOVE
To Automate My Social Shares: CoSchedule
How do I share my content all over the place, even when I am out and about? Girl… I schedule it all. I’m good, but not THAT good.
There are quite a few social scheduling tools out there. HOWEVER. I have only started to see its full potential and I am a bit upset that it took me this long to get with it. I have tried and used a variety of others but have kept coming back to CoSchedule.
CoSchedule allows me the ability to schedule my content to Facebook, my FB Groups, my Fan Page, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Linked In, and a slew of other sites- all from the blog post, itself!
Most impressively? You can create templates for you to make the most out of your content sharing. I currently have about three or four templates- only realizing that I need to add about 2 more.
Not only can you schedule and create templates, their website is chock full of tools, resources, and information to make the most out of your content plan.
Learn More About CoSchedule here
To create an Amazing Editorial Calendar: Publish Press
This was theeeee best find for my ever-growing brand. I currently have a small cache of contributors (Yes, we are still looking) and in order to plan out our content, manage what is coming in, and how to best operate the content strategy, girl, Publish Press is MY NEW JAM.
From a calendar overview, content checklists, and posting notifications, this plugin gives me all the organization that this Virgo desires. There are both a free and a paid version of this plugin. Not only are there these built in tools, the add-ons are insane, especially if you want to control your contributors’ access, edit workflows, reminders (like, your post is due), Slack Integration and so much more!
Not only that, they keep dropping more add-ons and tools… this plugin has your girl feeling like a mini media empire!
Learn More About PublishPress here
To Keep Me in Google’s Good SEO Graces: Yoast SEO
SEO, Search Engine Optimization is an ever evolving thing. Especially with Google and its many algorithm changes. For me, I have tested a few SEO tools but interestingly enough, I find myself coming back to Yoast SEO.
This is a MUST HAVE plugin, to help you get into the habit of at least the SEO essentials for your site. Want to be indexed by Google? They have a sitemap helper for that. Want Bing to index you (yes, you want this), submit your sitemap with the help of Yoast.
Not only does Yoast help you do the minimum needed to help your rankings, with various upgrades and updates, you can also leverage this tool to help your images be visible on the net! You can also, by upgrading to Pro, optimize and work on your cornerstone/evergreen content!
Learn More About Yoast SEO here
*New* To Help Me Create Better Shopping lists: Create by Mediavine
Part SEO, part pretty layout, this is a new tool that I have begun to dip my toes in. I mean… if there is something that will help the searchability of my site, make things layout all pretty, and make life easier for the readers, I am all for it. As a part of the Mediavine ad family (how the ads on my site are served), when they launched this plugin, I was curious… their first iteration was for recipe and food bloggers, but with the demand, they have added lists.
This particular plugin is all about schema markup, how google sees your content. You know how when you do a search, you see the cute recipes or the image carousels? This is what helps your content land there.
While I have only just started dipping my toes into this, I am quite excited to see its possibilities!
Learn More About Create by Mediavine here
To Optimize Older Content and Share: Revisionary
Part of the Publish Press family, this is an exciting new to me tool! I have over 10 years of content, many of which is still relevant, with a few tweaks. But oftentimes, I do not have the time to edit and publish live. This is where Revisionary comes in!
I can schedule my edits to publish at any later time, y’all! DO YOU UNDERSTAND the dope-ness of this? With all the gems we have in our arsenal of content? Get ready!!!
Learn More About Revisionary here
To Keep My Site Moving as Fast as Possible: WP Rocket
No one loves a slow site. Think about it… if a site takes too long to load, aren’t YOU closing the tab out? In addition to a dope theme and amazing hosting, having a caching plugin is soooo needed. Have you ever done a speed test (via yslow or others) and get back all kinds of terminology that you do not know how to tackle? Minimize CSS, Javascript details… say what? This is where caching can help.
Note: Not all issues are caching related, but this does help with quite a few things…
What is caching?
WinningWP shares that in short, it “makes websites extremely fast, which leads to better SEO scores and increased user satisfaction — not to mention better conversions and therefore increased income if you’re selling products or services online.”
There are quite a few caching plugins out there, and a few that I have played in. One of my current faves is WP Rocket. For me, this helps speed up the load time on all of my sites, especially since they are image heavy!
Learn More About WP Rocket here
To Keep My Database Clean and Healthy: WP Optimize
On top of having a dope host (Hello Agathon), using WP Rocket, and having a cool theme, there are more ways that you can keep your blog in its best shape ever. One of my new favorites happens to be WP Optimize.
If you have changed themes or deleted plugins or posts, you’d be surprised just how much mess is left behind! Yes, many of these can leave transient code behind. Not only that, you could have tons of empty tables in your database that slow your site like no other.
This is where I am geeked about WP Optimize. This plugin cleans up old tables, drafts, revisions, and more. Not only that, you also get a built in image optimizer! Ha! Who knew! I am currently working on this image thing… because my site is so damned image heavy! I am currently working on this.
Learn More About WP Optimize here
Now these are only a few of the time saving blogging tools that I use- not all of the plugins, but the ones that help me work at the optimal place… until we unearth a new tool!
But I want to know, what tools have you found that have helped you get your entire blogging life? Let’s talk about it in the comments below…
Also, if there is a topic that you are dying to hear more about, do not be shy, leave me a note in the comments and I will do my best to help you out!
Talk soon!
This information is so good for me. I am starting a blog and sure all of this will really help me. Thank you Mama!!!!