The 6 Blogging Tools I Use for Emma’s Edition

Are you looking for tools to help you with blogging? If so, this blog post is for you! I’m sharing the 6 tools I use on a daily/weekly basis to help me run my blog.

In 2016, I started getting serious about blogging. I knew I
had to up the amount of times I posted on my blog and on Instagram. I knew I
needed to elevate my brand in order to work with brands. But I had no idea what
tools to use or how I was going to get there.

Over the last few years, I’ve picked up some great tools
that help me plan and create content as well as measure the success and growth
of my blog and Instagram.

Here are the 6 Blogging Tools I use for Emma’s Edition:

Blogging Tool #1: Planoly

If you’re looking to organize and plan out your Instagram feed,
I recommend using Planoly. I used to get so stressed out trying to figure out
which photo to post next. I discovered that there were tools like Planoly and Unum to help you plan
out your Instagram feed.

Planoly also shows you your top performing posts and allows
you to schedule content. I don’t personally use this feature but I’m sure it
would be helpful!

Blogging Tool #2: Canva

I don’t come from a graphic design background so when I
discovered Canva, I was elated. I’ve been designing my Pinterest and Instagram
Story Fliers on Canva this past year. I love using Canva because they have Pinterest,
Instagram Story, and infographic templates.

I usually use the free templates or I design my own graphics. Then I export the files as PNG or PDF, save them to my computer, and then email them to me so I can upload them into Instagram Stories. You can check out the 10 Steps of a Brand & Blogger Infographic and the checklist infographic of when to say yes or no to a brand collaboration if you want to see what I’ve made from Canva so far.

Blogging Tool #3: Lightroom

When Karya and I decided to launch an Instagram
preset 3-pack last winter, I finally downloaded Lightoom. I use my 3
presets if I’m editing my own iPhone photos and adjust the exposure and
saturation if I need to.

Prior to using Lightroom, I’ve also used VSCO and Snapseed
for editing photos.

Blogging Tool #4: Google Analytics

I look at how my blog is performing every single day. I look
to see what blog posts are doing well every week, every month, last 3 months,
and last year. Understanding how to read Google Analytics helped me set
realistic goals for increasing traffic to my blog.

If you haven’t hooked up your blog to Google Analytics, I
highly recommend doing so. I hooked up my blog when I first signed up for
Blogger and it remained connected when I migrated to WordPress.org.

If you want to get serious about driving traffic to your blog, you should connect your blog to Google Analytics. You’ll get to see where your traffic is coming from and from there, what channels you should focus on. Personally, I discovered through Google Analytics that I drive a majority of my blog traffic from Pinterest and Google. I’ve made a conscious effort to increase my time on Pinterest in December and I’ve already seen an increase in page views.

Blogging Tool #5: Instagram Analytics

I usually look at Instagram Analytics a few times a week. I
look to see which photos and stories performed well over the course of a week
and a month. Additionally, when I pitch brands, I always include the number of
impressions and accounts I reach on a weekly basis.

Here’s a few things you can do with Instagram analytics:

• Look to see when your audience is online
• Look to see who your audience is – Instagram
  analytics breaks out the age groups
• Look to see what content performed well one week
  from one year ago

Blogging Tool #6: My Planner

Aside from analytics tools, I use my planner to document
when I’m supposed to post sponsored content. I also write down my blog post
ideas a month ahead of time. I usually refer to this list and check off blog
post ideas as I write and publish them.

I also use my planner to write down my blogging goals. I
also will re-write and adjust my goals throughout the year as I achieve milestones
and continue to grow.

There you have it friends – the 6 blogging tools I use for Emma’s Edition!

What blogging tools do you use for your blog or Instagram?

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Emma

Photos: Holly Phan