Blogging Investments You Should Make This Year
Saturday, December 24, 2022This post is collaborative, but all opinions are my own
It's important to invest in yourself, especially as a blogger. Whether you're doing it as a hobby or looking to monetise your blog, there are a few key investments you need to make. Not only will these investments help your blog to grow, but you'll have the chance to create new and better opportunities. The new year is a perfect time to invest in yourself and potential career, so here are the most important blogging investments you should make this year!
Whether you're blogging for a hobby or making money, this is the first investment any blogger should make if you're serious about your blog. When you create a blog, you start with a ".WordPress" or ".blogspot" in your URL. Not only does this look unprofessional, but it shows you're not fully committed to your blog, so brands may get a little put off. Not only that, but you won't be able to build a good DA score because you don't have a domain to build on.
This year, make sure you purchase a domain. I bought my domain with Lyrical Hosting, who did all the work for me. It was around £12 for the year, but it's such a worthy investment. Since purchasing a domain name, I have had multiple sponsored posts and also offer my own advertising package! It's great to buy a domain as it unlocks a wider potential. Your blog can still be successful without a domain, but most brands collaborate based off of DA score.
If you'd like to get your own domain, you can use the code "loveem10" with Lyrical Hosting to get 10% off of your first domain! It's an amazingly affordable investment, and the first one you should be making!
Related: How to Start An Profitable Blog
Get Office Storage
You’ll likely need quite a bit of storage space when working from home, especially if you're a self-employed blogger. Office storage is relatively straightforward and simple, but you’re going to have to think about space as well as appearance. The best storage solutions are those which fit in seamlessly with the office, perhaps by providing a second purpose to them as well. Storage could include filing cabinets for your expenses and invoices. You also might want a book shelf, packaging areas or other storage solutions to meet your blogging business needs. You'll want to also make sure you have enough digital storage for your blog, backups and images. If you also write in Word documents, you need to ensure you have space to save them to your laptop or computer.
Go Self-Hosted
The next step in a blogger's journey is to go self-hosted. Self-hosting is a journey I will be taking in the new year. Self-hosting is where you do all your blog's maintenance, but you own your site and server. You have full control and ownership of your blog. Hosting isn't costly, costing from just £10 with Lyrical Hosting. You can still use the 10% off discount code "Loveem10" with your purchase!
There are many benefits to becoming self-hosted. Here are some reasons you should make the investment:
- You have more control over your blog
- You can personalise & customise your blog more
- If you're on WordPress, you can have access to more plugins
- Your blog will look more professional
- You get a custom domain along with your self-hosted site
- You can get a personalised email for your site (e.g. name@yourblog.com)
Related: The Legal Side to Blogging - What You Need To Know
Try A Few Blogging Courses
Another great investment is into blogging courses and eBooks. There are so many amazing bloggers out there, all sharing their tips and tricks. Many have released paid-for content that features advice that has helped their blogs thrive. You should invest in these courses because it can teach you tips and tricks that aren't widely talked about.
There are lots of different courses out there to help you with any challenge you face. If you're looking to improve your social media, there are lots of eBooks that teach you how. If you're looking for guidance on making money online or productivity, there are courses out there for you too! Here are some of my favourite eBooks & courses, ones that I'd highly recommend investing in:
- Pinterest Perfect
- How to Pitch to Brands & Make Lasting Relationships
- Beginners Guide to Affiliate Sales
- Guide to Blog Monetisation (By an amazing lady, Kayleigh, who makes 10k a month!)
Have Social Media Scheduling
Most of my social media posts are scheduled ahead of time. I schedule my content because it saves me time in the long run and means I can go out and do things while still promoting my blog. If you're not blogging full-time but want to keep promoting and growing your blog, you should invest in a scheduling tool.
Most scheduling tools are free. I use the free Twitter scheduling tool, which is perfect for me. For Pinterest, I use a mix between the free scheduling tool and Tailwind. I'd recommend a basic Tailwind plan for Pinterest scheduling. You may also want to use the Instagram scheduling features, or find another tool. It's important to invest in scheduling tools as you can schedule posts for when you're busy and for during the night. If you live in the UK, USA traffic will be awake when you're asleep, so using a tool means you can gain traffic throughout the whole day, across the whole world.
Get A Personalised Blog Template
If you want your blog to stand out, you should look into purchasing a blog theme and template. I started with a free one but noticed a few bloggers had the same template as me, which didn't look professional. I decided to go for a paid template which made my blog look so much better, and there were more features than a free one.
You can invest in a template from a few websites. I recommend Etsy, Themexpore or Themeforest for high-quality interactive templates. They will vary on price, but you'll be looking at around £20 for a stunning template. Investing in a template gives you an edge and makes it more personal to your blog. Lots of bloggers have the same free template, make sure you're different.
Related: 100+ Newsletter Ideas to Boost Your Sign-Ups
A Tool For Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great thing for bloggers who want to convert readers into sales. You don't have to have a newsletter for your blog, but if you want to make sales, it's a good idea. It's also handy to show clients that you have an extra X following for your newsletter, making you more desirable to work with! If you're looking to invest in your blog, an email marketing service is a great thing to try.
Mailchimp, Convertkit and Mailerlite are all free but have paid options that give you more range. I'd highly recommend purchasing a paid option as you get more features, scheduling tools and allow more readers to sign up. Mailchimp will cap you are 1000 newsletter followers, so if you plan on growing, you should consider upgrading your package.
A Camera & Editing Software
The last thing you should invest in this year is a decent camera for your photos. If you're into reviews and taking your own blog photos, a decent camera will go a long way. If you've already got a good one or are content with your current camera, you should invest in decent software or pre-sets.
Editing software like photoshop is useful to invest in because you can touch up your own photos. You can even offer services like photo touch-ups or graphic design for clients, monetising your blog. Investing in pre-sets is a great way to keep your photos looking the same, and will make your Instagram feed more desirable for people to follow. If you don't have the budget, investing in a pre-set is a really affordable way to invest in yourself and your blog. You'd be surprised with how effective they are for your feed!
It's important to invest in yourself because it shows commitment and that you're serious about your blog. These are all small investments that will have a big impact on your blogging journey and monetisation success. Not everyone wants to monetise their blog, but you should still consider making some of these purchases to make your blog appeal more anyway. What blogging investments do you think should be added to the list? I'd love to hear what things you've invested in and how it's helped you thrive!
Hi there! I'm Emily, and welcome to my little corner of the internet. You can find me preaching sustainability, hustling hard or working on my endless to do list! Together, we can make a productive, happy lifestyle!
4 comments
Thanks for sharing these tips :)
ReplyDeleteNic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
Good stuff! Great resources for sure! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThese are some really good tips. I didn't think about the photos for my blog. I've been using stock photos which half the time don't really portray what I want to show visually in my post. So I may have to invest in a camera or have my friend take some photos for me. She's a great photographer. All of these I have to invest more in especially getting ahead of my content. I have a social media scheduler and it really does save you time. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFor the longest time, I was on Blogger but I had paid for my blog template and domain. This year, I decided to take the leap and invest in self hosting my blog. I'm now on GreenGeeks and so far so good for me. :)
ReplyDelete