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Simplifying DIY Design

Simple Graphic Design To Grow Your Blog

5 Ways to Build Your List By Repurposing Blog Content

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List building.

Have you ever fell in love with something you once hated? For the sake of being totally honest, that’s how I feel about list building. Especially in the beginning.

The first piece of actual blogging advice I ever got was to build an email list – Because the money is in the list.

I didn’t know anything about building, and email list and I didn’t know how an email list converted to money.

My first attempt at a lead magnet was bad… It was just plain bad.

Title that reads: 5 ways to build your email list by repurposing blog content

In fact, my second and third and even fourth attempt was bad.

I started doing follow-for-follow type things and was so excited about my first few subscribers even though they were totally random people that were NOT at all my avatar and would eventually unsubscribe. Waste of time.

So obviously none of the things I was doing was working. I didn’t have a strategy, and I needed to learn more about list building.

So I learned everything. I learned what I thought was everything.

Then, I still struggled. I still was fighting for every subscriber.

So I decided when I launched Simplifying DIY Design that I would really dig deep into my avatar. I also took List Love, a course created by a blogger friend who was getting about 150 signups a day. 

And that’s when my luck started to turn! I had 456 amazing new subscribers just in January of 2018 (3 months after launching). By my 7th month, I had gained over 1k subscribers… in just one month!! In fact, I was on track to meet my quarterly goal of hitting 1k subscribers by mid-late February! You can read my review on List Love here. 

The perfect opt-in doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, I learned in List Love that I was actually making it a lot harder than it had to be. This strategy was completely different than what I had learned before. It was kind of a facepalm moment while I was going through the course…

Designing it doesn’t have to be hard either. (Don’t worry, I’ve got templates in our free resource library to help you out! You can get access to the library by clicking here or filling out the form at the end of the page.)

Here are some ways you can repurpose content that you already have to make that perfect opt-in.

Some things to consider before starting:

  1. Know your avatar
  2. Make a list of your top 10 posts
  3. Make lists for all your related content
  4. Get access to the templates in our library

1.  Start a Challenge

Consider your related content and your top 10 posts. What is your avatar excited about? What are they always trying to learn about? What can you teach them about?

Start a challenge (usually 5-7 days) based on that topic. Start a facebook group dedicated to that challenge and design a workbook to help your readers through the challenge.

This can also be excellent pre-launch content if it relates to a paid offer that you can promote at the end. People joining the challenge will already be interested in that topic, and by the end of the challenge, if they have completed all the assignments, they will be EXCITED to buy from you.

2. Make a Worksheet

What is your top post? How can you make that post actionable?

I usually recommend making some kind of actionable worksheets for all of your top posts. You can always have more than one lead magnet in each post. The reason worksheets work so well is that the reader most likely found your article by searching for a solution to their problem. Here are 5 ways that creating a worksheet will grow your blog, like whoa.

PS: Want to go above and beyond by creating printables AND worksheets? I have everything you’ll need to create the perfect printable lead magnet, here!

Walk them through that solution! If they take action, they will find value. All you need is an awesome worksheet.

Side note: there is a package of 3 FREE editable worksheet templates3 editable worksheet templates in our design library, created just for YOU!

3. Write an ebook

Consider your related content again. Is there a way to piece it all together to form a mini ebook that you can give away? You may have to add a little more content to beef it up and make it flow, but you can repurpose most of what you have already written and put it together in a pdf.

You can do this simply in word, or if you want it to be professionally designed and eye-catching, you can consider an ebook template like this one.

4. Put together an E-Course

Again, this can be put together by piecing together popular related content. You can make a worksheet or mini-workbook to supplement it and have the content delivered automatically through your email system like Convertkit or a teaching program like teachable (I happen to be a huge fan of both, but I use teachable for my course freebies)

You can also put together a slide deck (fancy blogger word for powerpoint) and record a video of the slide deck being played along with your voice in the background. You can deliver the videos over a few days or again, set up a free course on teachable.

5. Put together a resource library

All of your little content upgrades can be combined into one resource library. But do it right!Trust me, there are a really wrong way and a really brilliant way to do resource libraries. Spoiler alert- I’ve done both 😉

Time to design

Each of these ideas can be designed in Canva! In fact, there are templates available for a lot of them in our resource library.

The list makes all the difference. Build it from day one. Nurture it from day one. You don’t need to “wait” until you have a ton of people on your list to start writing to them.

I know it seems like extra work. Honestly, I write my emails first and my blog posts second- sometimes even repurposing pieces of my newsletter for my blog post.

But trust me, even if you have 2 subscribers; they don’t know they are the only ones on your list. For all they know, there are thousands on your list! And if you promoted a $50 product to those 2 people and they both bought it because they know and trust you, well that’s $100 you didn’t have before!

Building your list should be the top priority. But it doesn’t have to be hard. Start with repurposing and go from there.

GET ACCESS TO OUR FREE CANVA TEMPLATES AND START GROWING YOUR LIST ⬇⬇

Our templates are included in our FREE resource library! By filling out the form below, you will get access to not only all our free templates, but all of our step by step tutorials, design tools, Trello boards, planners, etc!

This template is available in our FREE Design Library! Fill out the form below to get access!

When you sign up to our email list you'll get instant access to this canva template, PLUS you'll get access to all of our tutorials and tools in our design library as well!

WANT TO REMEMBER THIS FOR LATER? PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!⬇

Easily grow your email list with these 5 ways to repurpose blog content. You've already done the work-- reuse what you've already done for list building awesomeness! Grow your list and your income with these 5 email marketing tips for repurposing blog content! #repurposeblogcontent #emailmarketing #emailmarketingtips #listbuilding

Learn how to grow your email list by optimizing what you already have and repurposing blog content into irresistible freebie lead magnets that will make ANYONE want to subscribe to your newsletter! #emailmarketing #emaillistbuilding #listbuilding #leadmagnets

How to Best Edit Templates in Canva

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Editing Templates in Canva can be a fantastic way to save a ton of time when it comes to designing your next project or even your social media designs.

But knowing how to best edit them can make all the difference. You should be able to take any template and customize it to your brand- however, it does take a bit of practice to navigate the design.

The best way to explain is just to show it. Watch the video below to learn how to best edit a template in Canva.

Resources discussed in the video:

 

DESIGN LAB 03: Editing Templates in Canva

Posted by Simplifying DIY Design

 

Don’t have time? Pin it for later! ⬇️⬇️

Image with title: How to Best Edit a Template in Canva

How to Create a Brand for Your Blog

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DIY Design lab 02: How to Create a Brand That Screams “YOU”

You want your brand to be everything you are. It needs to speak to you so much that you want to print it on a blanket and wrap yourself in it! Here’s how to create a brand and set up your brand board, step by step! Our design labs are held every Friday at 1pm EST live in our Facebook group. Make sure to join us and interact- I love answering your questions! PS. Go to the bottom of this page to get access to our free brand board template so you can save a ton of time setting up your brand board.

Also, don’t forget to check out our post on creating a brand.

 

WEEKLY DESIGN LAB 02: Creating a Brand that Just Says YOU

Posted by Simplifying DIY Design on Thursday, January 25, 2018

Don’t have time? Pin it for later! ⬇⬇

Title image that reads "Video tutorial: How to Create a Brand That Screams You"

Just fill out the form below and get access to our design library. You will not only be able to use our brand board template but you will also have access to our other done-for-you templates, step-by-step design tutorials, and other tools like cheatsheets, planners, trello boards, and more.

GET OUR FREE BRAND BOARD TEMPLATE!! ⬇

Computer Screen showing preview of our brand board template

This template is available in our FREE Design Library! Fill out the form below to get access!

When you sign up to our email list you'll get instant access to this canva template, PLUS you'll get access to all of our tutorials and tools in our design library as well!

Want to remember this post + video for later? Pin it to your favorite pinterest board! ⬇

Create a brand for your blog following these simple design steps. You don't have to be a graphic designer to rock your branding and create a cohesive look that is recognizable and helps you grow from blog to business! #branding #brandyourblog #blogbrand #howotbrand

How to Create a Brand Personality That Just Screams YOU: Brand Board Template

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I think back to my very first attempt at blogging. I did a LOT of things wrong; it almost makes me want to laugh.

One of the biggest mistakes I made? Not having a brand.

But honestly, I’m not the only one. I see it all the time.

Bloggers don’t take the time to brand themselves.

Why would you need to brand your blog? Aren’t “brands” big companies like Nike or Target?

A brand is a style; it’s a theme for your business. It’s your businesses attitude. Most importantly, it’s YOU (if you were converted into colors and fonts).

But what branding can do for you is where most people fall flat. Branding your blog can:

  • Save you a ton of time
  • Help with publicity
  • Increase your traffic and conversions
  • Make you more money

Here’s the thing, if all your pins have a consistent look then people will know exactly where that pin came from before even seeing the logo (think of that big red bullseye… We all know it’s Target without seeing the word Target, right?)

Title image that reads How to create a brand personality that screams you, plus free brand board template

If your pins have a consistent look and you use the same templates each time you make a pin for your blog post, then you will end up saving a ton of time.

Same goes for anything you design. If you already know what colors, fonts, and style to design your project with- then you have already cut out half of the design process!

And no, your readers won’t get bored. In fact, the opposite will happen.

People will start recognizing your designs on social media and start clicking through more. They will become familiar and familiar is good!

You will appear professional and as a result, will see an increase in your numbers and get more opportunities, like sponsored campaigns. 

But here’s what a brand is NOT: a brand is not just a color. A brand is not just a font. It’s not a pattern or a shape or a website. Your brand is YOU. It’s a personality.

You need your brand to be everything you are, it needs to speak to you so much that you will want to get it printed on a blanket and wrap yourself in it.

Branding your blog is a lot more than picking out some colors, it’s setting yourself apart from the rest. What do you have that others don’t? What makes you different? What are you saying that others are not? Identify that thing FIRST.

Then, once you’ve figured out what makes you uniquely you, come up with your brand board. Get it on paper (digitally) and put it into your business plan.

Here’s how to make a brand board:

Before you start

Get access to our free design library and download the editable Brand Board template. This is a free template I made to help you set up your brand board in Canva. You can click right here to get access or fill out the form at the bottom of this post.

Your logo

Start with your logo. If you don’t have the funds to pay someone to make a logo for you, you can try your luck on Fiverr or make it yourself in Canva. Please note that you can not use any of the design elements that Canva has available to make your logo, you can only use fonts.

You can, however, purchase a logo design pack on Creative Market (look with ones that have PNG files if you don’t have Adobe illustrator) and use Canva to compile them into your design. Or simply create a text-only logo.

You can also search Creative Market for fonts to use in your branding. They have some really awesome bundles available which can help you save money.

Once you are happy with your logo, save it with a transparent background and add it to your brand board.

Alternate logo and watermarks

Once you have your logo,  it’s ideal to create alternate ones. When you get your logo professionally designed, the designer will likely give you your logo in 2-3 different ways. You’ll get your full logo and then perhaps a circle or “smaller” version. Think of your logo as your full name and the alternate logo is your initials. 

I also like to create an all-black and an all-white version of my logo so that it’s easier to use as a watermark on my social media images.

Inspiration & Style

This is one of the most important sections of your brand board! This is where you are going to choose about 3 different images (ideally stock photos) that truly describe your brand.

These images need to be your entire essence! Your style, your attitude, everything that makes you, YOU (and your brand) all rolled into an image.

They need to be so YOU that anyone who looks at them can tell exactly what the personality is for your business.

Once you have your three images chosen, upload them into Canva and drag and drop them into the frames provided on the template.

Brand Fonts

I usually suggest having at least one premium font that is specific to your brand. This is essentially so that your brand stands out. Everyone is going to use the free fonts provided on Canva and Google. Your premium font won’t be.

I’m not saying you’ll NEVER see it anywhere unless you hire someone to design a custom font (you definitely don’t need to take it that far) but it will definitely be used a lot less than a free one. Here are 5 tips on how to use your typography in your design! 

If you are looking for a way to save on fonts, check out Creative Market and Font Bundles. Sometimes they even have premium fonts for free (usually each week is a different font).

If you get serious font overload, check out our Font Combination cheatsheet in our design library. These are all fonts that come with Canva. If you have a premium font, you can use the cheatsheet as a guide and compare your font to similar looking fonts (If that makes any sense at all)!

Brand Patterns

This step is optional. Unlike the style images, these patterns would be used in the things that you create. So, you would see these patterns incorporated into your website, social media images, products, etc. The pattern doesn’t have to be overwhelming or take over the entire design, just a little hint of it would do just fine.

This works really well if you want to make sure your brand is really recognizable. Using the patterns over and over would get you that familiarity with your audience and anyone that has seen your website and brand.

Choose no more than two different patterns. You can purchase patterns on Creative Market, Etsy, Stock sites, etc. or you can hire someone (like on upwork) to design a pattern custom to your business.

Add your patterns to your brand board and you’re done!

Your brand is a personality, not a color

I can’t say it enough. A brand is so much more than a color palette or website design. Yes, you want your style to be consistent. Yes, colors and fonts are the exterior of a brand – it’s what people see.

But your brand itself is the personality of your business that you want to convey to others. It’s how you talk to people, it’s how you express yourself, it’s your attitude. Even your audience will recognize your branded graphics and pins, instantly! Check out Simplifying DIY Design’s Pinterest board for inspiration! 

So set up your brand board right now! Make sure everything you do from this point out is branded and consistent and I guarantee you will see business growth.

The difference it has made for me since I have really stuck to a branded style is amazing. 

GET YOUR FREE BRAND BOARD TEMPLATE NOW!

Computer Screen showing preview of our brand board template

Just fill out the form below and get access to our design library. You will not only be able to use our brand board template but you will also have access to our other done-for-you templates, step-by-step design tutorials, and other tools like cheatsheets, planners, trello boards, and more.

This template is available in our FREE Design Library! Fill out the form below to get access!

When you sign up to our email list you'll get instant access to this canva template, PLUS you'll get access to all of our tutorials and tools in our design library as well!

Want to remember this post? Pin to your favorite pinterest board! ⬇

Create a brand for your blog! It's ALL in the brand, having an amazing brand personality that screams you will help you grow and monetize your blog in so many ways. Click to learn more about what having a defined brand can do for your blog! #branding #blogbrand #brandpersonality #branding

How to Create Your Own Product Mockup Template

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In this post I’m going to go over the exact design process I use to create a beautiful product mockup template that can be used over and over again to cut your design time in half! Product mockup templates are essential for any niche because they’ll boost your email sign-ups and increase product sales!

If you’re looking for free Canva templates and business resources, check out my free design library now! Just click the button below to get instant access!

CLICK HERE TO GET ACCESS!

Designing a product mockup doesn’t have to be hard, yet it’s one of the most requested template designs we get!

Showcasing your product in a mockup-style format helps keep your designs consistent.

But, it also helps your audience see exactly what they’re getting and that can make people feel a lot more confident when putting in their information – even if it’s just handing over their email address.

I’ve noticed a significant increase in both email signups and product sales as soon as I started adding product mockups to my blog.

Truth be told, I use product mockups everywhere.

Blog posts, sales pages, social media graphics, landing pages, and even Pinterest pins!

Product mockups are a MUST. And, it’s super easy to create your own product mockup template to help you save a ton of design time and keep your brand consistent.

Remember this post later! Save it to your favorite Pinterest board! 📌 ⬇

If you're looking for an easy tutorial for designing a mockup inside of Canva this is for you! Mockups are a great way to generate more money and sales from digital products- here's how you can create a mockup in canva to visual market and promote your digital products!

I make all of my product mockups right inside of Canva whether it’s for a freebie or paid product (to include bonus offers).

Canva makes it so easy to create mockups for almost (if not) every product type and niche.

That’s where your creativity comes into play!

Side note: If you’d rather have NEW Canva product mockup templates delivered every single month, be sure to check out our DiyDesign Creators Vault by clicking here.

If you have your product image already created and ready to go, let’s jump right in!

SEARCH FOR A PRODUCT STOCK PHOTO

Once you’re inside Canva, choose your design size. I like to use an Instagram Post, preferably 1080px by 1080px. 

I found this to be the most versatile size that looks great wherever you use it!

Another popular choice is the Facebook ad size, which is 1200px by 628px.

Now, the first thing I’m going to do is find a product stock photo.

I love Depositphotos because I think they’re the best bang for your buck. The quality of stock photos is really great for the price, too.

Save time designing graphics for your digital product and lead magnets by creating a list-building product mockup template using Canva!

To start, search any kind of workspace – colorful workspace, makeup workspace, tool workspace, whatever your overall blog theme is about.

TIP: Choose a photo with a lot of bright, white space. You want the focus on your mockup image and text, not the stock photo itself. Plus, it’s easier to match your brand colors!

When I first started Simplifying DIY Design, I went with flatlay-style stock photos instead of angled so I wasn’t spending extra money on creating 3D cover designs.

If you have a design budget, definitely check out myecovermaker to create a cover design to make your product mockup template really pop!

Save time designing graphics for your digital product and lead magnets by creating a list-building product mockup template using Canva!

You can also search for a product stock photo right inside Canva. But, just know you’ll have a much bigger selection if you upgrade to Canva Pro.

Once you find your stock image, head on over to Canva to start designing your product mockup template!

DESIGN YOUR PRODUCT MOCKUP TEMPLATE IN CANVA

We’re now ready to add the cover of our product to our mockup template.

If your photo has a notebook, iPad, or any other kind of device, you can simply add a grid right on top of it which will allow you to drag and drop your cover image right into it!

If you’d like a demonstration of this, be sure to check out the video at the end of this post!

I recommend zooming in as much as you can to make sure you line it up to the notebook edges perfectly.

If your stock photo doesn’t have a device on it already, you can search for design elements like an iPad to add to the space in your photo (or on top of undesired objects like a notebook). It all depends on the product and how you want to showcase it.

Save time designing graphics for your digital product and lead magnets by creating a list-building product mockup template using Canva!

Side note: The Canva design templates shown throughout this post are from our DiyDesignCreators Vault!

Like I said earlier, you can get as creative as want when designing your own product mockup template!

Once I have the grid added to my stock image, I’ll add my product. In this case, it’s the cover page of one of our page design templates!

Save time designing graphics for your digital product and lead magnets by creating a list-building product mockup template using Canva!

And that’s it!

You now have a product mockup template that can be used over and over again, saving you a TON of design time and helps keep your brand consistent.

Product mockup templates are also an essential piece to launching your digital products!

Save time designing graphics for your digital product and lead magnets by creating a list-building product mockup template using Canva!

Don’t forget to name this product mockup (to include ‘template’) so all you have to do is click ‘Make a copy’ whenever you want to create a new mockup.

Seriously, it’s that easy! Once you make a new copy, just swap out your cover for your new design and you’re all set.

BRANDING YOUR PRODUCT MOCKUP TEMPLATE

Another thing I like to do for my product mockup templates is to add a phone that has my logo on it.

It’s just an easy way to show where this product is coming from without having an awkward logo that just never seems to fit!

First, I created a new design using the size 540px by 960px. I found this to be the best size for cell phones.

Then, I added my logo at the top and then placed the screenshot of my website in another grid to form one long image.

Save time designing graphics for your digital product and lead magnets by creating a list-building product mockup template using Canva!

This design definitely requires a few modifications to make it just right but it looks so good once it’s done!

Now, this feature is only available with Canva Pro, but you’ll checkmark ‘Transparent background’ before you click ‘Download’.

You can use many different types of programs to remove the background of a graphic if you don’t have Canva Pro. If you have a Mac, you can use Preview.

Another option I recommend is Pixlr.com which is a free option that anyone can use regardless of what type of computer they’re operating.

Save time designing graphics for your digital product and lead magnets by creating a list-building product mockup template using Canva!

Once that’s finished, you can head back to the product mockup template, upload the iPhone image, and then try a few different placement variations to give your website a little shout-out.

Your Canva-designed product mockup template is now ready to go! Maximize your time by creating even more design templates to use throughout your blog!

THINGS TO NOTE

If you’re looking to create your own Canva templates to sell, make sure you have the rights to sell your purchased stock photos in your templates.

For example, I can’t use a stock photo I purchased from Depositphotos or Creative Market without purchasing the license to resell.

It can be quite a bit extra to purchase the Commercial license, but it’ll protect you against any legal action taken from the original owner/creator.

The same goes for premium fonts and design elements, too.

Despite all of that, creating and selling Canva templates can be very profitable, easy to maintain, and can cost you almost nothing to get started!

Watch the video!

AS ALWAYS.. showing is easier than explaining, so please watch the video below. Resources discussed in the video will be linked beneath it and make sure to join our Facebook group!

Do you want to save time when it comes to creating graphics for your digital products, lead magnets, and opt-in…

Posted by Simplifying DIY Design on Friday, 19 January 2018

Resources discussed in the video:

If you’re looking for free Canva templates and business resources, check out my free design library now! Just click the button below to get instant access!

CLICK HERE TO GET ACCESS!

Don’t forget to save this to your favorite painters board!

Start saving a ton of time by creating your own template for your mockup product photos. These will give your product photos a level up and make them eye-catching and convert higher. Which means more sales and more money!

30+ Blogging Tools and Resources I Used to Grow My Blog

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Literally, every second of your day counts.

Especially when you are a new blogger that works from home. Especially if you are a mom with small kids.

Especially if you want to grow your blog quickly.

As a side note: if you’re NOT a new blogger, you can check out my post about the tools I use to run my blog once I hit the six-figure point right here. This post contains resources and tools I used when I was still growing my blog.

And it seems like everyone has some kind of tool that you absolutely need (and buy). And this ONE TOOL will streamline your entire business.

It will magically make you go from zero to millions. It’s the missing piece that your business has been dying for.

Well. I’ve bought a lot of things. I’ve tried a lot of things. Here’s exactly what I used to go from launch date to over $2,000/month in just 3 months.

If you want to save this list for later, pin it to your favorite Pinterest Board!

THE WEBSITE

Pixel Me Designs– I might be a graphic designer, but I’m definitely no web designer. Code=, not my friend. Unless you ask my 16-year-old self because I really decked out my MySpace page! Laura is not only affordable, but she did an amazing job with my branding and my website. I wanted bold and colorful, and I got it. The waiting list was a bit long, but it was worth it. I highly suggest getting on her waitlist as soon as possible!

Siteground- I have a blog in a different niche. I made the switch to Siteground after Bluehost shut down my website after I had a post go viral. They said I was taking up too much space on the server. So I did some research and made the switch to Siteground. I LOVE them, and they have excellent customer service.

Thrive– I use thrive to build my lead boxes. I love Thrive. I especially love that it was a one time cost instead of a monthly fee. It’s easy to use and looks professional. When they first made the switch to Thrive Architect, they experienced a lot of glitches. However, it seems to be resolved, and I haven’t had any issues.

I use and love LeadPages for my landing pages, but I also recommend Elementor too! 

WRITING

Grammarly- This is a free tool that helps you catch spelling and grammar errors. I’m terrible at grammar, I really am. The thing I love about Grammarly is that it works on any screen on your computer (not just the web). So email, Facebook statuses, slack, WordPress, etc. It will highlight the spelling or grammar error, and when you click on it, it will give you the fixes. Can’t get easier than that!

SEO Made Simple For Bloggers – This is a FREE e-course that shows you how to write in an SEO-friendly way that also captures readers and turns them into raving fans. 

The Copy Word– If you struggle with captivating copywriting, this is the site for you. Fair warning- she has a very blunt style so if you are not cool with curse words you might want to steer clear. But I downloaded her freebie on writing Facebook ad copy, followed it, and literally got this message a few hours later from one of my subscribers who saw the ad:

Fabulous ad, Kara! So well written. It’s hitting all my pain points! It makes me want to sign up again! Really nice work.

LIST BUILDING

Convertkit- Convertkit is who I currently use, and I’m very happy with them. I especially love that I can segment, tag, and build funnels within my email provider to automate sequences and sales. I have also used ActiveCampaign that also does all the same things at a cheaper price tag (however, I did have some issues with delivery occasionally while using them).

Email Marketing Strategy Solved – Follow this list-building course, and you’ll know how to organically build an engaged list of qualified leads for your business. The course walks you through getting creepy close to your avatar (in a good way) and nurturing your list, so they trust you, LOVE you, and want to buy from you. The methods in this strategy were the first thing that actually made sense to me. I was able to implement it and stick to it, and it was a game-changer!

RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS

HoneyBook– I use this for my coaching clients, and also for anyone that wants to schedule some time to talk with me about working together. It’s also free but has a paid version with more options. I love this tool because I can set my schedule and block of days and times that I’m not available. When I give someone the schedule link, it will only let them choose days and times that I’m available. No more “well, when’s a good time for you?” back and fourths.

Trello– I think most of you know that I’m a HUGE Trello fan! I even have already made boards in our resource library for you to use. Trello has been a game changer for me when it comes to planning out my content and my projects, not to mention stepping out my goals. LOVE!! And again, free.

Dubsado– I use this for literally anything client-related and my bookkeeping. I was really bad about tracking income and expenses until I started using this program. It took a little getting used to, but I LOVE it now.

It allows you to send forms, invoices, contracts, and pretty much anything else to any client or brand you are working with. You can also store and send canned email responses to save time. I create canned responses to any question I get more than 3 times. It’s not free but worth every penny for me. Also, if you use my referral code (diydesign) it will save you 20%

Side note: If working you are wanting to work with brands as part of your monetization strategy, make sure to check out this post on creating a media kit that actually makes money

SendOwl– If you sell digital products, SendOwl is a great tool. They pretty much handle the monetary transaction and delivery of the product. You upload your product, and they give you a URL for your “buy button.” When people click buy, they are redirected to SendOwl where they will fill out their credit card info, and then SendOwl will automatically email them the digital product.

You know what this means? You don’t need WooCommerce to sell digital products! Yay! You can also set up an affiliate program with SendOwl.

Thrivecart – This is the best cart system (preferred over Sendowl, and works out to be more affordable, as its a lifetime deal!) You can run sell digital products, run your affiliate program, offer coupons, upsells and funnels. Plus, it allows you to set up custom payment forms and embed them on your website. I LOVED this because I need to know what the email address associated with Canva accounts are for my Canva templates (this is often different than the email address they use when they pay).

You can also use WP Simple Pay with WP Affiliate to set up an affiliate program.

Stripe- You can use stripe now to collect payments. It hooks up to WP Simple Pay so when people purchase my templates the money is collected by stripe and transferred into my checking account within 1-2 business days.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Recurpost– I have moved away from this since hiring a VA to manage my Facebook, but before I could afford to outsource, this tool was legit gold. It’s basically MeetEdgar, but free. You load up different libraries with content (so for example, blog posts, other’s content, memes and quotes, engagement questions, etc.) and set it to a schedule.

It will automatically post on a rotation. Essentially, you schedule your content once, and you can forget about it. Just upload new blog posts- it’s totally automated. It works for your Facebook groups too (great for daily prompts).

Social Media Templates– These save a TON of time when it comes to making my social media images. They are custom made to match your brand and style. All I need to do is swap out the background image and change the title. Done and done.

Facebook ads– After implementing the strategy I learned in List Love, I set up a Facebook ad to promote my freebie. I also created a tripwire to cover the cost of the Facebook ads (& then some!!)

CREATIVE NEEDS

Canva– You probably saw this coming from a mile away. YES, Canva is most definitely in my toolbox. I could go on forever about it, but one of the ways it really makes my life easier is by letting me quickly resize images. So I make my pin, my featured image, and my Facebook image super fast. Another great way is by setting up templates for myself so I can just make a copy and swap out the image and title.

Want to learn more about designing in Canva? Click here to enroll in our FREE Canva 101 workshop!

Renderforest– Helps me make cool text videos to promote blog posts and my freebies. Another awesome tool is Lumen5. We all know that video is the way the world is headed, but I don’t know about you, I don’t always feel up to doing a live sesh, so this is a super quick way to create an interesting video for your social media platforms.

Depositphoto- I have officially been turned OFF from those free sites like Pexels and Pixabay. If you haven’t heard, people are putting their images on these sites then taking them off and suing people that use them for copyright infringement. No thanks. I definitely knew I wanted to purchase my stock photos, and DepositPhoto was the best for my buck.

I tried other similarly priced sites, and the quality of photos just didn’t click for me. I’m extremely happy with the photos available on Depositphoto.

Creative Market– I. LOVE. Creative Market. Seriously! They have weekly freebies (like free fonts, graphics, etc.). They also have awesome bundles (like 700 fonts for $20 and other crazy awesome deals). Personally, I like to find deals on graphic clipart, so I don’t have to worry about purchasing the licensing for individual Canva design elements.

Ecover Maker– I use this to make all my 3D images of books, binders, and gadgets for my product and freebie promotional photos. These make the digital products look professional and eye-catching.

If you want to learn more about creating product photos, click here.

Pixiestock– These are styled stock photos that are just beautiful. She sends also sends out free stock images each month. She has a great resource library with a TON of free, beautiful stock photos.

Here’s my full disclosure. Blogging is hard.

I did not start with “no knowledge of blogging” when I started this site. I had already been blogging on my other site and learning. It’s true I started with zero subscribers and zero income.

Less than 3 months after I launched, I had reached 500 subscribers and earned over $1500 in a one-month span.

But again, I had a strategy, I had learned and spent time building a foundation for my blog before officially launching. But I also knew when to say good enough, let’s click that button and launch it!

I was also willing to invest, despite our tight budget. I had to be careful and make smart investments. In addition, I also had to measure whether or not a tool was working fairly quickly to determine if I could afford to keep it paying for it.

There are so many tools out there it is easy to think you need to buy yet another thing.

You start to feel overwhelmed. You start getting FOMO.

Start small. Start with a foundation and work up from there.

This is a big list- you by no means need to go buy everything on this list your first week of blogging. This is not an all-inclusive list either; it’s simply the tools I use for my blog.

Start your blog, start writing, and set up an email list.

Then start weighing your investments: Do you really need ANOTHER course or would your money be better spent on hiring a designer to create you a product that you can SELL over and over?

Do you need another tool or maybe you could hire a VA to take care of social media for you? Do you really need a new outfit or can you get some templates created for your brand? You get the idea.

Everyone’s business is different. And you will start learning what you can really afford as you go. Most of the tools on this list are free, so why not give them a shot? REALLY try it for at least a month and see if it’s made an impact.z

Everything else will come with time as you grow your blog into an actual business.

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I always struggled to grow my blog but then I found these amazing and mostly free resources. These are the exact products and blogging tools I used to grow my blog- and grow my email list- from zero to actually making money from home

Learn all about my absolute favorite, can't-run-my-blog-without-them tools that helped me go from launch to $2k per month after only 3 months. Make more money blogging with these blogging resources to help you grow your blog and make money from home. #blogging #bloggrowth #makemoneyblogging #bloggingtools

 

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