{"id":16234,"date":"2016-09-27T11:33:54","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T18:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/becomingblog.wpengine.com\/?p=16234"},"modified":"2024-03-14T15:00:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T22:00:52","slug":"the-7-internet-tools-i-use-for-blogging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/the-7-internet-tools-i-use-for-blogging\/","title":{"rendered":"The 7 Internet Tools I Use for Blogging"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Over the past eight years, blogging has become important to me.<\/p>\n
At first, it was\u00a0a hobby that I loved. Years later, it provided the platform for full-time employment. But most importantly, through it all, it has provided opportunity to make a lasting change and impact in the world.<\/p>\n
I recently sat down with Val Geisler from ConvertKit to discuss, in detail, my personal growth in blogging and my transition from hobby to full-time writing. You can find the conversation on the Reach Podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you blog as a hobby or career, you’ll find the conversation helpful.<\/p>\n I have worked hard to keep my blogging platform\u00a0simple and minimal\u2014focused in both pursuits<\/a> and tools.\u00a0As a result, I use many of the same tools today that I used when I first started Becoming Minimalist.<\/p>\n So I thought I’d take a moment to list them. Perhaps you will find some of the recommendations helpful.<\/p>\n Bluehost<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>Eight years ago, I signed up to use Bluehost as my domain host for www.becomingminimalist.com. At the time I knew very little about starting a website. But I found the Bluehost interface to be inexpensive and very easy-to-use. I have been pleased with their service ever since and continue to recommend their service to others.<\/p>\n WordPress<\/a><\/strong>. WordPress is my blogging platform of choice. Easily integratabtle with Bluehost or as a free hosting site<\/a>, I find the platform user friendly\u00a0and fully customizable with a nearly unlimited number of tools to use (called plug-ins). If you’re interested in starting a blog for the first time, here’s a simple, helpful guide on how to start a blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n Genesis<\/strong><\/a>. Genesis is the framework that I use to create the look and design of this website. WordPress offers a number of free designs on their platform. But for full customization, you’ll need a stronger tool. Genesis is a premium framework ($59.95) that is both robust and user-friendly. Becoming Minimalist was designed by Brian Gardner<\/a>\u00a0(as noted on the bottom of every page).<\/p>\n ConvertKit<\/a><\/strong>. ConvertKit is my email distributor of choice. If you receive Becoming Minimalist posts by email, they are delivered by ConvertKit. If you’ve been a part of our Uncluttered Course<\/a>, it is ConvertKit that made it possible. ConvertKit is relatively new to the email provider scene. As a result, they are highly personable and open to user feedback. Built by bloggers, for bloggers, I switched to their service (from MailChimp) last year and am incredibly pleased with it. Their plans<\/a> begin at $29\/month for unlimited emails.<\/p>\n Unsplash<\/a>. <\/strong>Unsplash offers free (do whatever you want) high-resolution photos. Most of the images that appear here on Becoming Minimalist are found via Unsplash. If you use images for blogging or social media, you’ll love the tool. And their recent addition of a search function has made navigating the site even easier.<\/p>\n Social Media. <\/strong>I use three social media platforms to promote Becoming Minimalist content (Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Pinterest<\/a>). But I have found Facebook to be the most productive and efficient for promoting content and engaging with readers. So I choose to spend most of my social media time over there. As a fun little side note, we are just about to surpass 500,000 followers on Facebook<\/a>\u2014how exciting is that! For a more in-depth look at why and how I use social media, read this<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe 7 Internet Tools I Use for Blogging<\/h2>\n