blog on a budget - wordcamp cincinnati · 2016-10-31 · how the heck do i do it myself? • find a...

BLOGon a budgethow to u'lize free and low-cost plugins to grow your blog without breaking the bank

Meet Caitlin! @caitlincheevers

• Founder / Owner of And Possibly Dinosaurs

• Blogger since 2014

• Moved from Michigan to Cincinna' in January

• Hockey fana'c

• Goal: take the in'mida'ng aspects of blogging + graphic design and make them approachable

What 3 Things do you want to add to your

blog, but don’t feel like you can afford?

1. A New WordPress Theme

1. A New WordPress Theme 2. A free email Course

1. A New WordPress Theme 2. A free email Course 3. LeadPages

WHAT TOOLS HAVE YOU HEARD YOU

NEED TO USE TO GROW YOUR BLOG?

A Web Designer

A Web Designer

A Graphic Designer

I WON'T LIE... THESE TOOLS ARE GREAT.

A Web Designer

A Graphic Designer

Why Blog on a Budget?

Why Blog on a Budget?• Blogging can be an expensive hobby


• It's possible to make money... but difficult



• Some people don't want to make money from their blog



• Some people don't want to make money from their blog

• You learn new things as you're trying to hack a solu'on together

A Web Designer

A Graphic Designer

One year of these tools would cost you

$5,628

A Web Designer

Why Does Everyone Love Hiring a web Designer?


• The quality is awesome


• The quality is awesome • They can make it exactly how you want it


• The quality is awesome • They can make it exactly how you want it • It frees up your 'me to do the things you’re good

at


• The quality is awesome • They can make it exactly how you want it • It frees up your 'me to do the things you’re good

at • You have no idea how the heck to do it yourself

Star'ng at

$3,000

The Budget Alterna've:

Visual Composer + Blog Manager

How the heck do I do it myself?

How the heck do I do it myself?• Find a theme you like

How the heck do I do it myself?• Find a theme you like • Figure out how you want your content organized

How the heck do I do it myself?• Find a theme you like • Figure out how you want your content organized • Use Visual Composer to move your content

around


around • It’s all drag-n-drop so you don’t need to know

HTML!


around • It’s all drag-n-drop so you don’t need to know

HTML! • Use Blog Manager to organize pages of blog posts

how you want them

What’s the Catch?

What’s the Catch?• It’s going to take you 'me to set up on your own

What’s the Catch?• It’s going to take you 'me to set up on your own • It might not be set up exactly how you want it

What’s the Catch?• It’s going to take you 'me to set up on your own • It might not be set up exactly how you want it • There’s s'll a cost

One-Time Cost:

$56$34 for Visual Composer

$20 for Blog Manager $2 Envato Handling Fee

That saves you:

$2,944

$5,628

$2,684

A Graphic Designer

Why Does Everyone Love Hiring a Graphic Designer?


• The quality is awesome


• The quality is awesome • Your branding will be consistent


• The quality is awesome • Your branding will be consistent • It frees up your 'me to do the things you’re good

at


• The quality is awesome • Your branding will be consistent • It frees up your 'me to do the things you’re good

at • You have no idea how the heck to do it yourself

Star'ng at

$100 per project


Do It Yourself

How the heck do I do it myself?

How the heck do I do it myself?• Gather inspira'on from Pinterest

How the heck do I do it myself?• Gather inspira'on from Pinterest • Enroll in a course or watch videos on YouTube

How the heck do I do it myself?• Gather inspira'on from Pinterest • Enroll in a course or watch videos on YouTube • Find a program that’s super easy to use

What’s the Catch?

What’s the Catch?• It’s going to take you 'me


• To learn the so`ware


• To learn the so`ware • To create your branding elements


• To learn the so`ware • To create your branding elements • To create your graphics


• To learn the so`ware • To create your branding elements • To create your graphics

• The quality might not be as nice

FREE(not including the so`ware)

That saves you:

$1,200/YEAR

$2,684

$1,484

Why Does Everyone Love Adobe Creative Cloud?


• It’s actually precy easy to learn


• It’s actually precy easy to learn • The programs go together really well


• It’s actually precy easy to learn • The programs go together really well • The quality is awesome


• It’s actually precy easy to learn • The programs go together really well • The quality is awesome • You have a ton of freedom with your projects


• It’s actually precy easy to learn • The programs go together really well • The quality is awesome • You have a ton of freedom with your projects • There are lots of templates available


• It’s actually precy easy to learn • The programs go together really well • The quality is awesome • You have a ton of freedom with your projects • There are lots of templates available • You get 20+ apps for one monthly cost


• It’s actually precy easy to learn • The programs go together really well • The quality is awesome • You have a ton of freedom with your projects • There are lots of templates available • You get 20+ apps for one monthly cost • All the free fonts!

Star'ng at

$50/Mo


Canva + Picmonkey

What’s the Catch?

What’s the Catch?• You don’t have as much freedom

What’s the Catch?• You don’t have as much freedom • There aren’t as many templates available

What’s the Catch?• You don’t have as much freedom • There aren’t as many templates available • You rely on internet connec'on to use them

That saves you:

$500/YEAR

$1,484

Why Does Everyone Love CoSchedule?


• The customer service is great


• The customer service is great • It keeps all of your content marke'ng organized



• Blog posts



• Blog posts • Social media shares



• Blog posts • Social media shares • Notes



• Blog posts • Social media shares • Notes • Tasks



• Blog posts • Social media shares • Notes • Tasks • Events



• Blog posts

• Social media shares

• Notes • Tasks • Events

• Best Time makes social sharing super easy



• It keeps all of your content marke'ng organized

• Blog posts

• Social media shares

• Notes • Tasks • Events

• Best Time makes social sharing super easy • It’s all drag-n-drop



• Blog posts • Social media shares • Notes

• Tasks

• Events • Best Time makes social sharing super easy • It’s all drag-n-drop

• All the color-coding!

Star'ng at

$15/mo

Star'ng at

$15/moActually $180 up front

ACTUALLY star'ng at

$19/mo

ACTUALLY star'ng at

$19/mo*You can get 50% off up for a year if you post a review


Editorial Calendar

What’s the Catch?

What’s the Catch?• Only blog posts

What’s the Catch?• Only blog posts • The scrolling is a bit wonky

What’s the Catch?• Only blog posts • The scrolling is a bit wonky • No color-coding

That saves you:

$180/YEAR

Why Does Everyone Love ConvertKit?


• The customer service is great • There’s no fancy formakng


• The customer service is great • There’s no fancy formakng • You’re more likely to land in the “primary” tab in

Google, so your open rates are higher



Google, so your open rates are higher • It’s easier to group and tag subscribers based on

content upgrades and interests



Google, so your open rates are higher • It’s easier to group and tag subscribers based on

content upgrades and interests • You get more subscriber analy'cs

Star'ng at

$29/mo


Mailchimp

How to do Similar Things with Mailchimp


• Don’t use a fancy template if you don’t want to


• Don’t use a fancy template if you don’t want to • U'lize groups rather than duplicate lists to tag

followers for content upgrades


• Don’t use a fancy template if you don’t want to • U'lize groups rather than duplicate lists to tag

followers for content upgrades • U'lize automa'ons for content upgrades and

email courses

Star'ng at:

$10/MO*Use Two-Factor Authen'ca'on for 10% Off

That saves you:

$228/YEAR

Why Does Everyone Love Leadpages?


• It's super easy to use


• It's super easy to use • It's proven to help grow your email list


• It's super easy to use • It's proven to help grow your email list • The landing pages are super versa'le



• Webinars



• Webinars • Videos for courses



• Webinars • Videos for courses • Thank-you pages



• Webinars • Videos for courses • Thank-you pages • Sales pages



• The landing pages are super versa'le

• Webinars

• Videos for courses • Thank-you pages • Sales pages

• Opt-in pages


• It's super easy to use

• It's proven to help grow your email list

• The landing pages are super versa'le

• Webinars

• Videos for courses • Thank-you pages • Sales pages • Opt-in pages

• Sending out content upgrades is a breeze



• The landing pages are super versa'le • Webinars • Videos for courses

• Thank-you pages

• Sales pages • Opt-in pages

• Sending out content upgrades is a breeze

• The landing pages & popup boxes are really clean and professional

Star'ng at

$25/mo

Star'ng at

$25/moActually $300 up front

ACTUALLY star'ng at

$37/mo


ParallaxGravity Lite + Layered Popups

What's the Catch?

What's the Catch?• It takes longer to use than Leadpages does

What's the Catch?• It takes longer to use than Leadpages does • It's less intui've than Leadpages

What's the Catch?• It takes longer to use than Leadpages does • It's less intui've than Leadpages • It s'll has a cost

One-Time Cost:

$20

That saves you:

$280/YEAR

Total Savings of:

$5,332/YEAR

Questions? visit andpossiblydinosaurs.com/wordcamp2016

for links to all of the tutorials!

http://andpossiblydinosaurs.com/wordcamp2016

blog on a budget - wordcamp cincinnati · 2016-10-31 · how the heck do i do it myself? • find a...

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