Sarah Humphrey94WestDesign.com

Blogging Basics with WordPress Plugins, Tips & 3rd Party Tools

Hi! I am Sarah HumphreyI love the intersection of design, content, and technical nerdery, which makes website design a perfect fit!

• Designing websites since 2002, started website design business in 2011

• Specialize in SEO, eComm, and WordPress

• Owner of 94 West Design

• Away from the keyboard, I love live music, walking my naughty hound dog, and exchanging fart jokes with my two boys.

No Distractions

Limit temptation.

Block Websites• Freedom – Works on all devices

• Blocks apps, websites, or the whole internet

• Create whitelists

• Schedule blocks

• Sync across devices

• Cheapest plan is $2.42/mo for annual

• Cold Turkey is a similar alternative for blocking websites

Get in the Groove

Creating the habit

750 Words

• Hardest part of content creation can be getting started

• Based on an exercise in The Artist’s Way

• 750 words is 3 pages. By writing 750 words every morning, you prime your brain to write.

• It gamifies the writing habit to encourage success

• It tracks speed, distraction, words, mood, themes, etc.

Find the Words

Picking a topic

Research Tools

• SEM Rush

• Moz – free version

• Ahrefs

• AnswerThePublic

• Article on WP Beginner

There, their, or they’re?

It’s important

Grammarly• Can use the app or as a browser

extension.

• Get corrections from Grammarly while you write on Gmail, Twitter, LinkedIn, and all your other favorite sites, including your WordPress site.

• Analyzes grammar, spelling, style, and tone.

• Free and paid versions – starting at $11.66/mo if you pay annually.

• Includes a free plagiarism checker.

Hemmingway Editor• Desktop version ($19.99) or free app.

• “Hemingway helps you write with power and clarity by highlighting adverbs, passive voice, and dull, complicated words.”

• Format your text in the app, and do a one-click integration with WordPress or Medium.

• Exports HTML.

• Save marked-up text as a PDF.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

Find great images

Free Stock Images

• Pixabay

• Unsplash

• Pexels

• Free Images

Paid Stock Images

• 123RF - buy credits or subscriptions, some free)

• Envato Elements –includes Twenty20($16.50/month)

Design & Share ItCreate blog headers or images to share on social media:

• Canva – free or Pro version ($9.99/mo). Pro version includes free photos, elements, fonts, re-sizing, animations, and more

• Adobe Spark - social graphics, web pages, and short videos – limited free version – Black Friday sale for $60/year

• Both have mobile app versions

Sharing is Caring

Scheduling and Sending

Managing Social

• Buffer – starts at $15/month – Plan and publish your content for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, all from one simple dashboard

• Advance scheduling

• Team collaboration

• Review drafts and approvals

• Respond in one place

• Analytics and reports

Sharing via email

• Mailchimp is one of the easiest email services to use, and integrates easily with WordPress

• Easy sign-up forms to place on your site

• Free version available

• Use segments instead of multiple lists to keep your costs down

• Pro version starts at $9.99/mo

Track It

Measuring engagement

Google Analytics• Campaign URL Builder – use a tracking URL to

more easily track clicks in Google Analytics

• A link to my blog about blogging… includes the URL, the source (newsletter), the medium (email), the campaign (WordPress Meetups), and the content (blogging):

https://94westdesign.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WP-Meetup&utm_content=blogging

• Google now integrates directly with bit.ly for a short link

THANK YOU!!

Need help? Have questions?

Slides will be posted at 94WestDesign.com

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Email me Sarah@94WestDesign.com

Leave me a Google Review!!