“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”
― Abigail Adams
Blogging is not dead. It is alive and thriving. It is never too late to learn how to blog. It is not easy but everything about blogging can be learned. The good thing is that a plethora of learning resources are readily available online that newbie and tenured bloggers can access for free.
As a blogger, it is a must to have excellent grammar. The websites below offer free basic grammar checks.
Perhaps the most popular grammar checker online is Grammarly. The free version checks your spelling and grammar. It will offer suggestions as well on how to rewrite a wordy sentence.
Next in line is the Hemingway App. Aside from the grammar check, Hemingway App will also suggest if you are to use passive or active voice. In general, this app makes sure that the whole writing is coherent.
Our personal favorite is the Readability Score. We wished we have known about this free app earlier. The app objectively scores your writing’s readability. If your score is higher, it means that your writing is easy to understand. If it is lower, the Readability Score will give you suggestions on how to improve your writing.
We also recommend Common Errors in English website. The website contains errors with a simple explanation of why it is wrong. The website will help you avoid these common mistakes.
One of the most common problems encountered by a blogger is content. If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than these helpful websites.
First is BuzzSumo. The website provides an overview of what are the trending topics online. Hopefully, after checking the website, you will have an idea of what and how to write your blog content.
Next is Quora. For us, Quora is the wholesome version of Reddit. You can find answers to your unanswered question and use them as a springboard for your blog content.
Another favorite of ours is Portent’s Content Idea Generator. To start the fun, just enter your keyword. Viola! The website will come up with a possible title for your blog post. Don’t like the suggestion? Don’t worry. Continue clicking until you find your “the one”.
Blog Topics Generator works like Portent’s Content Idea Generator. The difference between the website is that it will provide you with five titles to work from every time you searched.
You also have the option of using LinkedIn Pulse, Twitter Trends, and Facebook’s Trending section. These three we are all familiar with.
There are times that you need credible sources with statistics to use for your blog content.
Number #1 on our list is The Free Library. A plethora of periodicals from leading publications for different topics awaits you.
We also recommend Google Scholar. It is user-friendly. You can easily locate scholarly articles that support what you have written for your post.
During this time of the pandemic, ProfNet came in handy. The website will connect you to the people that you need to get a possible quote for your blog post.
To make your blog more alive and catchy, you need pictures! These are the websites that we love and we highly recommend all four.
Unsplash is living up to what it wrote on its website, “All you need to create a website.”
Unsplash offers more than 2M beautiful high-resolution images from global contributors. There are categories that will help you easily navigate the website. Unsplash does not require you to give them credit for using their pictures but they will highly appreciate it.
If you need videos and music backgrounds for your blog post, we recommend Pixaby. As the first website, it is user-friendly and has over 2M pictures and videos to choose from.
We also highly recommend the Pexels website. Pexels offer both pictures and videos ready for you to use.
With 100 categories to choose from, we also highly recommend the no copyright restrictions: StockSnap.io. The website guarantees fresh uploads every week.
If pictures are not enough, Meme Generator will come to rescue you. The website contains funny and witty memes to catch the attention of your readers.
Still not contented with pictures and you want to use your design? Canva is ready to assist you with its templates, customized images, and new fonts. You can just drag and drop.
If you are looking for the right words to use in your blog post, we highly recommend these tried and tested websites.
The most used website is Thesaurus.com. It will provide you with the correct synonyms and antonyms to use to avoid using the same words repeatedly.
Next, we recommend Dictionary.com. It will provide you with the definition, synonyms, and antonyms plus grammar tips.
In 1999, Urban Dictionary was born. The website gathers new phrases and words the internet has brought to life. If you want to be sure that your blog post is wholesome and does not offend anyone, check Urban Dictionary.
Lest we forget, we also recommend the all-time favorite: Merriam Webster: Visual Dictionary. The website has it all including a visual representation of the word.
We know it is close to impossible but if you are looking for a Microsoft Office alternative, we highly suggest the following websites.
First, you can explore Google Docs which gives you the ability to work with someone else on your blog post. You can share the documents so the other person can edit what he/she wants to add. Your writing will automatically be stored in the cloud as well.
The second website to explore is Byword. It is a hassle-free website. It is also easy on the eyes.
The third website that is also tried and tested is Scrivener. You can use it daily for your outlines, organizing your thoughts, and bringing to life your blog post.
Once you have established your blog, you can start making money from it. Yes, it will take time to generate more than a thousand visitors a day, but it will happen in time. You can start by getting acquainted with a marketing firm.
