There’s no time like the present to start a fun new hobby like blogging so I wanted to take some time to share the benefits I’ve gained from blogging this past year because 2015 could be the year you are ready to start or grow your blog too!

I have found a creative outlet, a community of super awesome people to share life with, and even a little bit of side income through opportunities to work with brands, all in 2014 – my first full year of blogging.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog and just need that last little push to do it, this one’s for you!  Or if you know someone that describes, you might want to do them a favor and send this along as a friendly kick in the pants they’ve been needing  😉  Sometimes we all just need that one thing that finally gets us to take the leap and go for it.

I have spent literally hundreds, if not thousands of hours over the last year learning the ‘tricks of the trade’ in this field, not because I had to – but because I fell in love with all things blogging right from the start.  I found myself fascinated with learning all the ins and outs – (I would never have guessed just a few years ago this would be me), but I honestly loved learning all about what works well for people and what doesn’t when it comes to blogging.  The only downside of all that research is it takes huge chunks of time out of your days.  So consider the below list of resources I’ve used to grow my traffic, my social media following, and build my email list to be like your own cheat sheet for what can work well for you too!  Because who doesn’t like saving time, right??  🙂

I joined Elite Blog Academy towards the end of this year and I am SO glad I did! If you’re ready to take your blog to the next level OR start your blog off on the RIGHT foot and save yourself HUNDREDS of hours of time, give this info a read!

The Building A Framework book is an outstanding, all-encompassing ebook that I have found to include everything you could ever hope to learn about blogging, all in one book, and more!

Ok so you probably know or at least could have guessed that blogging is not a free hobby or profession. There are lots of costs associated with running a blog – everything from hosting to theme and framework purchase (if you’re on WordPress), to resources like time and equipment costs.  One way that many bloggers choose to defray costs is through working with affiliates like Amazon Associates and shareasale.com, as well as networks like Clever Girls and Moms Affiliate, (and more). I recently did my first sponsored post through an amazing Social Good network called The Mission List and a few months back I was hired for a small sum to help Moms Affiliate spread the word about what turned out to be one of my favorite books I’ve ever read.  What a blessing – I would have gladly paid someone else for the privilege of reading it!  If you missed my review of The Hardest Peace book, definitely check it out – you’ll be forever changed by this incredible book!

I switched from Blogger to WordPress right around this blog’s one year blogiversary.  It turned out to be crazy time-consuming but definitely one of the best blogging decisions I could have made. SheLivesFree.com is now running on the Genesis Framework and the Sprinkle Theme from Restored316.  I love this company and couldn’t recommend working with it’s sweet owner highly enough.  I even bought the Sprinkle Branding Bundle with plans to create cohesive branding across social media.

I started using the TailWind app about a month ago to schedule pins and measure results on Pinterest. I love that I can easily create multiple pins with a single click with the Chrome browser extension I installed.  TailWind lets you choose specific dates and times to pin, or simply add to a queue that’s hooked up to one of your pre-set schedules. I signed up for the free trial before deciding this ultimate Pinterest set & forget it streamlining was absolutely worth the small monthly fee.

Update – As much as I still love TailWind, I have now found a new love that performs even better yielding double the results. BoardBooster is the best scheduling tool I’ve ever encountered and it has doubled my Pinterest traffic since I’ve started using it!  Here is my referral link where you can sign up for a free trial to see what you think:  BoardBooster FREE trial

Another tool I have recently discovered that’s made a huge difference in my productivity as a blogger is Boomerang for Gmail.  I seriously could not overstate what a difference this handy-dandy resource has been for increasing my organization and efficiency since I started using it.  Who would have thought emailing would be such a huge part of being a blogger?  Not. Even. Kidding.  {Insert crazy face emoticon}  But really – whether it’s interacting with brands and networks, answering unsolicited (or solicited) inquiries, collaborating with other bloggers, or so much more – bloggers need to utilize email often.  Enter Boomerang!

This super easy tool provides you the luxury of scheduling emails to return when you can actually answer them.  No more forwarding our own self emails for fear of forgetting them when they inevitably slip through the cracks of your overloaded inbox.  You can actually choose the day and time you’d like the email to return based on the content of the email itself.  Sanity saver right there!  😉

With Facebook changes imminent that will cause reach to nosedive even further, I am so glad I started building my email list in the last couple months.  I’ve got a long ways to go, but so far there are two main tools I have used to do this. One is KingSumo Giveaways and the other is the MailMunch plugin for WordPress.  I’d definitely recommend you checking them out if you plan to grow an email list!

Another exciting new option – The B2B Team has finally let the cat out of the bag!  They have finally revealed their big project, the video training course: Blogpreneur.  Let me tell you though, ONLY take this course if you are interested in taking your blog to the next level and creating something amazing – possibly LIFE-CHANGING.

This course will walk you through how to optimize your site, creating social media strategies that actually work and how to make money blogging. We’re not just talking a free meal here and there either. They have teamed up together to teach you how to truly make a living from your blog. And then make even more. They’ll show you how to get people to your site and how to make them stay so that your message can be heard!

Holly Homer, Becky Mansfield and Paula Rollo joined together to create this amazing resource for you and unlock the secrets of their success, just for you!  If you are feeling stuck, learn some close-kept secrets that WILL help you get unstuck and on your way to a career in blogging and social media.  If you are already earning with your blog or just starting out, this course can help you improve, optimize your site and get ready to make more money.

You’ll learn things like:

• How to write for YOUR audience
• What makes a post go viral
• How to run your blog like a business
• Science behind pinterest
• Content strategies
• How to monetize your Facebook page
• Types of passive income
• and so much more!

I am so excited to give you this chance to learn the secrets that have taken these three bloggers to making 6 figures a month in earnings, publishing more than a dozen books while balance our home and family lives as well.

Learn more about BlogPreneur Now!

Last but not least is the very newest resource I’ve implemented to leverage my blog – my new Young Living business!  I consider this a way to grow and diversify income streams.  In fact Young Living bloggers actually refer to this as a ‘forever cookie’ – meaning potential affiliate income never disappears from the work you put into growing your business through your blog.  If this is something you decide to do as a blogger, you’ll want to read all about our Young Living blogging program  🙂  Be sure to comment or email me with any questions!

These are just a few of my favorite resources I’ve used to grow my blog this past year.  I’m sure I’ll be sharing more in the future, but in the meantime – check out this roundup post of my blogging faves and for more resources bursting with blogging ideas, visit my three blogging Pinterest boards.  If you are currently blogging, what are your favorite tricks and tools?  I’m always looking for new ideas!

Follow Sybil Brun @ shelivesfree.com’s board BLOG BASICS on Pinterest.

Follow Sybil Brun @ shelivesfree.com’s board BLOG PICS on Pinterest.

Follow Sybil Brun @ shelivesfree.com’s board BLOG TOOLS on Pinterest.