Content Creation Archives – Katherine McLee https://katherinemclee.com/tag/content-creation/ How To Make Real Money Online Sun, 25 Oct 2026 16:18:27 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://i0.wp.com/katherinemclee.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/cropped-sdffdg.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Content Creation Archives – Katherine McLee https://katherinemclee.com/tag/content-creation/ 32 32 148049789 Semrush vs Keysearch: Which SEO Tool Is Worth It for Bloggers in 2027? https://katherinemclee.com/semrush-vs-keysearch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=semrush-vs-keysearch https://katherinemclee.com/semrush-vs-keysearch/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2026 16:18:13 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=18517

In this post we are going to go over Semrush vs Keysearch and which of these Keyword Research tools is worth it for bloggers in 2027. Choosing an SEO tool for your blog can get confusing really quickly. There are loads of options, they all seem to give you slightly different information and half the time you start out looking for somewhere to research keywords and end up comparing features you didn’t even know existed an hour ago lol. Two names you’ll have probably come across already are Semrush and Keysearch. Both of these tools can both help you find keywords, see what people are actually searching for and get a better idea of which topics could be worth creating content around. But keyword research is only a part of what you can use them for as there’s plenty more you can look into with both of them. You can see what other sites in your niche are ranking for, find more keyword and content ideas, keep an eye on your own rankings and get a much better look at what’s going on with your blog’s SEO etc etc. There ARE some pretty big differences between Semrush and Keysearch though. Especially once you start looking at the amount of data available and just how much you can actually do with each one! Keysearch gives you a good selection of the SEO tools bloggers are likely to need and use regularly, while Semrush has a much bigger range of tools that gives you even more ways to dig into your SEO, research your competitors and see what’s actually happening with your blog in search. Which one makes the most sense for you really depends on what you actually want/need to be able to do. It could be that you mainly just want help finding good keywords, checking the competition and planning your blog content. Or maybe you want to go much deeper into your SEO, research what’s working for other sites in your niche, find gaps you could be missing and have a LOT more data to work with. So let’s look at Semrush vs Keysearch for bloggers, what you can actually use each one for, where the main differences are and what you get with each, so you can work out which one has the tools that make the most sense for YOUR blog. Please note: Prices, plans and any features mentioned in this post are correct at the time of writing (October 2026) but can change, so always check the latest details before signing up. Semrush vs Keysearch: What’s the Difference? Both Keysearch and Semrush can help with some of the most important parts of blog SEO. You can use both for things like keyword research, competitor research and tracking rankings, and both give you more information to work with when you’re planning and improving blog content. The biggest difference is how far you want to take that research. If you need any more info on what Keyword Research is and why it’s so important, you can check out this post here. Keysearch is a more basic/straightforward SEO tool with a big focus on keyword research. You can use it to find keywords, check search volume and competition, look through related searches, analyze the current search results and research competing websites. Semrush also has a huge amount you can do with keyword research, but that’s only one part of what the platform gives you. You can get a MUCH bigger picture of what’s happening in your niche, from seeing which keywords and pages are bringing your competitors traffic to finding gaps where they’re ranking and you aren’t. You can uncover new content opportunities, compare multiple competitors, research backlinks and see exactly where your own rankings are moving. There are also tools to help you plan and optimize your content, find technical SEO problems across your site and start looking at how AI search could affect your visibility too. Of course what tools you get will be dependant on which plan you choose. Basically, it gives you a LOT of information you can actually use to work out what’s already working, what you could be missing and where your next opportunities could be. So when you’re comparing Semrush and Keysearch for yourself, it really comes down to what you want to be able to do with your SEO tool and how much information you actually want it to give you. What Is Keysearch and Is It Good for Bloggers? For a bit of a deeper dive…  Keysearch is an SEO and keyword research tool that can be REALLY useful when you’re planning your blog content. If you have an idea for a post, you can put the topic idea into Keysearch and start looking at all the searches people are actually making around that term. Instead of guessing which exact phrase would make the best keyword, you can look at things like search volume, keyword difficulty, related keywords and the pages already appearing in Google. And having all of that information BEFORE you start writing can make such a huge difference. There is no point in writing a post if no one is ever going to find it lol. The keyword you originally had in mind might not actually be the best option. This will happen more than you think initially lol.  You could find a similar phrase that fits your post even better, discover related searches you hadn’t ever thought of, or even come away with ideas for completely different posts while you’re researching the first one. That’s one of the things I really like about Keysearch. That plus how simple and straightforward it is to use. You can go in looking for a keyword for one blog post and end up with a whole collection of other keywords and content ideas you can use later too. Win win! And it isn’t purely just a keyword research tool. Keysearch also gives you tools for competitor research, rank tracking, backlinks and site auditing, so there’s plenty more you can do with it alongside planning your blog content. So if you’re looking for a straightforward way to research keywords, find new content ideas and make more informed decisions about what you’re going to write but in a more simplistic/straightforward way, that’s where I think Keysearch comes into its own for bloggers. What Is Semrush and What Can Bloggers Use It For? Now for Semrush… Semrush is an insanely helpful tool if you need the features it can provide. It gives you a HUGE amount of information you can use to research and improve your blog’s SEO. You can use Semrush to research keywords, see what people are searching for and find new content ideas, but you can also go way further than that. It lets you research other websites in your niche and see which keywords they’re ranking for, which pages are bringing them the most search traffic and where there might be opportunities they’re taking advantage of that you’ve completely missed. You can compare your blog with competing sites to find keyword and content gaps, find new topics you could be writing about and get a much clearer picture of what’s already working in your niche which can make such a difference when creating content for your blog. You can also use Semrush to keep an eye on your rankings, look into backlinks and check your site for any SEO problems that could be getting in the way too. There are also tools to help with planning and improving the content you already have. And Semrush is starting to bring AI search into its SEO tools too, with features including Google AI Overview tracking and AI-related checks within Site Audit. So there’s a LOT you can do with Semrush beyond finding keywords for your next blog post. It gives you a much bigger picture of your SEO, your competitors and the opportunities you could be missing. If you want to see more of what you can actually do with it, I’ve gone into Semrush in much more detail in What Semrush Is and How Bloggers Use It for Keyword Research. Semrush vs Keysearch for Keyword Research If keyword research is the main thing you want an SEO tool for, this is obviously going to be a BIG part of choosing between Semrush and Keysearch. Both can help you take a general idea for a blog post and turn it into something much more specific based on what people are actually searching for. So instead of starting with: “I want to write a post about affiliate marketing.” You can start looking at the different search terms/keywords around that topic, how many people are actually searching for them, how competitive they are and which one actually makes the most sense for the post you want to write. That gives you a much clearer idea of what you actually want your post to target specifically, before you spend hours writing the thing lol. Keyword Research With Keysearch One of the things I really like about Keysearch is how straightforward it is to use for normal blog keyword research. You can search for a keyword and see the monthly search volume, how difficult it could be to rank for, other related keywords and what’s currently appearing in Google. I particularly like looking through the related keywords because the phrase you originally had in mind isn’t always the best one to target. Often it’s not and you end up choosing something similar but different enough. If you think you have thought of all keyword options for a content idea… I can assure you you haven’t lol. You might find a similar keyword with a better combination of search volume and competition, discover another way people are searching for the same topic or find a related search that would work perfectly for a completely different post. And that’s where Keysearch can be REALLY useful when you’re planning content. You can start off researching one blog post and end up with a better keyword for that post, plus a whole load of other ideas you can add to your content list for later. Keyword Research With Semrush Semrush gives you a LOT more information to work with when you’re researching keywords. You can start with a topic or keyword and find related searches, different variations and questions people are asking, then filter through them to find the ones that make the most sense for the content you’re planning. You can also look at the search intent behind different keywords, which can be REALLY useful when you’re deciding what kind of post to create. For example, someone searching: “what is email marketing” is looking for something very different from someone searching: “best email marketing software for bloggers.” The first person is looking to learn more about email marketing, while the second is much more likely to be comparing their options and potentially looking for something to buy and use. Semrush can help you see those differences while you’re doing the keyword research, rather than having to work it all out once you’ve already started writing lol. You can then take that research much further by looking at the keywords other websites in your niche are ranking for, comparing them with your own and finding gaps where they’re getting search traffic from topics you haven’t covered yet. So while Keysearch gives you a really useful way to research keywords and plan your blog content, Semrush gives you much more data to work with and more ways to turn that keyword research into ideas and opportunities across your whole site. It’s all about what you want to be able to see/do and what you need for your own blog/business. Semrush vs Keysearch for Competitor Research Both Keysearch and Semrush also let you research other websites in your niche and see what’s working for them in Google. Maybe there’s a blog you seem to come across ALL the time when you’re...

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In this post we are going to go over Semrush vs Keysearch and which of these Keyword Research tools is worth it for bloggers in 2027.

Choosing an SEO tool for your blog can get confusing really quickly.

There are loads of options, they all seem to give you slightly different information and half the time you start out looking for somewhere to research keywords and end up comparing features you didn’t even know existed an hour ago lol.

Two names you’ll have probably come across already are Semrush and Keysearch.

Both of these tools can both help you find keywords, see what people are actually searching for and get a better idea of which topics could be worth creating content around.

But keyword research is only a part of what you can use them for as there’s plenty more you can look into with both of them.

You can see what other sites in your niche are ranking for, find more keyword and content ideas, keep an eye on your own rankings and get a much better look at what’s going on with your blog’s SEO etc etc.

There ARE some pretty big differences between Semrush and Keysearch though. Especially once you start looking at the amount of data available and just how much you can actually do with each one!

Keysearch gives you a good selection of the SEO tools bloggers are likely to need and use regularly, while Semrush has a much bigger range of tools that gives you even more ways to dig into your SEO, research your competitors and see what’s actually happening with your blog in search.

Which one makes the most sense for you really depends on what you actually want/need to be able to do.

It could be that you mainly just want help finding good keywords, checking the competition and planning your blog content. Or maybe you want to go much deeper into your SEO, research what’s working for other sites in your niche, find gaps you could be missing and have a LOT more data to work with.

So let’s look at Semrush vs Keysearch for bloggers, what you can actually use each one for, where the main differences are and what you get with each, so you can work out which one has the tools that make the most sense for YOUR blog.

multi coloured image with a search image and text saying "which SEO tool is worth it?" for a post called Semrush vs Keysearch: Which SEO Tool Is Worth It for Bloggers

Please note: Prices, plans and any features mentioned in this post are correct at the time of writing (October 2026) but can change, so always check the latest details before signing up.

Semrush vs Keysearch: What’s the Difference?

Both Keysearch and Semrush can help with some of the most important parts of blog SEO.

You can use both for things like keyword research, competitor research and tracking rankings, and both give you more information to work with when you’re planning and improving blog content.

The biggest difference is how far you want to take that research.

If you need any more info on what Keyword Research is and why it’s so important, you can check out this post here.

Keysearch is a more basic/straightforward SEO tool with a big focus on keyword research. You can use it to find keywords, check search volume and competition, look through related searches, analyze the current search results and research competing websites.

Semrush also has a huge amount you can do with keyword research, but that’s only one part of what the platform gives you.

You can get a MUCH bigger picture of what’s happening in your niche, from seeing which keywords and pages are bringing your competitors traffic to finding gaps where they’re ranking and you aren’t. You can uncover new content opportunities, compare multiple competitors, research backlinks and see exactly where your own rankings are moving.

There are also tools to help you plan and optimize your content, find technical SEO problems across your site and start looking at how AI search could affect your visibility too.

Of course what tools you get will be dependant on which plan you choose.

Basically, it gives you a LOT of information you can actually use to work out what’s already working, what you could be missing and where your next opportunities could be.

So when you’re comparing Semrush and Keysearch for yourself, it really comes down to what you want to be able to do with your SEO tool and how much information you actually want it to give you.

What Is Keysearch and Is It Good for Bloggers?

For a bit of a deeper dive… 

Keysearch is an SEO and keyword research tool that can be REALLY useful when you’re planning your blog content.

If you have an idea for a post, you can put the topic idea into Keysearch and start looking at all the searches people are actually making around that term.

Instead of guessing which exact phrase would make the best keyword, you can look at things like search volume, keyword difficulty, related keywords and the pages already appearing in Google.

And having all of that information BEFORE you start writing can make such a huge difference.

There is no point in writing a post if no one is ever going to find it lol.

The keyword you originally had in mind might not actually be the best option.

This will happen more than you think initially lol. 

You could find a similar phrase that fits your post even better, discover related searches you hadn’t ever thought of, or even come away with ideas for completely different posts while you’re researching the first one.

That’s one of the things I really like about Keysearch. That plus how simple and straightforward it is to use.

You can go in looking for a keyword for one blog post and end up with a whole collection of other keywords and content ideas you can use later too. Win win!

And it isn’t purely just a keyword research tool.

Keysearch also gives you tools for competitor research, rank tracking, backlinks and site auditing, so there’s plenty more you can do with it alongside planning your blog content.

So if you’re looking for a straightforward way to research keywords, find new content ideas and make more informed decisions about what you’re going to write but in a more simplistic/straightforward way, that’s where I think Keysearch comes into its own for bloggers.

keysearch logo

What Is Semrush and What Can Bloggers Use It For?

Now for Semrush…

Semrush is an insanely helpful tool if you need the features it can provide.

It gives you a HUGE amount of information you can use to research and improve your blog’s SEO.

You can use Semrush to research keywords, see what people are searching for and find new content ideas, but you can also go way further than that.

It lets you research other websites in your niche and see which keywords they’re ranking for, which pages are bringing them the most search traffic and where there might be opportunities they’re taking advantage of that you’ve completely missed.

You can compare your blog with competing sites to find keyword and content gaps, find new topics you could be writing about and get a much clearer picture of what’s already working in your niche which can make such a difference when creating content for your blog.

You can also use Semrush to keep an eye on your rankings, look into backlinks and check your site for any SEO problems that could be getting in the way too. There are also tools to help with planning and improving the content you already have.

And Semrush is starting to bring AI search into its SEO tools too, with features including Google AI Overview tracking and AI-related checks within Site Audit.

So there’s a LOT you can do with Semrush beyond finding keywords for your next blog post. It gives you a much bigger picture of your SEO, your competitors and the opportunities you could be missing.

If you want to see more of what you can actually do with it, I’ve gone into Semrush in much more detail in What Semrush Is and How Bloggers Use It for Keyword Research.

semrush purple advert

Semrush vs Keysearch for Keyword Research

If keyword research is the main thing you want an SEO tool for, this is obviously going to be a BIG part of choosing between Semrush and Keysearch.

Both can help you take a general idea for a blog post and turn it into something much more specific based on what people are actually searching for.

So instead of starting with:

“I want to write a post about affiliate marketing.”

You can start looking at the different search terms/keywords around that topic, how many people are actually searching for them, how competitive they are and which one actually makes the most sense for the post you want to write.

That gives you a much clearer idea of what you actually want your post to target specifically, before you spend hours writing the thing lol.

Keyword Research With Keysearch

One of the things I really like about Keysearch is how straightforward it is to use for normal blog keyword research.

You can search for a keyword and see the monthly search volume, how difficult it could be to rank for, other related keywords and what’s currently appearing in Google.

I particularly like looking through the related keywords because the phrase you originally had in mind isn’t always the best one to target. Often it’s not and you end up choosing something similar but different enough.

If you think you have thought of all keyword options for a content idea… I can assure you you haven’t lol.

You might find a similar keyword with a better combination of search volume and competition, discover another way people are searching for the same topic or find a related search that would work perfectly for a completely different post.

And that’s where Keysearch can be REALLY useful when you’re planning content. You can start off researching one blog post and end up with a better keyword for that post, plus a whole load of other ideas you can add to your content list for later.

Keyword Research With Semrush

Semrush gives you a LOT more information to work with when you’re researching keywords.

You can start with a topic or keyword and find related searches, different variations and questions people are asking, then filter through them to find the ones that make the most sense for the content you’re planning.

You can also look at the search intent behind different keywords, which can be REALLY useful when you’re deciding what kind of post to create.

For example, someone searching:

“what is email marketing”

is looking for something very different from someone searching:

“best email marketing software for bloggers.”

The first person is looking to learn more about email marketing, while the second is much more likely to be comparing their options and potentially looking for something to buy and use.

Semrush can help you see those differences while you’re doing the keyword research, rather than having to work it all out once you’ve already started writing lol.

You can then take that research much further by looking at the keywords other websites in your niche are ranking for, comparing them with your own and finding gaps where they’re getting search traffic from topics you haven’t covered yet.

So while Keysearch gives you a really useful way to research keywords and plan your blog content, Semrush gives you much more data to work with and more ways to turn that keyword research into ideas and opportunities across your whole site.

It’s all about what you want to be able to see/do and what you need for your own blog/business.

Semrush vs Keysearch for Competitor Research

Both Keysearch and Semrush also let you research other websites in your niche and see what’s working for them in Google.

Maybe there’s a blog you seem to come across ALL the time when you’re researching topics in your niche. Instead of just wondering how they manage to show up everywhere, you can actually look at the keywords they’re ranking for and which of their pages are bringing in search traffic.

And that can be really useful for spotting things you’ve missed on your own blog!

You might find topics you haven’t written about yet, find keywords you hadn’t thought to research or find whole areas of a subject that are bringing other sites traffic and could give you ideas for your own content.

Obviously, that doesn’t mean finding their best-performing posts and making your own versions of every one lol.

It’s about seeing what people are actually searching for in your niche and finding opportunities you might never have come across through your own keyword research.

Getting ideas is as important as getting stats and numbers.

Keysearch gives you tools to look into competing websites alongside its keyword research and other SEO features.

Semrush takes this quite a bit further. You can get a much more detailed look at competing sites, including the keywords and pages bringing them traffic, how their rankings are changing, where their backlinks are coming from and where there are gaps between what they’re ranking for and what you currently have on your own site.

So if competitor research is something you want to use as a bigger part of planning and growing your blog, there’s a LOT more information you can get into with Semrush.

Finding Keyword and Content Gaps

This is also where being able to see more of what other sites are ranking for can be REALLY useful.

When your blog is new, you’ll probably have more post ideas than you know what to do with lol. But once you’ve been blogging for a few years and already have a lot of content, coming up with new ideas isn’t always quite so easy.

You’re also not going to remember every keyword you’ve ever targeted or instantly know where there are gaps in the content you already have.

Semrush can compare your site with other websites in your niche and show you keywords they’re ranking for that you aren’t.

Obviously, not every keyword it finds is going to be useful. Some won’t fit your blog at all and others might be topics you simply don’t want to write about.

But you can also find those “HOW have I never written about that?” topics that fit your existing content perfectly and have somehow been missed.

(As an example my blog was started all around BLOGGING and I didn’t even have a solid “How To Start a Blog” post for months?! – It’s easier for things to slip through the net than you realise lol but that is why a good tool is so important.)

It gives you another way to find genuinely useful blog post ideas based on what people are already searching for, rather than sitting there trying to think of your 900th idea from absolutely nowhere or just from Google lol.

Rank Tracking, Site Audits and Backlinks

Keyword and competitor research will probably be two of the biggest reasons most bloggers would look at tools like Keysearch and Semrush, but there are plenty of other SEO tools included with both.

For example, you can track specific keywords and keep an eye on where your blog is ranking for them over time.

That can be really useful if you’ve published a new post and want to see whether it starts moving up through the search results, or if you want to keep an eye on older posts and spot when something starts gaining or losing search positions.

I’d still use Google Search Console alongside either of them because it’s free and gives you loads of useful information directly from Google, but rank tracking gives you another way to keep an eye on the specific keywords and posts you care about!

You can also use both Keysearch and Semrush to check your site for SEO issues and research backlinks.

Whether you’re looking at links pointing to your own blog or seeing where other websites in your niche are getting theirs from.

The main difference (again) is how far you want to go with all of that.

Keysearch gives you a useful selection of these extra SEO tools alongside the keyword research, so you can do a lot more than simply search for keywords.

Semrush gives you way more data and a bigger collection of tools to work with if you want to go further into your rankings, backlinks, competitors and the technical side of your SEO.

So it really comes down to how much you want to be able to do with your SEO tool and how much detail you actually want to get into for your blog. Both give you plenty to work with at a base level, but there’s a big difference in how far you can take that research depending on which one you choose.

Semrush Pricing vs Keysearch Pricing

When it comes to pricing, there’s a pretty big difference between the price of Semrush and Keysearch, but you’re also getting two very different levels of SEO tool so it completely depends on what you want and need.

These are the current prices for Keysearch plans as of October 2026.

They also have a 7 day free trial to get started.

These are the current prices for the first two Semrush plans as of October 2026.

Semrush currently has an SEO plan starting at £113 per month, or £95.07 per month when billed annually.

That includes tools for keyword and competitor research, Position Tracking and Site Audit, with up to 5 websites to monitor and 500 keywords to track daily.

There are also higher-priced Semrush plans available if you need more features and want to add things like more advanced SEO tools and AI search visibility, so it’s worth checking the current plans to see which one actually gives you what you need.

You can get started for free on Semrush too.

I’d always check the latest prices and exactly what’s included with each plan before signing up, as these can obviously change over time but these are the current prices at the time of writing this post.

But when you’re comparing the two, I’d look at what you actually want to be able to DO with the tool as well as the monthly cost. 

It comes down to value as much as cost itself.

If you mainly want to research keywords, find new content ideas and get the SEO information you’re most likely to use when planning blog posts, Keysearch gives you a lot to work with.

Semrush gives you a much bigger range of data and tools, so you can take things much further with competitor research, keyword and content gaps, backlinks, rankings and technical SEO alongside the keyword research. There are also additional Semrush tools available if you want to go further into areas like AI search visibility.

So although there’s a big difference in price, there’s also a big difference in what you’re getting. It really comes down to which of those tools and features are going to be useful enough for YOUR blog to make the most sense for what you’re paying.

Which SEO Tool Is Better for Beginner Bloggers?

If you’re new to blogging and SEO and mainly want something to help you find better keywords for your posts, Keysearch is definitely worth considering as your SEO tool.

You can start with a general idea for a blog post, see what people are actually searching for and use that information to work out which keyword makes the most sense to target before you start writing.

And if I was starting a blog again, keyword research is something I’d start doing MUCH earlier rather than publishing loads of content first and only thinking properly about SEO afterwards lol.

Semrush can obviously help you do all of that too, but you also have a much bigger collection of SEO tools available when you want to go further.

When first starting out is it worth looking into all Semrush can offer?

Of course you can, but it’s not going to be the right choice for most new bloggers, unless you are sure you need that many features from the get go.

For a newer blogger, with Keysearch you could be researching keywords for your first posts while also looking at what’s working for other sites in your niche, finding content gaps, researching backlinks and starting to collect more information about your own site as it grows but without getting overwhelmed with too many tools and capabilities.

This doesn’t automatically make one tool a better choice than the other. It depends much more on what you want to be able to do with your SEO from the beginning and how much information you want to have available as your blog grows.

You can always change/upgrade tools later. 

However, if you want to learn and stick with just ONE tool that will grow with you and give you everything you need (and more), Semrush would absolutely be the way to go.

hands typing on a laptop for a post about keysearch vs semrush

Which SEO Tool Is Better for an Established Blog?

If you’ve already got an established blog and want to take your SEO much further, this is where I think Semrush can REALLY start to make sense for you.

Because at this point, you’re not starting from zero.

You are past the point of needing a more simplified tool and so using the one that gives you a lot more capabilities and insight makes a lot more sense.

You’ve already spent months (or years) creating content, building up your rankings, attracting backlinks and getting pages into Google. Some of those pages could already be bringing you traffic and making you money, while others could be much closer to doing that than you realise and just need a bit of a push.

And Semrush gives you a way to dig into ALL of it.

You can find pages that are already ranking well but have the potential to move higher, discover keywords you’re close to reaching the top results for on Google and spot older posts that have started losing visibility.

You can also find keywords your posts are already ranking for that you never intentionally targeted lol.

If one of your articles is sitting at position 11 for a valuable keyword you didn’t even know about, suddenly you’ve got something much more useful to work with than another random idea for a new post. Then you can edit that post and hopefully get it up into the single digit positions!

You can then do the same kind of research across other sites in your niche.

You can see which pages are bringing your competitors the most search traffic, which keywords they’re getting that traffic from, where their backlinks are coming from and where there are gaps between their rankings and yours.

And THAT can give you a completely different view of where your next opportunities are.

Instead of simply knowing that another blog seems to be doing well, you can start seeing why. You can find topics they’re getting traffic from that you’ve missed, keywords where you could potentially compete with them and areas where you already have relevant content but could be doing much more with it.

For an established blog, that kind of information can be incredibly valuable because you’ve already got something to build on and work from.

You’re not paying for a tool just to give you another list of keywords lol.

You’re getting a much deeper look at your existing search visibility, your content, your competitors and the opportunities available across your niche, with rank tracking, backlink research, technical SEO and content research available alongside it.

That means Semrush can help you make much more informed decisions about where your time is actually worth spending, and where it’s not!

A few questions to ask first…

Do you need another new post?

Is there an existing post sitting within reach of significantly more traffic?

Have you started losing rankings somewhere you need to look into?

Is a competitor site getting traffic from an entire topic you’ve forgotten/overlooked?

Are there backlink opportunities you’ve never found?

Are AI search features starting to change how people are finding content in your niche?

When you’ve already put a HUGE amount of work into building your blog, having that level of information available can help you find opportunities within what you already have as well as deciding where you want to grow next.

So if you’ve reached the point where you want to stop looking at SEO one keyword or one blog post at a time and start looking at the bigger picture of how your entire site is performing and where its best opportunities are, that’s where Semrush can be so insanely valuable for an established blog.

Is Keysearch Worth It for Bloggers in 2027?

Yes.

Keysearch is a really good option for bloggers who want to do proper keyword research without turning it into a massive job every time they sit down to write a post.

You can quickly find keywords that are worth targeting, see what’s already ranking in Google and usually come away with plenty of extra content ideas too, making it MUCH easier to plan your posts around what people are actually searching for.

Is Semrush Worth It for Bloggers in 2027?

Yes.

Semrush is absolutely worth it if you want to get much more serious about your SEO and have a LOT more information available to help you work out where your best opportunities for growth are.

You can see what’s working across your own site, find things you could be missing, dig into what your competitors are doing and get a much clearer idea of where your time could actually make the biggest difference.

And with everything from keyword and competitor research to backlinks, site audits, rank tracking and content gaps all in one place, there are SO many different ways you can use Semrush to help you make better decisions and get more from the blog you’re already building.

semrush purple advert

Semrush vs Keysearch: Which SEO Tool Should You Choose?

So after all of that explaining, which one should you actually choose?

Ultimately it will come down to your needs, your wants and your budget.

If you mainly want a straightforward way to research keywords, plan your blog content and have some additional SEO tools there when you need them, Keysearch could give you everything you’re looking for.

If you want to go much deeper into your SEO and have a LOT more data available to help you grow your blog, Semrush is the one I’d look at.

Especially if you want to do more with competitor research, find opportunities across the content you already have, uncover gaps you might otherwise miss and get a much bigger picture of what’s happening with your site and across your niche.

So I wouldn’t choose between them based purely on which one has the longest list of features lol.

I’d choose based on how much you actually want your SEO tool to help you do.

If your main focus is researching keywords and planning content, take a look at Keysearch.

If you want a much more powerful SEO platform that you can use to research, analyse and find opportunities across your whole blog, your competitors and the wider search landscape, take a look at Semrush.

Speak soon!

Katherine

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How I’d Start a Blog From Scratch in 2026 (Knowing What I Know Now) https://katherinemclee.com/start-a-blog-from-scratch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=start-a-blog-from-scratch https://katherinemclee.com/start-a-blog-from-scratch/#respond Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:40:51 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=18342

In this post I’m going to go over exactly how I’d start a blog from scratch in 2026 (knowing what I know now). Starting a blog is one of those things that feels SO much easier once you’ve already done it. When you first start blogging you spend so much time trying to work out what you’re supposed to be doing… Things like which tools are needed, what you should be focusing on first and whether you are somehow missing something everyone else already knows lol. We are all the same at the start. Fast forward a few years and there are definitely things I’d approach completely differently if I had to go back and start again this year. I know which things I’d set up straight away, what I’d start working on much earlier and which things really didn’t deserve anywhere near the amount of time or attention I gave them. And I definitely wouldn’t try to do everything at once. There is SO much blogging advice out there and a neverending number of tools, plugins, courses and strategies you can try that it’s ridiculously easy to make the whole thing much more complicated than it really needs to be. If I was starting a blog from scratch in 2026, I’d go right back to basics, get the important things in place early on and spend my time on the things I now know can actually help a blog grow and make money. So, knowing everything I know now, this is exactly how I’d start blogging from scratch in 2026. 1. I’d Start With WordPress and Proper Hosting Before worrying about Pinterest, email lists, affiliate marketing or any of the other things that come a bit later, you obviously need an actual blog to work with. If I was starting again, I’d still choose self-hosted WordPress. EVERY TIME. There are very few benefits to a free blog aside from it being free. If you want to make money from your blog, self hosted is the way to go. It gives you so much more control over your site and (more importantly) you’re not going to outgrow it six months down the line when you suddenly want to add something you hadn’t even thought about when you first started. Also – these go hand-in-hand – I’d also pay for proper hosting from day one. You definitely don’t need to pick the most expensive hosting package available when your blog is brand new. But hosting is one of the things I wouldn’t try to avoid paying for just to save a little bit of money at the beginning lol. It’s what your entire website runs on…. It’s important lol. If I was starting again, HostGator is still the hosting I’d use. I started on it and wouldn’t change it. It gives you everything you need to get a self-hosted WordPress blog up and running, without having to spend a fortune when you’re only just getting started.  If you want to have a proper look before signing up, I’ve also written a full HostGator review where you can see what you actually get and whether it’s right for you and your blog. Once the Technical Side Was Sorted, I’d Keep Everything Else Pretty Simple Choose a theme you like [I currently use AshePro as of writing this in Sept 2026), set up your main pages (including the legal pages I’ll explain below) and then get on with actually creating content. This take is a little controversial…. You will read everywhere things like “Don’t spend three weeks changing fonts, rearranging the homepage and trying to get every tiny detail looking perfect before anybody was even visiting”. I have probably said this myself! But honestly, your blog is new, you will have spent time setting it up and choosing a theme etc so enjoy it! Change all the settings and details you like. Have fun with it! Yes you will keep modifying and editing and changing things but that’s going to happen anyway lol. (Just don’t install 300 plugins as they will slow your brand new site down too much.) The more you get into blogging, the more you’ll discover things you want to add, remove or completely redo. So there’s no need to have the finished version figured out on day one, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush the set up process – unless you want to!  After it’s set up, the important thing is then getting your first posts published as that then gives you something to start building on. And if you’re right at the beginning and need help with the setup itself, my How To Start a Blog in 2026 post takes you through the whole process. 2. I’d Follow One Proper Blogging Plan Instead of Trying to Learn Everything at Once There is SO much free information about blogging online, which sounds brilliant when you’re first getting started. And for BEFORE you start, it actually is. Whatever you’re trying to figure out, there’s most likely a blog post, YouTube video or tutorial somewhere that can help you with how to do it. The problem is that you can very quickly end up jumping between ten (or 60) different people who all have completely different ideas about what you should be doing first. One person tells you to concentrate on SEO, somebody else says Pinterest should be your priority and before you know it, you’ve got 26 tabs open and absolutely no idea what you were originally trying to do. Again – we have all been there lol. If I was starting again, I’d still use free information whenever I needed help with something specific, but I’d choose ONE main plan to follow so I knew what to work on and in what order. Choose A Decent Course From the Start That’s why I’d still use and choose this exact blogging course. Instead of trying to piece everything together yourself from completely different sources, you get to have all the main parts of starting and growing a SUCCESSFUL blog laid out for you in one place. No faff, just a LOT of amazing info and tips. This way you can learn how to set up your blog, create your blog content, work on SEO, start using affiliate marketing and everything else – all in one place, and without randomly discovering six months later that there was something important you completely missed. I can’t recommend it enough but if you want to see exactly what you get before deciding whether it’s right for you, I’ve written a full review of the blogging course I recommend where I go through what’s included and why I recommend it – and to who. 3. I’d Get the Legal Side Sorted Early Legal pages are probably not going to be the part of starting a blog that you’re most excited to get stuck into lol. You may not even realise what they are or if you need them. (Spoiler alert, you do.) They are very important and they are something worth sorting out early. Especially if the plan is to eventually make money from your blog. Even a brand-new blog can start collecting information from visitors through things like cookies, analytics, contact forms and email sign-ups. And if you’re using affiliate links, your readers need to know that you could earn a commission if they buy something you recommend. You need to declare the use of affiliate links in each post – above any affiliate links. But There Are a Few Legal Pages You’ll Need to Have on Your Blog This includes things like a privacy policy, cookie policy, terms and conditions and affiliate disclosure. Basically, these tell people what information your blog collects and what happens to it, set out the terms for using your site and make it clear when you could make money from a link or recommendation. The problem is, sitting down and trying to work out what on earth you’re supposed to put in all of those pages isn’t exactly simple. You can of course pay a Lawyer to draft these up for you but that option is a lot more time consuming and a lot more expensive. That’s why I’d use this exact Legal Pages Bundle. It gives you the legal templates you need so you’re not trying to write everything yourself or wondering whether you’ve forgotten something important. The entire set of pages was written by a Lawyer, FOR blogs. The templates are mostly all written for you, you just edit in or out the bits relevant to you and you can have them all live in less than 30 mins. Get them set up early, add your edited/personalised ones to your blog and that’s one of the less exciting jobs ticked off already! This then leaves you free to get back to writing blog content. For more information on the legal bundle and why it’s so important, I have a full post here you can go through. 4. I’d Do Keyword Research Before I Started Writing Loads of Posts This is one of the things I’d start doing MUCH earlier. When you first start blogging, it’s really easy to think of something you want to write about and then spend hours creating the post and then move straight onto the next idea without ever checking whether people are actually searching for it. You don’t need to let keyword research completely dictate what you write obviously but it makes sense to do a little research before spending half a day creating a post that noone then ever finds. Have a look at things like: For a brand-new blogger, Keysearch is a great place to start. It’s so much more affordable than some of the bigger SEO tools and gives you the main keyword research features you actually need without feeling like you’ve suddenly acquired another full-time job just trying to understand the dashboard lol. If you want something more advanced, Semrush gives you a LOT more to work with, including much more detailed keyword and competitor research. I’ve also got a full post explaining what Semrush is and how bloggers can use it for keyword research if you want to see what you can actually do with it before deciding whether you need something that powerful as not everyone will. 5. I’d Start Building My Email List MUCH Earlier If there’s one other thing I definitely wouldn’t wait around to start this time, it’s an email list. It’s really easy to think you need to be getting loads of traffic first because what’s the point in having an email list when hardly anyone is visiting your blog yet? You would honestly be surprised! Those first visitors are EXACTLY why you want to start one early. If someone finds one of your posts and enjoys it, having an email list gives them an easy way to stick around and hear from you again. You have a direct way to share information/new content and they don’t have to remember your blog’s name to find it again so it’s a win from both sides. And one of the easiest ways to encourage people to sign up is by creating a freebie that fits in nicely with what they came to your blog for in the first place. It could be a (niche specific): You Don’t Need to Spend Weeks Creating Something Huge Either A smaller freebie that’s genuinely useful can be more than enough to get started. Even just a page. As an example, if you write about budgeting, you could create a savings tracker. Or if you write about meal planning, you could put together a simple weekly meal planner etc. The idea is just to give your readers something useful to take away with them while also giving them the option to hear from you again. I use MailerLite for my own email list and it’s what I’d choose again. You can start off on whichever plan suits...

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In this post I’m going to go over exactly how I’d start a blog from scratch in 2026 (knowing what I know now).

Starting a blog is one of those things that feels SO much easier once you’ve already done it.

When you first start blogging you spend so much time trying to work out what you’re supposed to be doing… Things like which tools are needed, what you should be focusing on first and whether you are somehow missing something everyone else already knows lol.

We are all the same at the start.

Fast forward a few years and there are definitely things I’d approach completely differently if I had to go back and start again this year.

I know which things I’d set up straight away, what I’d start working on much earlier and which things really didn’t deserve anywhere near the amount of time or attention I gave them.

And I definitely wouldn’t try to do everything at once.

There is SO much blogging advice out there and a neverending number of tools, plugins, courses and strategies you can try that it’s ridiculously easy to make the whole thing much more complicated than it really needs to be.

If I was starting a blog from scratch in 2026, I’d go right back to basics, get the important things in place early on and spend my time on the things I now know can actually help a blog grow and make money.

So, knowing everything I know now, this is exactly how I’d start blogging from scratch in 2026.

black image with coloured social media icons and a smartphone saying "tools you need" for the post The Tools I’d Start With If I Were Blogging From Scratch in 2026 and text overlay saying "tools for beginner bloggers"

1. I’d Start With WordPress and Proper Hosting

Before worrying about Pinterest, email lists, affiliate marketing or any of the other things that come a bit later, you obviously need an actual blog to work with.

If I was starting again, I’d still choose self-hosted WordPress. EVERY TIME.

There are very few benefits to a free blog aside from it being free. If you want to make money from your blog, self hosted is the way to go.

It gives you so much more control over your site and (more importantly) you’re not going to outgrow it six months down the line when you suddenly want to add something you hadn’t even thought about when you first started.

Also – these go hand-in-hand – I’d also pay for proper hosting from day one.

You definitely don’t need to pick the most expensive hosting package available when your blog is brand new. But hosting is one of the things I wouldn’t try to avoid paying for just to save a little bit of money at the beginning lol. It’s what your entire website runs on…. It’s important lol.

If I was starting again, HostGator is still the hosting I’d use. I started on it and wouldn’t change it. It gives you everything you need to get a self-hosted WordPress blog up and running, without having to spend a fortune when you’re only just getting started. 

If you want to have a proper look before signing up, I’ve also written a full HostGator review where you can see what you actually get and whether it’s right for you and your blog.

Once the Technical Side Was Sorted, I’d Keep Everything Else Pretty Simple

Choose a theme you like [I currently use AshePro as of writing this in Sept 2026), set up your main pages (including the legal pages I’ll explain below) and then get on with actually creating content.

This take is a little controversial…. You will read everywhere things like “Don’t spend three weeks changing fonts, rearranging the homepage and trying to get every tiny detail looking perfect before anybody was even visiting”. I have probably said this myself! But honestly, your blog is new, you will have spent time setting it up and choosing a theme etc so enjoy it! Change all the settings and details you like. Have fun with it! Yes you will keep modifying and editing and changing things but that’s going to happen anyway lol.

(Just don’t install 300 plugins as they will slow your brand new site down too much.)

The more you get into blogging, the more you’ll discover things you want to add, remove or completely redo. So there’s no need to have the finished version figured out on day one, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush the set up process – unless you want to! 

After it’s set up, the important thing is then getting your first posts published as that then gives you something to start building on.

And if you’re right at the beginning and need help with the setup itself, my How To Start a Blog in 2026 post takes you through the whole process.

2. I’d Follow One Proper Blogging Plan Instead of Trying to Learn Everything at Once

There is SO much free information about blogging online, which sounds brilliant when you’re first getting started. And for BEFORE you start, it actually is.

Whatever you’re trying to figure out, there’s most likely a blog post, YouTube video or tutorial somewhere that can help you with how to do it.

The problem is that you can very quickly end up jumping between ten (or 60) different people who all have completely different ideas about what you should be doing first.

One person tells you to concentrate on SEO, somebody else says Pinterest should be your priority and before you know it, you’ve got 26 tabs open and absolutely no idea what you were originally trying to do.

Again – we have all been there lol.

If I was starting again, I’d still use free information whenever I needed help with something specific, but I’d choose ONE main plan to follow so I knew what to work on and in what order.

Choose A Decent Course From the Start

That’s why I’d still use and choose this exact blogging course. Instead of trying to piece everything together yourself from completely different sources, you get to have all the main parts of starting and growing a SUCCESSFUL blog laid out for you in one place. No faff, just a LOT of amazing info and tips.

This way you can learn how to set up your blog, create your blog content, work on SEO, start using affiliate marketing and everything else – all in one place, and without randomly discovering six months later that there was something important you completely missed.

I can’t recommend it enough but if you want to see exactly what you get before deciding whether it’s right for you, I’ve written a full review of the blogging course I recommend where I go through what’s included and why I recommend it – and to who.

perfecting blogging course image display

3. I’d Get the Legal Side Sorted Early

Legal pages are probably not going to be the part of starting a blog that you’re most excited to get stuck into lol.

You may not even realise what they are or if you need them.

(Spoiler alert, you do.)

They are very important and they are something worth sorting out early. Especially if the plan is to eventually make money from your blog.

Even a brand-new blog can start collecting information from visitors through things like cookies, analytics, contact forms and email sign-ups. And if you’re using affiliate links, your readers need to know that you could earn a commission if they buy something you recommend.

You need to declare the use of affiliate links in each post – above any affiliate links.

But There Are a Few Legal Pages You’ll Need to Have on Your Blog

This includes things like a privacy policy, cookie policy, terms and conditions and affiliate disclosure.

Basically, these tell people what information your blog collects and what happens to it, set out the terms for using your site and make it clear when you could make money from a link or recommendation.

The problem is, sitting down and trying to work out what on earth you’re supposed to put in all of those pages isn’t exactly simple. You can of course pay a Lawyer to draft these up for you but that option is a lot more time consuming and a lot more expensive.

That’s why I’d use this exact Legal Pages Bundle. It gives you the legal templates you need so you’re not trying to write everything yourself or wondering whether you’ve forgotten something important.

The entire set of pages was written by a Lawyer, FOR blogs.

The templates are mostly all written for you, you just edit in or out the bits relevant to you and you can have them all live in less than 30 mins.

Get them set up early, add your edited/personalised ones to your blog and that’s one of the less exciting jobs ticked off already! This then leaves you free to get back to writing blog content.

For more information on the legal bundle and why it’s so important, I have a full post here you can go through.

starter legal bundle landscape image

4. I’d Do Keyword Research Before I Started Writing Loads of Posts

This is one of the things I’d start doing MUCH earlier.

When you first start blogging, it’s really easy to think of something you want to write about and then spend hours creating the post and then move straight onto the next idea without ever checking whether people are actually searching for it.

You don’t need to let keyword research completely dictate what you write obviously but it makes sense to do a little research before spending half a day creating a post that noone then ever finds.

Have a look at things like:

  • What people are actually searching for
  • Whether there are more specific versions of your topic
  • What questions people are asking
  • How competitive the keywords are
  • Whether there are related keywords you could include

For a brand-new blogger, Keysearch is a great place to start. It’s so much more affordable than some of the bigger SEO tools and gives you the main keyword research features you actually need without feeling like you’ve suddenly acquired another full-time job just trying to understand the dashboard lol.

If you want something more advanced, Semrush gives you a LOT more to work with, including much more detailed keyword and competitor research.

I’ve also got a full post explaining what Semrush is and how bloggers can use it for keyword research if you want to see what you can actually do with it before deciding whether you need something that powerful as not everyone will.

5. I’d Start Building My Email List MUCH Earlier

If there’s one other thing I definitely wouldn’t wait around to start this time, it’s an email list.

It’s really easy to think you need to be getting loads of traffic first because what’s the point in having an email list when hardly anyone is visiting your blog yet?

You would honestly be surprised!

Those first visitors are EXACTLY why you want to start one early.

If someone finds one of your posts and enjoys it, having an email list gives them an easy way to stick around and hear from you again.

You have a direct way to share information/new content and they don’t have to remember your blog’s name to find it again so it’s a win from both sides.

And one of the easiest ways to encourage people to sign up is by creating a freebie that fits in nicely with what they came to your blog for in the first place.

It could be a (niche specific):

  • Checklist
  • Printable
  • Short ebook
  • Template
  • Workbook
  • Resource list

You Don’t Need to Spend Weeks Creating Something Huge Either

A smaller freebie that’s genuinely useful can be more than enough to get started. Even just a page.

As an example, if you write about budgeting, you could create a savings tracker. Or if you write about meal planning, you could put together a simple weekly meal planner etc.

The idea is just to give your readers something useful to take away with them while also giving them the option to hear from you again.

I use MailerLite for my own email list and it’s what I’d choose again. You can start off on whichever plan suits you best (there is a totally free plan) and then upgrade as you go which is exactly what I did.

You can create your sign-up forms, landing pages and automated emails all in one place (different plans have different features), which makes getting everything set up much easier when you’re new to email marketing.

mailerlite email marketing logo

I’d Also Set Up a Simple Welcome Sequence From the Beginning

That way, when somebody joins your email list, they can automatically receive their freebie followed by a few emails introducing them to you and some of the other useful content on your blog or whichever other helpful info you have included.

Even if you’re only getting a few new subscribers at first, they all add up over time. Starting early means your email list can grow alongside your blog rather than reaching the point where you’re finally getting regular traffic and wishing you’d given all those earlier visitors a way to subscribe too.

It also helps get your own confidence up in sending emails when you have a small list initially and you can of course ask for feedback too.

And if you’ve never set up an email list before, my Email Marketing for Beginners post takes you through how to get started and what you can actually send once people begin subscribing.

6. I’d Start Using Pinterest From the Beginning

I wouldn’t rely completely on Google to start sending traffic to a brand-new blog.

Google can obviously be an amazing source of traffic, but Pinterest gives you another way to start getting your posts in front of people fairly instantly. And you can do this – for free – while you’re working on growing your Google/search traffic too.

Getting good traffic can take a lot longer for a few reasons, but especially for a brand new website you will get stuck in Google’s Sandbox for a period of time initially! (Nothing scary, but explains why there can be a delay before getting an audience from Google itself.)

Set up a Pinterest business account, link it to your website, create boards around the main topics you’re going to write about (you can modify and add more later so don’t overthink this bit) and then you start creating pins for your blog posts as you publish them.

You’ve already spent hours researching and writing the post, so you might as well give people more than one way to actually find it!

I’d Also Recommend to Use an Online Tool to Create All of Your Pinterest Pins

Canva makes it really easy to create different designs/templates for the same post without having to start completely from scratch every time.

And you’ll probably find yourself using Canva for plenty of other things on your blog too lol. Including things like:

  • Blog graphics
  • Email freebies
  • Ebooks
  • Checklists
  • Workbooks
  • Digital products

The free version is honestly more than enough to get started with as well. Some people never need to upgrade from the free plan either. So this is another one where you don’t need to immediately add a new monthly expense which is always a win.

And if you’re completely new to Pinterest or want some more in-depth info, my Pinterest Marketing for Beginners in 2026 post goes through how to get started and how you can use it to bring more traffic to your blog.

7. I’d Set Up My Free Analytics Tools and Let Them Collect Data

Google Search Console and Google Analytics are two things I’d get connected to a new blog pretty much straight away.

They sound scary but are really simple to set up and are SO important to be able to see real time analytics.

They’re both completely free and as your blog starts getting traffic, they can give you SO much useful information about what’s actually happening with it.

Google Search Console can show you which searches your posts are appearing for in Google, how many impressions, their positions and clicks they’re getting and which pages Google has indexed etc.

Google Analytics lets you see more about the traffic actually coming to your blog, including where your visitors are coming from, which pages they’re looking at and how people are finding you.

The only thing I wouldn’t do is set them up and then spend the next three weeks checking them every five minutes. (Again, we have all been there lol, especially with the realtime tracker for people who have been on your site in the last 5/30 mins lol.) 

But to be real, there probably isn’t going to be anything particularly exciting happening in Google Analytics on Day 4 of a brand-new blog, and that’s completely normal!

Get everything connected, check that it’s working properly and then leave it collecting data in the background while you get on with creating more content for your shiny new blog.

Once your blog starts getting more traffic, you’ll then have access to all of that information, sitting there ready to have a look into and you can start using it to see what’s working, which posts are getting found and where your traffic is actually coming from.

What I Wouldn’t Do If I Started Blogging Again

As well as all the things I’d start earlier, there are definitely a few things I’d spend a LOT less time worrying about if I was starting again too.

I wouldn’t wait until the blog looked perfect before publishing anything. No one will see your initial posts anyway unless you share them to specific people so it’s a good way to practice.

I wouldn’t sign up for every tool I saw another blogger recommending or pay for three different things that basically did the same job. 

Do your research, read up on what will work for YOU and go for that.

I know I mentioned this earlier but I would NOT install loads of random plugins. Just the essential ones as you will grow your plugin library as you go. And on that note, please do not ever hit “update all” for your plugin updates. You don’t want to know how badly it can crash your whole website (talking from experience) lol.

I also wouldn’t write post after post without doing any keyword research first, and I definitely wouldn’t wait until I was getting loads of traffic before starting an email list.

But probably the biggest one would be trying to do absolutely everything at the same time.

There Is ALWAYS Something Else You Could Be Working on With a Blog

SEO, Pinterest, email marketing, affiliate marketing, digital products, social media, updating old posts, writing new ones… the list never really ends lol.

And if you try to work on all of them at once, it’s surprisingly easy to spend an entire day being really busy while somehow getting absolutely nothing finished that will actually help your blog to grow.

You don’t need to have every part of blogging figured out from the beginning. A lot of things will come up as you go and you can adjust as that happens.

Initially, concentrate on what makes the most sense for your blog right now, get that working and then add more as you go.

And when you’re ready to start making money from the content you’re creating, my Affiliate Marketing for Beginners: First £1,000 post will take you through how to get started with affiliate marketing and work towards those first commissions.

katherine mclee content prompt freebie

The Blogging Tools I’d Actually Use

So although there are hundreds of blogging tools available, my actual setup would still be pretty small.

I’d use:

(If anyone has questions on which plugins I use, feel free to reach out or leave a comment and I can go into my list in more detail.)

Some of the things on the do cost some money (such as Hosting) which is to be expected with any business. But some have free options and some are completely free.

If I Really Had to Start From Zero Tomorrow…

If I had to wipe everything clean and start a brand-new blog tomorrow, the biggest thing I’d do differently wouldn’t actually be choosing different blogging tools (aside from the Blogging Course which I would get asap to save SO much time).

It would be how I spent my time.

I’d get the blog live without spending weeks trying to make every tiny detail perfect. You can still spend the time changing all the little details, but if you do it AFTER the blog is live, it gives Google a headstart in knowing that there’s a new website it should be aware of! Google can’t find a website if it’s not live lol.

I’d have one main plan to follow, do keyword research before spending hours writing posts and start my email list MUCH earlier.

I’d also use Pinterest from the beginning so Google wasn’t the only way I woul be relying on people to find my content.

And when it came to blogging tools, I’d only add something when I actually had a reason to need/use it. There’s not much point having 15 different tools (yes this includes those plugins lol) sitting there if half of them are solving problems you don’t even have yet.

If I was starting a blog from scratch in 2026, I’d keep things as simple as possible, concentrate on creating useful content and give myself more time to actually work on growing the blog and enjoy the process.

Everything else can be added as you need it.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or reach out!

Speak soon!

Katherine

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20 Best Digital Products to Sell for Passive Income in 2026 https://katherinemclee.com/best-digital-products-to-sell-for-passive-income/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-digital-products-to-sell-for-passive-income https://katherinemclee.com/best-digital-products-to-sell-for-passive-income/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2026 20:56:18 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=18225

In this post we are going to go over the 20 best digital products to sell for passive income in 2026 – that are beginner friendly. Selling digital products can be one of the simplest ways to start making money online without dealing with the hassle of having physical stock, packaging or trips to the post office to worry about. You create your product once, upload to it somewhere people can buy it (we will expand on this soon) and then that same digital product can be sold again and again, even without you having to do anything further. That’s where the passive income part comes in. Of course, you still need to create something people actually want lol. You also need to show it to the right audience and keep your listings and marketing up to date etc. But unlike selling a physical product or offering an online service, you don’t have to start from scratch every time someone buys from you. You also definitely don’t need to create a huge online course or write a 200-page ebook to get started! Some of the best digital products are surprisingly simple and can be tailored to whichever niche you are in. If you’re looking for beginner-friendly digital products you can create and sell online, have a read here for some of the best ideas to consider and how to get started, along with tips for choosing what to sell and actually getting people to buy it. What Is a Digital Product? First things first… A digital product is basically anything you can create and sell online that your customer receives digitally rather than having something turn up at their door. That could mean a PDF, getting access to an editable template, opening an online course or printing something out themselves at home. Or a mix of all. There are loads of different things you can sell this way, including: The best part is that, unlike a physical product, you don’t need to make a new one every time somebody places an order. You could spend an afternoon creating a printable, list it for sale that day and then sell that exact same file over and over again.  Whether 5 people buy it (or 500), you’re not sitting there making and packaging another one for every single customer. You can just enjoy the sales rolling in. That’s a really big part of what makes digital products such a great option if you’re looking for ways to make money online without constantly swapping more of your time for every sale. You can also have digital products alongside physical products if that suits your store and products better. Can Digital Products Really Create Passive Income? Yes! And this is one of the biggest reasons digital products can be such a good (and popular) way to make money online. There is obviously some work involved at the beginning. You’ll need to decide what you want to sell, actually create it, get it listed and find ways to get it in front of people who might want to buy it. But once all of that is set up, the same product can keep selling without you having to personally deal with every single order which is what then makes it (mostly*) passive. Someone could discover your product at 2am, buy it and have the file sitting in their inbox a few minutes later while you’re fast asleep and completely unaware you’ve even made a sale lol. This is the beauty of digital products. You will most likely still want to promote your products, add new ones or update something occasionally, but you’re not starting from zero every time somebody buys for as long as the products are live and available. You do the work once and you’ve created something that has the potential to keep making you money again and again. This is exactly what makes digital products such an ideal option for building passive income online. (*I have noted that this is a “mostly” passive income stream as products will need updating, people may have questions or you may choose to add new products to your shop etc so there is a little involved even when passive, but passive enough you get the idea!) And if you get a little further into this post and decide selling digital products really isn’t for you, that’s completely fine too! There are LOADS of other ways you can make money without creating a digital product. I’ve got 25 Ways To Make $600 Quickly if you’re looking for ideas that could help you bring in some extra money, or How To Make $100 In a Day: 47 Fun and Practical Ideas has another huge list of options you can look through. But if digital products DO sound like something you’d like to try, keep reading because there are loads of different ideas below. Including some that are ridiculously simple to get started with! Best Digital Products to Sell Online One of the best things about selling digital products for passive income is just how many different options there are to do so. Basically anything you want to sell, you can lol.  You don’t have to be an amazing graphic designer, write a huge ebook or spend months creating an online course before you have something worth selling. There are plenty of much simpler digital products you can start with, including ones you can literally create in a day or over a weekend. And if you want to make the process even quicker, you can also use PLR content as a starting point rather than creating everything completely from scratch. I actually have a PLR bundle on Etsy that you can edit, customise and re-brand to turn into your own completely finished digital products which you then sell on. This can save you a LOT of time if you want to get something created and listed a lot sooner. This also takes a lot of the overwhelm out if you are new to digital products. When you’re deciding what to create initially, start with the things you already know how to do or topics you know a lot about. Then think about what people would actually find useful enough to pay for within that space. It doesn’t need to be anything groundbreaking either lol. Sometimes the simplest products are the most useful because they give someone a shortcut, save them the hassle of creating something themselves or just make something they’re already doing a bit easier. If you’re still stuck wondering what you could actually make, here are some of the best digital products to sell for passive income, and plenty of ideas to get you started: 1. Printable Planners Printable planners are a great digital product to start with because you can make them as simple or as detailed as you want. There is always high demand for planners as everyone’s needs and wants are different. And there are SO many different niches you can create them for. Rather than making a generic planner that could technically be used by anyone, think about what someone might actually be looking for help planning or organising in a specific area of life. You could create: You don’t need to create a huge 100-page planner either. To get started, you can start with a few really useful pages, sell individual pages/printables or put several different related pages together as a bundle. As an example, you could sell a “budget planner” that could include a monthly budget, bills tracker, savings tracker and spending sheet. A “content planner” could include something like a monthly calendar, content ideas page and social media tracker. Making your planner more specific can also make it much easier to market to the right audience. Instead of trying to sell a planner to absolutely everyone, you can create exactly what a particular type of customer is already looking for. And once you’ve created the first one, you can always add more pages, create matching products or turn it into a bigger bundle later on 2. Checklists Checklists are a really easy digital product you can create, and they can work for pretty much any topic you can think of too. We’ve all searched for a checklist at some point because we don’t want to have to remember everything ourselves lol. Or we have realised halfway through a holiday that the one thing we actually needed is still sitting at home! There are loads of different options you could create, including: You can keep these really simple and sell them on their own, or create a few that go together and turn them into a bigger bundle. You can of course also add them in with the planner pages if they fit there too. They’re also really easy to add to other digital products you’re already creating. If you were making (for example) a wedding planner, you could add checklists for booking the venue and suppliers, what needs to be done before the big day, what to take with you and all those little things that are VERY easy to forget when you have a million other things to think about. So even if you don’t want to create a checklist as your main digital product, they’re a super easy way to add something extra to a planner, ebook, workbook or bundle you’re already selling. 3. Templates Templates are another really simple digital product to create.  The whole point is to give someone something that’s already mostly done for them so they don’t have to start from scratch themselves. They can open it, change the colours, wording, images or whatever else they need to and use it without having to start with a completely blank page. There are loads of different types you could create, including: You could also make these really specific to a certain type of person or business if that fits. Instead of just selling a pack of (for example) generic social media templates, you could create them specifically for beauty businesses, bloggers, coaches, Etsy sellers or whatever niche you want to focus on. That way the people who want them can find them. And you don’t need to create a massive bundle straight away. You could start with a smaller set of templates and then add more designs or matching products later if you want to. 4. Ebooks Ebooks are another great digital product idea you can make to sell as you can create one (or more) on pretty much any topic you know enough about to teach someone else. And you don’t need to worry that this means you need to sit down and write a 200-page book either lol. An ebook can be a short but really useful digital (or printable) resource that helps someone learn how to do something or gives them all the information they need on one specific topic. It can be as simple or as in-depth as you prefer. Just be clear who the information is aimed at in the listing. For example rather than trying to write one enormous ebook covering absolutely everything about blogging, you could make it much more specific and create one about: The same principle applies to pretty much any niche. If you know how to do something that other people are actively trying to learn, there’s an ebook idea in there! If you are worried about the value in a small ebook, you could also start with a smaller ebook and add in extra resources like a checklist, planner or worksheet to make it more useful. That will stop the feeling that you need to keep adding another 50 pages just to make it worth selling/make it good value for money. It’s the information inside that matters, not how ridiculously long you can make it lol. Ebooks can be daunting but if you want some pre-done ebooks to rebrand and sell with high quality content, my PLR bundle has lots all ready to edit...

The post 20 Best Digital Products to Sell for Passive Income in 2026 appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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In this post we are going to go over the 20 best digital products to sell for passive income in 2026 – that are beginner friendly.

Selling digital products can be one of the simplest ways to start making money online without dealing with the hassle of having physical stock, packaging or trips to the post office to worry about.

You create your product once, upload to it somewhere people can buy it (we will expand on this soon) and then that same digital product can be sold again and again, even without you having to do anything further.

That’s where the passive income part comes in.

Of course, you still need to create something people actually want lol. You also need to show it to the right audience and keep your listings and marketing up to date etc.

But unlike selling a physical product or offering an online service, you don’t have to start from scratch every time someone buys from you.

You also definitely don’t need to create a huge online course or write a 200-page ebook to get started!

Some of the best digital products are surprisingly simple and can be tailored to whichever niche you are in.

If you’re looking for beginner-friendly digital products you can create and sell online, have a read here for some of the best ideas to consider and how to get started, along with tips for choosing what to sell and actually getting people to buy it.

20 Best Digital Products to Sell for Passive Income in 2026 woman in black top typing at a laptop

What Is a Digital Product?

First things first… A digital product is basically anything you can create and sell online that your customer receives digitally rather than having something turn up at their door.

That could mean a PDF, getting access to an editable template, opening an online course or printing something out themselves at home. Or a mix of all.

There are loads of different things you can sell this way, including:

  • Printables
  • Templates
  • Ebooks
  • Planners
  • Checklists
  • Spreadsheets
  • Workbooks
  • Digital art
  • Online courses

The best part is that, unlike a physical product, you don’t need to make a new one every time somebody places an order.

You could spend an afternoon creating a printable, list it for sale that day and then sell that exact same file over and over again. 

Whether 5 people buy it (or 500), you’re not sitting there making and packaging another one for every single customer. You can just enjoy the sales rolling in.

That’s a really big part of what makes digital products such a great option if you’re looking for ways to make money online without constantly swapping more of your time for every sale.

You can also have digital products alongside physical products if that suits your store and products better.

Can Digital Products Really Create Passive Income?

Yes! And this is one of the biggest reasons digital products can be such a good (and popular) way to make money online.

There is obviously some work involved at the beginning. You’ll need to decide what you want to sell, actually create it, get it listed and find ways to get it in front of people who might want to buy it.

But once all of that is set up, the same product can keep selling without you having to personally deal with every single order which is what then makes it (mostly*) passive.

Someone could discover your product at 2am, buy it and have the file sitting in their inbox a few minutes later while you’re fast asleep and completely unaware you’ve even made a sale lol. This is the beauty of digital products.

You will most likely still want to promote your products, add new ones or update something occasionally, but you’re not starting from zero every time somebody buys for as long as the products are live and available.

You do the work once and you’ve created something that has the potential to keep making you money again and again. This is exactly what makes digital products such an ideal option for building passive income online.

(*I have noted that this is a “mostly” passive income stream as products will need updating, people may have questions or you may choose to add new products to your shop etc so there is a little involved even when passive, but passive enough you get the idea!)

And if you get a little further into this post and decide selling digital products really isn’t for you, that’s completely fine too!

There are LOADS of other ways you can make money without creating a digital product.

I’ve got 25 Ways To Make $600 Quickly if you’re looking for ideas that could help you bring in some extra money, or How To Make $100 In a Day: 47 Fun and Practical Ideas has another huge list of options you can look through.

But if digital products DO sound like something you’d like to try, keep reading because there are loads of different ideas below. Including some that are ridiculously simple to get started with!

Best Digital Products to Sell Online

One of the best things about selling digital products for passive income is just how many different options there are to do so. Basically anything you want to sell, you can lol. 

You don’t have to be an amazing graphic designer, write a huge ebook or spend months creating an online course before you have something worth selling.

There are plenty of much simpler digital products you can start with, including ones you can literally create in a day or over a weekend.

And if you want to make the process even quicker, you can also use PLR content as a starting point rather than creating everything completely from scratch.

I actually have a PLR bundle on Etsy that you can edit, customise and re-brand to turn into your own completely finished digital products which you then sell on. This can save you a LOT of time if you want to get something created and listed a lot sooner. This also takes a lot of the overwhelm out if you are new to digital products.

When you’re deciding what to create initially, start with the things you already know how to do or topics you know a lot about. Then think about what people would actually find useful enough to pay for within that space.

It doesn’t need to be anything groundbreaking either lol. Sometimes the simplest products are the most useful because they give someone a shortcut, save them the hassle of creating something themselves or just make something they’re already doing a bit easier.

If you’re still stuck wondering what you could actually make, here are some of the best digital products to sell for passive income, and plenty of ideas to get you started:

1. Printable Planners

Printable planners are a great digital product to start with because you can make them as simple or as detailed as you want.

There is always high demand for planners as everyone’s needs and wants are different.

And there are SO many different niches you can create them for.

Rather than making a generic planner that could technically be used by anyone, think about what someone might actually be looking for help planning or organising in a specific area of life.

You could create:

  • Budget planners
  • Meal planners
  • Wedding planners
  • Manifestation planners
  • Fitness planners
  • Content planners
  • Travel planners
  • Study planners
  • Cleaning planners
  • Goal-setting planners
  • Business planners

You don’t need to create a huge 100-page planner either.

To get started, you can start with a few really useful pages, sell individual pages/printables or put several different related pages together as a bundle.

As an example, you could sell a “budget planner” that could include a monthly budget, bills tracker, savings tracker and spending sheet.

A “content planner” could include something like a monthly calendar, content ideas page and social media tracker.

Making your planner more specific can also make it much easier to market to the right audience. Instead of trying to sell a planner to absolutely everyone, you can create exactly what a particular type of customer is already looking for.

And once you’ve created the first one, you can always add more pages, create matching products or turn it into a bigger bundle later on

2. Checklists

Checklists are a really easy digital product you can create, and they can work for pretty much any topic you can think of too.

We’ve all searched for a checklist at some point because we don’t want to have to remember everything ourselves lol.

Or we have realised halfway through a holiday that the one thing we actually needed is still sitting at home!

There are loads of different options you could create, including:

  • Starting a blog
  • Moving house
  • Planning a wedding
  • Packing for a holiday
  • Cleaning and organising
  • Starting a business
  • Preparing for Christmas
  • Creating social media content
  • Launching a product
  • Organising finances
  • Something very specific you created or found helpful in your own life

You can keep these really simple and sell them on their own, or create a few that go together and turn them into a bigger bundle. You can of course also add them in with the planner pages if they fit there too.

They’re also really easy to add to other digital products you’re already creating. If you were making (for example) a wedding planner, you could add checklists for booking the venue and suppliers, what needs to be done before the big day, what to take with you and all those little things that are VERY easy to forget when you have a million other things to think about.

So even if you don’t want to create a checklist as your main digital product, they’re a super easy way to add something extra to a planner, ebook, workbook or bundle you’re already selling.

3. Templates

Templates are another really simple digital product to create. 

The whole point is to give someone something that’s already mostly done for them so they don’t have to start from scratch themselves.

They can open it, change the colours, wording, images or whatever else they need to and use it without having to start with a completely blank page.

There are loads of different types you could create, including:

  • Social media templates
  • Pinterest pin templates
  • Media kit templates
  • Resume templates
  • Ebook templates
  • Workbook templates
  • Presentation templates
  • Business document templates
  • Email templates
  • Content planning templates

You could also make these really specific to a certain type of person or business if that fits. Instead of just selling a pack of (for example) generic social media templates, you could create them specifically for beauty businesses, bloggers, coaches, Etsy sellers or whatever niche you want to focus on.

That way the people who want them can find them.

And you don’t need to create a massive bundle straight away. You could start with a smaller set of templates and then add more designs or matching products later if you want to.

4. Ebooks

Ebooks are another great digital product idea you can make to sell as you can create one (or more) on pretty much any topic you know enough about to teach someone else.

And you don’t need to worry that this means you need to sit down and write a 200-page book either lol. An ebook can be a short but really useful digital (or printable) resource that helps someone learn how to do something or gives them all the information they need on one specific topic. It can be as simple or as in-depth as you prefer. Just be clear who the information is aimed at in the listing.

For example rather than trying to write one enormous ebook covering absolutely everything about blogging, you could make it much more specific and create one about:

  • Writing your first 10 blog posts
  • Starting a blog on a budget
  • Getting started with affiliate marketing
  • Creating a Pinterest strategy
  • Growing an email list
  • Planning your first month of content

The same principle applies to pretty much any niche.

If you know how to do something that other people are actively trying to learn, there’s an ebook idea in there!

If you are worried about the value in a small ebook, you could also start with a smaller ebook and add in extra resources like a checklist, planner or worksheet to make it more useful. That will stop the feeling that you need to keep adding another 50 pages just to make it worth selling/make it good value for money.

It’s the information inside that matters, not how ridiculously long you can make it lol.

Ebooks can be daunting but if you want some pre-done ebooks to rebrand and sell with high quality content, my PLR bundle has lots all ready to edit and sell as your own.

Ultimate Faceless Marketing Bundle promotional graphic featuring over 15 digital products including content planners, Instagram reel guides, Canva tutorials, and marketing strategy eBooks. Includes +400 reels and +600 photos, all with MRR and PLR resell rights. Bold text reads 'All Done For You' and 'Re-sell as Your Own!' with vibrant arrows and modern design elements. URL shown: vibrantvisiondigital.etsy.com

5. Workbooks

Workbooks are a bit more hands-on than ebooks because instead of someone just reading the information, you’re giving them pages they can actually work through as they go.

Depending on the topic, you could include things like:

  • Questions
  • Exercises
  • Worksheets
  • Planning pages
  • Prompts
  • Trackers
  • Action steps

This may not work for EVERY niche, so it will depend on your niche and your audience.

As an example, if you wanted to create something around content planning, you could make a workbook that helps someone choose their main content topics, come up with ideas, plan what they’re going to create and then put everything into an actual schedule that works for them.

You can do the same with loads of different topics too. A budgeting workbook could help someone go through their income and expenses, set savings goals and create a monthly budget, while a goal-setting workbook could take them from choosing their goals right through to working out the individual steps they need to take.

They’re also really easy to combine with other digital products. You could add a workbook to an ebook or course, sell it separately, or include it as part of a bigger bundle.

So if you have something you could teach but want to make it a bit more interactive than a standard ebook, a workbook could be a really good option!

6. Spreadsheets

If you’re someone who actually knows their way around a spreadsheet, you can turn that into a digital product too.

People LOVE to buy a spreadsheet as they are so helpful but are tricky to set up properly if you aren’t into making them from scratch.

A lot of people need spreadsheets to keep track of things but either don’t know how to set one up properly or simply don’t want to spend the time doing it themselves.

If they can buy one that already has everything laid out, labelled and calculated for them, all they need to do is add their own information and start using it.

There are loads of different spreadsheets you could create, including:

  • Budget spreadsheets
  • Debt payoff trackers
  • Business income trackers
  • Expense trackers
  • Content calendars
  • Affiliate income trackers
  • Savings trackers
  • Inventory spreadsheets
  • Project trackers
  • Freelance income trackers

You can keep them fairly simple or make more detailed versions with formulas, automatic calculations, different tabs and anything else that would be useful for that particular topic.

You could even create a basic version for someone who just wants something really easy to use and doesn’t want to get overwhelmed, and a more detailed version for people who want to track absolutely everything.

And if you already have spreadsheets you’ve made for yourself, have a look at those too. There could be something you use all the time that other people would happily pay for rather than having to figure out how to build their own.

7. Digital Trackers

Digital trackers are another really simple product idea you can sell. Especiallly if you want to create something fairly quickly without having to make a huge ebook, course or bundle.

People track all sorts of things, so there are loads of different directions you could take this depending on the audience you want to create it for.

Some example tracker ideas include:

  • Habits
  • Savings
  • Reading
  • Fitness
  • Water intake
  • Goals
  • Business income
  • Social media growth
  • Content creation
  • Challenges

You could keep it really simple with one tracker that does one specific job, or create several that work together and sell them as a pack.

As an example idea, if you were creating products around saving money, you could have separate trackers for savings goals, spending, no-spend days and different savings challenges etc. You could then sell them individually or put the whole lot together as a bigger money-saving bundle for even more value.

Trackers are also really easy to add to other products you’ve already created. A reading tracker could go inside a reading journal, an income tracker could be added to a business planner and a habit tracker could be included in a goal-setting workbook etc. They slot in nicely with any other pages you made in the same niche/life area.

20 Best Digital Products to Sell for Passive Income in 2026 - photo shows an open laptop with an online store open on the screen

8. Canva Templates

If you enjoy and are good at designing in Canva (or want to learn how to), then you can create editable templates customers can customize themselves.

These could include:

  • Instagram posts
  • Pinterest pins
  • Lead magnets
  • Workbooks
  • Ebooks
  • Price lists
  • Media kits
  • Business cards
  • Presentations
  • Social media graphics

I bought Canva Pinterest Pin templates years ago and still use them now, just branded and edited to fit my Pinterest Aesthetic.

Templates can be particularly useful for small business owners and content creators who want professional-looking graphics without designing every single thing from scratch.

Even if they can make them themselves, templates can speed up the process AND keep things more cohesive from the start.

Quick note on this one: before selling templates, make sure you understand the current licensing rules for any design platform, fonts, graphics or other assets you use as they can vary.

9. Notion Templates

Similar to the Canva templates, if you’re already a Notion user, you can also create and sell templates that other people can copy into their own account and start using.

Notion can be used to organise pretty much anything, which means there are loads of different templates you could create depending on what you’re good at or who you want to create them for.

Some ideas include:

  • Content planning
  • Goal tracking
  • Business management
  • Project planning
  • Habit tracking
  • Student organisation
  • Freelance work
  • Client management

You could keep things fairly simple with one template that helps someone organise one specific thing, or create a bigger system with several different pages that all work together.

For example, instead of creating a general productivity template, you could make a complete content planner for bloggers with spaces for blog post ideas, keywords, publishing dates, Pinterest pins and anything else they want to keep track of.

Or you could create something specifically for freelancers that helps them organise clients, deadlines, projects and payments all in one place.

The more specific you make it, the easier it is for someone to look at your template and immediately know whether it’s something they could actually use as often people are looking to solve ONE specific problem.

You can of course (just like the other digital products listed) create a bundle, but if you are creating very specific Notion templates, a bundle may be tricker as someone may not need ALL of the templates in the bundle.

10. Digital Journals/Planners

Digital journals and planners are another type of product you can create around pretty much any topic, hobby or goal.

You can keep them really simple with space for someone to write each day, or add prompts, trackers, exercises and different sections to give them a bit more to work with.

There is the option to create a full, coloured, aesthetic type digital product here, or keep it very bare bones and let the customer customise it from scratch, minus the main body you have already created.

There are loads of different types you could create, including:

  • Gratitude journals/planners
  • Goal-setting journals/planners
  • Manifestation journals/planners
  • Reading journals/planners
  • Travel journals/planners
  • Business journals/planners
  • Self-reflection journals/planners
  • Creativity journals/planners

This is also a good one to get quite specific with.

Instead of just creating a general journal with lots of blank pages, think about why someone would be using that specific type of product, and what you could include to make it more useful for them.

A reading journal, for example, could have space to keep track of books they want to read, ratings, favourite quotes and reading goals.

A travel planner could include planning pages, packing lists, places they want to visit and space to record memories from each trip etc.

You can also add prompts so someone isn’t opening the journal and immediately wondering what they’re supposed to write lol.

And remember when I mentioned earlier that you can use PLR to make creating your products quicker? My own Manifestation Planner on Etsy started as a PLR product that I then rebranded myself before listing it for sale. It’s a good example of how you don’t necessarily have to create every single page of a digital product completely from scratch.

And once you’ve created your main journal or planner, there are loads of ways you can expand on it later with extra pages, matching trackers or other products around the same topic.

PLR manifestation planner

11. Prompt Packs

Prompt packs are another really easy digital product to put together, and you can create them for loads of different topics.

They take the need for inspiration out for people and can help speed up their social media/online content.

Think about anything where people regularly get stuck wondering what to write, post or think about next, and there’s probably an idea for a prompt pack in there lol.

You could create lists of:

  • Journal prompts
  • Blog post prompts
  • Social media prompts
  • Writing prompts
  • Business brainstorming prompts
  • Content creation prompts
  • Email prompts

You can make them as small or as detailed as you want to. For example you could create 30 prompts for a particular topic, put together a much bigger collection or split them into different categories to make them easier to use.

For example, you could create a pack of generic social media prompts or you could make 30 Instagram content prompts specifically for small businesses, a month of email prompts for bloggers or a set of journal prompts based around a particular goal someone may have.

The more useful and specific the prompts are, the better. Someone buying a prompt pack probably doesn’t want 100 different ways of being told to “share something about yourself.” They want ideas they can actually take, use and turn into something.

You could also combine prompt packs with other products really easily. Add them to a journal, content planner, workbook or template bundle and you’ve instantly got something extra to include, no matter what your niche is.

12. Content Calendars

All businesses and creators constantly need new content. This then creates a perfect opportunity for products that make planning it easier and quicker.

You could create:

  • 30-day content calendars
  • 90-day content plans
  • Seasonal content calendars
  • Pinterest planning calendars
  • Instagram content calendars
  • Blog content calendars
  • Email marketing calendars

You could keep them fairly simple and give someone somewhere to organize their own ideas. Or do more of the planning for them by including content ideas, prompts, themes or suggestions for what they could create each day.

Content Calendars would match up really well with the Prompt Packs!

You can get really specific with these too.

Instead of creating one general social media calendar for everyone, you could make separate versions for beauty businesses, fitness accounts, bloggers, coaches, Etsy sellers, travel businesses or pretty much any other niche you can think of.

People will search for what they need more often than the general idea of something so making them more specific can be a really good idea.

You could also create seasonal versions for Christmas, Black Friday, Summer or other times of year when people are looking for extra content ideas.

And once you’ve made one, you don’t necessarily have to start from scratch every time. You can use the same basic format to create different versions for different platforms, niches or time periods, giving you several different products you can sell from the one original idea.

13. Swipe Files and Script Packs

If you’ve never come across swipe files or script packs before, they’re basically there to give you something to work from when you have no idea what to write lol.

A swipe file is usually a collection of examples and ideas you can look through and use for inspiration, like email subject lines, calls to action or social media captions etc.

Script packs tend to give you more of the actual wording, so you might have a ready-made response to a customer enquiry or an email you can tweak and send to a brand. You still make everything your own, but you’re not having to sit there and come up with every single word from nothing.

Swipe files and script packs basically give people a starting point so they’re not sitting there staring at a blank page for the next hour.

We have ALL been there lol.

There are loads of different ones you could create, including:

  • Email subject lines
  • Sales email templates
  • Customer service responses
  • Social media captions
  • Product description frameworks
  • Outreach emails
  • Welcome email sequences
  • Call-to-action ideas

You could create a big collection around one topic or make them really specific to a certain type of customer.

As an example idea you could put together a pack of customer service type responses for Etsy sellers, email scripts for bloggers working with brands or a collection of calls to action for small business owners who never know what to put at the end of their posts.

They don’t necessarily need to be something people copy and paste word for word either. You can give them wording they can quickly change to suit their own business, audience or personality without having to come up with everything themselves. Similar to a template but text based lol.

You could also add swipe files and scripts to a bigger product really easily. If you were selling for example an email marketing workbook, you could include subject line ideas or a few email templates for even more value.

20 Best Digital Products to Sell for Passive Income - smiling woman with brown curly hair holding a fan of cash

14. Stock Photos

If you’ve got an eye for photography and already enjoy taking photos, you could also turn them into digital products by selling stock photo packs.

These are basically photos that other people can buy and then use in their own content (depending on the licence you give them), rather than having to take all of their photos themselves.

So many bloggers, business owners and content creators need images for all sorts of things. From blog posts and websites to emails, Pinterest pins and social media posts etc. There are loads of different types of photos you could create as everyone will be looking for something different.

Some broad photo topic ideas include:

  • Food photography
  • Desk and office images
  • Beauty products
  • Travel images
  • Seasonal collections
  • Lifestyle photography
  • Flat lays

You could also create your photos around a particular theme/niche or type of business rather than trying to photograph absolutely everything lol. It will depend what you are good at. 

You could sell smaller packs based around one theme or put together much bigger bundles with a mixture of matching images. You can base packs off of a similar theme or a similar vibe or aesthetic.

And if you’re reading this from the other side and thinking you actually NEED stock photos rather than wanting to sell them (like me lol), Social Stocks is definitely worth having a look at. They have loads of ready-to-use stock images for blogs, websites and social media, so you don’t have to take every single photo yourself if it’s not your thing!

If you’re already taking high-quality photos anyway, have a look through what you’ve already got. You might already have the beginnings of a stock photo collection sitting on your camera roll without even realising it.

15. Digital Art and Wall Prints

If you’re creative or enjoy designing things, digital art and printable wall art are another type of digital product you can create and sell online that people love.

Printable wall art is already a really popular type of digital download, particularly on places like Etsy.

Instead of printing the artwork yourself and having to worry about framing, packaging and shipping etc, you can sell it as a downloadable file.

Your customer buys the design, downloads it and then either uses it digitally, prints it at home or sends it somewhere to be professionally printed.

And there are SO many different styles and themes you could create.

Some popular ideas include:

  • Quotes and typography prints
  • Nursery prints
  • Minimalist artwork
  • Kitchen prints
  • Seasonal artwork
  • Children’s room decor
  • Office prints
  • Travel prints
  • Botanical/Floral artwork
  • Personalised prints

You could sell individual designs, create matching sets of two or three prints or put together larger collections around a particular theme.

You could also offer different sizes or ratios of the same design so customers have a few options depending on where they want to display it. This is important if you want to sell things as digital backgrounds/art as well as printable.

And you’re not limited to wall art either. If you enjoy creating digital artwork, you could also sell things like illustrations, clip art, digital paper, patterns or other design elements that people can download and use in their own projects.

16. Presets and Filters

If photography or photo editing is already something you’re good at, you could turn your editing style into presets or filters that other people can buy and use on their own photos.

They basically let someone apply a particular look to their photos without having to work out all the individual editing settings themselves.

This has become more and more popular with people wanting to find the perfect pre-sets for themselves and their content.

You could create presets for:

  • Bloggers
  • Travel creators
  • Food photographers
  • Small businesses
  • Influencers
  • Amateur photographers

You can also base them around a particular style, such as bright and airy, warm and cosy, vintage, colourful or moody. Specific aesthetics do really well as they can help photos stand out that bit more, and they can look more cohesive in a social media feed etc.

Rather than selling just one, you could put together a small pack with a few different options that work well together. For example, a travel preset pack could include slightly different edits for beaches, cities, sunsets and indoor photos.

Just make it really clear what app or software your presets are designed for and include simple instructions showing customers how to install and use them.

17. Online Courses

If there’s something you know how to do that other people want to learn, you could turn that knowledge into an online course.

Courses take a lot more work to put together than something like a printable or checklist, but you can also charge considerably more for them.

The easiest way to come up with an idea is to think about a specific result you could help someone achieve. Answer a specific question or set of related questions that people are looking for the answer to.

 Instead of creating a huge course about absolutely everything you know about Pinterest, for example, you could create one that takes a new blogger through setting up their account and creating their first month of pins.

Your course could include:

  • Video lessons
  • Written lessons
  • Workbooks
  • Templates
  • Checklists
  • Quizzes
  • Additional resources

And if you want to see a real life example, I’ve written a full review of the blogging course I recommend, including what’s inside and how the course is set up. It’s a perfect example of how you can take something you already know how to do and turn that knowledge into a product that can be sold again and again.

You don’t need to start by creating a massive course either. If you have one smaller topic you could teach really well, you could turn that into a mini-course or workshop first and build on it from there…

18. Mini-Courses and Workshops

Leading on from point #17…

If you like the idea of creating a course but don’t want to start with something huge, you could teach one smaller topic through a mini-course or workshop instead.

The idea is to pick one specific thing someone wants to learn and show them how to do it from start to finish.

For example, you could teach someone how to:

  • Create their first lead magnet
  • Set up a Pinterest business account
  • Plan 30 days of content
  • Create their first digital product
  • Start an email list
  • Build a simple budget

A mini-course could be a handful of short video or written lessons, while a workshop could even be one longer session focused entirely on that one topic.

Because you’re covering something much more specific, these can be quicker to create than a full online course and sold at a lower price too.

They can also be a good way to test an idea before creating something bigger. If people are buying your mini-course on creating their first digital product, for example, you could eventually expand on it with more lessons, templates or resources and turn it into a larger course later.

19. Resource Bundles

We have touched on this a little but as a point itself… 

If you’ve created a few digital products around the same topic, you can put them together and sell them as one bigger resource bundle.

For example, if you create products for bloggers, you could make a bundle that includes:

  • Blog post planner
  • Keyword research sheet
  • Content calendar
  • Blog launch checklist
  • Affiliate tracker
  • Pinterest planner

You don’t necessarily need to create everything at once either. You can start by selling a blog planner, then create a content calendar, add a Pinterest planner later and eventually combine everything you’ve made into one larger blogging bundle, giving much better value.

This also gives your customers a choice. Someone who only wants the content calendar can buy that on its own, while someone who wants everything can get the full bundle for a better price than buying each product separately.

And you can do this with pretty much any topic/niche. A budgeting bundle could include a monthly budget, savings tracker, debt tracker and spending log, while a social media bundle could include templates, content prompts, a planner and a content calendar etc!

20. PLR Products

PLR stands for Private Label Rights and it basically means buying digital content with permission to edit or use it in certain ways depending on the licence that comes with it.

And there are SO many different types of PLR products available, including:

  • Ebooks
  • Planners
  • Templates
  • Workbooks
  • Worksheets
  • Checklists
  • Social media content
  • Lead magnets

So instead of opening a completely blank document and spending days creating a 30-page planner, for example, you can start with one that’s already been created and then change the colours, fonts, branding, wording and other elements to make it your own.

I’ve done this myself with my manifestation planner on Etsy. I started with a PLR planner, completely rebranded it and turned it into the finished product I now sell in various places including my Etsy shop.

It saved me SO much time (and stress!) compared with designing every individual page myself lol.

And if you want to see just how much ready-made content you can get with PLR, have a look at my Ultimate Marketing PLR Bundle on Etsy. It includes 16 done-for-you ebooks, 600 stock photos AND 400 reels, all in one bundle, giving you a huge amount of content to start working with without having to create everything yourself. Win win lol.

You can also create and sell PLR yourself, giving other people that same shortcut while creating another digital product you can sell again and again.

Just make sure you always check the licence on any PLR you buy so you know exactly what you’re allowed to edit and sell, and make your own terms clear if you decide to create PLR products yourself.

For a full breakdown on what PLR is and how to use it properly, have a look at this post called Making Money Online With PLR Content.

Ultimate Faceless Marketing Bundle promotional graphic featuring over 15 digital products including content planners, Instagram reel guides, Canva tutorials, and marketing strategy eBooks. Includes +400 reels and +600 photos, all with MRR and PLR resell rights. Bold text reads 'All Done For You' and 'Re-sell as Your Own!' with vibrant arrows and modern design elements. URL shown: vibrantvisiondigital.etsy.com

What Digital Products Actually Sell?

The question then is… out of all those ideas, what digital products actually sell?

When looking for the best digital products to sell for passive income, the answer may surprise you…

Honestly, all of them can, if done well and marketed well.

There isn’t one particular type that everyone should rush out and create as not everything will work for everyone.

A planner can sell, an ebook can sell, wall art can sell, a template can sell and a spreadsheet can sell. What matters more is whether people actually have a reason to buy yours.

Usually, the strongest digital product ideas do at least one of a few things:

  • Save someone time
  • Look appealing/aesthetic
  • Make something easier
  • Help them stay organised
  • Teach them how to do something
  • Give them something they would otherwise have to create themselves
  • Help them get a particular result

People don’t usually buy a spreadsheet because they desperately want a spreadsheet. They buy it because they want an easier way to manage their budget for example.

Someone buying a content calendar probably wants to stop sitting down every morning wondering what on earth they’re supposed to post.

And someone buying a moving checklist wants to make sure they don’t forget something important while their entire house is sitting in boxes.

You get the idea lol.

Getting specific can help too.

A generic “business planner” could be useful to thousands of different people, but it’s also competing with thousands of other business planners. 

Something like a content planner specifically for bloggers or an income and expense tracker for freelancers immediately tells a particular person, “this was made for you.”

It may still not be for everyone in that space, but there’s a much higher chance that buyers will find what they need if they searched those specific terms initially.

That doesn’t mean every digital product needs to solve some enormous life-changing problem either! People will happily pay for something that simply saves them half an hour, gives them ideas when they’re stuck or means they don’t have to make something themselves.

I’ve done this before multiple times so can absolutely vouch for this lol.

So instead of starting with:

“What digital product should I make?”

Start thinking about what people in your niche are already trying to do, what they regularly need help with and what they would happily pay to make things easier for them.

How to Choose Your First Digital Product

If you’ve never sold a digital product before, don’t make your first one unnecessarily big or complicated. 

It can be really tempting to look at people selling huge courses, 100-page planners and massive bundles and think you need to create something equally impressive before anyone will pay you for it.

You really don’t.

A useful $7 template that’s finished, listed and available for people to buy has infinitely more earning potential than the $97 mini-course you’ve been planning for six months but still haven’t finished lol.

Start by looking at what you already know as this makes things a lot easier initially.

What topics do you know well? What do people regularly struggle with? Is there something you’ve already created for yourself that other people could find useful?

Then ask yourself:

  • Can I make something easier for someone?
  • Can I save them time?
  • Can I answer a specific question/set of questions?
  • Can I organise information they currently have to find themselves?
  • Can I give them a useful starting point?
  • Can I help them get a specific result?

You should also think about what you’d actually enjoy creating.

If the thought of recording hours of video makes you want to avoid the entire project, a course probably isn’t the best place to start lol.

If you love designing things in Canva, a printable, planner or template could make much more sense etc.

And have a look at the skills you already use without really thinking about them. Maybe you’re brilliant at organising your finances, planning trips, creating content, editing photos or putting together spreadsheets. 

Something that feels completely normal and easy to you could save someone else HOURS of figuring it out themselves.

Your first digital product doesn’t need to become your entire business either. 

Pick something useful (that you can actually get finished) and put it up for sale.

You can always create more products, bigger bundles or higher-priced offers once you’ve got that first one out there and can see what people are interested in buying.

If you are still feeling overwhelmed, remember PLR products are always an option too if you want to start with a lot of the initial work done for you.

How to Find Digital Product Ideas People Might Actually Buy

Of course the idea is to create and sell products people need or want. 

The nice thing is you don’t have to completely guess what people might want to buy. Before you spend hours creating something, it’s a good idea to have a look at what people are already searching for, asking questions about and spending money on.

This can help you work out whether there’s actually any interest in your idea, or you might even find a better one while you’re looking and researching.

Look at What People Are Searching For

Start by typing some of your ideas into Google, Pinterest, Etsy or anywhere else people might be searching for products in your chosen niche.

Have a look at the suggestions that come up as you type, related searches and the different versions of your idea that people are looking for.

They are the keywords to take note of as those are the terms people are actually searching for.

As an example if you’re thinking about creating a wedding planner, you might find that people are searching specifically for wedding budget spreadsheets, guest list templates or wedding-day timelines.

You could still create the full wedding planner, but you’ve now got a much better idea of the individual things people are looking for too. Any of those could become a product on its own or give you ideas for what to include in a bigger bundle.

Try this with a few different ideas rather than just checking one and deciding that’s what you’re making. Sometimes what’s in our own heads doesn’t match what’s in other people’s lol.

Pay Attention to What People Are Asking

You can also get loads of ideas by paying attention to the questions people are already asking and wanting helpful answers to.

Have a look through things like:

  • Comments on blog posts
  • Forums
  • Social media comments
  • Facebook groups
  • Reddit discussions
  • Emails from your audience
  • Reviews of existing products

The idea is that you’re looking for questions that seem to come up again and again.

Maybe people keep asking how to organise something, saying that a particular task takes forever or looking for an easier way to do something specific.

Think about whether any of those problems could be turned into a product.

For example if you see there are people constantly asking how to plan a month of social media content, you could create a content planner, a pack of prompts, a calendar or even bundle a few of those together to increase the value.

Where Can You Sell Digital Products?

Once you’ve made your digital products, you obviously need somewhere to actually sell them all. Or even just the one if you want to start small.

And there are a lot of options, so you don’t need to have your own website or spend ages setting up a full online shop before you can get started.

You could use a marketplace like Etsy, create your own store with Shopify or sell through a blog or website you already have.

Of course you can use more than one option if this works for you too. 

Etsy

Etsy can be a really good place to start selling digital products because you can create your shop, upload your products and have them available for people to buy without needing to build a separate website first. Plus with Etsy being a full marketplace, the audience is already built-in.

Etsy is really popular for digital products like:

  • Printables
  • Planners
  • Templates
  • Wall art
  • Invitations
  • Business resources

One other big advantage is that people are already searching Etsy for things to buy.

You will of course still need to put some effort into your product listings. There are a LOT of products on Etsy lol. So good images, useful keywords, clear descriptions and titles that actually explain what you’re selling can help your products actually get found.

And if you already have a Blog, Pinterest account or social media following, you can send people directly to your Etsy products too rather than relying entirely on Etsy traffic.

Shopify

If you want your own online store instead then Shopify is a really good option.

You can create your own store around your own products. You can also customize how it looks and you have much more control over how everything is set up than you would on a marketplace like Etsy.

Honestly you can sell pretty much anything too. This could be ebooks, templates, printables and any other digital products you want. You also have the option to add physical products later if you ever want to.

One main difference in using Shopify is that instead of marketplaces like Etsy already having people searching/shopping on the platform, you’ll need to get people to your Shopify store yourself.

But if you’re already creating blog content, using Pinterest, growing an email list or building an audience somewhere else such as social media, you’ve already got a few ways you can start sending people over instantly.

And if Shopify is something you’re considering, I’ve got a full post on how to make money with Shopify with plenty more ideas for what you can sell and how you can use it. (There’s a free trial too so you can get an idea for if it’s for you.)

green shopify ADVERT IMAGE promoting 3 day free trial and then $1 a month for 3 months

Your Own Blog or Website

If you already have a blog or website, you can (of course) also use that to help sell your digital products.

This can work really well because you’re already (assumably) creating content around the same topics your products are based on.

For example, if you write about budgeting and sell a budget planner, you can naturally mention that planner in relevant blog posts.

If you write about blogging and sell content templates or planners, you can do exactly the same thing.

You can also promote your products to your email list, create Pinterest pins for them (and promote on whatever other channels you use anyway) and link to them from different places/pages across your website.

And you definitely don’t have to pick one option and stick with it forever lol.

You could start off by listing a few products on Etsy, then add your own Shopify store later. Plus you can use your blog to send people to whichever platform you decide to sell through.

Start with whichever option makes the most sense for you now. You can always change things or add another way to sell as you create more products.

How to Promote Digital Products

Once your digital product is finished and live/available for people to buy, you then need to find some ways to actually get people clicking on it.

The good news is there are LOADS of ways you can promote digital products online, whether you already have an audience or you’re starting completely from scratch. You can use your blog, Pinterest, email list, social media or even the platform you’re selling on to help more people find what you’ve created.

You don’t need to be promoting it on five different social media platforms every day either. Start with a couple of different options that make sense for you and the type of product you’re selling and then you can always add more as you go.

Below are a few ideas you can implement as part of your marketing strategy for your new (or older) products:

Create Blog Content Around the Product

If you already have a blog then you’ve already got an easy way to start promoting your digital products without having to create a completely separate audience for them.

You can write new posts around the same topics as your products and then link to them naturally within the content.

(If you already have posts that work then you can go back and promote them within those posts too.)

As an example if you sell a budget spreadsheet, you could write posts about:

  • How to create a monthly budget
  • How to organise household expenses
  • How to track your spending
  • How to start saving money

You can then mention your spreadsheet within each of those posts where it makes sense and is then genuinely helpful to the people finding and reading your content initially.

Someone who has found your post because they’re trying to create a monthly budget is already interested in that specific topic. Your spreadsheet then gives them something they can use to make the whole process even easier.

You can do exactly the same with other products. If you sell Pinterest Pin templates for example, you could mention them in posts about Pinterest marketing or creating pins etc. If you have a content planner, you could link to it from posts about content planning or coming up with new ideas etc.

Use Pinterest

Pinterest is another great way to promote digital products, especially if you’re already using it to get traffic to your blog.

You can create fresh pins that link directly to your products, or you can have the pins link to your posts or content that then link out to those digital products.

Think about the different things someone might be searching for that relate to what you’re selling and create pins around those too.

Doing some Pinterest keyword research will help you discover what terms people are searching for while ON Pinterest which can make a big difference.

For example if you sell a meal-planning bundle, you could create pins around meal planning, saving money on groceries, organising your meals for the week or making meal planning quicker and easier. Whatever is relevant to your product so people know what they are clicking through to.

That gives you loads of different ways to promote the same product without creating the same pin over and over again or looking spammy.

And because Pinterest is a search engine and not just a normal social media platform, using the right keywords in your pin titles and descriptions can help your pins and products continue being found long after you originally posted them.

If Pinterest is something you want to use to promote your products, I’ve got a full Pinterest Marketing for Beginners post that goes through how to get started and how I use it to get more eyes on my content completely for free.

Build an Email List

An email list can be SO useful when you’re selling digital products because you’re not relying on someone finding your product once and deciding to buy it there and then.

Maybe they find one of your blog posts first, download one of your freebies or come across you through Pinterest. The good thing about having an email list is that when someone joins your email list, you now have the perfect opportunity to keep showing up in their inbox and let them get to know you and what content you create.

You can send useful tips, send them direct links to your content, recommend products they may genuinely find helpful and (of course) tell them when you’ve created something new you want to share.

If for example you sell a content planner you could send an email with some of your favourite ways to come up with new content ideas and then mention the planner for anyone who wants somewhere to actually organise them all.

This will depend on which email provider you are with and their options but assuming you are with a platform such as MailerLite you can also set up automated emails that new subscribers receive (automatically, lol) after joining your email list, so some of this can continue happening without you having to send everything manually yourself.

I love and still use MailerLite for my own email list, and if you’re completely new to email marketing, I’ve also got an Email Marketing for Beginners post that will help you get everything set up and work out what to actually send.

mailerlite email marketing logo

Create a Freebie That Leads to Your Paid Product

You can also use a freebie to give people a little taste of what you offer before they decide whether they want to buy something from you.

And if you make your freebie related to one of your paid products, it can work even better.

I actually do this myself with my free Content Creation Download. Someone can download the ebook completely free and get loads of useful help with creating content, and once they’ve signed up they’re also then shown my Complete Social Media Content Toolkit at a hugely discounted price as a bonus.

The toolkit has so much more information in it, with even more resources to help them plan and create their content.

So it makes sense as something to offer next rather than suddenly trying to sell them a completely unrelated product lol.

And you can do the same thing with whatever you sell!

If you have a budgeting bundle, you could offer a free savings tracker. If you sell a larger template bundle, you could give away a couple of templates. Or if you have a paid ebook, you could create a useful checklist around the same topic.

Your freebie still needs to be something genuinely useful on its own of course, but it can also give people a really good introduction to the other products you have available.

katherine mclee content prompt freebie

Can You Sell Digital Products Without a Big Audience?

Yes! You definitely don’t need thousands of followers or a huge email list before you can start selling digital products.

Having an audience already there can obviously make things easier, but it’s far from the only way people can find what you’re selling lol.

If you sell on Etsy, people can find your products while they’re already searching for something they need. Pinterest can get your products in front of people searching for ideas and solutions, and blog posts can bring in people through Google who have never come across you before.

You can also promote in your email list and on social media, even if you have a smaller audience.

And remember, you don’t necessarily need thousands of people seeing your product anyway.

If 100 people find it and they’re all genuinely interested in the exact thing you’re selling, that can be much more useful than putting it in front of 10,000 random people who have absolutely no need for it.

At the end of the day it’s SALES you want, not VIEWS.

So you don’t have to wait until you’ve reached a large number of followers, subscribers or monthly visitors before you create something high quality and put it up for sale.

If you have a useful product and a way for the right people to find it, you can start selling it while you’re still building your audience at the same time.

Common Digital Product Mistakes to Avoid

Creating Something Before Checking Whether Anyone Wants It

It’s so easy to get excited about an idea for a digital product and immediately want to start creating it, but I would recommend to do a little bit of research before you spend your time, energy and effort creating it from scratch.

You don’t need to do months of research or have absolute proof that your product is going to sell before you create it as you may be creating something different from everyone else. Just have a look at what people are already searching for, what similar products are available and whether people are actually buying them.

If you do create something completely unique then that can be a huge selling point. But it can also make it a little trickier to market if people don’t know to search for the thing you are selling initially lol.

You can also look at the questions people are asking around the topic your digital product is about and you can read reviews on similar products and see if there are particular things people seem to want from a purchase, or things they struggle with.

It’s much easier to do a little research before you’ve spent hours creating the finished product than having to change it later as no one knows it exists. 

Making the Product Too Broad

Trying to create something that could work for absolutely everyone can actually make your product much harder to sell.

For example if you are creating a “business planner”, it’s best to make it tailored depending on who it’s for. Is it for a blogger, freelancer, Etsy seller or someone running a local small business? As they will all need completely different things from a business planner.

Something like a “90-Day Content Planner for New Bloggers” is much more specific and something a blogger would see and be like “Oh that’s for ME”.

You (and they) immediately know who it’s for, what they’re going to use it for and what kind of pages would actually be useful to include (or exclude, depending on the business you are targeting).

It also makes promoting your digital planner easier because you know exactly who you’re trying to get it in front of, and the types of things they might already be searching for (assuming you have done keyword research as mentioned earlier).

You don’t need to make every product ridiculously niche/specific, but having a clear idea of who you’re creating it for can make everything from deciding what to include to actually selling it a lot easier.

Spending Forever Making It Perfect

It’s too easy to keep finding one more thing you want to change before you finally get your product finished and up for sale.

You may change the colors, rewrite a page, add something else, decide you don’t like the cover anymore and suddenly something you thought would take a weekend has somehow taken you three weeks lol.

We have ALL been there. 

But your first digital product really doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be good, with helpful, high-quality information/layouts.

Make sure it’s useful, everything works properly and you’re happy enough with it to sell it, then actually get it listed.

You can always go back and update it later if you want to add something, change the design or make it even better.

You can keep the price lower initially if it’s a more basic product too and can create more products down the line at a higher price point, or upgrade your own product and raise the price if necessary then too.

And you’ll have a much better idea of what’s actually worth changing once real people have started looking at it, buying it and giving you reviews/feedback on it.

At some point, changing the font for the 18th time is just delaying the bit where you actually give someone the chance to buy it lol.

Creating Too Many Products at Once

You definitely don’t need an entire shop full of products before you can start selling.

Start with one, get it finished and once you’re happy with it, and then spend some time promoting it before immediately deciding you need another ten products lol. 

When you are ready to create something else, it can help to think about what could work alongside what you already have. This isn’t compulsory though.

If you are ONLY promoting your digital products on Etsy for example, sticking to the same niche/same family of products can help your reach. Where as if you are promoting products separately within blog posts or via separate shops or landing pages, there isn’t the same need to keep them all closely related.

If (for example) you’ve made a content planner and got it live for sale, you could then create a pack of content prompts or templates next and eventually combine them into a bigger bundle.

Forgetting About the Product Sales Page

Do not forget the importance of a good sales/product page.

You could have an amazing product, but people still need to understand exactly what they’re getting before they’re going to buy it lol.

Whether you’re listing it on Etsy, Shopify or somewhere else, make sure your product page clearly explains:

  • What the product actually is
  • Who it’s best for
  • Exactly what’s included
  • What it can help them with
  • What file type they’ll receive
  • Whether it’s printable, editable or ready to use
  • How they’ll receive or access it
  • What they need in order to use it
  • Any important usage or licence information (e.g PLR)

Add as many useful images or previews as you can too, especially for things like planners, templates and printables where people will want to see what they’re buying.

Not every blogger planner will be for every blogger. Being able to see what’s inside (not all pages, but enough to get a good idea) can help a lot.

You don’t want someone to have to scroll through your listing three times trying to work out what’s included, how they’re going to receive it or whether the product is actually right for them as they won’t bother and will leave the page.

Make it as easy as possible for them to look at your product and know exactly what they’re getting from the start.

Ready to Start Selling Digital Products for Passive Income?

The best digital products to sell for passive income aren’t necessarily the biggest, most complicated or the ones that take you months to create.

Sometimes a simple $5 checklist that saves someone an hour of research can be just as useful as a huge bundle with 50 different resources inside it.

I myself have purchased Pinterest Pin Templates, Income Tracking Spreadsheets, PLR Products, Planners and various other things to save time.

What matters is that you’re creating something people actually have a reason to buy. Something that saves them time, makes something easier, helps them get organised or gives them a shortcut they’d happily pay for can be invaluable to those who need it.

And you definitely don’t need an entire shop full of products before you can start making sales either.

Choose an idea that fits with what you already know and just do a little research to make sure people are interested in it and create something genuinely useful.

Then get it finished and get it out there!

Once your first digital product is available for people to actually buy, you can start promoting it, see what people respond to and use everything you learn to decide what you want to create next.

And before you know it, that one product could be the beginning of a whole collection of digital products bringing in passive income for you.

Speak soon!

Katherine

📌 Pin for later 📌

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Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) https://katherinemclee.com/email-marketing-for-beginners/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=email-marketing-for-beginners https://katherinemclee.com/email-marketing-for-beginners/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2026 20:43:27 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=17593

In this post we are going to go over Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) to simplify it. If you’re new to blogging or making money online, there’s a high chance you’ve seen people talking about email marketing. You’’ have heard people say that it’s one of the best ways to grow your business. Apparently “the money is in the email list.” Apparently you should start building one as soon as possible. Great… But then what?  Because most people tell you that you need an email list, but they don’t really explain what happens after that lol. How do people actually get subscribers onto their list? What are you supposed to send once someone signs up? And do you really need all these fancy automations, systems and funnels everyone keeps talking about? When I first looked into email marketing, it felt like one of those things that everyone else seemed to understand apart from me lol. The good news is that it really isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Once you strip away all the confusing email marketing jargon, it’s actually pretty straightforward. And you definitely don’t need a huge audience or loads of complicated systems or automations to get started. In this post, I’ll show you how email marketing works, how to start your first email list, what to send your subscribers, and why it’s one of the best things you can do if you’re looking to grow a blog or online business. Let’s get into Email Marketing for Beginners. What Is Email Marketing? Email marketing is as simple as it sounds. You market your content to your audience via emails. The easiest way to think about email marketing is this… Someone enjoys your blog, freebie, or content enough to give you their email address because they’d like to hear from you again. From there, you simply send them emails every so often depending on your business/strategy. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be daily. It doesn’t have to be complicated. And it definitely doesn’t need loads of fancy automations when you’re just getting started.  I had my email list for months before even thinking about setting up automations. The reason so many bloggers and online business owners recommend building an email list is because it gives you a way to stay in touch with people who’ve already shown an interest in what you do. It means you have a “direct” line of communication with people who are already interested in your content/products/ideas. Think about how many times you’ve visited a website, read one blog post, then completely forgotten it existed a few days later. We’ve all done it 😂 But if you’d joined that website’s email list, there’s a good chance you’d have gone back the next time they sent an email. That’s why having your own email list can be so valuable. Instead of hoping someone remembers to come back, you’ve got a way of reaching people directly whenever you’ve got something you want to share. Maybe that’s some information, a new product, a blog post, a YouTube video, a special offer/discount, a course, a new service, or simply something you think your audience will find useful. It’s one of the few things online that you actually own, which is why so many bloggers see it as such an important part of growing their business. Social media accounts can get deactivated or banned, whereas you own your email list so always have that line of communication with your audience. Why Is Email Marketing Important? At first, it can be easy to wonder whether you even need an email list. After all, if you’ve got a website, social media account, YouTube channel, or online shop, you’d assume that surely people can just find you there? The problem is that people are busy. They might enjoy your content today, then completely forget to come back next week. Or they close your website/socials and forget your name/business name and can’t then find you even if they do remember. Not because they didn’t like it… …but because life gets in the way. An email list gives you a simple way to stay in touch with the people who have already shown an interest in what you do. This means that instead of hoping someone stumbles across your website or social media again, you can let them know when you’ve got something new to share and they don’t have to go looking for you. That could be a new blog post, or maybe you’ve added a new product to your shop or maybe you’re launching a course, running a sale, uploading a new YouTube video, or sharing something you think your audience will genuinely find useful etc etc. Whatever your business looks like, an email list helps you keep that connection going. And in such a simple way. And over time, those connections can become one of the most valuable parts of growing an online business. It’s really not a step to be skipped! Step 1: Choose An Email Marketing Platform Before you can start building an email list, you’ll need an email marketing platform. This is simply the online website/tool that stores your subscribers’ email addresses and lets you send emails to them. It’s also where you’ll create signup forms, pop ups, set up automations (if you want to), keep everything organised and where you can check your analytics so you can see what’s working best. There are quite a few email marketing platforms out there, including: The good news is that you don’t need to spend hours comparing every single one lol. They all do a very similar job, so the best one is usually the one you find easiest to use and is the one that fits your needs/budget the best. Personally, I (still) use MailerLite because I found it really straightforward to set up, it’s really beginner-friendly, and it has everything I need without feeling complicated. It’s also completely free to start on a starter plan and so easy to upgrade when your list grows/you feel like you want more features which is what I did in time. 👉 Get Started On MailerLite Here Step 2: Create A Freebie (Lead Magnet) The next step is giving people a reason to join your email list. This is why a lead magnet is so important… If someone lands on your website for the first time, they probably don’t know you yet. Asking them to hand over their email address without getting anything in return can be a bit of a big ask lol. That’s where a freebie comes in. A freebie (often called a lead magnet) is simply something helpful that people receive when they sign up to your email list. It doesn’t need to be complicated or take weeks to create either. You can get PLR products that are already pre-done which is an easy option. Some popular freebie lead magnet ideas include things like: The best freebies solve one small problem or help someone achieve something quickly. For example, if you teach blogging, you could create a blog launch checklist. (This is exactly what my first one was and it did really well.) If you help people with social media/marketing, you could give away a month’s worth of content ideas. If you sell digital products, you could offer a free planner or template etc etc. The goal isn’t to create the biggest freebie possible or anything hugely complicated lol. It’s simply to give someone something genuinely useful that makes them think, “wow that was really helpful.” Step 3: Create An Opt-In Form Now that you’ve made/got your freebie, you need a way for people to actually sign up for it. This is where an opt-in form comes in. This can have a variety of different looks, but basically an opt-in form is simply a form where someone enters their name and email address to join your email list and receive your freebie. This could be on a landing page, an embedded box, a pop up, a banner etc etc. Often email marketing platforms (such as Mailerlite) make these really easy to create so you don’t need any coding or technical experience. You can add your signup form to places like: Etc etc! They are really customisable too no matter which option/options you choose to go with. Plus you can start/stop them at any time. The main thing is making it easy for people to find as people will rarely go looking for it. If someone has to go searching for your signup form, there’s a good chance (as in, pretty much 100% chance lol) that they will leave your site before they ever find it. Placing it somewhere really obvious/visible gives people the opportunity to join your email list whenever they’re ready to do so. This could be for updates from you, or that they want your freebie/lead magnet. And sometimes people can see a pop up 10+ times before deciding to sign up, so having it in an obvious place helps with conversion rates. The main thing to keep in mind is to make it easy to find. A clear, easy-to-find signup form removes any extra friction/confusion and makes it much more likely they’ll subscribe which is a win for both you and the reader.  Step 4: Set Up A Welcome Sequence Once someone’s joined your email list, it’s a good idea to have a few emails ready to send to them. This is usually called a welcome sequence/automation, but don’t let the name put you off lol. It’s basically just a series of emails that are automatically sent to new subscribers over the next few days or weeks. That way, everyone gets the same warm welcome without you having to send each email yourself to each new subscriber. A simple welcome sequence might look something like this: Email 1 Email 2 Email 3 Email 4 The idea isn’t to sell something in every email. Email marketing is connection first. It’s really just to help new subscribers get to know you, understand what you do, and give them a reason to keep opening your emails in the future. What Should You Actually Send? This is probably the question I see people ask the most. Understandably lol. “Okay… I’ve got people on my email list now. What do I actually send them?”  The main thing to remember is that your emails don’t need to be long, complicated, or perfectly written. Often some of the best emails are the simplest ones. If you’re ever stuck for ideas, here are a few ideas of content topics you can send to your list: Let People Know About New Content Published a new blog post? Uploaded a YouTube video? Released a podcast episode? Send your subscribers an email to let them know! Remember that people have signed up because they (yes, wanted the freebie) but also because they wanted to hear from you or they would have unsubscribed lol, so don’t be afraid to share what you’ve been working on. Share Helpful Tips Not every email needs to promote something. Not every email should promote something. For some emails you can just share something like a quick/useful tip, or answer a commonly asked question, or teach your audience something useful they maybe don’t already know/need reminding of. Those kinds of emails help build trust and give people a reason to keep opening your emails rather than thinking you are selling to them in every email. Share Personal Stories People love hearing about real experiences. You could talk about a lesson you’ve learned, a mistake you made, something that’s worked well for you, or even something you’re currently trying to improve. Anything along those lines always goes down well. These types of emails often feel more personal and help your audience get to know you a little better which is a nice connection to have. Recommend Products Or Resources If you’ve found a tool, product, or resource...

The post Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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In this post we are going to go over Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) to simplify it.

If you’re new to blogging or making money online, there’s a high chance you’ve seen people talking about email marketing.

You’’ have heard people say that it’s one of the best ways to grow your business.

Apparently “the money is in the email list.”

Apparently you should start building one as soon as possible.

Great…

But then what? 

Because most people tell you that you need an email list, but they don’t really explain what happens after that lol.

How do people actually get subscribers onto their list?

What are you supposed to send once someone signs up?

And do you really need all these fancy automations, systems and funnels everyone keeps talking about?

When I first looked into email marketing, it felt like one of those things that everyone else seemed to understand apart from me lol.

The good news is that it really isn’t as complicated as it sounds.

Once you strip away all the confusing email marketing jargon, it’s actually pretty straightforward. And you definitely don’t need a huge audience or loads of complicated systems or automations to get started.

In this post, I’ll show you how email marketing works, how to start your first email list, what to send your subscribers, and why it’s one of the best things you can do if you’re looking to grow a blog or online business.

Let’s get into Email Marketing for Beginners.

Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) 
 post - hand holding smartphone with emails coming out over a white background and text overlay saying "email marketing for beginners"

What Is Email Marketing?

Email marketing is as simple as it sounds. You market your content to your audience via emails.

The easiest way to think about email marketing is this…

Someone enjoys your blog, freebie, or content enough to give you their email address because they’d like to hear from you again.

From there, you simply send them emails every so often depending on your business/strategy.

That’s it.

It doesn’t have to be daily.

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

And it definitely doesn’t need loads of fancy automations when you’re just getting started. 

I had my email list for months before even thinking about setting up automations.

The reason so many bloggers and online business owners recommend building an email list is because it gives you a way to stay in touch with people who’ve already shown an interest in what you do.

It means you have a “direct” line of communication with people who are already interested in your content/products/ideas.

Think about how many times you’ve visited a website, read one blog post, then completely forgotten it existed a few days later.

We’ve all done it 😂

But if you’d joined that website’s email list, there’s a good chance you’d have gone back the next time they sent an email.

That’s why having your own email list can be so valuable.

Instead of hoping someone remembers to come back, you’ve got a way of reaching people directly whenever you’ve got something you want to share.

Maybe that’s some information, a new product, a blog post, a YouTube video, a special offer/discount, a course, a new service, or simply something you think your audience will find useful.

It’s one of the few things online that you actually own, which is why so many bloggers see it as such an important part of growing their business.

Social media accounts can get deactivated or banned, whereas you own your email list so always have that line of communication with your audience.

Why Is Email Marketing Important?

At first, it can be easy to wonder whether you even need an email list.

After all, if you’ve got a website, social media account, YouTube channel, or online shop, you’d assume that surely people can just find you there?

The problem is that people are busy.

They might enjoy your content today, then completely forget to come back next week.

Or they close your website/socials and forget your name/business name and can’t then find you even if they do remember.

Not because they didn’t like it…

…but because life gets in the way.

An email list gives you a simple way to stay in touch with the people who have already shown an interest in what you do.

This means that instead of hoping someone stumbles across your website or social media again, you can let them know when you’ve got something new to share and they don’t have to go looking for you.

That could be a new blog post, or maybe you’ve added a new product to your shop or maybe you’re launching a course, running a sale, uploading a new YouTube video, or sharing something you think your audience will genuinely find useful etc etc.

Whatever your business looks like, an email list helps you keep that connection going. And in such a simple way.

And over time, those connections can become one of the most valuable parts of growing an online business.

It’s really not a step to be skipped!

Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) yellow backgrounf woman smiling at phone with email symbols

Step 1: Choose An Email Marketing Platform

Before you can start building an email list, you’ll need an email marketing platform.

This is simply the online website/tool that stores your subscribers’ email addresses and lets you send emails to them. It’s also where you’ll create signup forms, pop ups, set up automations (if you want to), keep everything organised and where you can check your analytics so you can see what’s working best.

There are quite a few email marketing platforms out there, including:

  • MailerLite
  • Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
  • Mailchimp

The good news is that you don’t need to spend hours comparing every single one lol. They all do a very similar job, so the best one is usually the one you find easiest to use and is the one that fits your needs/budget the best.

Personally, I (still) use MailerLite because I found it really straightforward to set up, it’s really beginner-friendly, and it has everything I need without feeling complicated.

It’s also completely free to start on a starter plan and so easy to upgrade when your list grows/you feel like you want more features which is what I did in time.

👉 Get Started On MailerLite Here

Step 2: Create A Freebie (Lead Magnet)

The next step is giving people a reason to join your email list.

This is why a lead magnet is so important…

If someone lands on your website for the first time, they probably don’t know you yet.

Asking them to hand over their email address without getting anything in return can be a bit of a big ask lol.

That’s where a freebie comes in.

A freebie (often called a lead magnet) is simply something helpful that people receive when they sign up to your email list.

It doesn’t need to be complicated or take weeks to create either.

You can get PLR products that are already pre-done which is an easy option.

Some popular freebie lead magnet ideas include things like:

  • Checklists
  • E-books
  • Templates
  • Content prompts
  • Printables
  • Planners
  • Resource lists

The best freebies solve one small problem or help someone achieve something quickly.

For example, if you teach blogging, you could create a blog launch checklist. (This is exactly what my first one was and it did really well.)

If you help people with social media/marketing, you could give away a month’s worth of content ideas.

If you sell digital products, you could offer a free planner or template etc etc.

The goal isn’t to create the biggest freebie possible or anything hugely complicated lol.

It’s simply to give someone something genuinely useful that makes them think, “wow that was really helpful.”

Step 3: Create An Opt-In Form

Now that you’ve made/got your freebie, you need a way for people to actually sign up for it.

This is where an opt-in form comes in.

This can have a variety of different looks, but basically an opt-in form is simply a form where someone enters their name and email address to join your email list and receive your freebie.

This could be on a landing page, an embedded box, a pop up, a banner etc etc.

Often email marketing platforms (such as Mailerlite) make these really easy to create so you don’t need any coding or technical experience.

You can add your signup form to places like:

  • Blog posts
  • Your homepage
  • Landing pages
  • Pop-ups
  • Resource pages

Etc etc!

They are really customisable too no matter which option/options you choose to go with. Plus you can start/stop them at any time.

The main thing is making it easy for people to find as people will rarely go looking for it.

If someone has to go searching for your signup form, there’s a good chance (as in, pretty much 100% chance lol) that they will leave your site before they ever find it.

Placing it somewhere really obvious/visible gives people the opportunity to join your email list whenever they’re ready to do so.

This could be for updates from you, or that they want your freebie/lead magnet. And sometimes people can see a pop up 10+ times before deciding to sign up, so having it in an obvious place helps with conversion rates.

The main thing to keep in mind is to make it easy to find.

A clear, easy-to-find signup form removes any extra friction/confusion and makes it much more likely they’ll subscribe which is a win for both you and the reader. 

Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) laptop showing email symbol

Step 4: Set Up A Welcome Sequence

Once someone’s joined your email list, it’s a good idea to have a few emails ready to send to them.

This is usually called a welcome sequence/automation, but don’t let the name put you off lol.

It’s basically just a series of emails that are automatically sent to new subscribers over the next few days or weeks.

That way, everyone gets the same warm welcome without you having to send each email yourself to each new subscriber.

A simple welcome sequence might look something like this:

Email 1

  • Deliver your freebie to their email
  • Welcome your new subscriber
  • Introduce yourself and what they can expect from your emails

Email 2

  • Share some of your most helpful content or resources

Email 3

  • Answer a common question or share a useful tip

Email 4

  • Recommend a product, service, tool, or resource that you genuinely think they’ll find helpful

The idea isn’t to sell something in every email. Email marketing is connection first.

It’s really just to help new subscribers get to know you, understand what you do, and give them a reason to keep opening your emails in the future.

What Should You Actually Send?

This is probably the question I see people ask the most. Understandably lol.

“Okay… I’ve got people on my email list now. What do I actually send them?” 

The main thing to remember is that your emails don’t need to be long, complicated, or perfectly written.

Often some of the best emails are the simplest ones.

If you’re ever stuck for ideas, here are a few ideas of content topics you can send to your list:

Let People Know About New Content

Published a new blog post? Uploaded a YouTube video? Released a podcast episode?

Send your subscribers an email to let them know!

Remember that people have signed up because they (yes, wanted the freebie) but also because they wanted to hear from you or they would have unsubscribed lol, so don’t be afraid to share what you’ve been working on.

Share Helpful Tips

Not every email needs to promote something.

Not every email should promote something.

For some emails you can just share something like a quick/useful tip, or answer a commonly asked question, or teach your audience something useful they maybe don’t already know/need reminding of.

Those kinds of emails help build trust and give people a reason to keep opening your emails rather than thinking you are selling to them in every email.

Share Personal Stories

People love hearing about real experiences.

You could talk about a lesson you’ve learned, a mistake you made, something that’s worked well for you, or even something you’re currently trying to improve. Anything along those lines always goes down well.

These types of emails often feel more personal and help your audience get to know you a little better which is a nice connection to have.

Recommend Products Or Resources

If you’ve found a tool, product, or resource that you genuinely use and love, tell people about it.

Whether it’s an affiliate recommendation or simply something that’s made your life easier, your audience will usually appreciate recommendations that are honest and genuinely helpful.

Doesn’t have to be salesy or pushy or a high-ticket item, just something genuinely useful that you really do use and love and feel your readers may love too.

Share Free Resources

If you have made/bought a new checklist, template, guide, printable, or free download etc etc, you can share this with your readers too as your email list is a great place to let people know about it first.

Not only does it give your subscribers something else that’s valuable, but it also gives them another reason to stay subscribed.

(It also saves them putting their email in again to get a new freebie when they are already on the list.)

How Often Should You Email Your List?

One of the most popular questions people usually ask (after why they need a list and how to grow their list) is then how often they should email their subscribers.

And honestly, there isn’t really a right or wrong answer I can give you.

Some businesses send emails every day.

Others send one a week.

Some only need or want to email their readers a couple of times a month.

It literally depends on you, your business and what you are looking to get from it.

The important thing isn’t trying to copy someone else’s schedule. It’s choosing one that works for you or it won’t work lol.

If you know you’ll struggle to write and send three emails every week, don’t set yourself that target initially.

It’s much better to send one helpful email every week than to send loads of emails for a couple of weeks, get overwhelmed, and stop altogether.

Start with a schedule/target that feels manageable for you.

As you get more comfortable with email marketing and get quicker at it (or have more you want to share), you can always increase how often you email your list later on.

The main thing is showing up consistently so your subscribers know they can expect to hear from you, no matter what your emailing schedule looks like.

Email Marketing for Beginners: How to Start and What to Send (Step-by-Step) woman sitting at a laptop sending an email

Common Email Marketing Mistakes

When you’re first getting started with email marketing, it’s so easy to overthink everything.

Here are a few mistakes I see people make all the time (and a couple I’ve definitely been guilty of myself lol).

Waiting Too Long To Start

A lot of people put off starting an email list because they think they need more traffic, more experience, or more content first.

The reality is, you can start any time, and you may well be surprised how fast you get your first sign ups.

Even if only a handful of people join your list at first, it’s much easier to grow it over time than to wish you’d started months ago.

It also means you can get your own confidence up in your email marketing platform and get used to sending emails when your list is a lot smaller so isn’t as scary lol.

With platforms like Mailerlite (the one I still use), their beginner plan is free anyway so costs nothing to start early.

Only Emailing When You’re Selling Something

This is one that’s easy to fall into when you are promoting genuinely good products that you WANT to recommend. But you need to be careful with it. 

Imagine only hearing from a friend when they wanted something…

It would feel a bit off-putting. And your email list works in a similar way.

To avoid this you can mix in helpful tips, updates, stories, or free but useful tools alongside any products or services you recommend.

It helps your reputation, helps your audience more and mixes it up a bit to get a higher chance of more people opening your emails. 

Trying To Make Every Email Perfect

Trying to make every email perfect is something we all do but will make your emails take a lot longer to write and send. 

It’s really easy to spend ages rewriting the same email over and over trying to make it perfect.

The thing to remember is though that your subscribers aren’t expecting perfection.

They know it’s a real person behind the emails (which is the point), so expect that human touch.

They’re often much more interested in receiving something genuinely helpful than reading the world’s most perfectly written email lol.

Expecting Results Overnight

Just like blogging, Pinterest, YouTube, or pretty much anything else online, email marketing takes time.

Your email list will most likely take a bit of time to grow. And that’s completely normal.

Flukes can happen and of course if you have more experience then it may grow quicker but on the whole, it takes time.

If you focus on showing up consistently and really helping your audience then your list will grow naturally over time.

Final Thoughts on Email Marketing for Beginners

If you’ve been putting off starting an email list because it all sounded a bit confusing, I hope this has made it feel a little simpler to get started!

You really don’t need a huge audience in the early days.

You certainly don’t need loads of fancy automations on day 1.

And you definitely don’t need to have everything figured out before you start.

Just choose an email marketing platform that’s easy to use, create a simple freebie, and start building your list, one subscriber at a time.

You’ll probably be surprised how quickly those first few subscribers start adding up!

Then you can always upgrade and add fancier downloads and automations as your list grows.

Hopefully you’re feeling a little more confident about getting started. If you’re ready to take that first step in building your own list, you can sign up here:

👉 MailerLite Plans

Speak soon!

Katherine

📌 Pin for later 📌

Pinterest pin showing a pink background and text reading "How to grow your business with email marketing"

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What Semrush Is and How Bloggers Use It for Keyword Research https://katherinemclee.com/what-semrush-is/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-semrush-is https://katherinemclee.com/what-semrush-is/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:52:45 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=16923

In this post we are going to go into what Semrush is and how bloggers use it for keyword research. If you’ve spent any time looking into blogging or SEO/keyword research, you will have no doubt come across Semrush at some point. It’s one of those tools that gets mentioned everywhere. In blog posts, YouTube videos, and by the people who seem to know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to growing traffic lol. But if you’ve never used it yourself, it can feel a bit confusing like any new tool. As in, what does it actually do? And more importantly, how are bloggers actually using it when it comes to keyword research? In this post, I’m going to break it down in a really simple way even if you’re a beginner, so you can understand what Semrush is, what it’s used for, and how it fits into blogging… without all the technical jargon. What Is Semrush? Semrush is a well-known and trusted SEO and keyword research tool that shows you what people are actually searching for on Google. This includes metrics such as how popular those searches are, and how competitive they are to rank for. But, more importantly, it’s the difference between creating content that might work… and content that actually has a chance to get seen. Before using a tool like this, it’s very easy to just write whatever feels like a good idea and hope people find it. Sometimes that works… most of the time though, it doesn’t. Semrush changes that. Instead of guessing, you can literally see exactly what people are searching for. This includes how many people are searching for that term, and how difficult it would be for your content to rank. So you’re not just putting content out and hoping for the best, you’re putting out content by making decisions based on what’s already working. I’ve got a full post on keyword research if you want to understand that side of things properly first. You can read that here. The reason for needing Semrush at its core, is really simple: It helps you stop guessing and start creating content that actually gets seen. If you want to see how this works in real time, you can try Semrush here: 👉 Semrush What Does Semrush Actually Do? Semrush has a lot of features, but for blogging and keyword research, you don’t need to overcomplicate it. Most bloggers are using it for a few key things. First, it helps you find keywords; the actual phrases people type into Google. This could be anything from “how to start a blog” to “best email marketing tools for beginners”. It also shows you how many people are searching for that keyword and how competitive it is, which helps you decide whether it’s worth targeting or not. Another big feature is competitor insights. You can see what other blogs are ranking for, which can give you ideas for your own content or highlight opportunities you might not have thought of. And finally, it can help with content ideas in general. Instead of staring at a blank page wondering what to write next, you can use it to find topics people are already interested in. Why Do Bloggers Use Semrush? One of the biggest challenges with blogging is knowing what to write about. It’s very easy to come up with ideas that sound good, but if no one is actually searching for them, they’re unlikely to bring in traffic. The same can be said if people are searching for your chosen search terms, but there are so many others writing the same sort of thing that ranking becomes really difficult. This is where tools like Semrush come in. It’s literally what it was designed to solve. Instead of guessing, you can base your content around real search data. That means you’re creating posts that people are already looking for, which gives your content a much better chance of being found. It can also help you avoid overly competitive topics and focus on keywords that are more realistic to rank for, especially when your blog is still growing. For bloggers, it takes away a lot of the guesswork and makes their content planning feel much more intentional and pointful. How Bloggers Use Semrush for Keyword Research Most bloggers don’t use Semrush in a complicated way. They use it to take an idea and turn it into something people are actually searching for. Usually it starts with a broad topic idea that then gets narrowed down. You might know you want to write about a topic such as Pinterest, affiliate marketing, or starting a blog, but you’re not sure what angle to actually take, or what people are actually typing into Google. Instead of guessing, Semrush shows you real search data (all the bits you need to know before creating the content). You can find related keywords on whichever topic you choose. You can then see exactly how people are searching for that topic. This is the biggest thing that will change if/how your content gets found. You can also find more specific phrases that are often easier to rank for. This could be things that you may never have even thought of. What this then means is that you can stick to the topic you want to write about, just in a way that people are actually searching for and are therefore a lot more likely to find.  Once you have done that you can then also look at key metrics for those terms. This is things like search volume (how many people are searching for that term) and keyword difficulty (how competitive it is) to decide whether it’s worth focusing on and writing content for. Once you’ve chosen a keyword, you then build your content/post around it and naturally include related terms throughout your content. It’s not about making things overly complicated or getting everything perfect. It’s about replacing your own guesswork with a solid/reliable direction, so you can create content people are already looking for. The whole point is for your content to get found afterall! What This Might Look Like in Practice Let’s say (as an example) that you want to write a post about making money online. Without keyword research, you might just go with a broad title like “how to make money online”. In theory this sounds good but ideally it could be better (from a searchable point of view). With a tool like Semrush, you will find more specific searches. Things like: While they feel and seem very similar, these are the types of phrases people are actually typing into Google. This in turn then makes them much more useful for building your content around. People will only find the content they are actively searching for. Semrush vs Simpler Keyword Tools There are a lot of keyword research tools out there, and some of the simpler ones can be a good starting point if you’re just getting used to SEO. Tools like Keysearch are often seen as more beginner-friendly and more affordable, but they also tend to offer more limited data. It really is one of those things that you get what you pay for, so it depends how far into your blogging journey you are as to which tool is best for you. Semrush, on the other hand, gives you a much (much) deeper level of insight. You’re not just seeing basic keyword ideas etc, you’re getting really detailed data that helps you make more informed decisions about what to write, what to prioritise, and where your best opportunities are. That’s why many bloggers either move to Semrush as they grow, or choose to start with it from the beginning so they have access to everything in one place. Who Is Semrush Best For? Semrush is ideal for bloggers who want to grow their traffic faster and stop guessing what to post next.  It’s not really aimed at brand new bloggers so if you are really new into your blogging journey you can absolutely go for a more basic keyword research tool such as KeySearch.  If you’re past the stage of being a new blogger and you are already posting consistently and want to start seeing real results from your blog, this is where a tool like Semrush can make a huge difference for you. While you can blog without it, using Semrush gives you a clear advantage. It helps you to make smarter content decisions, save time, and build traffic much more efficiently as your blog grows. We all know the phrase “Work smarter not harder” and this is basically what Semrush helps with. Is Semrush Worth It for Bloggers? Honestly? Yes.  That is if you’re at the point where you want to grow your blog properly and not just guess your way through it. Like any tool, it’s most useful when you’re actively creating content and applying what you learn from it to enhance and refine that content. Semrush is one of those tools that’s recommended everywhere for a reason. It gives you real insight into what people are searching for, what’s already working, and where your content actually has a chance to rank and be seen/found. If you’re actually serious about increasing your traffic, finding better keywords, and creating content that performs, it can make a huge difference. That said, whether it feels “worth it” for you will come down to how you use it. It’s the kind of tool that pays off when you’re actively creating content and actually applying what you’re learning, not just letting it sit there unused of course. If you’re ready to take your keyword research a bit more seriously, this is where you can try Semrush: 👉 Click here to try Semrush How It Fits Into Your Overall Blogging Strategy Keyword research is just one part of blogging, but it’s one of the things that makes everything else so much easier and more worthwhile. As I mentioned earlier in this post, the way it usually works is pretty simple. You start with what people are already searching for, create content around that, and over time that content brings in traffic. Then that traffic can turn into email signups, affiliate clicks, and then in turn, income. Without that step, you’re basically just guessing and hoping your posts get found. Some might, others won’t. And writing content that never gets seen is not how we go about running a successful blog. That’s where Semrush comes in. It doesn’t change what you’re doing, it just makes the whole process a lot clearer for you from the get go. You can actually see what people are searching for, what’s worth focusing on, and where your content has a real chance of ranking, which makes it so much easier to create posts that actually get found. FAQs About Semrush for Bloggers What is Semrush used for in blogging? Semrush is mainly used for SEO and keyword research. It helps bloggers find what people are searching for, understand competition, and plan content that has a better chance of getting traffic. Is Semrush beginner-friendly? Semrush can feel a bit overwhelming at first because it has a lot of features. However, many bloggers start by using just the keyword research tools, which are fairly straightforward once you get used to them. Do you need Semrush to start a blog? No, you don’t need Semrush to start a blog. Many bloggers begin without it and add tools later. It’s simply something that can help guide your content strategy as your blog grows. Is Semrush worth it for bloggers? Semrush is worth it for bloggers who want more insight into keywords, competition, and content opportunities. It can help you make more informed decisions and grow your traffic faster. What’s the difference between Semrush and other tools? Semrush generally offers more in-depth data and features compared to many other tools. Some alternatives may be simpler or cheaper, but Semrush is designed for more detailed...

The post What Semrush Is and How Bloggers Use It for Keyword Research appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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In this post we are going to go into what Semrush is and how bloggers use it for keyword research.

If you’ve spent any time looking into blogging or SEO/keyword research, you will have no doubt come across Semrush at some point.

It’s one of those tools that gets mentioned everywhere. In blog posts, YouTube videos, and by the people who seem to know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to growing traffic lol.

But if you’ve never used it yourself, it can feel a bit confusing like any new tool. As in, what does it actually do? And more importantly, how are bloggers actually using it when it comes to keyword research?

In this post, I’m going to break it down in a really simple way even if you’re a beginner, so you can understand what Semrush is, what it’s used for, and how it fits into blogging… without all the technical jargon.

What Semrush Is and How Bloggers Use It for Keyword Research freen digital image showing SEO. Text overlay says "semrush keywords explained"

What Is Semrush?

Semrush is a well-known and trusted SEO and keyword research tool that shows you what people are actually searching for on Google. This includes metrics such as how popular those searches are, and how competitive they are to rank for.

But, more importantly, it’s the difference between creating content that might work… and content that actually has a chance to get seen.

Before using a tool like this, it’s very easy to just write whatever feels like a good idea and hope people find it. Sometimes that works… most of the time though, it doesn’t.

Semrush changes that.

Instead of guessing, you can literally see exactly what people are searching for. This includes how many people are searching for that term, and how difficult it would be for your content to rank. So you’re not just putting content out and hoping for the best, you’re putting out content by making decisions based on what’s already working.

I’ve got a full post on keyword research if you want to understand that side of things properly first. You can read that here.

The reason for needing Semrush at its core, is really simple:

It helps you stop guessing and start creating content that actually gets seen.

If you want to see how this works in real time, you can try Semrush here:

👉 Semrush

What Does Semrush Actually Do?

Semrush has a lot of features, but for blogging and keyword research, you don’t need to overcomplicate it. Most bloggers are using it for a few key things.

First, it helps you find keywords; the actual phrases people type into Google. This could be anything from “how to start a blog” to “best email marketing tools for beginners”.

It also shows you how many people are searching for that keyword and how competitive it is, which helps you decide whether it’s worth targeting or not.

Another big feature is competitor insights. You can see what other blogs are ranking for, which can give you ideas for your own content or highlight opportunities you might not have thought of.

And finally, it can help with content ideas in general. Instead of staring at a blank page wondering what to write next, you can use it to find topics people are already interested in.

Why Do Bloggers Use Semrush?

One of the biggest challenges with blogging is knowing what to write about.

It’s very easy to come up with ideas that sound good, but if no one is actually searching for them, they’re unlikely to bring in traffic.

The same can be said if people are searching for your chosen search terms, but there are so many others writing the same sort of thing that ranking becomes really difficult.

This is where tools like Semrush come in.

It’s literally what it was designed to solve.

Instead of guessing, you can base your content around real search data. That means you’re creating posts that people are already looking for, which gives your content a much better chance of being found.

It can also help you avoid overly competitive topics and focus on keywords that are more realistic to rank for, especially when your blog is still growing.

For bloggers, it takes away a lot of the guesswork and makes their content planning feel much more intentional and pointful.

How Bloggers Use Semrush for Keyword Research

Most bloggers don’t use Semrush in a complicated way. They use it to take an idea and turn it into something people are actually searching for.

Usually it starts with a broad topic idea that then gets narrowed down.

You might know you want to write about a topic such as Pinterest, affiliate marketing, or starting a blog, but you’re not sure what angle to actually take, or what people are actually typing into Google.

Instead of guessing, Semrush shows you real search data (all the bits you need to know before creating the content).

You can find related keywords on whichever topic you choose.

You can then see exactly how people are searching for that topic. This is the biggest thing that will change if/how your content gets found. You can also find more specific phrases that are often easier to rank for. This could be things that you may never have even thought of.

What this then means is that you can stick to the topic you want to write about, just in a way that people are actually searching for and are therefore a lot more likely to find. 

Once you have done that you can then also look at key metrics for those terms. This is things like search volume (how many people are searching for that term) and keyword difficulty (how competitive it is) to decide whether it’s worth focusing on and writing content for.

Once you’ve chosen a keyword, you then build your content/post around it and naturally include related terms throughout your content.

It’s not about making things overly complicated or getting everything perfect. It’s about replacing your own guesswork with a solid/reliable direction, so you can create content people are already looking for. The whole point is for your content to get found afterall!

What This Might Look Like in Practice

Let’s say (as an example) that you want to write a post about making money online.

Without keyword research, you might just go with a broad title like “how to make money online”.

In theory this sounds good but ideally it could be better (from a searchable point of view).

With a tool like Semrush, you will find more specific searches. Things like:

  • “how to make money online for beginners”
  • “ways to make money online from home”
  • “how to make money online with no experience”

While they feel and seem very similar, these are the types of phrases people are actually typing into Google. This in turn then makes them much more useful for building your content around.

People will only find the content they are actively searching for.

Semrush vs Simpler Keyword Tools

There are a lot of keyword research tools out there, and some of the simpler ones can be a good starting point if you’re just getting used to SEO.

Tools like Keysearch are often seen as more beginner-friendly and more affordable, but they also tend to offer more limited data.

It really is one of those things that you get what you pay for, so it depends how far into your blogging journey you are as to which tool is best for you.

Semrush, on the other hand, gives you a much (much) deeper level of insight. You’re not just seeing basic keyword ideas etc, you’re getting really detailed data that helps you make more informed decisions about what to write, what to prioritise, and where your best opportunities are.

That’s why many bloggers either move to Semrush as they grow, or choose to start with it from the beginning so they have access to everything in one place.

yellow keyword image with magnifying glass semword keyword research tool

Who Is Semrush Best For?

Semrush is ideal for bloggers who want to grow their traffic faster and stop guessing what to post next. 

It’s not really aimed at brand new bloggers so if you are really new into your blogging journey you can absolutely go for a more basic keyword research tool such as KeySearch. 

If you’re past the stage of being a new blogger and you are already posting consistently and want to start seeing real results from your blog, this is where a tool like Semrush can make a huge difference for you.

While you can blog without it, using Semrush gives you a clear advantage. It helps you to make smarter content decisions, save time, and build traffic much more efficiently as your blog grows.

We all know the phrase “Work smarter not harder” and this is basically what Semrush helps with.

Is Semrush Worth It for Bloggers?

Honestly? Yes. 

That is if you’re at the point where you want to grow your blog properly and not just guess your way through it.

Like any tool, it’s most useful when you’re actively creating content and applying what you learn from it to enhance and refine that content.

Semrush is one of those tools that’s recommended everywhere for a reason.

It gives you real insight into what people are searching for, what’s already working, and where your content actually has a chance to rank and be seen/found.

If you’re actually serious about increasing your traffic, finding better keywords, and creating content that performs, it can make a huge difference.

That said, whether it feels “worth it” for you will come down to how you use it. It’s the kind of tool that pays off when you’re actively creating content and actually applying what you’re learning, not just letting it sit there unused of course.

If you’re ready to take your keyword research a bit more seriously, this is where you can try Semrush:

👉 Click here to try Semrush

How It Fits Into Your Overall Blogging Strategy

Keyword research is just one part of blogging, but it’s one of the things that makes everything else so much easier and more worthwhile.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, the way it usually works is pretty simple. You start with what people are already searching for, create content around that, and over time that content brings in traffic. Then that traffic can turn into email signups, affiliate clicks, and then in turn, income.

Without that step, you’re basically just guessing and hoping your posts get found. Some might, others won’t. And writing content that never gets seen is not how we go about running a successful blog.

That’s where Semrush comes in. It doesn’t change what you’re doing, it just makes the whole process a lot clearer for you from the get go. You can actually see what people are searching for, what’s worth focusing on, and where your content has a real chance of ranking, which makes it so much easier to create posts that actually get found.

FAQs About Semrush for Bloggers

What is Semrush used for in blogging?


Semrush is mainly used for SEO and keyword research. It helps bloggers find what people are searching for, understand competition, and plan content that has a better chance of getting traffic.

Is Semrush beginner-friendly?


Semrush can feel a bit overwhelming at first because it has a lot of features. However, many bloggers start by using just the keyword research tools, which are fairly straightforward once you get used to them.

Do you need Semrush to start a blog?


No, you don’t need Semrush to start a blog. Many bloggers begin without it and add tools later. It’s simply something that can help guide your content strategy as your blog grows.

Is Semrush worth it for bloggers?

Semrush is worth it for bloggers who want more insight into keywords, competition, and content opportunities. It can help you make more informed decisions and grow your traffic faster.

What’s the difference between Semrush and other tools?


Semrush generally offers more in-depth data and features compared to many other tools. Some alternatives may be simpler or cheaper, but Semrush is designed for more detailed research and long-term growth.

Final Thoughts on What Semrush Is and How Bloggers Use It for Keyword Research

Semrush is one of those tools that can look and feel a little overwhelming at first, but when you break it down, it’s really just there to show you what people are actually searching for and how to create content around that in a way that gives you the best chance of being found which is the key to a successful blog.

The difference with Semrush is, it does that in a much more detailed and strategic way than more basic tools. This is where it really starts to make a difference to your blogging game and is where bloggers really uplevel their strategy.

For most bloggers, it’s not about using every single feature that Semrush has to offer, or worrying about getting everything perfect. It’s about using it as a guideline to make smarter decisions such as choosing better keywords, spotting opportunities, and creating content that’s far more likely to bring in traffic to their blog.

And honestly, that’s where the real value is. Instead of guessing what might work, you’re working with actual data, which makes the whole process feel a lot more intentional, and usually a lot more effective too.

Speak soon,

Katherine

📌 Pin for later 📌

green SEO digital layout with text saying "the SEO tool bloggers use to find blog post ideas"

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Is HostGator Good for Blogging? Honest Review for Beginners (2026) https://katherinemclee.com/hostgator-for-blogging/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hostgator-for-blogging https://katherinemclee.com/hostgator-for-blogging/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:23:09 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=16460

This post is all about answering the question; Is HostGator Good for Blogging? A Beginner-Friendly Hosting Review. Starting a blog is exciting… but also a little overwhelming when you realise how many decisions you need to make before you even publish your first post lol. There are the options of both a hosted (free) and self hosted (paid) blog. Self hosted is the one you need if you are serious about your blog or want to really ever make money from it. Assuming then that you have chosen a self hosted blog, one of the very first decisions you will need to make is who to go with to host your blog. Finding a hosting provider is easy, finding a good one that suits your needs is trickier.  Spending some time to do some research to find one that suits your needs is so important, as it really can make the biggest difference to your website.  I saw a lot of names being promoted, but when I dove deeper I found they never were quite what I was looking for. In the end, I chose HostGator, and it’s the hosting I still use for all my blogs today. In this post, I’ll explain exactly why I chose HostGator, what you will like about it, and why it’s a great option if you’re starting a blog for the first time. Quick Answer: Is HostGator Good for Blogging? Yes. Especially for beginners who want an easy, affordable way to start a blog without technical overwhelm. What Is Web Hosting (and Why You Need It) Quickly before getting into why I chose HostGator specifically for my blog (and why I recommend it to all new bloggers), it helps to understand what hosting actually is and why it’s needed. When you have a blog or website, all of the files that make up that site need somewhere to live online for people to be able to get to it and see it. That’s where your web hosting comes in. Your hosting provider stores your website files online and makes them accessible so people can visit your site at any time! Without hosting, your blog simply wouldn’t exist online. Well the website would exist, but no one would be able to see it lol. This is why choosing a decent and reliable hosting provider is one of the first and most important steps when starting your own blog. Why I Chose HostGator for My Blog I knew from the very start (over a decade ago now lol) that I didn’t want any of my blogs to be hosted (so a free blog). I knew I wanted them to be self-hosted as it meant that I owned my website which is so important. It also made it look more professional, gave more earning options (a lot more, you can read about the reasons why someone may want a free blog, here), and just overall meant I knew I was taking it seriously, for very little cost. When you are first researching hosting companies for your blog, there are so many options available and it is so easy to feel overwhelmed. Some are super cheap, some costt a huge amount more, some have more options and features, some include domain names etc etc.  For more information on domain names, hosting and the differences, you can find that post here! I decided (and what I would recommend anyone reading this to do) to make a list of what I knew I wanted/needed, and find one that fit the bill. This included things like price, how simple it was to use, having full 24/7 chat support, the speed and capabilities for my site(s), how easy it was to upgrade when needed (spoiler alert, this was super simple lol), and how well reviewed/trusted the company and brand was as a whole. HostGator stood out because it ticked every box I needed, especially as a beginner. This included how beginner-friendly it seemed compared to some of the other options. Is it THE cheapest on the market? Nope. Is it still super affordable while not losing anything by going for a more “budget” plan? Absolutely. I didn’t want something overly technical or complicated to set up. Fun fact, I still wouldn’t now! I wanted something that would allow me to get my blog online really fast, without needing a lot of technical knowledge or learning too much jargon to get up and live. HostGator offered exactly what I needed, so I went with them and haven’t looked back! The setup process was really straightforward too. WordPress installation was really simple, and it felt like a good balance between affordability and reliability for someone just starting out. It worked out well! Let’s break down some of the points just mentioned… 1. It’s Very Beginner Friendly One of the biggest reasons I chose HostGator was how easy it is to get started as a beginner. I wanted it to be clean and simple. I did not want to faff about feeling overwhelmed and then giving up as a result, lol. When you’re new to blogging, the technical side can feel really intimidating. With HostGator, the whole process of setting up your hosting and installing WordPress is designed to be simple. That’s why it’s so perfect for anyone new to hosting their own blog/website. You don’t need to understand coding or complicated server settings. You can of course learn this as you go to help with little tips and tricks, but it’s not necessary. Nearly all of the setup can be done with just a few clicks. This makes it much less stressful when you’re starting your first blog and worrying about getting set up with hosting. 2. Affordable for New Bloggers Another big factor for me was cost. As I’m sure it is for you! I knew I wanted decent, fast, reliable hosting, but I didn’t want to pay a lot for it. Especially in the beginning when I was getting used to having even one blog. When you’re starting a blog, you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of money upfront while you’re still figuring everything out. A beginner plan to give you everything you need/want is all you need initially. HostGator offers a range of plans to suit your needs and what you want for your website. They offer advanced/multi plans but also offer plans that are very affordable for beginners. If you’re just starting out, this makes it one of the easiest ways to launch a blog without overcomplicating things. You can get started for less than $5/month, which makes it one of the lowest-risk ways to start a blog. 3. Reliable Hosting Your hosting provider plays a huge role in how reliable and stable your website is on the internet. They are basically what keeps you live and available for people to read. Ideally you want a host that keeps your website online and running smoothly for as much time as possible. At all times. This means your readers should be able to access your content whenever they choose to visit, no matter what time of day or night. This is especially important across different time zones as your readers willl most likely be from all around the world and could be trying to get onto your site at completely different times of day. One of the huge reasons I’ve stayed with HostGator is that I’ve found them really reliable. Of course issues happen from time to time, but on the whole my blogs just work lol. This means I’m not sitting there worrying about whether the site is going to be down or glitching every time I load it up, or worse, whether it’s behaving/loading when someone else tries to read my content. As you can imagine, a working blog is a big deal when you’re blogging lol. You want to be able to spend your time creating new content, not trying to figure out why your website suddenly isn’t loading or behaving properly. 4. Easy WordPress Integration A lot of bloggers (I’d say the majority) use WordPress (wordpress.org not the free version wordpress.com as that goes back to hosted rather than the self hosted we are talking about), it’s important to choose a hosting provider that works well with it. One thing I love about HostGator that I mentioned earlier is how simple it is to install WordPress. It takes just a few clicks, which is why it’s always a simple recommendation for bloggers. Especially anyone who doesn’t like a technical or complicated set up like me lol. You can get everything set up really quickly and then jump straight into the fun parts like designing your blog, writing your first posts, and actually building your site and making it look exactly the way you have envisioned it, instead of getting completely stuck in an overly complicated setup. 5. 24/7 Live Chat Support If you are a new blogger, or even just less confident in the world of self hosted websites, having 24/7 live chat support is hugely important. We have all had issues where the site has crashed, only getting blank scenes, site is failing to load etc. Being able to contact your hosting company at any time of day, for them to be friendly, helpful, and get you back up and running really quickly is not to be taken for granted.  Having used HostGator for multiple sites for over 10 years, I can confirm their live support is not something I would want to be without, even now lol. How to Get Started with HostGator .If you want a beginner-friendly way to start your blog, HostGator is one of the easiest options to get set up with. To start with, you just need to choose your hosting plan from their options available. These do change at times but there are always multiple options available so you can choose the ones that fit your needs the best. You can then register your chosen domain name, and install WordPress. They do offer domains too if you wanted to keep it all together, and there may well be an offer on to get a bundle with your domain name and hosting for a bundle price! Once that’s all done, you can log into your own WordPress dashboard and start building your site! Then the fun can begin lol. From there, it’s just a case of designing your blog, creating your first posts, and gradually turning it into the website you want it to be. 👉 You can check out HostGator and see their current plans here. FAQs About HostGator Hosting Is HostGator good for beginner bloggers? It is. And that’s actually one of the main reasons so many new bloggers start with it. HostGator is designed to be really beginner-friendly. This means the whole setup process is nice and simple. WordPress can be installed really quickly, and you don’t need any tech experience to get your new blog online. When you’re starting a blog – especially for the first time – the last thing you want is complicated hosting or confusing dashboards lol. HostGator keeps it all straightforward so you can focus on building your blog and creating content instead of trying to figure out any technical settings. Also remember that any issues you do have, they have their 24/7 live chat support to help. Do you need technical knowledge to use HostGator? As mentioned and for similar reasons above, the answer is no, not at all. You don’t need coding skills, any web development experience, or anything like that to get started. Of course you will see things you don’t understand, but the process is designed so that you can click what you need as those bits are all clearly marked. You don’t have to understand all the technical bits, unless you want to learn about them down the line. Most of the setup is all step-by-step, and things like installing WordPress only takes a few clicks. ...

The post Is HostGator Good for Blogging? Honest Review for Beginners (2026) appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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This post is all about answering the question; Is HostGator Good for Blogging? A Beginner-Friendly Hosting Review.

Starting a blog is exciting… but also a little overwhelming when you realise how many decisions you need to make before you even publish your first post lol.

There are the options of both a hosted (free) and self hosted (paid) blog. Self hosted is the one you need if you are serious about your blog or want to really ever make money from it.

Assuming then that you have chosen a self hosted blog, one of the very first decisions you will need to make is who to go with to host your blog.

Finding a hosting provider is easy, finding a good one that suits your needs is trickier. 

Spending some time to do some research to find one that suits your needs is so important, as it really can make the biggest difference to your website. 

I saw a lot of names being promoted, but when I dove deeper I found they never were quite what I was looking for.

In the end, I chose HostGator, and it’s the hosting I still use for all my blogs today.

In this post, I’ll explain exactly why I chose HostGator, what you will like about it, and why it’s a great option if you’re starting a blog for the first time.

Quick Answer: Is HostGator Good for Blogging?


Yes. Especially for beginners who want an easy, affordable way to start a blog without technical overwhelm.

What Is Web Hosting (and Why You Need It)

Quickly before getting into why I chose HostGator specifically for my blog (and why I recommend it to all new bloggers), it helps to understand what hosting actually is and why it’s needed.

When you have a blog or website, all of the files that make up that site need somewhere to live online for people to be able to get to it and see it. That’s where your web hosting comes in.

Your hosting provider stores your website files online and makes them accessible so people can visit your site at any time!

Without hosting, your blog simply wouldn’t exist online.

Well the website would exist, but no one would be able to see it lol.

This is why choosing a decent and reliable hosting provider is one of the first and most important steps when starting your own blog.

Why I Chose HostGator for My Blog

I knew from the very start (over a decade ago now lol) that I didn’t want any of my blogs to be hosted (so a free blog). I knew I wanted them to be self-hosted as it meant that I owned my website which is so important. It also made it look more professional, gave more earning options (a lot more, you can read about the reasons why someone may want a free blog, here), and just overall meant I knew I was taking it seriously, for very little cost.

When you are first researching hosting companies for your blog, there are so many options available and it is so easy to feel overwhelmed. Some are super cheap, some costt a huge amount more, some have more options and features, some include domain names etc etc. 

For more information on domain names, hosting and the differences, you can find that post here!

I decided (and what I would recommend anyone reading this to do) to make a list of what I knew I wanted/needed, and find one that fit the bill.

hostgator web hosting low price get started blue banner

This included things like price, how simple it was to use, having full 24/7 chat support, the speed and capabilities for my site(s), how easy it was to upgrade when needed (spoiler alert, this was super simple lol), and how well reviewed/trusted the company and brand was as a whole.

HostGator stood out because it ticked every box I needed, especially as a beginner.

This included how beginner-friendly it seemed compared to some of the other options.

Is it THE cheapest on the market? Nope.

Is it still super affordable while not losing anything by going for a more “budget” plan? Absolutely.

I didn’t want something overly technical or complicated to set up. Fun fact, I still wouldn’t now! I wanted something that would allow me to get my blog online really fast, without needing a lot of technical knowledge or learning too much jargon to get up and live.

HostGator offered exactly what I needed, so I went with them and haven’t looked back!

The setup process was really straightforward too. WordPress installation was really simple, and it felt like a good balance between affordability and reliability for someone just starting out. It worked out well!

Let’s break down some of the points just mentioned…

1. It’s Very Beginner Friendly

One of the biggest reasons I chose HostGator was how easy it is to get started as a beginner.

I wanted it to be clean and simple. I did not want to faff about feeling overwhelmed and then giving up as a result, lol.

When you’re new to blogging, the technical side can feel really intimidating.

With HostGator, the whole process of setting up your hosting and installing WordPress is designed to be simple. That’s why it’s so perfect for anyone new to hosting their own blog/website.

You don’t need to understand coding or complicated server settings. You can of course learn this as you go to help with little tips and tricks, but it’s not necessary. Nearly all of the setup can be done with just a few clicks. This makes it much less stressful when you’re starting your first blog and worrying about getting set up with hosting.

2. Affordable for New Bloggers

Another big factor for me was cost. As I’m sure it is for you!

I knew I wanted decent, fast, reliable hosting, but I didn’t want to pay a lot for it. Especially in the beginning when I was getting used to having even one blog.

When you’re starting a blog, you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of money upfront while you’re still figuring everything out. A beginner plan to give you everything you need/want is all you need initially.

HostGator offers a range of plans to suit your needs and what you want for your website. They offer advanced/multi plans but also offer plans that are very affordable for beginners.

If you’re just starting out, this makes it one of the easiest ways to launch a blog without overcomplicating things.

You can get started for less than $5/month, which makes it one of the lowest-risk ways to start a blog.

dark hostgator hosting banner with astronaut gator

3. Reliable Hosting

Your hosting provider plays a huge role in how reliable and stable your website is on the internet. They are basically what keeps you live and available for people to read.

Ideally you want a host that keeps your website online and running smoothly for as much time as possible. At all times. This means your readers should be able to access your content whenever they choose to visit, no matter what time of day or night. This is especially important across different time zones as your readers willl most likely be from all around the world and could be trying to get onto your site at completely different times of day.

One of the huge reasons I’ve stayed with HostGator is that I’ve found them really reliable. Of course issues happen from time to time, but on the whole my blogs just work lol. This means I’m not sitting there worrying about whether the site is going to be down or glitching every time I load it up, or worse, whether it’s behaving/loading when someone else tries to read my content.

As you can imagine, a working blog is a big deal when you’re blogging lol. You want to be able to spend your time creating new content, not trying to figure out why your website suddenly isn’t loading or behaving properly.

4. Easy WordPress Integration

A lot of bloggers (I’d say the majority) use WordPress (wordpress.org not the free version wordpress.com as that goes back to hosted rather than the self hosted we are talking about), it’s important to choose a hosting provider that works well with it.

One thing I love about HostGator that I mentioned earlier is how simple it is to install WordPress. It takes just a few clicks, which is why it’s always a simple recommendation for bloggers. Especially anyone who doesn’t like a technical or complicated set up like me lol.

You can get everything set up really quickly and then jump straight into the fun parts like designing your blog, writing your first posts, and actually building your site and making it look exactly the way you have envisioned it, instead of getting completely stuck in an overly complicated setup.

5. 24/7 Live Chat Support

If you are a new blogger, or even just less confident in the world of self hosted websites, having 24/7 live chat support is hugely important.

We have all had issues where the site has crashed, only getting blank scenes, site is failing to load etc. Being able to contact your hosting company at any time of day, for them to be friendly, helpful, and get you back up and running really quickly is not to be taken for granted. 

Having used HostGator for multiple sites for over 10 years, I can confirm their live support is not something I would want to be without, even now lol.

How to Get Started with HostGator

.If you want a beginner-friendly way to start your blog, HostGator is one of the easiest options to get set up with.

To start with, you just need to choose your hosting plan from their options available. These do change at times but there are always multiple options available so you can choose the ones that fit your needs the best. You can then register your chosen domain name, and install WordPress.

They do offer domains too if you wanted to keep it all together, and there may well be an offer on to get a bundle with your domain name and hosting for a bundle price!

hostgator hosting free domain with some plans

Once that’s all done, you can log into your own WordPress dashboard and start building your site! Then the fun can begin lol.

From there, it’s just a case of designing your blog, creating your first posts, and gradually turning it into the website you want it to be.

👉 You can check out HostGator and see their current plans here.

FAQs About HostGator Hosting

Is HostGator good for beginner bloggers?

It is. And that’s actually one of the main reasons so many new bloggers start with it. HostGator is designed to be really beginner-friendly. This means the whole setup process is nice and simple. WordPress can be installed really quickly, and you don’t need any tech experience to get your new blog online.

When you’re starting a blog – especially for the first time – the last thing you want is complicated hosting or confusing dashboards lol. HostGator keeps it all straightforward so you can focus on building your blog and creating content instead of trying to figure out any technical settings.

Also remember that any issues you do have, they have their 24/7 live chat support to help.

Do you need technical knowledge to use HostGator?

As mentioned and for similar reasons above, the answer is no, not at all. You don’t need coding skills, any web development experience, or anything like that to get started. Of course you will see things you don’t understand, but the process is designed so that you can click what you need as those bits are all clearly marked. You don’t have to understand all the technical bits, unless you want to learn about them down the line.

Most of the setup is all step-by-step, and things like installing WordPress only takes a few clicks. 

For beginners (or anyone who doesn’t want hassle), that simplicity makes a huge difference.

What happens if your blog grows later? Can you upgrade?

Yep! And this is something a lot of beginners worry about but there’s no need.

If (and when) your blog starts really growing and you need more resources, you can upgrade your hosting plan. It means you’re not locked into one option forever. You can start with a beginner-friendly budget plan and move to a bigger plan later when your site gets more traffic or you want to run multiple websites. There’s different options depending on your needs.

I can confirm from upgrading plans myself a while back that it’s as simple as choosing your new plan and clicking to upgrade lol.

It’s one of the reasons many bloggers feel comfortable starting with HostGator. You can start with the plan that you need initially, and then once your blog grows, you can then upgrade to a more advanced plan. This saves you having to guess how big of a plan you will need from the get go. It also saves paying for a bigger plan when you are first starting out.

Can you have more than one website on HostGator?

Yes you can but it depends on the plan you choose for your blog. Some plans do allow you to host multiple websites under the same account. This can be really useful if you ever decide to start a second blog or launch another website later on but most people start with just one website and focus on building that first before branching out. But the option is there for if you ever wanted it.

Not all plans allow this, but as mentioned earlier, you can easily upgrade to a multi-site plan if and when you need this. No point in paying for a multi-site plan initially with only one site. Start at the level you need and then you can always upgrade.

Is hosting expensive when starting a blog?

While there is of course a cost to having a plan to host your blog, it’s really not expensive at all.

Prices do vary depending on what you need and how many sites you are wanting hosted etc. But HostGator are one of the most affordable I found that had all the bits I needed and wanted.

Currently their plans start at less than $5 a month for the most basic hosting to give an idea of just how affordable I mean lol.

You will need to factor in a domain name as that will of course need to be purchased, but it’s always worth checking if HostGator have any current offers to get your chosen domain name for a reduced price with one of their hosting plans.

For another place to get domain names, you can also look at GoDaddy.

It’s one of those costs that if you are a blogger, you need to pay for. But it’s also what allows your blog to exist on the internet in the first place lol.

dark hostgator hosting banner with astronaut gator

Final Thoughts on Is HostGator Good for Blogging?

The short answer is yes, especially if you’re just getting started.

Choosing a hosting provider is one of the first (and most important) steps when starting a blog, and it can feel like a big decision.

From my own experience, HostGator has been a reliable, beginner-friendly option that offers a great balance of ease, affordability, and performance. It’s also grown with me as my blogs have grown, without any issues or complicated upgrades.

👉 If you’re ready to start your blog, HostGator is one of the simplest ways to get set up quickly.

👉 You can check out their plans here → HostGator Plans.

Speak soon!

Katherine

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For Bloggers, Social Media Is the Brand Experience https://katherinemclee.com/bloggers-social-media-brand-experience/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bloggers-social-media-brand-experience https://katherinemclee.com/bloggers-social-media-brand-experience/#respond Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:30:00 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=15697

Photo via Adobe Stock Most readers don’t experience a blog the way its author does. They don’t land on the homepage, browse categories, or admire the archive. They encounter a post through a social feed, a shared link, or a preview image paired with a sentence or two of context. That moment — not the blog itself — is where first impressions form. For bloggers, social media isn’t a side channel. It’s the primary way readers encounter, interpret, and remember your work. The Short Version For bloggers, a unified brand voice and visual identity on social media determine whether posts feel recognizable or forgettable. When social previews, captions, and visuals align with the tone of the writing itself, readers are more likely to click, return, and trust the work behind the link. Why Social Media Shapes How Blogs Are Perceived When a blog post is shared on social media, it’s compressed. A long argument becomes a headline. A nuanced idea becomes a caption. The design of a full page becomes a single image or frame. That compression is unavoidable, but how it’s handled makes a difference. If social posts feel disconnected from the blog’s tone or visual style, readers experience friction. If they feel like a natural extension of the writing, recognition builds. Over time, readers don’t just remember individual posts — they recognize the blog behind them. The Hidden Cost of Inconsistent Sharing Many bloggers write with clarity and intention, then promote content quickly and inconsistently. One post gets a thoughtful caption, another gets a rushed summary. One graphic matches the blog’s tone, another feels generic. None of this breaks anything immediately. But over time, it weakens association. Readers may enjoy individual posts without ever forming a clear sense of the blog as a whole. Tools Bloggers Use to Stay Consistent on Social Consistency on social media isn’t about posting more. It’s about posting coherently. These tools help bloggers manage distribution and promotion without fragmenting their voice or visual identity. These tools don’t define tone or style, but they reduce the friction that often leads to inconsistent sharing. How Bloggers Turn Posts Into Social Media Touchpoints For bloggers, social media isn’t about creating new ideas. It’s about reshaping existing ones so they travel well. Adobe Express supports that process by helping bloggers translate long-form writing into recognizable social moments. Social Media Moment for Bloggers How Adobe Express Is Used Why It Supports Brand Recognition Announcing a new post Creating on-brand social graphics for blog launches Helps readers visually associate the post with the blog immediately Re-promoting evergreen content Scheduling social posts in advance Allows older posts to be resurfaced intentionally instead of relying on one-time shares Highlighting key ideas Designing Instagram Stories that summarize posts Turns long articles into digestible previews that drive clicks back to the blog Sharing posts on Facebook Formatting Facebook visuals that stay on-brand Keeps promotional visuals consistent even when platform formats differ In this workflow, social media doesn’t compete with blogging. It reinforces it. A Simple Pre-Share Checklist for Bloggers Before sharing a post anywhere, ask: If the answer is yes, the post is doing branding work — not just promotion. FAQ: Bloggers and Social Media Branding Do bloggers really need to think about branding on social media?Yes, because social media is often the first version of your blog that someone encounters. Readers form expectations about your writing based on how it’s presented and described in feeds, long before they ever scroll through the full article. What if my writing style is informal or personal?That can absolutely be part of your brand. Consistency doesn’t mean sounding polished; it means sounding like yourself in a recognizable way across posts, captions, and visuals. How do bloggers stay consistent without posting constantly?Consistency comes from tone and presentation, not frequency. A blogger who posts thoughtfully and repeats the same voice and visual cues will feel more cohesive than one who posts daily with no throughline. Is it okay to reuse the same visuals or messaging when resharing posts?Yes, and it’s often helpful. Reuse reinforces recognition, especially for readers who may not have seen the original post the first time. For bloggers, social media isn’t an accessory. It’s the surface layer of the brand. When voice and visuals stay aligned from post to preview, readers form recognition naturally. That recognition is what turns scattered clicks into a lasting audience. Guest post written and provided by Archer Ferrara on behalf of Adobe. 📌 Pin for later 📌

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Photo via Adobe Stock

Most readers don’t experience a blog the way its author does. They don’t land on the homepage, browse categories, or admire the archive. They encounter a post through a social feed, a shared link, or a preview image paired with a sentence or two of context.

That moment — not the blog itself — is where first impressions form. For bloggers, social media isn’t a side channel. It’s the primary way readers encounter, interpret, and remember your work.

The Short Version

For bloggers, a unified brand voice and visual identity on social media determine whether posts feel recognizable or forgettable. When social previews, captions, and visuals align with the tone of the writing itself, readers are more likely to click, return, and trust the work behind the link.

Why Social Media Shapes How Blogs Are Perceived

When a blog post is shared on social media, it’s compressed. A long argument becomes a headline. A nuanced idea becomes a caption. The design of a full page becomes a single image or frame. That compression is unavoidable, but how it’s handled makes a difference.

If social posts feel disconnected from the blog’s tone or visual style, readers experience friction. If they feel like a natural extension of the writing, recognition builds. Over time, readers don’t just remember individual posts — they recognize the blog behind them.

The Hidden Cost of Inconsistent Sharing

Many bloggers write with clarity and intention, then promote content quickly and inconsistently. One post gets a thoughtful caption, another gets a rushed summary. One graphic matches the blog’s tone, another feels generic.

None of this breaks anything immediately. But over time, it weakens association. Readers may enjoy individual posts without ever forming a clear sense of the blog as a whole.

Tools Bloggers Use to Stay Consistent on Social

Consistency on social media isn’t about posting more. It’s about posting coherently. These tools help bloggers manage distribution and promotion without fragmenting their voice or visual identity.

  • Hootsuite – Helps plan and space social shares so promotion feels intentional rather than sporadic.
  • Mailchimp – Supports cross-promotion between newsletters and social posts, reinforcing the same voice in both places.
  • Instagram – Acts as a primary discovery and relationship channel where consistent visuals and captions reinforce a blog’s identity over time.
  • Bitly – Keeps shared links clean and trackable without cluttering captions or breaking visual flow.

These tools don’t define tone or style, but they reduce the friction that often leads to inconsistent sharing.

How Bloggers Turn Posts Into Social Media Touchpoints

For bloggers, social media isn’t about creating new ideas. It’s about reshaping existing ones so they travel well. Adobe Express supports that process by helping bloggers translate long-form writing into recognizable social moments.

Social Media Moment for BloggersHow Adobe Express Is UsedWhy It Supports Brand Recognition
Announcing a new postCreating on-brand social graphics for blog launchesHelps readers visually associate the post with the blog immediately
Re-promoting evergreen contentScheduling social posts in advanceAllows older posts to be resurfaced intentionally instead of relying on one-time shares
Highlighting key ideasDesigning Instagram Stories that summarize postsTurns long articles into digestible previews that drive clicks back to the blog
Sharing posts on FacebookFormatting Facebook visuals that stay on-brandKeeps promotional visuals consistent even when platform formats differ

In this workflow, social media doesn’t compete with blogging. It reinforces it.

A Simple Pre-Share Checklist for Bloggers

Before sharing a post anywhere, ask:

  1. Would this caption sound natural if it appeared inside the blog post?
  2. Do the visuals feel like they belong to the same world as the writing?
  3. Would a returning reader recognize this as “ours” without seeing the name?

If the answer is yes, the post is doing branding work — not just promotion.

FAQ: Bloggers and Social Media Branding

Do bloggers really need to think about branding on social media?
Yes, because social media is often the first version of your blog that someone encounters. Readers form expectations about your writing based on how it’s presented and described in feeds, long before they ever scroll through the full article.

What if my writing style is informal or personal?
That can absolutely be part of your brand. Consistency doesn’t mean sounding polished; it means sounding like yourself in a recognizable way across posts, captions, and visuals.

How do bloggers stay consistent without posting constantly?
Consistency comes from tone and presentation, not frequency. A blogger who posts thoughtfully and repeats the same voice and visual cues will feel more cohesive than one who posts daily with no throughline.

Is it okay to reuse the same visuals or messaging when resharing posts?
Yes, and it’s often helpful. Reuse reinforces recognition, especially for readers who may not have seen the original post the first time.

For bloggers, social media isn’t an accessory. It’s the surface layer of the brand. When voice and visuals stay aligned from post to preview, readers form recognition naturally. That recognition is what turns scattered clicks into a lasting audience.

Guest post written and provided by Archer Ferrara on behalf of Adobe.

📌 Pin for later 📌

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Making Money Online With PLR Content In 2026 https://katherinemclee.com/making-money-online-with-plr/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=making-money-online-with-plr https://katherinemclee.com/making-money-online-with-plr/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2025 22:01:20 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=15270

In this post I am going to explain how you can make money online with PLR content in 2026 Selling digital products is a staple to making money online. Anyone who has ever looked into selling digital products online will have seen how many different ways there are to do it. It’s simple to do, you create products once and can sell over and over as many times as you like. The beauty of it is that aside from website or listing fees (depending on where you list them), you then keep the entire sale price every single time! This makes digital products different from physical products as with digital, there are no ongoing product/stock costs, no shipping or packaging costs and no space needed to hold stock. Because of this, selling digital products online can be passive income as there is very little you need to do once someone buys one of your products. This is unless someone has a query/question but the more descriptive the descriptions the less of these you will have too.  Digital products are a lot simpler to sell than physical products, plus once uploaded they can sell over and over – even while you’re asleep or doing other things! The bit that trips people up or stops them starting is that they don’t know how to create their own digital products. That or they don’t have the time! Both are completely valid (and real) reasons not to create your own products. This is where PLR content/products come in. PLR content (Private Label Rights) might just be the thing that is about to change the game for you and allow you to get started. Let’s get into how PLR Content Can Help You Make More Money Online in 2026! As with the past few years, 2026 is shaping up to be a huge year for digital products. And the people who learn how to use PLR products to sell online are going to see serious results! In part due to how fast you can get things ready and live to sell. PLR lets you start now. It’s stops the feeling of not knowing where to start or what to do. You can skip that mind blank struggle feeling of not knowing what to do. It lets you create something valuable in a fraction of the time. You can build a real income stream instead of putting things off and being stuck in planning mode.  In this post, we’ll cover: What Is PLR Content (and Why Everyone’s Talking About It in 2026) PLR is shorthand for Private Label Rights. This basically means done-for-you content that you can buy, edit, and sell as your own. Quick note: Not all content comes with PLR. You need to make sure you specifically buy products with PLR if you intend to sell them. You can find PLR eBooks, planners, digital templates, social media packs, email sequences, blog posts etc. If you can think of a product you want, you can probably find it with PLR. Once you’ve bought it, you have the right to rebrand, edit, and resell it however you like. You then sell as your own and each sale is completely your own. And in 2026, it’s honestly bigger than ever. This is because people are busier than ever! We are in a world now where speed now beats perfection. That’s not to say you should post up rubbish or not put effort in lol. It’s more about the fact that when you buy PLR products to sell, you are buying products that are ALREADY high quality. (Assuming you buy decent products from a good source.) The beauty of PLR products is that you can go from idea to product in days, not months. Examples of PLR products you can grab, edit and upload today are this Manifestation Planner I have up: And I also have this high-value (not overwhelming) large PLR bundle of content creation ebooks, photos and reels. The Biggest Benefits of Using PLR Content to Make Money Online 1. You save time. This one is huge for anyone who’s busy. Instead of spending 30 hours writing or designing your own products, you start with a completed product or products and simply personalise/rebrand it. 2. You can launch products faster. Due to the fact that it is a lot faster to use PLR products, it lets you buy, edit, rebrand and get up for sale so so much faster than creating your own products from scratch. 3. You can scale multiple income streams. As the products are “one and done” in terms of buying once, editing and then listing as your own. You can sell planners, bundles, templates, or mini-courses across Etsy, Shopify, or your own website! Quick note: If you use this link here, Shopify will give you a FREE trial AND 3 months at just $1 a month which is such an amazing (super cheap) way to get started! 4. You never run out of content. This one is HUGE. The beauty of PLR products is that it can be repurposed for blog posts, freebies, tripwires, emails, or social content. You don’t even need to know exactly what you initially are looking for. An idea can lead you to a range of PLR products which you can then choose from, and completely customise to suit your brand. 5. It’s low-risk, high-return. Once you’ve paid for the license, everything you earn is pure profit (minus listing fees etc). But there is no charge for stock, packing or any shipping costs etc 7 Ways to Make Money with PLR Content I mentioned earlier that there is a range of ways you can use PLR products. Here are a few of the more common ways you can sell a PLR product you have bought and rebranded: 1. Turn it into a paid eBook or digital download/guide. Buy your chosen PLR product or bundle, rebrand it, edit it, and sell it on your blog, Shopify or Etsy store. 2. Create mini-courses or workshops. Use PLR slides or scripts to build your first course fast with your own information and spin on it added in. 3. Sell bundles. You can sell each product separately of course! But another option is to combine different PLR products into one bundle. You could combine workbooks, checklists, ebooks or templates into one high-value bundle. 4. Build your email list. You can use a PLR product to offer a freebie that links to your tripwire product. (This link is to my active freebie/tripwire automation so you can see it in action!) It’s the perfect way to grow your email list as you offer something of value and in return they give you their email address. (Some PLR products don’t allow you to give them as free products, so check what you are/aren’t allowed for each one.) This way when someone downloads your free product (that you bought and edited, (didn’t have to create from scratch). Quick note: Mailerlite is such an easy email marketing platform and they have a completely free plan! 5. Create affiliate marketing content. Use PLR blog posts or email sequences to promote your affiliate links. This one is trickier as you can’t use other’s written content word for word. You can use guidelines for content though, or can use pre-written marketing material with your own edits/spin on it. 6. Rebrand for your niche. PLR products is one of the quickest ways to help you rebrand if you are looking to change branding or niche. Grabbing ready made products and editing them to add your own style, examples, and branding to make it unique can help your new brand/niche get off the ground without having to create dozens of new products/downloads yourself. 7. Sell on autopilot. List products on Shopify or Etsy and let the system make sales at any time. As they are all digital downloads, you aren’t required to be present for packing, shipping labels or shipping itself. It will all be set up so that anyone who buys one of your products will get an instant download straight to their inbox. Answering any questions/queries is one of the only things you would need to be “active” for. How to Customize PLR So It Feels 100% Original The most important part to making PLR profitable is customization. You want it to look, read, and feel like you. Don’t buy PLR products and try to resell those exact products as your own. It’s not allowed and doesn’t work anyway! The whole point of PLR products is that it gives you a done-for-you full template/example that you edit and rebrand to make your own. The good thing is that the product is already done for you, all you need to do is edit it to make it yours! You can do this by: ✅ Changing the colours, fonts, and layout.✅ Rewrite headlines and some text in your voice.✅ Add your own name, personal stories or examples.✅ Include your own branding, bonuses, or affiliate links (sometimes affiliate links will already be in from the person you bought it from so remember to swap these out to your own).✅ Add your own social media/website links.✅ Swap out images for your own that match your vibe/brand.✅ Combine several PLR items into a new, unique bundle for even more value. Editing an already complete product is SO much faster than creating from scratch. This is especially true if you use Canva as you can change one colour to your own/different colour with just one click! Where to Find High-Quality PLR Content That Converts Not all PLR is created equal. Cheap bundles often look outdated or are sold thousands of times meaning it will take WORK to make them stand out. Potentially more work than just making your own from scratch. The other downside to the mega bundles for a super cheap price is that they can be tricky to navigate and find what you want to use. This is just added stress. Plus if you don’t end up using any of those templates as they were cheaply made or full of errors or too chaotic to work out, you will have lost the cost of that bundle. No matter how “cheap” it looks. The best option is to get modern, clean, professional PLR with clear usage rights. Buying a single PLR product is how a lot of people started. This helps you really see exactly what you’re getting and isn’t as overwhelming just working on one product. If you want the variety or aren’t 100% sure what you want, then absolutely go for a bundle. If you are looking for more overall value for money or want a range of products to choose from then grab a PLR bundle. Just be strategic about it. Quality over quantity! This will just help streamline your own editing and uploading efforts. Look for: 💎 Try: Realistic Income Potential from PLR in 2026 The earning potential for PLR products is huge. While selling PLR products isn’t a “get rich quick” scheme, it is seriously scalable. This is because you pay the purchase price one time. You make your rebrand and all your edits, and you list it for sale. Then you can list them anywhere you like! You can sell them on Etsy, Shopify, via Stripe, or on your own website. Or do a mix which is my preferred way to market them! If you sell just: Once your PLR products are live, they can sell over and over again without you touching them. This is how people make money, even while asleep! Common PLR Mistakes to Avoid There are of course a few common mistakes people make. The main ones to avoid are: Using the product as-is without editing it. Duplicate content doesn’t do well. It needs to look and feel like your own product. You are buying a done-for-you template. An example would be if you bought this planner, you would change the font, the colouring, the cover...

The post Making Money Online With PLR Content In 2026 appeared first on Katherine McLee.

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In this post I am going to explain how you can make money online with PLR content in 2026

Selling digital products is a staple to making money online.

Anyone who has ever looked into selling digital products online will have seen how many different ways there are to do it.

It’s simple to do, you create products once and can sell over and over as many times as you like. The beauty of it is that aside from website or listing fees (depending on where you list them), you then keep the entire sale price every single time!

This makes digital products different from physical products as with digital, there are no ongoing product/stock costs, no shipping or packaging costs and no space needed to hold stock.

Because of this, selling digital products online can be passive income as there is very little you need to do once someone buys one of your products. This is unless someone has a query/question but the more descriptive the descriptions the less of these you will have too. 

Digital products are a lot simpler to sell than physical products, plus once uploaded they can sell over and over – even while you’re asleep or doing other things!

The bit that trips people up or stops them starting is that they don’t know how to create their own digital products. That or they don’t have the time! Both are completely valid (and real) reasons not to create your own products.

This is where PLR content/products come in.

PLR content (Private Label Rights) might just be the thing that is about to change the game for you and allow you to get started.

Let’s get into how PLR Content Can Help You Make More Money Online in 2026!

Making Money Online With PLR Content In 2026 text overlay

As with the past few years, 2026 is shaping up to be a huge year for digital products. And the people who learn how to use PLR products to sell online are going to see serious results! In part due to how fast you can get things ready and live to sell.

PLR lets you start now. It’s stops the feeling of not knowing where to start or what to do. You can skip that mind blank struggle feeling of not knowing what to do. It lets you create something valuable in a fraction of the time. You can build a real income stream instead of putting things off and being stuck in planning mode. 


In this post, we’ll cover:

  • What PLR is and Why Everyone is Talking About it
  • The Biggest Benefits of Using PLR Content to Make Money Online
  • 7 Ways to Make Money with PLR Content
  • How to Customize PLR So It Feels 100% Original
  • Where to Find High-Quality PLR Content That Converts
  • Realistic Income Potential from PLR in 2026
  • Common PLR Mistakes to Avoid

What Is PLR Content (and Why Everyone’s Talking About It in 2026)

PLR is shorthand for Private Label Rights. This basically means done-for-you content that you can buy, edit, and sell as your own.

Quick note: Not all content comes with PLR. You need to make sure you specifically buy products with PLR if you intend to sell them.

You can find PLR eBooks, planners, digital templates, social media packs, email sequences, blog posts etc. If you can think of a product you want, you can probably find it with PLR.

Once you’ve bought it, you have the right to rebrand, edit, and resell it however you like. You then sell as your own and each sale is completely your own.

And in 2026, it’s honestly bigger than ever. This is because people are busier than ever! We are in a world now where speed now beats perfection.

That’s not to say you should post up rubbish or not put effort in lol. It’s more about the fact that when you buy PLR products to sell, you are buying products that are ALREADY high quality. (Assuming you buy decent products from a good source.)

The beauty of PLR products is that you can go from idea to product in days, not months.

Examples of PLR products you can grab, edit and upload today are this Manifestation Planner I have up:

PLR manifestation planner

And I also have this high-value (not overwhelming) large PLR bundle of content creation ebooks, photos and reels.

Ultimate Faceless Marketing Bundle promotional graphic featuring over 15 digital products including content planners, Instagram reel guides, Canva tutorials, and marketing strategy eBooks. Includes +400 reels and +600 photos, all with MRR and PLR resell rights. Bold text reads 'All Done For You' and 'Re-sell as Your Own!' with vibrant arrows and modern design elements. URL shown: vibrantvisiondigital.etsy.com

The Biggest Benefits of Using PLR Content to Make Money Online

1. You save time. This one is huge for anyone who’s busy. Instead of spending 30 hours writing or designing your own products, you start with a completed product or products and simply personalise/rebrand it.

2. You can launch products faster. Due to the fact that it is a lot faster to use PLR products, it lets you buy, edit, rebrand and get up for sale so so much faster than creating your own products from scratch.

3. You can scale multiple income streams. As the products are “one and done” in terms of buying once, editing and then listing as your own. You can sell planners, bundles, templates, or mini-courses across Etsy, Shopify, or your own website!


Quick note: If you use this link here, Shopify will give you a FREE trial AND 3 months at just $1 a month which is such an amazing (super cheap) way to get started!

green shopify ADVERT IMAGE promoting 3 day free trial and then $1 a month for 3 months

4. You never run out of content. This one is HUGE. The beauty of PLR products is that it can be repurposed for blog posts, freebies, tripwires, emails, or social content. You don’t even need to know exactly what you initially are looking for. An idea can lead you to a range of PLR products which you can then choose from, and completely customise to suit your brand.

5. It’s low-risk, high-return. Once you’ve paid for the license, everything you earn is pure profit (minus listing fees etc). But there is no charge for stock, packing or any shipping costs etc

7 Ways to Make Money with PLR Content

I mentioned earlier that there is a range of ways you can use PLR products.

Here are a few of the more common ways you can sell a PLR product you have bought and rebranded:

1. Turn it into a paid eBook or digital download/guide. Buy your chosen PLR product or bundle, rebrand it, edit it, and sell it on your blog, Shopify or Etsy store.

2. Create mini-courses or workshops. Use PLR slides or scripts to build your first course fast with your own information and spin on it added in.

3. Sell bundles. You can sell each product separately of course! But another option is to combine different PLR products into one bundle. You could combine workbooks, checklists, ebooks or templates into one high-value bundle.

4. Build your email list. You can use a PLR product to offer a freebie that links to your tripwire product.

(This link is to my active freebie/tripwire automation so you can see it in action!)

It’s the perfect way to grow your email list as you offer something of value and in return they give you their email address. (Some PLR products don’t allow you to give them as free products, so check what you are/aren’t allowed for each one.) This way when someone downloads your free product (that you bought and edited, (didn’t have to create from scratch).


Quick note: Mailerlite is such an easy email marketing platform and they have a completely free plan!


5. Create affiliate marketing content. Use PLR blog posts or email sequences to promote your affiliate links. This one is trickier as you can’t use other’s written content word for word. You can use guidelines for content though, or can use pre-written marketing material with your own edits/spin on it.

6. Rebrand for your niche. PLR products is one of the quickest ways to help you rebrand if you are looking to change branding or niche. Grabbing ready made products and editing them to add your own style, examples, and branding to make it unique can help your new brand/niche get off the ground without having to create dozens of new products/downloads yourself.

7. Sell on autopilot. List products on Shopify or Etsy and let the system make sales at any time. As they are all digital downloads, you aren’t required to be present for packing, shipping labels or shipping itself. It will all be set up so that anyone who buys one of your products will get an instant download straight to their inbox. Answering any questions/queries is one of the only things you would need to be “active” for.

Making Money Online With PLR Content In 2026 woman smiling at laptop

How to Customize PLR So It Feels 100% Original

The most important part to making PLR profitable is customization. You want it to look, read, and feel like you.

Don’t buy PLR products and try to resell those exact products as your own. It’s not allowed and doesn’t work anyway!

The whole point of PLR products is that it gives you a done-for-you full template/example that you edit and rebrand to make your own.

The good thing is that the product is already done for you, all you need to do is edit it to make it yours!

You can do this by:

✅ Changing the colours, fonts, and layout.
✅ Rewrite headlines and some text in your voice.
✅ Add your own name, personal stories or examples.
✅ Include your own branding, bonuses, or affiliate links (sometimes affiliate links will already be in from the person you bought it from so remember to swap these out to your own).
✅ Add your own social media/website links.
✅ Swap out images for your own that match your vibe/brand.
✅ Combine several PLR items into a new, unique bundle for even more value.

Editing an already complete product is SO much faster than creating from scratch. This is especially true if you use Canva as you can change one colour to your own/different colour with just one click!

Where to Find High-Quality PLR Content That Converts

Not all PLR is created equal. Cheap bundles often look outdated or are sold thousands of times meaning it will take WORK to make them stand out. Potentially more work than just making your own from scratch.

The other downside to the mega bundles for a super cheap price is that they can be tricky to navigate and find what you want to use.

This is just added stress. Plus if you don’t end up using any of those templates as they were cheaply made or full of errors or too chaotic to work out, you will have lost the cost of that bundle. No matter how “cheap” it looks.

The best option is to get modern, clean, professional PLR with clear usage rights.

Buying a single PLR product is how a lot of people started. This helps you really see exactly what you’re getting and isn’t as overwhelming just working on one product.

If you want the variety or aren’t 100% sure what you want, then absolutely go for a bundle. If you are looking for more overall value for money or want a range of products to choose from then grab a PLR bundle. Just be strategic about it.

Quality over quantity! This will just help streamline your own editing and uploading efforts.

Look for:

  • Editable Canva or Word formats – makes it super easy to edit
  • Up-to-date information (in the listing, as you edit the product anyway)
  • Visually appealing layouts (saves having to overhaul the entire products)
  • Clear, resellable terms – super important with PLR

💎 Try:


Realistic Income Potential from PLR in 2026

The earning potential for PLR products is huge. While selling PLR products isn’t a “get rich quick” scheme, it is seriously scalable.

This is because you pay the purchase price one time. You make your rebrand and all your edits, and you list it for sale.

Then you can list them anywhere you like!

You can sell them on Etsy, Shopify, via Stripe, or on your own website. Or do a mix which is my preferred way to market them!

If you sell just:

  • 20 copies at $15 = $300
  • 100 copies at $15 = $1,500
  • Add in more products and it compounds really fast.

Once your PLR products are live, they can sell over and over again without you touching them. This is how people make money, even while asleep!

Making Money Online With PLR Content In 2026 green image saying "make money online" showing coffee and a smartphone

Common PLR Mistakes to Avoid

There are of course a few common mistakes people make.

The main ones to avoid are:

Using the product as-is without editing it.

Duplicate content doesn’t do well. It needs to look and feel like your own product. You are buying a done-for-you template. An example would be if you bought this planner, you would change the font, the colouring, the cover page and put your own name/branding on it.

Doesn’t need a mega overhaul, but it needs to look and feel like YOURS.

Buying from low-quality or unclear sources.

Making sure you have that PLR license is the most important thing. It needs to state it really clearly that the product you are looking for comes with PLR. 

The tricky thing with buying really cheap/low quality products is that you may find that the format isn’t quite right so you have to spend hours resetting little lines into place to make it look decent.

You may find there are missing numbers, wrong days on a calendar page (for example two Sundays but no Tuesday…) or it’s full of typos etc. 

High quality, with clear PLR is 100% the best option.

Ignoring your niche. 

Don’t grab something that looks cool but isn’t related to what your content is about. No matter how tempting! Always choose PLR that fits your audience.

Quick note, if you want to buy those cool products and have a completely separate Etsy or Shopify store that isn’t linked back to your content then absolutely do that! You will just need to promote/market it differently.

Forgetting to market your products once they’re done.

This is something we all do lol. You buy your high-quality PLR product bundle, spend time getting items rebranded and fitting to your own brand, you get them listed and live on your Shopify or Etsy store, and then you move onto the next…. People can’t buy products they don’t know are there lol.

Tell people about them. Market them however suits you and your content!

The more you get up and live, the bigger store you have, the more options people will have to see and purchase your products.

Final Thoughts On How PLR Content Can Help You Make More Money Online in 2026

PLR isn’t about taking shortcuts, it’s about speeding up the process and removing a lot of the overwhelm. Using PLR is about being smart with your time and energy. You’re not cutting corners; you’re just working smarter.

2026 is the year to stop overthinking and start selling.

Done is better than perfect!

There’s honestly no reason to wait months to launch your first product when PLR gives you the option to start today.

Grab a product or bundle, set up an Etsy store or a Shopify store (Shopify is currently giving a free trial AND 3 months at just $1 a month), edit your products and get them live and you’re done!

green shopify ADVERT IMAGE promoting 3 day free trial and then $1 a month for 3 months

So whether you want to:

  • Grow your passive income
  • Build a product shop

or

  • Create a side hustle from home…

PLR is your fastest route there.

Start small, choose a platform, rebrand with your own touch, and get your first products up for sale ASAP. Because the faster you take action and start, the faster the money follows! 

Let me know which PLR products you get!

Related posts you can read next:

47 Ways To Make $100 In A Day

25 Ways To Make $600 Quickly

Full Infomational Post on Shopify

Speak soon!

Katherine

📌 Pin for later 📌

Making Money Online With PLR Content In 2026

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Top 5 Tools You Need as a New Blogger https://katherinemclee.com/tools-you-need-as-a-new-blogger/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tools-you-need-as-a-new-blogger https://katherinemclee.com/tools-you-need-as-a-new-blogger/#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:53:58 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=14474

In this post we are going to go over the top 5 tools you need as a new blogger! Why the Right Tools Matter in 2025 As with starting any new business/side hustle, getting it properly set up from the start can make a world of a difference!  It’s always easier after the fact to know what you should have done. But I’m hoping I can save you from that extra level of trial and error, by sharing the top must-have tools for growing your blog in 2025, and beyond! As with any side hustle/business, the right tools are what help you grow, save you time, and help you make money. I wasted SO much time in the beginning trying to do everything manually or using the wrong tools lol. Once I found the ones that actually worked, everything started clicking into place. These are tools I love/use to this day and are the I wish I had from the beginning as they would have helped so much. A lot of these are super low cost or have free options to be able to have a go first and you can then upgrade if/when you feel ready to! If you’re serious about growing your blog (not just writing for fun/as a hobby, but you are actually building something profitable), then having the right tools in your kit is honestly non-negotiable. I know firsthand how overwhelming it can feel when you’re just starting out. Or even if you’ve been at it a while but feel stuck as that happens to more people than you realise – we have honestly all been there! There are SO many options out there, and it’s hard to know what’s worth investing your time, money, and energy into. That’s exactly why I’ve put together this post for you. These are my favourite, can’t-blog-without-them tools that have made blogging SO much easier, more enjoyable, and more profitable. Whether you’re trying to grow your audience, increase your income, or just enjoy the behind-the-scenes side of bloggging more, these tools are my top recommendations for 2025 and beyond.  Let’s get into these must-have blogging tools, because when you’re using the right tools, everything gets sooo much easier! 1. HostGator: Reliable & Affordable Hosting If you’re just getting started with your blog, the first thing you need is a domain name and hosting!  HostGator is what I personally use and recommend. I’ve used it across multiple blogs for years and I still love it! It’s affordable, super reliable, and beginner-friendly which is exactly what you need when you are setting everything up. It has 24/7 live chat which is a life saver when you accidentally crash your blog and are presented with an error screen at 1am lol – we have all been there!  They get you back up and running so fast no matter what timezone you are in. Highly, highly recommended. They nearly always have offers on for cheap domains or super low cost hosting etc so worth checking out. I’ve been with them for years from the very start of my blogging journey and have no plans to change any time soon! ➡️ Get Hosting with HostGator Here  Quick note before you carry on! I have a free download for you! Grab these FREE content prompts and get a peek behind the scenes of my blogging system! 2. MailerLite: My Preferred Email Marketing Platform If I could go back to day one, I would immediately sign up with MailerLite.  They have a completely free plan you can use until you outgrow it so no extra start up costs which we love! Email marketing is one of the most powerful things you can do in your blogging business. And MailerLite makes it so simple! Even if you’ve never written a newsletter in your life! Having your own email list is so valuable. I think most bloggers (myself included) put off starting one though at the beginning as we think we don’t need one, we think it’s complicated or will cost a lot. Nope, nope and nope! Your email list is your direct contact for people who have shown they are interested in your content/what you are offering. This is such a powerful marketing tool! If you don’t want to create a freebie to offer people in exchange for their email initially, you can put on a little form or pop up that lets people just sign up to your newsletter and then you can email them tips and tricks, offers or even ask questions.  Don’t be worrying that people won’t sign up, you will be surprised! Another good reason to sign up early is that you can get used to sending emails (or even just creating pop ups, forms and emails) even before you get an audience. That way it’s not overwhelmingly new when you do grow (and you will), and you can happily send those newsletters! Why I love Mailerlite specifically (and why it’s a great choice for everyone): It’s one of the platforms I’ve stuck with long-term. I’ve stuck with it because MailerLite does exactly what I need it to, without overwhelming me with complexity or too many options/features which is not my idea of fun lol. ➡️ Start With MailerLite Free and start building your list the right way. 3. Keysearch: Keyword Research Made Simple Keywords are so so important. In my early days of blogging I didn’t take much notice of them in all honesty. I thought I could get things ranking without them (?!). It didn’t take me long to realise that you REALLY do need to focus on keywords and keyword research but the amazing news is that it is a lot simpler than it sounds, makes a huge difference to your posts and tools like KeySearch make it SO easy. SEO really doesn’t have to be scary. Keysearch is one of the easiest tools to use that I’ve found, especially as a beginner. They have a free plan where you get 5 free searches a day and this will give you a really good idea of how to use it, and just how helpful it is. Then if you upgrade to their paid plan like I did, it’s super affordable and gives you so many searches, not just for keywords but also for search terms, inspiration, competition levels, search and how hard it is to rank! If you want to grow your blog traffic without relying entirely on Pinterest or social media (which is never a good idea as social media especially can be so temperamental lol), this is a must have.. I’ve tried a few keyword tools over my time blogging, but Keysearch stands out for beginners and for anyone wanting to grow their blog. It’s incredibly easy to understand and use (same cannot be said for all lol) but is still powerful enough to show you traffic-driving keywords that you otherwise may never have thought of. Here’s what I love about KeySearch: Without it, I wasted hours writing posts that never ranked lol. But the IDEAS it gave as much as the keywords/difficulty itself was absolutely worth it and made blogging and content creation SO much easier. ➡️ Try Keysearch Here for Free! BONUS: If you’re really serious about making money with your blog and feel you need even more features, I would recommend SEMrush! SEMrush is one of the ultimate platforms when it comes to SEO and Keywords. It’s used by pros all across the world and comes with a free trial so you can test it before committing which is amazing. It does quite a lot more than KeySearch so you only need this if you are already good with keyword research and want to take your blog to the next level. It’s pricier, but definitely worth it if you’re ready to take your blog to serious heights! ➡️ Try SEMrush here! 4. Legal Pages Bundle: Blog Legally from Day One Legal pages. Ahhh legal pages.  These are one of the aspects of having a blog that most people (in the early days) think they don’t need, or think they can use a free template and that will suffice… Literally, we all did lol. But here’s the truth… legal pages are not something you can skip over or half-ass.  You really must protect your blog and yourself on a legal level. This is especially important if you are/want to be an affiliate for companies or run ads etc! I bought This Legal Bundle early on (as soon as I realised that free legal pages don’t do/cover anything) and have zero regrets.  One off purchase. A lot cheaper in a bundle. Live in 15 mins. Ideal! The Starter Bundle includes all the pages you need; a privacy policy, terms and conditions page and disclaimer page. All tailored specifically to your country/self/blog, and all created by a real lawyer. You buy the bundle of templates, edit the parts/remove the parts that you don’t need, and can get them live in around 15 mins. Super easy. Super quick and fully covered. It’s really easy to do too. you get step-by-step instructions, fill-in-the spaces/edit the clearly marked sections, and make them live.  It’s one of the best investments you can make for your peace of mind (and your blog’s future).  You will also find that when looking to become an affiliate for certain companies/brands, they will ask/want to see your legal pages to make sure you’re legit. If you want to protect yourself and your blog, have peace of mind and look professional to brands and companies, a Lawyer-written legal pages bundle is a non-negotiable. ➡️ Get The Legal Bundle Here! Protect your blog in half an hour or less! 5. A High-Quality Blogging Course Finding a blogging course that ACTUALLY teaches you how to grow a blog and make money blogging is harder than it sounds. Having taken a few in the early stages of blogging, I found that as much as some were okay, a lot were full of fluff or not overly actionable. And it can cost a lot to take multiple courses that don’t offer much real life value back. There is one that I recommend though, as it is no-fluff, easy to follow, SO MUCH INFORMATION (in the best way), easy to digest and implement, and really notice a true difference with… and it’s Perfecting Blogging. I have a full review/breakdown of the course right here in my full course review! Anyone who has been around for any length of time knows how much I love this course lol. It’s one of the only courses I recommend as I find a lot of courses really hard to follow, too simple, or not engaging enough.  Perfecting Blogging is the opposite. It’s amazing, especially for newer bloggers or anyone wanting a boost/to change up their strategies a bit. Updates for the course are free too. This means you can get new/updated modules for life with no extra cost. (Can you see why I love it yet lol.) Grab Perfecting Blogging Here And here’s the really exciting part! The course creator Sophia (who earns 7+ figures from blogging AND products) is now adding free bonus modules on how to grow a physical product business. All in the same course! She’s going deep into how she turned her planner business into a multi-million dollar part of her brand. And if you already own the course? You get the updates for free. ➡️ Check Out the Blogging Course Here Those are my top 5 must-have tools for growing your blog in 2025 (and beyond), but I wanted to add in two other tools I use daily. You can use these two completely for free, but they can make SUCH a difference and make your blogging liffe so much easier. Bonus Tools: The 2 Free Tools Every Blogger Should Be Using! While the five tools above are my absolute go-tos for blogging, I couldn’t stop there without sharing two completely free tools...

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In this post we are going to go over the top 5 tools you need as a new blogger!

Why the Right Tools Matter in 2025

As with starting any new business/side hustle, getting it properly set up from the start can make a world of a difference! 

It’s always easier after the fact to know what you should have done. But I’m hoping I can save you from that extra level of trial and error, by sharing the top must-have tools for growing your blog in 2025, and beyond!

As with any side hustle/business, the right tools are what help you grow, save you time, and help you make money.

I wasted SO much time in the beginning trying to do everything manually or using the wrong tools lol. Once I found the ones that actually worked, everything started clicking into place.

These are tools I love/use to this day and are the I wish I had from the beginning as they would have helped so much.

A lot of these are super low cost or have free options to be able to have a go first and you can then upgrade if/when you feel ready to!

If you’re serious about growing your blog (not just writing for fun/as a hobby, but you are actually building something profitable), then having the right tools in your kit is honestly non-negotiable.

I know firsthand how overwhelming it can feel when you’re just starting out. Or even if you’ve been at it a while but feel stuck as that happens to more people than you realise – we have honestly all been there!

There are SO many options out there, and it’s hard to know what’s worth investing your time, money, and energy into. That’s exactly why I’ve put together this post for you. These are my favourite, can’t-blog-without-them tools that have made blogging SO much easier, more enjoyable, and more profitable.

Whether you’re trying to grow your audience, increase your income, or just enjoy the behind-the-scenes side of bloggging more, these tools are my top recommendations for 2025 and beyond. 

Let’s get into these must-have blogging tools, because when you’re using the right tools, everything gets sooo much easier!

1. HostGator: Reliable & Affordable Hosting

If you’re just getting started with your blog, the first thing you need is a domain name and hosting!  HostGator is what I personally use and recommend. I’ve used it across multiple blogs for years and I still love it!

It’s affordable, super reliable, and beginner-friendly which is exactly what you need when you are setting everything up.

It has 24/7 live chat which is a life saver when you accidentally crash your blog and are presented with an error screen at 1am lol – we have all been there! 

They get you back up and running so fast no matter what timezone you are in. Highly, highly recommended.

They nearly always have offers on for cheap domains or super low cost hosting etc so worth checking out. I’ve been with them for years from the very start of my blogging journey and have no plans to change any time soon!

➡ Get Hosting with HostGator Here 

Quick note before you carry on! I have a free download for you! Grab these FREE content prompts and get a peek behind the scenes of my blogging system!

free content prompt ebook download katherine mclee

2. MailerLite: My Preferred Email Marketing Platform

If I could go back to day one, I would immediately sign up with MailerLite. 

They have a completely free plan you can use until you outgrow it so no extra start up costs which we love!

Email marketing is one of the most powerful things you can do in your blogging business. And MailerLite makes it so simple!

Even if you’ve never written a newsletter in your life!

Having your own email list is so valuable. I think most bloggers (myself included) put off starting one though at the beginning as we think we don’t need one, we think it’s complicated or will cost a lot. Nope, nope and nope!

Your email list is your direct contact for people who have shown they are interested in your content/what you are offering. This is such a powerful marketing tool!

If you don’t want to create a freebie to offer people in exchange for their email initially, you can put on a little form or pop up that lets people just sign up to your newsletter and then you can email them tips and tricks, offers or even ask questions. 

Don’t be worrying that people won’t sign up, you will be surprised!

Another good reason to sign up early is that you can get used to sending emails (or even just creating pop ups, forms and emails) even before you get an audience. That way it’s not overwhelmingly new when you do grow (and you will), and you can happily send those newsletters!

Why I love Mailerlite specifically (and why it’s a great choice for everyone):

  • Their free plan is amazing. I used their free plan for a good while before upgrading! You can have up to 1,000 subscribers on the free plan, and you still get access to automations. (Automations being when a sequence of emails goes out after someone meets a certain criteria).
  • You can set up pop-ups, landing pages, welcome automations, and product funnels without needing a tech degree. Quick and simple to customize!
  • It’s clean and really easy to use. It has drag-and-drop editors, email flows, forms etc. You do get more with a paid plan, but once you get used to the free plan, it doesn’t take long to set those things up and get them how you like them!
  • You can easily build funnels for freebies, tripwires, and digital products. There’s so much you can do, even on the free plan. This makes it ideal for anyone wanting to get into email marketing.
  • I’ve used it for both regular newsletters, for automated sequences, pop ups, landing pages, embedded forms etc etc and love it! You will notice any email you get from me says “Mailerlite” at the bottom of it!

It’s one of the platforms I’ve stuck with long-term. I’ve stuck with it because MailerLite does exactly what I need it to, without overwhelming me with complexity or too many options/features which is not my idea of fun lol.

➡ Start With MailerLite Free and start building your list the right way.

3. Keysearch: Keyword Research Made Simple

Keywords are so so important. In my early days of blogging I didn’t take much notice of them in all honesty. I thought I could get things ranking without them (?!). It didn’t take me long to realise that you REALLY do need to focus on keywords and keyword research but the amazing news is that it is a lot simpler than it sounds, makes a huge difference to your posts and tools like KeySearch make it SO easy.

SEO really doesn’t have to be scary. Keysearch is one of the easiest tools to use that I’ve found, especially as a beginner. They have a free plan where you get 5 free searches a day and this will give you a really good idea of how to use it, and just how helpful it is.

Then if you upgrade to their paid plan like I did, it’s super affordable and gives you so many searches, not just for keywords but also for search terms, inspiration, competition levels, search and how hard it is to rank!

If you want to grow your blog traffic without relying entirely on Pinterest or social media (which is never a good idea as social media especially can be so temperamental lol), this is a must have..

I’ve tried a few keyword tools over my time blogging, but Keysearch stands out for beginners and for anyone wanting to grow their blog. It’s incredibly easy to understand and use (same cannot be said for all lol) but is still powerful enough to show you traffic-driving keywords that you otherwise may never have thought of.

Here’s what I love about KeySearch:

  • You can find low-competition keywords which are perfect for new blogs
  • It gives you a full breakdown of keyword difficulty, volume, and competitor analysis – even colour coded to make it easier
  • The Content Assistant helps you write posts with the right SEO terms built-in
  • It’s SO affordable even once upgraded from the free plan

Without it, I wasted hours writing posts that never ranked lol. But the IDEAS it gave as much as the keywords/difficulty itself was absolutely worth it and made blogging and content creation SO much easier.

➡ Try Keysearch Here for Free!

BONUS: If you’re really serious about making money with your blog and feel you need even more features, I would recommend SEMrush! SEMrush is one of the ultimate platforms when it comes to SEO and Keywords. It’s used by pros all across the world and comes with a free trial so you can test it before committing which is amazing.

It does quite a lot more than KeySearch so you only need this if you are already good with keyword research and want to take your blog to the next level. It’s pricier, but definitely worth it if you’re ready to take your blog to serious heights!

➡ Try SEMrush here!

4. Legal Pages Bundle: Blog Legally from Day One

Legal pages. Ahhh legal pages. 

These are one of the aspects of having a blog that most people (in the early days) think they don’t need, or think they can use a free template and that will suffice…

Literally, we all did lol.

But here’s the truth… legal pages are not something you can skip over or half-ass. 

You really must protect your blog and yourself on a legal level. This is especially important if you are/want to be an affiliate for companies or run ads etc!

I bought This Legal Bundle early on (as soon as I realised that free legal pages don’t do/cover anything) and have zero regrets. 

One off purchase. A lot cheaper in a bundle. Live in 15 mins. Ideal!

The Starter Bundle includes all the pages you need; a privacy policy, terms and conditions page and disclaimer page. All tailored specifically to your country/self/blog, and all created by a real lawyer.

You buy the bundle of templates, edit the parts/remove the parts that you don’t need, and can get them live in around 15 mins. Super easy. Super quick and fully covered.

It’s really easy to do too. you get step-by-step instructions, fill-in-the spaces/edit the clearly marked sections, and make them live. 

It’s one of the best investments you can make for your peace of mind (and your blog’s future). 

You will also find that when looking to become an affiliate for certain companies/brands, they will ask/want to see your legal pages to make sure you’re legit.

If you want to protect yourself and your blog, have peace of mind and look professional to brands and companies, a Lawyer-written legal pages bundle is a non-negotiable.

➡ Get The Legal Bundle Here! Protect your blog in half an hour or less!

5. A High-Quality Blogging Course

Finding a blogging course that ACTUALLY teaches you how to grow a blog and make money blogging is harder than it sounds.

Having taken a few in the early stages of blogging, I found that as much as some were okay, a lot were full of fluff or not overly actionable.

And it can cost a lot to take multiple courses that don’t offer much real life value back.

There is one that I recommend though, as it is no-fluff, easy to follow, SO MUCH INFORMATION (in the best way), easy to digest and implement, and really notice a true difference with… and it’s Perfecting Blogging.

I have a full review/breakdown of the course right here in my full course review!

Anyone who has been around for any length of time knows how much I love this course lol. It’s one of the only courses I recommend as I find a lot of courses really hard to follow, too simple, or not engaging enough. 

Perfecting Blogging is the opposite. It’s amazing, especially for newer bloggers or anyone wanting a boost/to change up their strategies a bit.

Updates for the course are free too. This means you can get new/updated modules for life with no extra cost.

(Can you see why I love it yet lol.)

Grab Perfecting Blogging Here

And here’s the really exciting part! The course creator Sophia (who earns 7+ figures from blogging AND products) is now adding free bonus modules on how to grow a physical product business. All in the same course!

She’s going deep into how she turned her planner business into a multi-million dollar part of her brand. And if you already own the course? You get the updates for free.

➡ Check Out the Blogging Course Here

Those are my top 5 must-have tools for growing your blog in 2025 (and beyond), but I wanted to add in two other tools I use daily. You can use these two completely for free, but they can make SUCH a difference and make your blogging liffe so much easier.

Bonus Tools: The 2 Free Tools Every Blogger Should Be Using!

While the five tools above are my absolute go-tos for blogging, I couldn’t stop there without sharing two completely free tools that have helped me grow and saved so much time overall!

6. Pinterest – For Free Blog Traffic From Day 1

I started using Pinterest after the hype I heard about it for marketing your blog/blog posts in Perfecting Blogging. Once you get the hang of it (and accept their temperamental algorithm changes), it’s an amazing way to get free traffic to your website or blog.

Pinterest was always known as a place for recipes, crafts and wedding dress inspo. And while it’s still incredible for exactly that, it really is so much more. 

The beauty of Pinterest is that it’s a visual seach engine – not a social media.   

And on top of that, it’s one of the most powerful search engines out there for bloggers!

That means the content you pin today can keep bringing in traffic for months or even years from now.

The other good thing with Pinterest is that you can get clicks through to your website instantly! As soon as you upload a pin, it goes into the Pinterest engine and can be seen/saved/clicked through there and then.

Just a quick note; as with everything, it does take time for Pinterest to understand what your account is about. It uses your pins, titles, descriptions, boards, profile etc to work out what your content is about and who to show it to. Because of this, it does take a few months of consistent pinning of fresh pins for Pinterest to really start pushing out your pins. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that people CAN see and click through your pins as soon as they go up.

For a lot more in depth information on Pinterest pins, fresh pins, strategies, etc so you can ride the Pinterest wave instead of spending years of trial and error, you can get this Pinterest Course here!

I’ve had posts go from zero to literally hundreds of visits thanks to ONE pin doing well!

If you’re a blogger or content creator and you’re not using Pinterest yet, take this as your sign to start. 

7. Canva – The Best (and Easiest) Image Creation Tool

Canva (even the free plan) is the best way to create images for your blog, header images, logos, pins for Pinterest and so much more.

It’s really easy to use, has so many templates, photos, backgrounds, videos and elements you can use.

Canva makes it really easy to create social media images as much as custom blog photos and elements! 

If you find you want some more freedom in terms of the elements you have access to you can upgrade to the Pro plan, but there’s really no need at all until you want to!

Canva is one of those tools I honestly didn’t know I needed until I got it lol.

When you start to grow your Email List you can also use their eBook and other templates to use as email freebies. Not only that but you can use it to create product mock-ups for Etsy or any other products you may want to show!

You don’t need to be experienced in graphic design to use it either! Everything is drag and drop and super simple to get the hang of with a little practice!

It’s perfect for bloggers (or anyone) who wants their content to look polished without spending hours in Photoshop.

Conclusion

Honestly, you don’t need a huge amount of tools to make a success of your blog. Don’t buy into the hype that you need to spend thousands to make money blogging!

A few good ones (like the ones I mentioned above) will make all the difference on their own!

I think like so many new bloggers, when I first started blogging I was completely overloaded with information as to what tools to get/use. I ended up using/trying/buying SO many (not a good strategy lol) but these are the few that ACTUALLY work and are genuinely helpful. 

Blogging (for an income) is a long game, so having the tools to help ease up, quicken up and streamline that process is truly the most valuable thing.

You don’t need all of the above at once either! 

Sign up to the ones you need initially (such as Hostgator, Legal Pages and the Blogging Course) and add in Mailerlite and Keysearch/SemRush down the line!

Got questions? Drop me a comment or come and find me on Pinterest! 😀

Speak soon!

Katherine McLee signature black and white

📌 Pin for later 📌

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Using AI for Blogging: A Simple Guide https://katherinemclee.com/using-ai-for-blogging-a-simple-guide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=using-ai-for-blogging-a-simple-guide https://katherinemclee.com/using-ai-for-blogging-a-simple-guide/#comments Wed, 17 Jul 2024 07:30:00 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=11032

In this post we will be going over using AI for blogging and the ways it can enhance your content. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage just now and while many avoid it, it can be a powerful tool for bloggers when used correctly. I want to preface this by reminding everyone reading this that you shouldn’t be using AI to WRITE full blog posts or content, but as a tool it can be incredibly helpful. AI, when used correctly, can be a game-changer for bloggers. It can help to streamline the content creation process, improve SEO, and spark more ideas and inspiration. By integrating AI thoughtfully and carefully into your blogging, you can maintain the authenticity of your own personal voice and vibe while leveraging technology to enhance your content and content creation process. Let’s now get into how to use AI for blogging for maximum effect. How to Use AI for Blogging There are a few different ways you can use AI for blogging. Here’s a quick list of a few of the most common benefits of using AI for your blog:  Content Inspiration: AI can generate topic ideas based on current trends and audience preferences, helping you stay relevant and keep your content fresh. Improved SEO: AI tools can analyse search trends, suggest relevant keywords, and provide insights on optimising your content for better search engine rankings. Quality Improvement: AI-powered grammar and readability tools can help refine your writing, ensuring your content is clear, error-free, and engaging. Consistency: AI can help maintain a consistent posting schedule, ensuring that your blog remains active and up-to-date. Audience Insights: AI can analyse audience behaviour and feedback, providing valuable data on what types of content resonate most with your readers. Data-Driven Decisions: AI can provide detailed analytics and reports, helping you make informed decisions based on real data rather than intuition. Inspiration Boost: AI can suggest new angles and perspectives on topics, sparking creativity and helping you overcome writer’s block. Scalability: As your blog grows, AI can help manage the increased workload by automating tasks and providing scalable options and solutions to suit you and your blog. Trend Analysis: AI can keep you updated on the latest trends in your industry, helping you create timely and relevant content. Improved Accessibility: AI tools can assist in creating more accessible content, such as by suggesting alternative text for images or ensuring your content meets readability standards. How Can You Implement AI Into Your Blogging? Sparking Ideas and Inspiration Even the most creative minds can hit a block when it comes to blogging and content ideas! AI can serve as an amazing source of inspiration when you’re struggling to come up with new topics or different angles. By analysing popular content and trending topics, AI can suggest fresh ideas that resonate with your target audience. Additionally, AI tools can help you identify keyword ideas, allowing you to create unique content that stands out. By utilising AI as a blogger, you can save time, get loads of new ideas for keywords, help your SEO and content creation, and maintain a consistent posting schedule, all while staying informed and inspired! Once you have your keyword ideas you can then input into your Keyword Research Tool to narrow down on exactly what you are going to write about! For more information on Keywords, this post goes more in depth but in an easy to understand way! Research Assistance AI tools can gather information really quickly from various sources. This can provide a comprehensive overview of literally any topic you’re interested in! This saves you the time and effort of manually sifting through a lot of different articles. While your own research and fact checking is important (AI doesn’t always get things right!), it can certainly help speed things up in the earlier stages of content creation! For lengthy articles or information, AI can help to generate a summary for you. This allows you to quickly understand the main points without having to read everything in detail.  Streamlining the Content Creation Process One of the most time-consuming aspects of blogging (I’m sure you’ll agree) is the research and pre-planning of your post before even writing the post itself! AI can assist you in giving you information on a particular topic quickly and in an easy to understand fashion.  Quick tip: If you ever don’t understand something AI has said, or something from the internet, ask AI to reword it in a more broken down/simplified way and this should help! Once you’ve written your content, AI can help you to refine it by checking for grammar and how easy it is to read for your audience! It can check that  your writing is clear and error-free. AI can also suggest improvements to make your content more compelling and easier to understand but be aware to really double check all suggestions as it’s not always as natural sounding as it should be! Enhancing SEO Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is so important for any blogger wanting to increase their visibility and reach a bigger audience!  AI can analyse current trends, keywords, and search algorithms to provide insights on the best strategies for optimising your content. With AI tools, you can track the performance of your posts to make data-driven decisions! AI can also provide insights on how to optimise your blog content for better search engine rankings, helping you attract even more readers. Improving Readability and Engagement AI tools can also help you to refine your writing to make it more engaging and accessible to more people. Tools like grammar checkers, readability analysers, and tone detectors can help you fine-tune your content to ensure it’s easy to read and resonates with your audience! It’s really important you don’t let the AI content take over your personal voice in your blog! Using AI to help improve readability isn’t about solely using AI, it is just a tool that can help if you aren’t sure a certain point or sentence doesn’t quite make sense etc. Common Questions About Using AI for Blogging Can AI Replace Human Writers? Is AI-Generated Content SEO-Friendly? How Accurate is AI in Understanding Context? Is Using AI for Blogging Expensive? More Questions People Have About Using AI for Blogging In addition to the commonly asked questions previously discussed, here are some more inquiries people might have about using AI for blogging, along with concise answers: How Can AI Help With Keyword Research? Can AI-generated Content Rank Well on Google? While AI can certainly help assist, Google especially is after HUMAN content where it helps other people. If it’s AI written fully, Google will know and won’t show your content. This can also harm your blog’s credibility. Is AI Ethical To Use in Content Creation? What Are The Limitations of Using AI For blogging? Concerns About Using AI to Help With Blogging While AI does offer many benefits for bloggers, there are several concerns and potential drawbacks that you may have.  Understanding these concerns can help you to make informed decisions about integrating AI into your blogging/content creation! While AI has loads of benefits, it’s important to use it ethically. As mentioned earlier, relying too heavily on AI for content creation can lead to a loss of your personal touch and authenticity.  Always ensure that your voice remains at the forefront of your blog. Use AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for your creativity and expertise as YOU are what your readers want to read and know. Benefits of Using AI Voice Overs for Blog Posts Adding AI voice overs into your blog posts and blog content can have numerous advantages It can enhance the accessibility, engagement, and reach of your content. While it won’t be for everyone, for some niches voice overs can work SO well. Whether you want a section of your post or the whole post available as an audio option, the option is there! You can of course use your own voice to record voice overs if you’re comfortable with this. The other option is to use an AI voice over tool such as ElevenLabs. Often AI tools work on a character basis.  This means you type in/copy text in of what you would like to be read out, generate the speech (you choose the voice you would like too) and then download it as an audio file! Super simple!  If you’re needing less than 10,000 characters per month then it’s free too! They have paid plans at really affordable prices too. For example the first paid plan is only $5 a month for up to 30,000 characters! There are 3 further plan options if you need them too. For all of the plans you get to use any of the 29 different voices they have available to you. I’ve included a snippet of a few of the voices as an example of how different they sound and how you can choose whichever suits your content the best! ElevenLabs is also an amazing way to do video voice overs for your blog, for YouTube, TikTok or any other platform where you are sharing your video content. You can easily add this voice clip into a video editing software or even Canva to easily add voice overs to video clips! I hope this has been helpful in clarifying a few points regarding using AI for blogging. I also hope it has alleviated any concerns you may have had about using AI to help you in creating content but without either feeling “icky” about using it, or without being penalised by Google. As you can see from the voice over software above, there are some amazing ways to utilise AI for your blog or for other forms of content creation! Do you use AI for your blog? Have you ever tried voice overs for blog or video content? Let me know in the comments below! Speak soon! 📌 Pin for later 📌

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In this post we will be going over using AI for blogging and the ways it can enhance your content.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage just now and while many avoid it, it can be a powerful tool for bloggers when used correctly.

I want to preface this by reminding everyone reading this that you shouldn’t be using AI to WRITE full blog posts or content, but as a tool it can be incredibly helpful.

AI, when used correctly, can be a game-changer for bloggers.

It can help to streamline the content creation process, improve SEO, and spark more ideas and inspiration.

By integrating AI thoughtfully and carefully into your blogging, you can maintain the authenticity of your own personal voice and vibe while leveraging technology to enhance your content and content creation process.

Let’s now get into how to use AI for blogging for maximum effect.


58 - Using AI For Blogging


How to Use AI for Blogging

There are a few different ways you can use AI for blogging.

Here’s a quick list of a few of the most common benefits of using AI for your blog: 

Content Inspiration: AI can generate topic ideas based on current trends and audience preferences, helping you stay relevant and keep your content fresh.

Improved SEO: AI tools can analyse search trends, suggest relevant keywords, and provide insights on optimising your content for better search engine rankings.

Quality Improvement: AI-powered grammar and readability tools can help refine your writing, ensuring your content is clear, error-free, and engaging.

Consistency: AI can help maintain a consistent posting schedule, ensuring that your blog remains active and up-to-date.

Audience Insights: AI can analyse audience behaviour and feedback, providing valuable data on what types of content resonate most with your readers.

Data-Driven Decisions: AI can provide detailed analytics and reports, helping you make informed decisions based on real data rather than intuition.

Inspiration Boost: AI can suggest new angles and perspectives on topics, sparking creativity and helping you overcome writer’s block.

Scalability: As your blog grows, AI can help manage the increased workload by automating tasks and providing scalable options and solutions to suit you and your blog.

Trend Analysis: AI can keep you updated on the latest trends in your industry, helping you create timely and relevant content.

Improved Accessibility: AI tools can assist in creating more accessible content, such as by suggesting alternative text for images or ensuring your content meets readability standards.

How Can You Implement AI Into Your Blogging?

Sparking Ideas and Inspiration

Even the most creative minds can hit a block when it comes to blogging and content ideas! AI can serve as an amazing source of inspiration when you’re struggling to come up with new topics or different angles.

By analysing popular content and trending topics, AI can suggest fresh ideas that resonate with your target audience. Additionally, AI tools can help you identify keyword ideas, allowing you to create unique content that stands out.

By utilising AI as a blogger, you can save time, get loads of new ideas for keywords, help your SEO and content creation, and maintain a consistent posting schedule, all while staying informed and inspired!

Once you have your keyword ideas you can then input into your Keyword Research Tool to narrow down on exactly what you are going to write about!

For more information on Keywords, this post goes more in depth but in an easy to understand way!

Research Assistance

AI tools can gather information really quickly from various sources. This can provide a comprehensive overview of literally any topic you’re interested in!

This saves you the time and effort of manually sifting through a lot of different articles. While your own research and fact checking is important (AI doesn’t always get things right!), it can certainly help speed things up in the earlier stages of content creation!

For lengthy articles or information, AI can help to generate a summary for you. This allows you to quickly understand the main points without having to read everything in detail. 

Streamlining the Content Creation Process

One of the most time-consuming aspects of blogging (I’m sure you’ll agree) is the research and pre-planning of your post before even writing the post itself!

AI can assist you in giving you information on a particular topic quickly and in an easy to understand fashion. 

Quick tip: If you ever don’t understand something AI has said, or something from the internet, ask AI to reword it in a more broken down/simplified way and this should help!

Once you’ve written your content, AI can help you to refine it by checking for grammar and how easy it is to read for your audience! It can check that  your writing is clear and error-free. AI can also suggest improvements to make your content more compelling and easier to understand but be aware to really double check all suggestions as it’s not always as natural sounding as it should be!

Enhancing SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is so important for any blogger wanting to increase their visibility and reach a bigger audience! 

AI can analyse current trends, keywords, and search algorithms to provide insights on the best strategies for optimising your content. With AI tools, you can track the performance of your posts to make data-driven decisions!

AI can also provide insights on how to optimise your blog content for better search engine rankings, helping you attract even more readers.

Improving Readability and Engagement

AI tools can also help you to refine your writing to make it more engaging and accessible to more people.

Tools like grammar checkers, readability analysers, and tone detectors can help you fine-tune your content to ensure it’s easy to read and resonates with your audience!

It’s really important you don’t let the AI content take over your personal voice in your blog! Using AI to help improve readability isn’t about solely using AI, it is just a tool that can help if you aren’t sure a certain point or sentence doesn’t quite make sense etc.

Common Questions About Using AI for Blogging

Can AI Replace Human Writers?

  • AI can assist with drafting and generating ideas, but human writers like you and I are essential for creativity, personal touch, and nuanced understanding of topics! AI may have the facts (most of the time), but you will only get that human touch from an actual human.
  • AI tools can produce relevant content, but they lack the depth, emotion, and unique perspective that human writers bring and add to their content. Human writers excel at connecting with their readers on a personal level, which is crucial for maintaining a loyal audience!

Is AI-Generated Content SEO-Friendly?

  • Yes, AI can help optimise content for SEO, but human oversight is necessary to ensure the content is accurate, high quality and aligns with your brand voice. 
  • AI tools like Yoast SEO and Keysearch use algorithms to analyse content and provide recommendations for optimising keywords, meta descriptions, and readability. However, human review ensures that the content remains engaging and accurate.

How Accurate is AI in Understanding Context?

  • While AI has significantly improved in understanding context, it still requires human review to ensure accuracy and relevance!
  • While AI tools like GPT-4 are trained on huge amounts of data and can understand context to a certain degree, they can often still struggle with highly specialised topics or certain specific questions. This is why it’s so important for a real human to edit and refine any AI info/text to ensure it is contextually correct and  comes across like it’s been written by a human.

Is Using AI for Blogging Expensive?

  • There are both free and paid AI tools available. The cost depends on the tool’s capabilities and your specific needs.
  • Free tools like Chat GPT or Grammarly offer basic writing assistance, while premium versions provide advanced features like style and tone suggestions. Similarly, platforms like Keysearch offer various subscription plans based on the level of service required.

More Questions People Have About Using AI for Blogging

In addition to the commonly asked questions previously discussed, here are some more inquiries people might have about using AI for blogging, along with concise answers:

How Can AI Help With Keyword Research?

  • AI tools like Keysearch, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz use algorithms to analyse search data and suggest relevant keywords you can use in your content. They can identify high-traffic keywords, low-competition keywords, long-tail keywords, and keyword difficulty. All of these can help bloggers optimise their content for search engines!

Can AI-generated Content Rank Well on Google?

  • It can. AI-generated content can rank well if it is high-quality, informative, and optimised for SEO. As with the points above, human editing is necessary though to ensure the content is factual, human sounding and aligns with Google’s guidelines for valuable content. This is especially true after Google’s Helpful Content Update.

While AI can certainly help assist, Google especially is after HUMAN content where it helps other people. If it’s AI written fully, Google will know and won’t show your content. This can also harm your blog’s credibility.

Is AI Ethical To Use in Content Creation?

  • This is a tricky one as it can be a point of personal opinion. For most, the ethical use of AI in content creation highly depends on transparency and originality! If you use AI as an aid but keep the content your own, you’re all good! As a blogger you should disclose the use of AI tools where necessary and ensure that the content is original and not plagiarised/copy and pasted. It’s essential to use AI as a supplement to human creativity rather than a replacement!

What Are The Limitations of Using AI For blogging?

  • While AI can assist with many aspects of blogging, it has limitations, such as:
    • Creativity: AI may lack that creative flair and personal touch that a human writer can add/bring.
    • Context Understanding: AI tools can struggle with understanding complex or specific questions, and on occasion gets “facts” wrong too.
    • Dependency: Over-reliance on AI tools can lead to a lack of skill growth in writing and content creation. It will also go against getting found via search engines! Use AI as a tool, not as the backbone of your blog writing!

Concerns About Using AI to Help With Blogging

While AI does offer many benefits for bloggers, there are several concerns and potential drawbacks that you may have. 

Understanding these concerns can help you to make informed decisions about integrating AI into your blogging/content creation!

While AI has loads of benefits, it’s important to use it ethically. As mentioned earlier, relying too heavily on AI for content creation can lead to a loss of your personal touch and authenticity. 

Always ensure that your voice remains at the forefront of your blog. Use AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for your creativity and expertise as YOU are what your readers want to read and know.

Benefits of Using AI Voice Overs for Blog Posts

Adding AI voice overs into your blog posts and blog content can have numerous advantages It can enhance the accessibility, engagement, and reach of your content.

While it won’t be for everyone, for some niches voice overs can work SO well.

Whether you want a section of your post or the whole post available as an audio option, the option is there!


You can of course use your own voice to record voice overs if you’re comfortable with this.

The other option is to use an AI voice over tool such as ElevenLabs.

Often AI tools work on a character basis. 

This means you type in/copy text in of what you would like to be read out, generate the speech (you choose the voice you would like too) and then download it as an audio file! Super simple! 

If you’re needing less than 10,000 characters per month then it’s free too!

They have paid plans at really affordable prices too. For example the first paid plan is only $5 a month for up to 30,000 characters!

There are 3 further plan options if you need them too.

For all of the plans you get to use any of the 29 different voices they have available to you.

I’ve included a snippet of a few of the voices as an example of how different they sound and how you can choose whichever suits your content the best!

ElevenLabs is also an amazing way to do video voice overs for your blog, for YouTube, TikTok or any other platform where you are sharing your video content.


You can easily add this voice clip into a video editing software or even Canva to easily add voice overs to video clips!

I hope this has been helpful in clarifying a few points regarding using AI for blogging. I also hope it has alleviated any concerns you may have had about using AI to help you in creating content but without either feeling “icky” about using it, or without being penalised by Google.

As you can see from the voice over software above, there are some amazing ways to utilise AI for your blog or for other forms of content creation!

Do you use AI for your blog?

Have you ever tried voice overs for blog or video content?

Let me know in the comments below!

Speak soon!

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