Author: virginiabloggers@gmail.com

  • How to Find Your Best Performing Posts

    How to Find Your Best Performing Posts

    If you’re trying to find which blog posts are generating the most traffic on your site, you can find this in Google Analytics!

    Click on the lefthand menu, and scroll down to Reports. Under Reports, you’ll see Behavior. Under that, there is an option to see Site Content. When you click “All Pages” under Site Content, you’ll see your top performing posts based on Pageviews.

    Here’s what it should look like:

    Now you can see your top performing content!

    Take a look at 3-5 of your most popular blog posts, then ask yourself these questions:

    • Are these blog posts driving most of the traffic to your site?
    • Are these blog posts similar to each other? Any consistent theme?
    • Could you create more content similar to those best-performing posts?
    • Do you have related posts to get people to visit more pages from those popular posts?
  • 5 Essential WordPress Plugins

    5 Essential WordPress Plugins

    If you’re blogging on WordPress, you have access to a whole world of handy plugins. They make customizing and running your site easier and faster. The best part is, you don’t have to be a wizard with code or an expert in website design to use them. For the most part, you can simply download and activate them!

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    Today, I wanted to share a few of the most essential WordPress plugins that you should download for your blog!

    5 Essential WordPress Plugins

    Yoast- This plugin takes the guesswork out of SEO. You put in the keyword you want to rank for and it will help you optimize your post based on that phrase. It also lets you customize the meta description, which is the text that shows up under your link in Google search results.

    WP Rocket– Slow site? WP Rocket comes to the rescue! It lets do you activate things like lazy loading and browser caching. No idea what that means? That’s ok! These things optimize your site so the pages load faster. This not only creates a better experience for your readers, but it also helps you rank higher in search engines!

    MailMunch- Trying to grow that email list? MailMunch lets you create simple pop-ups that capture email addresses and integrate directly into your email provider. You can even A/B test different pop-ups to figure out what works best! Most of the basic features are free, but there are premium options available if you want to make additional customizations.

    Akismet- See ya later, spam. Akismet blocks spam comments so you don’t have to. Since launching my site in 2010, Akismet has blocked nearly 5,000 comments from my site. And the filter is pretty intuitive so it’s rare that a “real” comment is blocked!

    ValutPress– This plugin protects you from the most common — and most serious — security threats. From hackers to malware to simple user error, this plugin is essential if you ever need to restore your website! If anything ever happens to your blog, a quick, painless restore will bring it back to life.

    Most of these plugins are free, with the opportunity to pay for premium features depending on what you need. Always be sure to check and make sure they’re compatible with your version of WordPress before downloading!

    What plugins do you love?

  • 5 Books Every Blogger Should Read

    Whether you’re pursuing big dreams or you’re just trying to find a balance between work and family life, these books can help you find your way. As a blogger, I often find myself holding back on my goals because I’m afraid of what people will think or I’m worried that my plans won’t turn out exactly the way I want them to happen.

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    I also struggle with confidence and sometimes I need to be reminded that it’s ok to try, even if I fail. There are lessons to be learned and that’s all part of the process. Sometimes I need to shake off expectations whether they’re my own or the opinions of others. It can be tough to move past those feelings but I’ve found a few books that seem to speak directly to those beliefs.

    Whatever you’re blogging about or whatever business you’re growing, here are a few books that can help guide you.

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    Chasing Slow– The author of this book, Erin Loechner, is actually the blogger behind Design for Mankind. I found her book really interesting because she talks a lot about the challenges that came with always striving for better. As bloggers, we often feel like our lives have to be picture perfect. Whether you’re an aspiring minimalist or a travel blogger exploring the world, this one is a good reminder that constantly striving is no way to live.

    This book is for: Anyone with perfectionist tendencies that need to be reminded that it’s ok to take a few steps back.

    You Are a Badass– sometimes we need to be reminded that we’re smarter than we think. When it comes to blogging, you have to wear all the hats. Somedays you’re trying to solve a tech challenge on the back end of your site. Somedays you’re trying to figure out the photography piece. It’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed and doubting yourself. This book is a good reminder that you’re more awesome than you think. While you’re at it, snag her second book, You are a Badass at Making Money and get over your fear of finances.

    This book is for: Anyone who could use a confidence boost and a reminder that we are all uniquely awesome.

    The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***– I’m not sure what the deal is with best selling books and curse words but… apparently, it works? As someone who cares a lot about what everyone else thinks, this book helped me shake it off. It helps you get clear on your personal goals and it reminds you that your definition of success might look different than your coworkers or friends and that’s ok.

    This book is for: Anyone who cares a little bit too much about what people think.

    The Alter Ego Effect– Written by a sports coach turned business coach, Todd Herman shares how you can use a “secret identity” to become who you need to be. That might sound a little out there, but his tips are helpful for situations where you might feel particularly challenged. If you’ve ever been afraid to try something new (haven’t we all?) he has some interesting tips to help you channel your inner strength.

    This book is for: Anyone who feels like they’re uncomfortable taking steps they need to take to grow their blog.

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    Girl, Stop Apologizing– Rachel Hollis’ sequel to Girl, Wash Your Face is all about chasing your dreams and not holding yourself back. If you’ve ever minimized your goals because you were afraid of what someone might think, this book will speak to your soul. The first half of the book covers the excuses we make and the second half touches on specific behaviors that hinder us. It’s a quick read and you’ll finish feeling refreshed and energized.

    This book is for: Anyone with big audacious dreams who is afraid of the opinions of others.

    Have you read any of the books on this list? Do you have recommendations to add? Leave a comment below and let us know!

    This post may contain affiliate links.

  • 4 Easy Tools for Photo Editing

    4 Easy Tools for Photo Editing

    If you’re looking to edit photos for your blog but you don’t have the time (or money) to invest in something like Photoshop or Indesign, there are a few other great tools out there that are super easy to use. Many of them are free or mostly-free and you can even use them on the go! Below, I’m sharing a few of my favorites.

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    1. Canva– Canva is a mostly-free tool with options for premium features. It has tons of free layout templates and it’s great if you want to design a blog graphic, flyer, or header. You can even purchase stock photos through Canva for just $1 each and you have the option to upload your own fonts. It’s great for creating social media graphics!

    2. PicMonkey– The photo editing tool is super easy to use and it’s great for lighting up a photo, cropping images, adding text, etc. The collage maker is great for simple Pinterest graphics! If you upgrade to a premium account for $10 a month, you have access to additional features and the ability to upload your own fonts.

    3. Word Swag– this one is an app, so it’s great when you’re on your phone and trying to create a cute Instagram photo. It allows you to layer text over photos (either your own or stock photos) and instantly create shareable images

    4. SnapSeed This free mobile app is powered by Google and you can do anything from correcting white balance to adding special effects. It’s a handy tool if you’re editing photos on the go.

    What are your favorite photo editing tools?

  • 5 Must Have Blogger Tools (Apps, Plugins, and More!)

    When I first started blogging, I had no idea what a plugin was. I didn’t have any apps on my Chrome toolbar and my phone only had one photo-related app. Luckily, I’ve learned a lot along the way and I’ve found some amazing free and “fremium” apps, plugins, and tools that are definitely worth downloading.

    These 5 tools will make your blogging life easier! Apps, plugins, and tools to help you blog more efficiently.

    These are a few of the tools that have made my blogging life easier:

    1. Askimet– If you have a WordPress site, download this immediately! It’s basically the best spam protection ever and most of the features are free. It means you won’t get a million spam comments and spam trackbacks. You can pretty much just download it and enjoy the hands-off protection.
    2. Canva– I’m not a designer but Canva makes me feel like one. They have tons of text and layout options so it makes it easy to design a flyer, cover photo, or banner. They also have a huge library of stock photos for $1 each. I almost don’t want to tell people about it because then they’ll know my secret but luckily I love you all, so I’m sharing.
    3. Grammarly– I recently downloaded this Chrome extension and I love it. It’s like spell-check on steroids. It highlights words or phrases that might be spelled wrong or have a grammatical error and steer you in the right direction. It sounds simple, but as someone that tends to go comma-crazy, it’s been super useful!
    4. MailMunch– I recently started using MailChimp for emails (are you on our list yet??) and MailMunch makes things easy. When someone adds their email address to our subscription box, the list automatically updates in Mailchimp. I used to have to download a CSV file of email addresses and upload them to MailChimp, but now it’s super simple!
    5. Google Analytics– I can’t not mention Google analytics. There are so many reasons you should have it! The reporting is so useful to see where people are going on your site, where they’re dropping off, what channels they’re coming from, etc. It’s also just a great tool to know how to use so if you want to work in a marketing or digital job, you can get familiar with the lingo!

    These are just a few of my favorites, but I’ll share more if these are helpful!

    What are your favorite blog tools?