five sixteenths blog: Boost your Blog // Apps I use to Run my Blog

I've been blogging for over 10 years now and the landscape of blogging has changed so much since I first started. I've also become more streamlined in my own blogging - only doing what I feel is worth my time, using the camera that I have, and working from my phone a lot of the time. If it isn't simple for me to do...then I don't do it!

this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

I'm not the type of blogger who likes to follow the rules. I find the 'proper way to blog' to be overwhelming & time wasting for me. Examples - I don't have a self hosted blog, I use my iPhone to take photos, I never research keywords for post titles, I'm bad at newsletters, and the list goes on. However, I still consider myself a successful blogger. Part of this is because I'm authentic. Another part is that I share relevant info. And the final part is that I use apps & tools to streamline my process.

As someone who works a lot from my phone, you'll find apps & programs that have both a desktop and a mobile version. This is the number one reason why I'm considering getting my next iPhone in the Plus model for the bigger screen! Anyway, here are the apps & tools I use to run my blog:

A Color Story

This is literally the best mobile photo editing app, ever. I have a full blog post on this app here and will constantly recommend it to anyone editing photos on their phone. What I love about this app is that the FREE pack included in the download is all you really need to create bright, crisp photos perfect for Instagram, Facebook, and your blog.

Not only can you edit photos but you can also edit short videos. So if you want your Instagram stories or videos to fit your pages aesthetic you totally can! The controls are just the same whether your' editing a photo or video so it's super easy. Plus you can save a series of edits to use on other photos later to get that consistent feel.

Finally, you can plan your Instagram grid using this app! This is a feature I've recently started using for both my Connected Chakras feed & the Feel the Inhale essential oil feed. If you're wanting to create a cohesive grid with a certain theme, you can preview how your images will look next to each other. I use this to see how my images will look next to each other & to plan which images I'll use each week. Unfortunately there's no auto post option - you'll still have to manually import your photos to Instagram but you can at least plan the aesthetic and the caption.

Phonto

This is the app I use to create any blog image with text over them. Like the image at the top of this post, Phonto is the way I create my pinnable blog images. I love this app because I can import my own branded fonts right into the app and use them. The app does come with a TON of fonts already but it is great to be able to use your own fonts! I love that I can save preset text - like my blog URL or a text watermark for Instagram - to add to each new photo.

A companion app that I've just recently found myself using is Vont. Designed by the same creators as Phonto, this app allows you to put text over video. You can even import your own branded fonts as well!

You can read another full blog post on Phonto here.

Mailchimp

I suck at sending emails but I love the automated system offered by Mailchimp. If you've ever signed up for an email opt in - like the Tarot eBook or the Blogging eBook - then Mailchimp has automated the sending for me.

This is the main thing I use Mailchimp for. The automation takes the pressure off of creating unique emails every week for my email list. I automate sending new blog posts to subscribers as well. So it appears like I'm actively doing a newsletter....but I'm totally not! I plan on doing a post on how to use the automation feature of Mailchimp soon!

Canva

Like the graphic in this post, I use Canva for my other design needs. I love that the templates are easy to use and that my brand colors & fonts are easily stored. When I need to change the size of a graphic I can also auto resize it super simply!

Canva allows me to create ebooks, infographics, and other digital downloads to make my blog look amazing. I also use this to create my Instagram stories highlights and other templates I share over there. The template options in both the desktop version and the app are amazing! While you can use your branded text on the desktop site the app doesn't allow you too. Which is why I choose Phonto for mobile.

Canva also allows you to create templates to sell or share with others which is a cool way to monetize your content!

Google Drive

This is my choice for a cloud storage service. While you get 15GB free with your gmail account, I pay for 100GB of storage. This makes it easy to transfer files between my phone & my computer. Since I take and edit my photos on my phone I need a convenient way to transfer the files to my computer so I can compose the blog post. On my computer I have a Google Drive back up so I can choose anything that's been uploaded as if it were on a drive on my computer. It makes the whole process super streamlined.

I also use Google Drive to host any freebies that I share on the blog. Because I need a way to get the freebies to you I need a hosting service. Google Drive allows me to share specific files and set specific permissions for each file.

PicFrame

This is an app I've been using for a thousand years it feels like. This is your basic photo collage app and I love it because it is simple. Change the size, add photos, save. Easy. Peasy. Recently this app add the ability to save templates to use later. I find this helpful when I want to make a collage or create a nice graphic for my Instagram stories. You can change the ration to 9:16 so that your creation fits perfectly.

I just found out recently that you can add video into the collage! What I usually do is add one video to the collage then save it so that there's white space around the video to add text. Then I'll use Vont to add the branded text I like! Read a full review of the app here.

All of these apps make blogging super easy for me. I don't have to stress about my content or my design because I've got these tools right at my finger tips. If blogging isn't something I can easily do, I don't want to do it. Since I've started to take my blog a little bit more seriously I've been trying to find ways to create a space that is successful but still fun for me!

I'm constantly on the look out for new and fun apps to add to my arsenal. If you've like to read more about the apps I love & use check out all the App Reviews right here on the blog. And if you've got an app suggestion you'd love for me to review, shoot me an email here.