As a food, wine, and travel blogger for 20 years, I've learned so much. This is a dynamic, creative industry that is constantly growing and evolving.
In this article, I'm happy to share some of the tools that have helped me run my business as efficiently and successfully as possible.
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Blogging hosting: BigScoots
My sites have been hosted by a variety of web hosts over the years. Currently, I am with BigScoots and I love them! I have three sites with them.
BigScoots' customer service is the best in the business. If you're migrating a site from another host, they take care of every single detail and the migration is quick. They monitor for issues and will contact you immediately. When I contact them about a potential issue, they respond almost immediately and take care of the problem, while giving me clear options.
✅ Click here to check out BigScoots for web hosting today!
E-mail marketing: ConvertKit
Creating an e-mail newsletter is one of my favorite ways to connect with readers. I write a weekly newsletter that contains exclusive content just for my subscribers, as well as links to recipes, wine reviews, and travel tips they may have missed that week.
You can sign up for my On the Menu newsletter here:
I use ConvertKit for email marketing, and I love it. It's easy to customize, and they do a great job offering features specifically for creators that helps us connect with our audience and be more successful.
✅ Check out all that ConvertKit has to offer here.
Ad network: Raptive
I started monetizing my blog back in 2017, and was with Mediavine for seven years. I switched over to Raptive (formerly AdThrive) after years of questioning whether I should or not. In the summer of 2024 I made the switch -- and I could not be happier! Everything about Raptive is amazing: from the customer service to the ads to the revenue. The tools that they provide to creators in addition to the ad service is simply above and beyond. I LOVE working with the Raptive ad network, and if you have a site with more than 100,000 monthly sessions, I think you will, too!
Important: Be sure to click the link below AND use my referral code when signing up: RAPTIVE-E5441119A5
✅ Learn more about earning ad revenue with Raptive
Social Media: Tailwind
I love Pinterest! It's such a great way to connect with new readers, longtime loyal blog readers, and share new recipes, travel tips, and travel guides. I pin between 20 and 40 times each day, which would take me a lot more time if it weren't for Tailwind. Tailwind is my favorite way to schedule Pinterest pins. Check out Tailwind.
✅ Learn more about Tailwind and sign up here
Storage: Dropbox
Because I have a ton of photos and videos, I need a ton of storage. I'm paranoid about losing files! My main mode of data storage is Dropbox. I have the Pro plan which gives you 3TB of storage. But even the basic plan gives you 2TB at $9.99 per month. Check out Drobox for data storage. I love it!
✅ Sign up for a Dropbox account today
Keyword Research: Keysearch
I use Keysearch every single day for my keyword research, to analyze my own rankings, and to help plan my editorial calendar.
✅ Sign up for a Keysearch account today
Amazon Affiliate
I use AAWP - Amazon Affiliates Wordpress Plugin - to make all of my Amazon affiliate products look nice and neat in each blog post.
Affiliate programs
As a blogger, one way to make passive income is promoting the products and services we use and love. This is called affiliate marketing. We enjoy sharing our favorites with readers to help them easily make the best recipe, book the best hotels, and dine at great restaurants around the globe.
Some affiliate programs we work with to help share our favorites:
- Amazon - Because our audience is mostly in the US and Canada, we share links to the products we use on Amazon. Most readers in these two countries can easily find the same baking and cooking tools, cookbooks, travel gear, and more of our favorites on Amazon. Click here to view our Urban Bliss Life Amazon Shop.
- ShareASale - There are several affiliate umbrella programs that allow you to join several different affiliates and manage them from a single dashboad. ShareASale is one of those umbrella programs that we use.
- TravelPayouts - This is a travel affiliate program that you can use to help readers find the best flights with cash back, the best hotels, and the best tours and activities. Click here to learn more about TravelPayouts.
Food Blogger Pro
When I was first starting out and for the first few years, Food Blogger Pro was an invaluable resource. Food Blogger Pro membership gives you access to a helpful community of bloggers and blog experts. Here's a peek at some of the expert blogging tips you'll find on Food Blogger Pro:
- Juicing the Low-Hanging Fruit: Optimizing Old Content for SEO
- Podcast: How Faith Christensen Grew Her TikTok and Instagram Platforms to 2.5 Million Followers
- New Course: Blogging with a Full-Time Job
- 18 Ways to Monetize Your Food Blog ebook
More Courses & Expert to Follow
I don't recommend a lot of courses but there are a few that stand out in the industry. Here are a few top level courses that are great for beginning bloggers.
- Photography: The Bite Shot -
- Keyword Research: Cooking with Keywords