TOP 5 BLOGGING TOOLS

Seeing as we’re in the run up to Christmas and we’re most likely all writing our dream wishlists to send to Santa, today I thought I would share my top 5 blogging ‘essentials’.  I say essentials, but really these are the luxuries which make your blogging life a little more pinterest & instagram worthy. I did a post quite a while back on the most important ‘blogging tools’ which you can read here, but today I thought i’d share the ultimate kit, my top 5 must haves!!

Having a little space to blog, aside from snuggled in your bed is a real luxury and something that up until this year I lived without. But after setting up a little desk space in my lounge earlier this year, I couldn’t be happier, more motivated or love sitting up to blog any more than I do now. Whilst blogging from the sofa or your bed is super cosy & comfy (and a bit of a novelty too), sometimes it’s nice to have a proper space dedicated for your kit & blogging. This week I actually got a new desk & upgraded my HQ a little further, I chose a super big white Scandinavian style desk which sits proudly in the middle of our bay windows. Having a dedicated little office space feels so nice & really helps you get in the blogging mood (plus makes for a great spot to shoot product photos).

You don’t need a whole room to set up an office, find any little nook & cranny in your house or apartment where you can squeeze in a little desk or shelf space into. I’ve personally found a little spot in my lounge where my desk can sit, it feels like a little office in it’s own right, but works well with the rest of the lounge too!

This week I actually upgraded my little HQ a bit more than just a new desk, I actually treated myself to an early Christmas treat too and bought myself the new iMac 5k (eeee). And that leads me to my second essential blogging tool, a PC. Now I’ve always been an Apple fan and have used a Mac of some sorts for the last 10 + years. I don’t think it matters what computer you have, but I have to say i’m a huge lover of my MacBook Pro and now my iMac desktop. I find Apple’s great for screen quality, supporting editing software and running super fast even when you’re trying to run a million & one things at the same time, which inevitably when blogging I end up doing. Blogger, Twitter, Lightroom, etc. Having a computer that can handle the demand is an essential kit.

A laptop is probably the most practical (and essential) blogger tool though & one that means you can blog wherever you are in the world.

Of course blogging couldn’t be blogging without some kind of kit to take your photos. Whether thats an iPhone, a point and shoot, an entry level DSLR or something a little more fancier. The camera is a bloggers best friend & one that we wouldn’t be without! Imagery is one of my favourite things about blogging so I personally have spent a long time learning about photography and have invested in some serious kit (I use the Canon 5D Mark III with an F1.4 50mm & F1.8 85mm)! But you don’t need the top of the range kit to take perfect photos, pop over and read this here & here post all about getting great photos for your blog.

Now it’s not all about fancy pants tech & top of the range software, one of my most essential blogging tools is actually a simple note pad and pen. I personally am a little stationary freak anyway, so any excuse to buy myself some nice note pads and pens works for me. But when it comes to blogging, keeping myself organised and managing my blog schedule a simple note pad and pen is all I need. I find ideas & thoughts come to me at any time of the day, so I always like to carry a note pad in my handbag just in case I think up something for my blog or need to make a plan for upcoming posts. Another little cheat, if you don’t fancy carrying a note book is also the notes pages on your phone, i often fill these with ideas & to do lists too!

A note pad is great for the organisational side of blogging, I wrote a whole post on tips to keep organised which you can check out here.

The final essential tool for any bloggers kit is of course a smartphone, for always on the go blogging, tweeting, instagramming & facebooking. As much as blogging is about the blog, it’s also about the social side of things too! We wouldn’t be without our phones for keeping in touch whilst on the go. I personally have just upgraded to the iPhone6 plus which i’m absolutely loving, the screen is amazing for viewing my blog & reading my favorite blogs, it’s like having a mini tablet or computer in your packet which is rather handy!

Naturally with the smartphone comes all the essential apps too, my personal favourites are of course Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google Analytics & Bloglovin!

So there you go, a quick round up of my top 5 blogging tools. What are your top 5, are there any essentials that I’ve missed?