You want to become a successful blogger, but right now you don't have a lot of money to spend. That's why today we're bringing you a roundup of the best free resources to grow your blog faster.
Every time you look at your email marketing, it looks like another well-known blogger is promoting an expensive course.
And many free resources end up disappointing you. You may have attended a “free” webinar only to realize that it was half an hour of very basic advice followed by a massive sales pitch.
Do you really need to spend a fortune to get the information you need? Absolutely not.
Yes, there are plenty of paid resources out there that can help you on your blogging journey, but when you're just getting started, there are also tons of great free resources you can use.
Remember that your time is valuable. You want the best free blogging resources you can find. You don't want to waste your time with a hastily written PDF that is several years old.
20 Best Free Blogging Resources (For All Bloggers) in 2023
Please note: : For many of these resources, you will need to register using your email address to access them (you will likely be added to an email list for marketing purposes).
Beginner Bloggers: Resources for Getting Your Blog Started
If you haven't yet started your blog, or if you've tried in the past but haven't gotten very far, here are the resources you need to get off to a great start.
1. How to start a (profitable) blog in 7 days
Format: Text (delivered by email)
structure: 6 lessons
This course gives you a step-by-step process to create your blog in minutes.
It also tells you how to create high-quality content: the type of content that attracts thousands of readers. It also discusses effective ways to monetize your blog, so you can actually make money blogging.
2. WordPress training courses : Learn to create a website WordPress using Elementor (Simon Shocket)
Format : Video
structure: 3 lessons, divided into 17 videos (1h11 in total)
I love WordPress: it's the blogging platform I always recommend using. But I know WordPress can feel like a steep learning curve when you're just starting out.
This free, detailed training from HubSpot walks you through everything you need to know, from building your website (including getting a domain name and web hosting) to understanding how WordPress works, through the installation of plugins and WordPress themes and using the popular Elementor page builder.
3. WordPress 101 Video Tutorials WPBeginner (Syed Balkhi)
Format : Video
Structure : 34 separate videos, each around 2-7 minutes long
These videos, created by Syed Balkhi and his team at WPBeginner, are a fantastic introduction to everything you need to know in your early days of blogging, including WordPress.com vs WordPress.org, using the block editor, creating and editing posts, adding images, installing and customizing themes, enabling and managing comments, and much more.
As Syed says, “I'm sick of self-proclaimed 'blogging experts' charging hundreds of dollars to teach WordPress. I think basic training like this should be FREE”.
4. What is the social? (Randy Hlavac)
Format : video and text
structure: Four weeks, including videos, readings and peer-reviewed assignments.
This Northwestern University course is designed, in the words of instructor Randy Hlavac, to "give you the big picture of the social and important ways you need to build successful marketing strategies."
The videos are accompanied by full transcripts, not only in English but also in several other languages. The program is designed to last four weeks, but you can go faster or slower if you wish.
The course is designed to give you an overview of the social media landscape, as well as specific guidance for creating your own content strategy, designing social communities, and positioning yourself as a brand authority. It also discusses using tools like Canva to create social images.
Quizzes and assignments will help you consolidate your knowledge.
Consulting : Do not click the "free trial" button when you register. You must click on the "audit the course" link to get the course for free, for as long as you want.
5. The Beginner's Guide to Branding (Laura Bushe)
Format : PDF ebook
structure: 6 short chapters
This 35-page ebook covers all the basics of branding, explaining what branding means, and going over all the basics like which name to choose, how to create your brand identity, and how to create style guidelines.
You'll get tips for choosing colors that work together well and choosing the right typeface for your blog.
The ebook also goes over the main branding pitfalls people encounter and how to avoid them.
As author Laura Busche explains, “Branding isn't just about fancy graphics on your landing page. A strong brand, or lack thereof, can win or lose. »
More Experienced Bloggers: Resources for Your First Year of Blogging
Once your blog is up and running, you need to keep learning. In your first year, your goal will likely be to create regular content, increase your traffic, and prepare to make money from your blog.
6. Free 5-Day Mini-Challenge for traffic and monetization (Lena Gott)
Format : Text-based online course
structure: 5 days of separate lessons plus homework
This free challenge walks you through the top ways to increase traffic and make money with your blog.
It covers simplifying your strategy, setting up revenue streams on your blog, crafting impactful calls to action, finding hidden niches that other bloggers aren't targeting, the importance of your conversion rate, etc.
The course is text-based, with less than 15 minutes of reading per day – but you'll also need to schedule time to practice what you learn, with homework.
You have access to the whole course as soon as you register, which allows you to tackle several days at a time or go through it more slowly.
7. The Complete Collection: Content Creation Templates (Hubspot)
The complete collection : Content Creation Templates (Hubspot)
Format: Google docs, spreadsheets and slides
Structure : several distinct template sets
This huge collection of templates includes every type of template you are likely to need for your blog: blog post templates, ebook templates, infographic templates, powerpoint templates, and much more.
You will also find an editorial calendar and a social media calendar to help you plan your content. You can save all files to your computer or access them in Google Drive.
8. The SEO Bootcamp (Stupid Simple SEO) (Mike Pearson)
Format : Video
structure: 5 separate videos,
This series of five videos explains how to increase your traffic and revenue, covering topics such as domain authority, keyword research, relevance and creating content that ranks.
This is an SEO course for beginners that teaches you everything you need to know and understand about search engine optimization. Each video is approximately 7-12 minutes long.
9. Free graphic design training (Kristin Rappaport)
Format: video (via Teachable)
Structure : several lesson sections, each divided into short videos (1-2 minutes)
This step-by-step course by Kristin Rappaport goes over the basics of graphic design, including proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast, and hierarchy, before tackling some common mistakes to avoid, like making the wrong choice of colours, hard-to-read text and adding unnecessary elements.
You'll get 30 different graphic design tips in less than 30 minutes, all presented in a simple, beginner-friendly way.
Even if you use pre-made templates for your graphics and content, it's still worth learning the basics of graphic design.
Advanced Bloggers: Free Blogging Resources to Advance Your Existing Blog
Ready to take your blog to the next level?
If you've been blogging for months or years, you might already have all the best blogging tools. You may think there is not much more to learn. But all of these blogging resources can help you sharpen your skills — and earn more money.
10. 10 Step Writing Framework (Arman Assadi)
Format : Webinar (on demand)
structure: Video webinar
This free masterclass teaches you how to write compelling texts (without being selling) and how to make them more engaging, personal and entertaining. You will learn how to write texts quickly, even if you are a beginner.
Note that you have to wait about 9 minutes before you can watch the webinar, after registering. During this time, you will be able to watch an introductory video by Arman Assadi.
One downside to this resource is that there are no controls to pause, speed up, or slow down the webinar recording; so you'll need to allow around an hour and a half to watch it.
11. Babel Quest : Content Audit Template
Format : excel spreadsheet
Structure : spreadsheet and link to instructions
Although this is a small free resource, it is very useful if you are revamping a blog that already has a lot of content, or even if you have purchased or taken over someone else's blog.
It's designed to help you audit the content you already have, identify any gaps, and list the changes and updates you want to make.
12. Free Keyword Research Tool by Ryan Robinson
Format : free tool
Structure : Enter your keyword phrase and get monthly search volume, difficulty, and suggestions for other keyword phrases to target for your blog content.
This free AI-powered keyword tool to solve a problem I've had in the blogging industry for nearly a decade. Every time a new (free) keyword research tool comes out and gains popularity, a switch flips and it's suddenly either just a paid tool or has dramatic usage limitations. This keyword research tool was designed to be free forever.
When you type in a keyword you're considering blogging about, you get dozens of research-based ideas for keywords and topics to write about on your blog today. You will get information such as:
- Monthly search volume: an overview of the number of people who search for a particular keyword phrase on major search engines like Google each month.
- Difficulty level : How difficult it will be to rank for a particular keyphrase, depending on the amount of existing (and expected future) competition from established websites.
- Country targeting: the default country view is United States (USA), but you can select other countries from a drop-down menu to see what the regional search volume and difficulty looks like for your target keyword phrases .
- Ideas: use the “Ideas” tab (or click on the light bulb) to get dozens of AI-powered blog topic ideas related to your chosen keyword.
13. SEO Unlocked (Neil Patel)
Format : Video
structure: Seven weeks, divided into short 10-20 minute videos
This in-depth SEO course from online marketing guru Neil Patel takes you through the basics of SEO, before tackling keyword research, technical and on-page SEO, Content marketing, link creation, etc…
Towards the end of the course, you will also get tips on user engagement and conversion optimization.
SEO Unlocked also gives detailed instructions on setting up Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
There's a lot of content here, but you can go through it at your own pace. Although the course is designed to last 7 weeks, there's nothing stopping you from taking longer (or going through it faster).
14. Free weekly newsletter planner (Kate Doster)
Format : Planner with prompters (PDF)
structure: 24 months with four posts each, plus some bonus posts.
Having trouble finding ideas for your newsletter? This free weekly newsletter planner offers four prompts per month (plus four additional prompts per year, for months when you need to send out five newsletters).
It's designed so you can print it out and fill out the monthly calendar, but if you just want the prompts, it takes up quite a bit of space.
Every month there is at least one “MM” (money maker) message that allows you to promote one of your own products/services or an affiliate product. Most of the ideas can apply to any blogging niche.
Bonus: 5 essential resources on blogging on blogpascher.com
The resources above are my favorite picks from other top bloggers around the world. But I would be remiss if I didn't share my own resources.
I've created a whole host of free resources, based on what my readers are looking for the most. You don't have to pay a dime to get them – they're all free to download.
15. How to start a (profitable) blog in 7 days
Format: Text (delivered by email)
structure: 6 lessons
This course teaches you my step-by-step process to create your blog in minutes.
It also tells you how to create high-quality content: the type that attracts thousands of readers. We also cover effective ways to monetize your blog, so you can make real money blogging.
You can take the course day by day, but if you want to go faster, there is a link in each email to skip to the next lesson.
16. Blog Business Plan Template
Format : Google doc (you can also download it as a Word or PDF document)
structure: 6 sections, each with multiple questions and space to type your answers
My blog has been earning well over six figures for years. During the years I built my blog, my business plan kept me on track. My free business plan template walks you through everything you need to start a successful blog.
This includes finding out your reasons for blogging, setting goals, positioning and branding your blog, understanding your audience, conducting a competitive analysis of other blogs, and much more. .
17. Blog planner set
Format : PDFs and Google Docs
Structure : several distinct resources
It's not just one resource, it's a whole collection of resources to help you grow your blog. These include:
- 200+ blog post ideas to inspire you
- A one-page keyword research checklist to keep you on track when coming up with keywords
- A template for describing and writing blog posts
- A one-page SEO checklist to ensure your posts meet best practices
- A printable that you can use to create your weekly blogging to-do list
- A one-page content promotion checklist to help your posts get more traffic
- An editorial calendar template to organize what you post on different dates
If you're adapting your blog to a daily job, kids, or other big responsibilities, you need these resources. They'll help you stay on track, no matter how busy things get.
18. 3 Free Blogging Books
Format : PDF
structure: 3 separate books, totaling 311 pages
Want to dive deep into the world of blogging? I have 3 completely free books for you. It's a great read for new bloggers, but you'll also learn a lot even if you've been blogging for a while. They are:
- How to start a successful blog this year - this eBook covers naming your blog, putting it online, designing it, writing your first post, making money, and more. I've also gone over some frequently asked questions about blogging, covering things like how to stand out in a crowded niche, how much it costs to start a blog, and more.
- How to promote your blog this year - this eBook teaches you the basics of SEO (search engine optimization), how to research your competitors, how to promote your blog to your target audience, how to grow your social media presence, how to connect with influencers in your niche, and more.
- How to make money blogging this year - this eBook covers proven ways to make money blogging including sponsored content, affiliate marketing, ad serving, selling online courses, selling physical products, selling your services, etc. If you wonder how much do bloggers earn and you want your blog to also bring you consistent income, these methods are all extremely effective.
19. 10 Free Blog Post Templates
Format : Google Docs
structure: Filled examples, then blank templates that you can complete
This free blog post template contains an SEO brief to fill out, as well as an outline for your blog post itself.
It includes lots of tips to help you write a great blog post, from an introduction that hooks the reader to breaking your blog post into key sections that offer real value to your reader.
20. AI-powered blog title generator tool (ideas for blog topics)
Format : free tool
Structure : enter your keyword and get dozens of AI-powered blog title and topic ideas
This free AI-powered blog title generator tool to help my readers find blog post ideas unique and research-based to write about.
When you type in a keyword phrase, you instantly get dozens of SEO-optimized headline ideas to inspire your blogging efforts (and make your headlines stand out from the competition).
Ready to dig into some amazing free blogging resources?
Phew! There are a lot of amazing blogging resources on this list… all completely free. If you go through all of this, you will know more than many people who have been blogging for months or years.
If you're feeling a little overwhelmed, however, here's what to do.
First, sign up for my free course How to start a (profitable) blog in 7 days . You'll receive each lesson straight to your inbox, so it's super easy to follow the course.
I recommend that you mark the emails or save them in a special folder so that you can easily refer to them if you wish.
Once you've taken this course, your blog should be up and running – but if you get stuck at some point, check out the 'Beginners' resources above for detailed help with WordPress.
Then download my business blog plan . You don't have to have the perfect business plan from day one…but even a little planning can save you money beaucoup of time. Try to develop a business plan for your blog.
After that, choose any resource from the list above that you think will help you. Try to set aside 15 minutes each day to work on it…and also be sure to practice what you learn.
