TRAVEL BLOG RESOURCES
Updated July 2023
I'm not going to teach you how to start a travel blog! BUT I can share all the tools with you that I use to keep That's La Plagne running every day. From other travel blogs that I find inspiring to the content creation tools I rely on, to the tech products and tools I use to keep my website and social media running smoothly.Â
All of the tools below are things that I use either for my Digital Marketing and Social Media Clients, or on my own site and socials. They are tried and tested over several years, often the 4th or 5th tool along the line – honestly! I tested 6 different social media schedulers (free and paid!) before I settled with Metricool! And I've been using them now for almost 2 years.Â
So you can feel assured that these products and brands are legit.Â
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and by using the links  these posts, you help support this website. At no extra cost to you, I earn a small commission from each booking that allows me to keep content up to date, keep posting on the socials, create new guides and maintain the website.
If you have any questions about any of the companies, email me any time.
WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING TECH
BLUEHOST
I use BlueHost to host That's La Plagne, as well as several other sites I have created and managed for my digital marketing clients. Their customer service isn't amazing, but it's good enough for the price. Great value for money.
ELEMENTOR
I use Elementor Pro to design my WordPress site. It's straightforward and easy to navigate for beginners. You can get fancy with custom coding, but there is enough in there that you can build a great-looking and highly functional site with a few clicks.
UBERSUGGEST
Ubersuggest is great for sugesting new topics to write about, from an SEO perspective. I use it to track the functionality of my site and to flag errors, like broken links or slow page speeds. It's great to see on one dashboard how I am ranking on different keywords from month to month.
CONVERTBOX
Let's you build funnels and Lead Magnets with ease. From newsletter sign up forms to quizes and more sophisticated forms, you really can set this all up within minutes
PRETTY LINKS
Great for keeping all your external links safe in one place. Plus you can create tidy urls for all the partners and brands you work with. Which, if you're like me make you feel super organised and efficient!
MAILERLITE
Email marketing made easy. Much more user friendly that Mail Chimp and simpler than HubSpot, MailerLite is free for up to 1000 subscribers or 12000 emails sent. You can create simple emails, automated email flows and group email sign ups into different segments.
IMAGIFY
I started using Imagify to reduce all the image file sizes on my site. I wanted something to help speed up the pages and improve my SEO. Imagify has ticked all the boxes for me with this.
SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
METRICOOL
A social media scheduling tool. I use Metricool for my own channels and the social media accounts I manage for my digital marketing clients. I've shopped around and Metricool by far offers the most flexibility for the cheapest price.
STRANGE SOCIAL
PINTEREST PRO
I've followed Faye for a while and signed up for a pack of powerhours and an audit with her for my own Pinterest accounts. It was fab and I totally recommend her. She has a free Pinterest Quick Start Guide which I've linked to here, definitely go check it out if you're thinking about using Pinterest for your travel blog.
THE TWO LAURAS
As well as That's La Plagne, I also work as a Social Media Manager and I have been a paying member of the Inner Hub member for 2 years now. It's an invaluable resource for anyone eanting to run their social media networks professionally. The support from their Facebook group is excellent and if I am ever struggling with my socials, I know I can crowd source some inspiration and support from the hubbers. By far one of the best investments I have made in my businesses.
WOT THE TOK
TIKTOK COURSE
I've follwed Penny from Barbrusa Social for a long time and took her Wot The Tok course last year to give me the kick up the bum to get active on a new channel. I love her supportive, no-nonsense approach. Combined with her in-depth TikTok Knowledge and finding a commjnity of other TikTok users, I 100% rate this course for the Tik Tok curious out there!
CONTENT CREATION
CANVA
Ok, first, do yourself a favour and sign up for Canva Pro! It's about £10 per month but well worth it. You can create graphics with ease but also access a huge library or royalty-free photos and images. It's the first tool in invested in as a Social Media Manager and 100% I couldn't do my job with out it.
GRAMMARLY
With free and paid options, I run all my writing throuhg Grammarly. From emails to blogs, pitches and proposals. For me, it's essential and I cannot spot the spelling mistakes in my own writing. I'm very quick to find them in other peoples!
DEEPL
An instant translation app, it's more accurate than Google Translate. Download the app to your phone and you can scan product labels, pages or text etc and translate them immediatly. Great for when you're travelling. I've used the free account for a long time and I have just ipgraded to the Pro account. I use it so much I feel I should support Deepl by paying for their product.
I've used Pinterest for decades to save funny or inspirational content to one place. I love it for when I'm low on inspiration, or looking for a new angle on a topic. It's also a great SEO tool for your blog and an exxcellent source of traffic for your travel blog.
TRAVEL BLOG EMAILS & NEWSLETTERS
NOMADIC MATT
One of the OG travel bloggers Matt had been Nomad-ing around the world for over 15 years! His site is super interesting and he has a dedicated email newsletter for travel bloggers. Well worth siging up for.
SHELLY
TRAVEL BLOGGING 101
Shelley runs several successful travel sites. She is also a wealth of information about affiliate marketing. Her free course is a great starting point and then the paid master classes and 1 to 1's are a great investment.
