This is a list of resources that I use and recommend. I will add more in-depth reviews on some products. These are products and services that I use in my own business. I may earn a commission when you shop through my links.
Rev.com – I use the transcription part (automated is cheapest) and now they even transcribe Zoom meetings. You can even give it the URL or upload a video and get the transcription. This saves me so much time! I use the transcriptions for captions on videos to post on YouTube or Facebook (great for making ads). They also keep all the files so if you ever lose one, you can download it again.
My link includes $10 off your first Rev.com order. I've been using them for years. Super fast and do a great job.
Blog or Website Hosting
I use Siteground – I love the support! 24/7 by chat or phone call. Sometimes you're up at night and need something fixed. They will help. Great service. I switched to them many years ago after my host had too much downtime (none with Siteground) and then deleted a site I couldn't get back and killed one of my businesses.
Design Tools
Canva – you can upload your own images or use theirs. Lots of templates to choose from and the best part is, each one only costs $1. You can even make an ebook in Canva and it will be gorgeous. Canva makes creating graphics for my blog so much easier!
I use Canva for all my YouTube thumbnails too. Use it for Facebook and all of your social media profile images.
You can also get the pro version and share visual assets with your team. Magic resize takes 1 click to change sizes. Animator Pro feature lets you animate your design instantly. Plus background erasing which makes it fast/easy to remove a background.
PicMonkey: photo editing – I love the icons they have, the frames, the filters and all sorts of easy-to-use features. You can use the basic version free or pay for a year for the deluxe (worth it).
Every holiday they have lots of themed photo elements and every Halloween I use them to make my Facebook profile image into a vampire or other spooky version of myself. However, the best part is the collages I use to make Pinterest pins. I've purchased templates and use them again and again.
Affiliate Networks
Want to get paid for referring others to products and services? These networks have the code, banners and other resources you need to promote their products and earn a commission. You get links and they track sales and give you a percentage. Join many different programs and get paid all in one place.
Shareasale.com – one of my favorite affiliate networks and loved by bloggers. Has a mix of larger and smaller/niche retailers, including Nectar and other mattress sites, Deluxe, Freshbooks and more.
Awin – strong in the travel niche (Lonely Planet guides, hotels and tickets). It's unique in that you pay $5 when you sign up but it's refunded after you make your first $5. That's for extra security.
Commission Junction – one of the biggest and most popular affiliate networks with bigger companies. Pays out every 30 days.
Ratuken is used by major brands too – one of the larger affiliate networks.
I also like Refersion for Shopify stores.
Impact Radius has a lot of individual programs. Walmart, Target and Home Depot are on this platform. Different merchants switch affiliate networks all the time so this may change but was accurate when I wrote this.
Amazon Associates – they recently cut their commissions so it's not what it once was, but they do convert well and have a large selection.
Press Release Sites
These are web sites that take press release submissions. Prices range from free up to hundreds of dollars per press release. Which to use depends on the newsworthiness of your story to the media. The free sites often don't get your news distributed, just published. When you pay you're getting more exposure through the partnerships the newswire has with various media outlets (magazines, radio, newspapers, TV) and web sites (CNN, Yahoo News, Google News, financial web sites).
Free press release sites
PR.com
PRLog.org – allows picture, video, 3 URL links, published immediately, and gets you on Google News.
Mid-range – starting at around $50
24-7pressrelease.com – decent SEO features, my 2nd favorite. Low cost to embed a video in your press release. I would choose the $85 level.
PRLeap.com – lots of great features for about $50
Clickpress.com – also about $50
PRNewswire – the oldest newswire used by everyone from Oprah Windfrey to Apple. This links goes to their small business toolkit where you will get special pricing if you're a new member. I have sent a press release over PRNewswire with stellar results (Seth Godin said he really liked my press release). If you sign up and request more info you'll get the best pricing for a traditional newswire service.
Business Wire – high touch, great service.
Market Wire
Social Media Tools
Buffer is great because you preset days/times you want your social media posts to go live and then just keep adding what you find online to the queue. Every time I add a tweet it gives me the option of buffering it so it doesn't go out right away. It also shortens links for you.
Missinglettr – automatically creates posts to share on social media when you create a new blog posts. You can edit the text and photos but it's a lot faster since you don't have to manually create each one. Then it drips out the posts on a schedule you choose (even up to a year). This saves me so much time and has been great for driving more traffic to my websites.
50% off ANY plan for 1st 3 months
Media Leads
HelpaReporter or HARO. Free media leads – you get this email newsletter 3x a day with journalists requests for sources for stories. If you respond you could be featured in their story for some great publicity. All sorts of magazines and mainstream down to a basic blog use HARO. You can also use it to find your own sources for blog posts, interviews, books, etc. Great way to see what is being covered in the media right now and get into the head of journalists.