If you’re like me, there’s never enough time in a day.  We’re juggling everything from real estate to blogging to social media to database management.  Simply put, we wear a lot of hats. So any tool that can shave a few seconds off my to-do list is well worth looking into!

I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite blogging tools that should make collecting information, syndicating your content and writing your blogs a whole lot easier!

Tools to Make Blogging Easier

1.  Evernote

Have you ever found yourself surfing the web researching your next blog topic only to find you needed a quick and easy way to capture that information?  Evernote not only allows you to capture that info on your PC or Mac, but sync it to your other devices making the information accessible from wherever you are.  I’ve used Evernote for years to organize and house anything from research material to a grocery list.  There are a million ways to use it and the more I play around with it, the more reasons I find to love this tool.

2.  Scribefire

Scribefire is a Firefox, Chrome, Opera & Safari add on (sorry IE users)   that makes posting a breeze.  You are able to access Scribefire directly from your browser and throw together a quick blog that you can easily post to your site.  If you’re a serious blogger, this is a tool to check out!

Side note:  If you’re on a Mac, another option is Writeroom.

3.  Social Oomph

Oh how I love Social Oomph!  Similar to Hootsuite, Social Oomph allows you to manage all of your social media accounts from one location.  With Social Oomph you can set up an auto reply message that will automatically send to anyone who follows you on Twitter.  You can also auto follow or unfollow certain accounts.  The daily reply digest emails an incredibly comprehensive list of all of your @replies within the last 12 hours.    

4.  Flickr Images

Flick Creative Commons is a way for bloggers to keep their backsides out of a sling.  With creative commons you can choose from different licensing options rather than simply “borrowing” an online image.  No one wants to find themselves on the wrong end of a copyright lawsuit!

5.  Google Reader

My husband asks how in the world I keep up with as many blogs as I do and all in less than 30 minutes per day.  I tell him it’s simple – you just need a way to manage or aggregate all of that information.  I subscribe to over 200 blogs and all of them show up in one place – Google Reader!  It takes the stress of tracking down blog ideas and keeping up with guideline changes completely off my shoulders!

6.  Google Alerts

Google Alerts are an easy way to monitor specific topics with a click of a button.  I enter the topic I’m interested in and Google scans the web for relevant information.  Once I’ve created my search within this “set it and forget it” system, Google will send emails throughout the day with related content.  I use this to monitor guideline changes, industry events and local happenings.

An added bonus:  Monitor yourself on the web by adding your name to your Google Alerts.  See how quickly your posts go from Active Rain to the top of Google!

7.  LinkWithin

This WordPress plugin automatically displays links and thumbnail images to related posts within your blog.  You can choose to show the links on your home page or single blog pages only.  Don’t let dust collect on those past posts – linkwithin your site!

8  EzineArticles.com

Not only can you read through other bloggers articles, but you can submit yours for others to find.  This is a terrific research tool!

9.  NetworkedBlogs

If you have a blog and a Facebook account than you need Networked Blogs!  Promote your blog automatically by syndicating your feed to your page as soon as you post it.  Networked Blogs make advertising your blog painless and trouble free!

10.  Animoto

A super flexible online video editor than allows you to mix videos, images, music, text and effects to create standard or high-definition online videos.

Check out a few of their sample videos designed for the Real Estate industry..

Another option is Stupeflix

Your first video is free. After that, their standard pricing model is designed for high-volume production but plans are available for less frequent use as well.

 The bottom line:  If you create content that captures the attention of your readers and motivates them to take action, blogging will become fun and rewarding.  Hit the publish button, promote your blogs and watch your words take flight!

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