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Gifts For Bloggers and Entrepreneurs

Perfect Gifts For Bloggers

If you’re looking for the best gift for the blogger, writer, or entrepreneur in your life, then look no further. Seriously. I’ve been working from home in the online space for almost a decade y’all and everything on this list is the best thing you can buy any blogger, new or veteran. (And I’ve tried and purchased A LOT of products smh) I’ve done the work for you, now all you need to do is pick one (or a few of these investments), attach a card, and voila! All done. *dusts hands* I only share the services, products, etc that make the cut. Things I LITERALLY use ALL THE TIME. This isn’t a post stuffed with nonsense affiliate links to make a quick buck. I abhor wasting money on crappy services and products and you wont find any of that rubbish here.

Youtube Premium

This subscription will allow the blogger or entrepreneur in your life to have an even better listening experience on the go. i can guarantee you that youtube has nearly ever answer or tutorial your blogger will need, and the lack of ads will be a very much welcomed experience.

Domain & Web Hosting

Every blogger should have their own website. Having this will allow them to monetize from the start and have the best start possible with a site and domain they own. Instead of building their business on another companies platform.

Canva Subscription

Canva is an easy to learn program created for non-designers. However, don’t let this throw you off because this program can make anything and everything a blogger could need to monetize and develop products.

Picmonkey subscription

This is similar to Canva. It was created for anyone, including non-designers, to create the products they need to fast. i find that Picmonkey can be a smidge more challenging to learn with more capabilities and control over images, etc. is created.

Laptop

Having a powerful laptop will make blogging a breeze.

Phone

Despite what most bloggers believe, you can blog solely from your phone if you needed to. How can I be so sure? Because I do it! If you have a reasonably new smartphone, there’s so much you can do with it. Even if you don’t or choose not to blog solely from your phone, you’ll be able to get so much on the go!

Planner

Honestly, it doesn’t matter whether you choose a physical or digital planner. Only that you plan! And every blogger will need a planner, and a specific planner geared towards blogging is incredibly helpful.

Apple gift card

Google play gift card

This gift is a fantastic idea because it’ll allow your loved one to purchase blogging tools or snag the subscriptions of their choice! Like canva, adobe spark, or even MS Word.

Local cafe gift card

This gift is unique because it’ll allow the blogger in your life to get the opportunity and workspace to, you know, blog! Focused uninterrupted working can be difficult for many entrepreneurs whether or not they are work at home moms, and now they can have the funds to get free coffee and snacks!

Chair

Having a good quality chair is a wise investment because bloggers will spend a significant amount of time sitting down. This isn’t the best for our spine, neck, or body overall, and so a good chair will aid in proper posture.

Portable desk

Every blogger and writer should have a desk or desiccated workspace, but a portable can be useful, especially in small flats and apartments! They can literally move the desk around their home with ease and have a space to work.

Webcam

This isn’t completely necessary, especially for newer bloggers; however, bloggers or those with a heavy focus on video marketing will want it. It’s great to up the quality of your videos, even if you have a MacBook! Its auto-adjust light features are priceless.

Headphones

The type of headphone you purchase will depend on your loved one’s needs. I have every kind of headphone because, well, I need them, LOL. The most common option is wireless headphones. These are my favorite because nothing is standing in your way when you’re out and about. I can cook and easily listen to a podcast at the same time.

External charger

This is a must for new and veteran entrepreneurs because we all experience low on battery at some point. Also, this is something everyone should have in the arsenal! my two favorites are these:

One is strong enough to charge your phone and other mobile devices. While the other is powerful enough for a laptop! The worst feeling is running on a 2 percent battery with no outlet or cord around!

Post-it notes

So, this is a personal fave, and most people either love or hate this method! HAHA, Juvenile or not, post it can transform the way an entrepreneur plans. Seriously. And because they are one-time use, they will need an endless supply. Do your blogger a favor and buy a ton worth!

Trello premium

I can’t mention post-its without mentioning Trello. I am a planning freak, I mean guru, LOL and Trello is pretty much the digital version of post-its. So if you’re keen to save our planet or prefer digital resources and like post-its, this is your answer.

Appsumo gift card

If you arent already familiar with Appsumo, you should be. This is a well-known, reputable company that every blogger needs in their arsenal. They offer a ton of access to many tools and services for LTD (lifetime deals)! And have a generous 60 day (unheard of) return policy with fantastic customer service. I know because I tested them. Vetted and verified, check!

Laptop riser

Alright, similar to a quality chair, your blogger needs a laptop riser. The best option for THEM. It doesn’t need to be expensive but effective. Using a laptop riser ensures that their computers will remain at eye level, which is essential for bloggers spending an obscene amount of time behind a screen. This ensures their posture is straight, and neck strain doesn’t occur.

Blue light blocking glasses

Another important one is blue light blocking glasses. This protects their eyes and is so so important. Read this article, my blogging friend shared about her experience. Now, her experience may not be common, but it isn’t something you want to dismiss! If they wear glasses, I love using Zenni.com to purchase affordable options with blue light blocking features! The prices and styles are excellent. If you don’t care about fashion or don’t wear glasses, consider these you can have delivered to your home in a day, right from amazon.

Screencast-o-matic

This subscription is great because it allows an affordable and easy beginner to create and edit video content. They also have an app that I love, which makes filming and editing on the go easy.

Krisp

Krisp is another one of my TOP favorite subscriptions! They appeared on Appsumo first, and I am totally bummed, I missed on the offer. This service allows bloggers to record and listen to content without background noise! Imagine the blogger in your life attempts to record a video for their website, podcast, or course…and the dog won’t stop barking, the cat continues purring, and the kids decide to play karaoke for the millionth time?! Well, with this service, you can continue to record without the fear that these sounds will make an appearance on your videos!

Loom subscription

Loom, similar to screencast but much easy to use for non-techy bloggers and not as robust, makes it easy to quickly screen-record content and share. I use both loom and screencast because I love the simplicity of loom when I’m in a rush. But need the editing tool options in Screencast-o-matic for complicated videos.

Grammarly subscription

Let’s stop and take a break here for a moment. If your blogger isn’t already using Grammarly, sign them up RIGHT NOW. Grammarly offers a free version, and it’s a wise service to use. Even the most experienced writers make mistakes, and this helps to proofread a ton. The premium subscription version is great because it has many features bloggers can use that aren’t available otherwise.

Omm writer

Omm writer has a soft spot in my heart. This program is incredibly cheap and offers wonders to those writers that want the total ambiance experience. This program eliminates all distractions, has proven effective calming backgrounds and music to support your writing sessions.

Privacy camera cover

This simple item is more for conscious than anything else, really. Everyone should have one, just in case to support and provide an extra sense of privacy.

VPN service

Another tool to protect your privacy is a VPN. Using a VPN will not only protect your online activity but allow you to view websites and use services from areas you otherwise would be unable to do.

Music brain.fm subscription

Going back to “ambiance,” this service is scientifically proven to enhance your productivity. It’s an extremely effective way to get “in the zone” fast!

Books for bloggers

As a self-proclaimed neek, I love a good book. Check out this post to read some of my favorite books for bloggers.

Sendowl

Sendowl is a service that will allow your blogger to sell and deliver digital products and services! So they can start making money! The only negative here is that this service doesn’t allow one to purchase annual subscriptions, so you’d need to gift one month only or provide the funds for the whole year.

ESP subscription

ESP= email service provider. Every blogger needs to focus on building an email list. It’s one of the best ways to remain in control of your income as you own your list. You can contact them anytime, and it’s one of the easiest ways to make money fast. An annual subscription to a service like Mailchimp, Mailerlite, or Convertkit is best.

Social bee

Socialbee is an excellent scheduling service that can manage all of your blogger’s social media posts and strategies. Full disclosure, I snagged this one on app sumo with a lifetime deal, and it’s so worth it!

Toggl

Every blogger needs to KNOW where they spend their and how long it takes to complete a task. It’s so easy to think. We only spend 1 hour on social media or a half-hour editing our web design, when in reality, it’s around 3 or 4 hours. This service is a great way to monitor your tasks so you can plan better.

Dropbox

Online storage can be a lifesaver to many of us, and frankly, we should also use some sort of “cloud” service. Dropbox is an excellent option for bloggers as it allows them to save and access their work from any device! And depending on the plan you gift, they may have the ability to “share” links, which is great when sharing products with their readers or collaborating with others.

Theme

I probably should have listed this way up top, considering that nearly every blogger will need a theme for their website design if they aren’t designing it themselves. This gives them a pretty look without tech headaches.

Plugins

If your blogger is using WordPress, they will use plugins for sure! at some point or another, they’ll need some. Read this post to gauge an idea of the best plugins to use.

Web security subscription

Unfortunately, hackers are an inevitable part of blogging, and all bloggers will bear this fight at some point or another.

Blogging courses

I’ve taken more blogging courses than I care to admit. Wayyyy too many to list here. So, I’ll list a few of those most impactful ones below for every blogger at any stage. If you want to read reviews of all the courses I’ve taken and blogging ebooks, click here.

Tailwind

Theres a ton of chatter going around about whether or not tailwind is still useful or worth it. Personally, I say yes. If you are genuinely strapped for time or are forgetful like ahem, myself, this tool makes scheduling Pinterest pins and Instagram posts a breeze.

Tens unit

If you aren’t aware, a tens unit is a small device that uses a mild electrical current to provide pain relief. they come in all price ranges, and you can purchase them from practically anywhere. Now, you absolutely should, not must consult your doctor is using one. Some people cannot use these due to certain conditions etc. However, I use one (because it’s safe, i can, and got the okay from my doctor first) because it helps immensely with neck and back pain.

Step tracker

This is one of my best recommendations because it’s so easy to lose track or put your health on the back burners. Bloggers spend a considerable amount of time behind a computer screen, which doesn’t allow for much blood circulation. A step tracker is a fun, encouraging way to keep track of your steps to ensure you meet that 10,000 a day goal!
9 Easy Tips To Create Pretty Pins That Convert

If you want to create pins on Pinterest that get SEEN, follow these 9 simple steps below.

Bold Headings

Use bold headings in your pins that are large and stand out. Don’t know what a heading is? A heading would typically be the same as or similar to your blog post title. BUT, it certainly doesn’t have to be the same! I encourage you to make multiple pins with different headings. So, for example, if you had:

“An amazing chicken soup recipe” to share- your heading might look like this:

“The tastiest chicken soup you’ve ever had!” OR “A simple hearty chicken soup recipe.”

Use Subheadings

Pins with subheadings almost always get better engagement. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because it gives the reader a little bit more information about the article or it gives you a chance to use those power and emotional words. It gets people to click, so either way, you want to use them whenever you can.

An easy way to do this is to put one sentence into parentheses or use an arrow icon element to “point” to your sentence (which should be one-two sentences long). So, continuing from my last example of the “tastiest chicken noodle soup recipe ever”, your subheading might look like this:

“(& it’s really simple to make!)” OR “(+ we use super simple ingredients!)”

Entice & Engage

One of the most important things to keep in mind when designing pins is to make sure that you’re engaging your ideal reader. You want the entirety of your pin to look enticing. So, for each pin this will look different. Sometimes you’ll focus on eye catching images. Other times, your copy may be the most important thing. Either way you want to make sure that you’re catching your readers attention. (Ideally, your pin will do/have all of these things)

Eye Poppers

One of the best design hacks to increase engagement is shadows. This is incredibly underused and understated. The easiest way to make your images or text stand out on your pin is to underline the text with an “outline text” or shadow that will make the text stand out even more. For images, this would look like a shape or a splash or any other kind of element that will go behind the photo to make your pictures stand out and POP.

Related: Editable Pinterest Canva Template Bundle

Copywriting Tips

The easiest way to increase clicks on your pins is to use the right words. I can’t stress this enough but using the right words in the right way is one of the best ways to ensure that you’re speaking to your person. You want to use the same words and terminology that your reader uses. Aren’t aware of how your ideal reader speaks? Find out where they “hang out” and snoop around. Read the struggles they’re sharing and inject some of those same words into your copy, your pins.

Word of Caution

This doesn’t exactly relate to designing pretty pins but it’s really important to creating pins that convert, so I wanted to include it here. If you write about touchy topics or topics that typically render professional advice- be sure to avoid using those “medical” red light terms. So, for example, if you are a mental health blogger and you’re not a certified counselor, I would caution using terms like- “depression” on your pins. Instead you might use the words, “down” or “sad”. Pinterest filters out content that yields professional advice because it doesn’t want to circulate bad, incorrect, or unsafe data. A hidden or suppressed Pinterest pin won’t convert. Avoid medical/health words!

Related: How-To Create Beautiful Pin Images In Canva The Easy Way

Who Are You Talking To?

When you’re designing your pin-decide how you’re going to address your reader. HOW you address them will change the feel of the words on your pins. I always recommend creating at least five pins per post and this is one of the reasons why. You should create pins with different angles on your copy. Let me explain.

Think of it this way:
- I/Me
For this pin, the wording (copy) on your pin is focused on YOUR experience, thoughts, opinions, etc. You are the “focus.” Continuing from my previous example of chicken noodle soup. (I have no idea why I went this route hahaha. Ya girl loves to eat, so there’s that)

It would look like: “My favorite chicken noodle recipe” OR “The best chicken noodle soup I’ve ever tried.”
- You
Here, is where the text and headlines of your pin focus on THE READER. Now, you handed that baton over and the spotlight is on them. Here is where you make them feel special. So you’ll be focusing on their experiences and them as a person. The headline of our pin would look like:

“You will LOVE this easy chicken noodle soup recipe” OR “You won’t believe how easy this recipe is”
- Us/We
The tone of the “us and we” pin is a COLLECTIVE one. In this pin, you’ll talk as a group. A tribe. You and them. We. This type of pin creates unity, empathy, and understanding. Like a “we get it” vibe. That’s us!

Here’s an example: “A quick & delicious chicken noodle soup we can make that our families will love”
- Them
This one is the judger. Outing others, drawing lines in the sand. It’s you and your reader against someone else or another tribe. Check out the example below:

“The chicken noodle soup recipe we love but they’ll hate because it isn’t organic” Perdue anyone?

User Intent

When you’re designing your pins you always want to keep the end goal in mind. The user intent. What do you want your reader to do? What “thing” do you want them to complete? An easy way to remember this is CTA. Which is short for “call to action.” Every pin should have a call to action (CTA). Basically something or somewhere you want your reader to go and do.

This may seem like a lot at first, but I promise it gets easier and you’ll get the hang of it in no time!

Want a FREE Pinning Checklist? Click Here Grab Yours Now
Ivory-Mix-Review

If you do a quick google search for stock photos you’ll find thousands if not millions of web results.

I’ve tried close to 10 different stock photo memberships and I continue to return to Ivory Mix.

If you’re not familiar with Ivory Mix… it’s a stock photo website geared towards female business owners.

The company is owned by CEO creative Kayla Butler & She’s been providing stock photos for the internet for years.

At the current time of writing this article, she has roughly well over 6000 stock photos available for members to download!

With 100+ being added EVERY MONTH.

(Let me note: you can bulk download images! Yay!!! I’ve been a member of other sites where you need to download images 1 by 1….smh…such a freaking nightmare! But not here, thank goodness)

The memberships are affordable with three different tiers being monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

GRAB YOUR MEMBERSHIP HERE

(You can click the link above to grab free stock photos or a membership)

And as for terms and conditions of use there isn’t another company that offers a policy like hers.

I know the plethora of options there are out there for us. BUT, do their terms of use suit your needs?

Definitely check this first. The last thing you want to do is fall in love with a stock company’s photos only to discover you aren’t free to use it as you need.

(Think limitations on using the images for book covers / planners etc) MOST stock photo sites do not allow you to use the images in as many ways as Ivory Mix allows.

Many different stock photo companies put so many restrictions on what you can and cannot do with their photos rendering them useless in so many situations where bloggers really need it.

Inside Ivory Mix membership, you’ll find a succinctly organized dashboard with photos organized and categorized by color, category, items, types etc.

Here’s a peek inside:

Her photos offer hundreds of lifestyle images, flatlays, mockups, social media graphics & more.

For me, I need to do business with a company that I know stands behind their products and truly cares about my needs.

Am I right?

Ivory Mix has great customer service.

(I have no idea if she’s a one-woman-show but I’ve always received swift responses by email)

There’s also a Facebook group for VIP members and it’s very active. Kayla always responds whenever anyone tags her.

Most, if not all, of the inspiration for her photoshoots from the member’s request comes right from inside the group!

How cool is that?!

VIP Ivory Mix members also get special access to a mobile app & single image search capabilities!

These comments, reviews & testimonials aren’t even conclusive of the ones on her site!

If you’re a female entrepreneur /mompreneur or if this matches your target audience, then you definitely want to consider this stock photo site.

Currently, her color categories include metallics, black & browns, yellows, blues, greens, pinks & reds, white & grey, purples & oranges.

She offers vibrant, bold, neutrals & more.

At the time of writing, her photos cover the following categories

(& more continuously being added)

Categories include:

Business / Finance Niche

Parenting / Home Niche

Wellness / Fitness Niche

Mockups / Creative

Holidays

Lifestyle, Flatlays & Mockups

Ivory Mix Stock Photo Membership Highlights:

✓ vertical & horizontal images

✓thousands of images to choose from

✓ best terms of conditions on the market

✓ affordable & pocket-friendly

✓excellent photo quality (scale up or down with no loss of quality)

✓awesome affiliate program that’s free to join!

✓social media & quote graphics

Plus:

You’re free to use her images for Pinterest graphics, Instagram, social media, website, digital products & more.

And AS IF this all wasn’t already amazing all on its own.

Kayla is pretty much a brand wizard. She truly knows her stuff and shares it freely in her blog posts & courses.

(I’ve purchased several & now own them ALL & they are REALLY good)

Update: Here’s what you’ll get in 2021 if you join & grab an Ivory Mix VIP Stock membership today:

• Instant access to over 4500+ styled stock photos, graphics, social quotes, and canva templates (and growing monthly)

• 100+ new stock photos every month delivered twice a month

• 30+ Monthly Ready to Use / Customizable Social Media Quotes monthly

• 30+ Monthly Social Media Captions

• 15+ Monthly Exclusive and Custom Canva Templates
- Monthly Live Workshops (& replays) To Help You GROW Your Business
• Single Image Search and Download Library

• 🎉 $700 BONUS access to all Ivory Mix online courses & the EPIC Easy Marketing Planner! (This planner has 365 content ideas/captions to plan your yearly content)

Are you a : Course hoarder ✓

Me too, friend. Join now and never buy another course this year✓

See all the courses included below…

• 🎉 $120 BONUS access to The Creative Boss Method workshop series (This is worth $120 – included for FREE)

• 🎉 NEW INFOGRAPHIC & LIST-GRAPHIC CANVA TEMPLATES (So you can create stunning info-graphics for your social media accounts)

• 🎉 NEW VISIONARY AWARDS You get a chance to win monthly prizes inside the membership and have your content and knowledge shared with The Ivory Mix community #getseen

• 🎉SAVE 30% As a VIP You get the benefit of only paying once all year and having it barely work out to just over $11/month. Yes seriously.

Here’s the “catch” :

The Ivory Mix V.I.P membership is only open for a handful of days throughout the year. It’s that affordable but it is ending soon, Eek! This membership is so much more than a stock photo membership. It’s a freaking powerhouse that continues to grow with everything you could ever need as a blogger or business owner. Even before you realize you need it.

Click here to enroll as a VIP member before doors close

Courses Included In:

The Ivory Mix VIP Membership

Digital Profits, Jump Start!

This course covers how to create digital products and courses that CONVERT.

PinDepth

This course covers in depth, how to use Pinterest to grow your business.

Instagram Marketing, Jump Start!

This course covers how to take control of a new and authentic Instagram Marketing strategy.

Self Made Together

This course is a 90 Day plug & play strategic guide for your online business growth and sales.

Brand Know-How

This course covers how to create a cohesive and confident brand. Stay consistent and get noticed.

Content that Converts

This course covers how to create content that’ll help you grow.

The Subscriber Rush

This course teaches you how to use incentives to grow your email list.

CREATE CAPTURE CONQUER

This course covers how to take amazing photos with your phone because the best tool is the one you already have!

The Everything Bundle

This bundle covers everything from preparing your mindset, productivity, guides, workbooks, printables, cheat sheets, marketing, roadmaps, outsourcing & so much more.

This VIP enrollment only opens up a few times throughout the year, so this is your limited chance to save you nearly 30% compared to other options and get more photos, and lock in the price before it goes UP.

I hope this review helps you make the best choice for your stock photo needs & pin it so you don’t forget!

Please PIN IT for later
Bloggers Beware: You Can Catch A Lawsuit

You don’t want to get sued for pursuing your passion. Helping others should be easy. And you shouldn’t have to stress, worry, or fret at the thought of a lawsuit.

Bloggers get sued all the time over things like incorrect use of images on their website, defamation, privacy concerns and so much more. Amira’s legal bundle covers all the bases (at an affordable price too) so that you can rest assured your website is legally protected.

Before buying her legal bundle, I spent a copious amount of hours scouring the internet for free templates — copying and pasting a little bit here and a little bit there. But nothing truly protected all the aspects I needed. And who writes those anyway?!

Or maybe you’re using your favorite bloggers’ legal pages for inspiration?

Friend, that’s even worse! You know why? Because that’s plagiarism.

Yes, even a person’s legal policies are protected and considered their own intellectual property. Legal jargon is not my expertise. I’m not a lawyer, and I wouldn’t pretend to be one. So why was I wasting my time doing just that? Is that what you’re doing as well?

The moment we publish our blogs, our websites, our businesses, we need to have these legal notes in place. You should never go live without a privacy policy, disclaimer, or disclosures in place. Why? Because not only are you putting yourself and all of your hard work at risk, but it’s against the law.

Feel free to read more about that here.

Investing can be scary, especially when you don’t know if anything will pay off. But when you’re starting your own business, they’re negotiables and non-negotiables. This is one of those non-negotiables. When you purchase her templates, you’ll be glad you did.

She writes in a clear way that everyone can understand. And customizing the templates to your needs has never been easier. It must have taken me less than 20 minutes to get everything done. And with her smooth, clear cut instructions, I was never left wondering what to do.

Let me also share that since purchasing, there have been several BIG shifts and changes in the law.

Hello, GDPR and CCPA.

I’m not gonna lie. I was a little nervous when all these changes were happening. Many people were. But, Amira kept her word (free updates) and updated the templates in a timely fashion to be sure her clients were protected in the best way.

And again, she made it stupid easy. (She even included the update right inside of the email for us lazy ones that couldn’t be bothered with logging into our account and downloading the new templates lol) It’s so straightforward and nearly effortless.

I can’t stress that enough and I’m certainly not overstating. (Amira has a ton of reviews to back it up) She’s the real deal — a lawyer by day, bada*s blogger by night. And as if all that wasn’t enough on its own, she has a private Facebook group (over 1,500 members) where you can get any help you need. If you find you do need it, she’s there, very active might I add.

(She doesn’t ghost you or leave you hanging after you buy) Blogging can be hard. Building a business can be hard. It’s reassuring to purchase products that make it easy. Grab your legal template bundle here now (< a deal for you)

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