Welcome to Blog Clarity!

Hands up if you want to blog better? If you feel like you’re flying by the seat of your yoga pants? If you want to make a mark in the blogging world?

Well, Blog Clarity is the place for you!

I’m Melissa and I run this little corner of the Internet. I’m a long-time marketer who got into blogging back in 2009. During the day, I’m the Social Media Strategist for Burt’s Bees. Once I realized how much my marketing background could help other bloggers, I started this site.

The mission? Help you uncover your own blogging brilliance. Because you’ve got it! You just need a nudge (or slight-yet-gentle push) in the right direction.

(And this page contains a couple of affiliate links.)

My Most Popular Posts Ever

From coming up with blog post ideas to finally getting things done (yay productivity!), these top posts are Blog Clarity reader favorites:

The Guide to Choosing a Blog Name You Won’t Regret (Part 1)

You Can Earn WHAT with Affiliate Links? (A good affiliate link 101 post)

The Secret to a Gazillion Blog Post Ideas

5 Popular Pinterest Tips You Should Just Ignore

25 Tips to Become a More Productive Blogger

Gems around the Blog

In addition to the popular posts, these pages just might be insanely useful.

Blogging Resources: Favorite plugins? Things to run your blogging? Got loads of resources on this page.

Guide to Blogger Business Cards: This 5-part series covers everything from what to put on a business card to where to buy them.

10-Minute Touch-Ups: Quick improvements you can make to your blogging life. Takes just 10 minutes.

My online courses: I offer three self-paced courses: one on mastering Pinterest, another on planning blog content, and one on creating a media kit.

Just Getting Started Blogging?

Wait wait wait. Back up! If you’re new to blogging altogether, I recommend the following 5 things get you started:

Blogging for Dummies: I’ve been a big For Dummies fan ever since I bought Puppies for Dummies years ago when we got our first pet. And I love this book too. It covers all the very basics from setting up your blog to promoting your content.

Blog Design for Dummies: I turned from For Dummies fan to For Dummies author! Yes, I wrote this one. Even if you buy a pre-made blog theme, you still need to know basic design principles, how to make your blog easy to navigate, and even a little HTML and CSS. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to get a free chapter!

WordPress: Okay, okay, I’m not going to insist you start on WordPress… oh wait, yes I am. If you plan to blog for more than your mom and close family, then start off right with WordPress.org (NOT .com).

SiteGround for hosting: With WordPress, you’ll need a place to host your blog. They’re known for their incredible customer support, anytime you need them.

Genesis Framework: Worth the money and then some. Well-code, SEO-optimized, and lots of support when you get stuck. I’m using Genesis with the Metro child theme, then customized from there. The design possibilities are endless.