I often get asked which tools and services I recommend…
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m frugal AF and like to save money wherever possible. I bootstrapped my business and don’t believe in spending a lot on fancy software unless it adds real value.
Some of the links below are affiliate links, but I’ve only included products that I use myself and love.
I’ve also highlighted which tools are free and which have free versions.
My Toolkit
Writing Tools
My team and I use a variety of AI tools to speed up and improve our writing. Which one, depends on the type of content we’re creating.
- General AI article writer – Koala Writer is the best all-round tool in my opinion
- News articles – I use Ghost Craft to find the latest news and converts it to articles
- Listicles with real data – I use Hypertxt to do research with Reddit and convert that into listicles that perform well on Facebook and email
- General assistant – I use ChatGPT Plus for every other kind of AI work, like brainstorming and summarising data
Facebook Tools
I use a fab tool called Strevio to spy on my competitors, see what’s working for them and create viral posts with minimal effort. I also use it as a scheduler.
Pinterest Tools
I love PinGenerator. With just 10 minutes per day, my team create 30 pins per day and schedule them automatically.
Twitter Tools
I use TweetHunter.io to help me write and schedule my tweets.
Blog Tools
If you want AI blog comments that look real, I recommend Comment Goblin.
Email Marketing
I use Kit (formerly ConvertKit) for all of my email marketing – it’s the best I’ve tried by far.
To grow subscribers, I use Quiz Wizard to easily make quizzes and collect email addresses.
SEO Tools
I use Keysearch which is the best value SEO tool. It’s super cheap and does exactly what you need. You can get 20% OFF with code KSDISC.
I always check Google results pages manually before committing to a keyword. As I live outside of the US, instead of paying for a VPN, I use usearchfrom.com to show non-personalised results from the US. It’s free.
Services I trust
I mostly work with my own team of freelancers. But when I need some extra help, here’s where I go.
Social-First Articles & Websites
I used Web Asset Builders to create my new social-first niche site and the content on it. They always do a fantastic hands-off job.
SEO Content
I’ve tested several writing services too, and my favourite is ContentPit. I regularly place large orders with them.
The prices are already very reasonable, but if you use discount code NICHESITELADY you’ll get 10% off.
Newsletter Content
I helped ContentPit to develop their newsletter management service. If you want to outsource your email newsletter, these are the guys for the job.
You can use code NICHESITELADY for 10% off.
Link Building
If you prefer to outsource your digital PR, I’ve used two great companies that I recommend…
Linkifi will do a fantastic hands-off job for you.
I also really like Search Intelligence (use use code LADY1000 to get £1000 off your first campaign)
Virtual Assistants
I hired virtual assistants in the Philippines from OnlineJobs.ph. They upload my posts, source images, find products to feature and help with research.
Technical Stuff
Theme
The WordPress theme that I use on all of my sites is GeneratePress. It’s super fast and easy to use with no coding required.
There’s a free version if you’re just getting started, but the paid version is definitely worth it.
Hosting
I currently use BigScoots Managed WordPress Hosting and I’m very happy with it. I’m on the Professional plan which costs $98.95 per month.
If you want something cheaper, I have my newest sites on Hostinger WordPress Hosting which costs about $2 per month and works great.
Site Speed
To give my site speed a boost I use WP Rocket. This takes care of all of my website performance issues.
Monetising my sites
Display ads
I use Raptive to manage my display ads. I love that it’s 100% hands-off. You need to have at least 100k visitors per month to join and they need to be mostly from the United States.
Affiliate management
I use Geniuslink to send my audience to the best affiliate program for their country. I find it to be better than Amazon’s OneLink.I also use it for split testing so I can work out which affiliate programs are converting the best. It only costs me a few dollars per month, depending on how many clicks I send through it.
Buying & Selling Sites
I’ve only sold one website so far, but I had a fantastic experience selling through Empire Flippers and I will definitely use them again next time.
Empire Flippers only sell sites that are making at least $2k per month. For smaller sites, you can buy and sell through Motion Invest or Flippa. All of these sites do free valuations.
How I Learn
If you don’t have lots of time and want to learn things quickly and efficiently, then the best way is with a paid course.
Sure, you can get information for free online, and I did that for years. But, it involves piecing bits together and you need a lot of time.
You can fast-track by watching over-the-shoulder videos from someone who’s already where you want to be.
My favourite Facebook course is the Facebook For Niche Sites Course. It tells you everything you need to power your website with Facebook traffic.
It’s a lot cheaper than all the other FB courses, and also much better in my opinion.
Email Marketing
The Million Dollar Newsletter Playbook is a great course about how to grow an email list that makes you a lot of money.
I took a course called Pinpoint Traffic. I had no idea what I was doing with Pinterest, but found this course to be very thorough and easy to follow.
Digital PR
I took this fantastic Digital PR Course that teaches you how to build digital PR links.
If you want access to all of my past emails, you can get those free here.