I made the switch from Blogger to WordPress earlier this year and that’s when I fell in love with all the plugins the platform offered. I loved how customizable everything now was and went on the search for ways to streamline things and make them easier for me and you guys, my readers. I quickly found out that plugins weren’t like Pokemon, that I shouldn’t have a million and one running behind the scenes, but I did find a few that I absolutely can’t be without.
Askimet – I didn’t realize how many spam comments my blog got on a daily basis before I got this plugin. I saw this plugin recommended over and over and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m going to have to recommend it too.
Google Analytics – I feel like this one’s pretty self-explanatory. Saves you from having to go to Google Analytics’ website every time.
WordPress SEO by Yoast – This one helps when it comes to making sure I have searchable keywords in my blog posts. I use this plugin every time I post.
Wordfence Security – This one keeps my site secure and helps it run faster. Yes. Yes. And yes again!
Social Media Icons – This plugin allows y’all to share my posts across various social media sites. I have it programmed to Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest now, but I can choose to add other platforms if I’d like.
Editorial Calendar – I can’t remember if this is standard or a plugin, but it’s probably the best WordPress feature to me. I can draft multiple posts and drag them around my calendar, scheduling them how I see fit. I can draft straight in the plugin and edit posts too! It’s genius!
jQuery Pin It Button for Images – I feel like this one’s pretty self-explanatory too. I’ve tested a few and this one was the easiest to use and most customizable.
Revive Old Posts – This plugin is like a continuous #TBT, tweeting out old posts and keeping traffic going to my blog. I love it!
I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface on these plugins, but these are some of my favorites. What are some of y’alls favorites? Feel free to comment below or message me on Twitter!