The Tools I Use for Blogging 

I used to blog on a self-hosted WordPress site. And don’t get me wrong — I loved it. It did everything I needed, and I made money from it. But here’s the thing: it was also eating up money faster than it was bringing it in. Hosting alone costs me £189 a month.

ActiveCampaign was another £220. Then came the plugins — landing pages, funnel elements, pop-ups to capture leads — another £100 or so. When my scheduling tool went from 10 bucks to 99 bucks (seemingly overnight), I'd had enough.

By the time I added it all up, my “simple” website with a blog was costing me the equivalent of a small mortgage every single month. And unlike a mortgage, there wasn’t a house at the end of it. That was one of the big drivers when we created Arrow Marketing Lab.

I wanted the blog to do everything it needed to do — publish posts, capture leads, connect to email, and support funnels — without forcing you to bolt on expensive extras. No endless plugins. No juggling subscriptions. No nasty surprises when the renewal invoices landed.

So when we got the price point down to £127 a month for the whole system, I was thrilled. Blogging became affordable again.

And the best part? The Arrow Marketing Lab blog doesn’t just match what my old WordPress setup could do… it goes further, without the clutter or the cost.

1. Why Blogging Still Matters

Social media posts disappear. Emails get ignored. Trends vanish. But a blog post? It sticks.

Unlike a Facebook post that fizzles out after a few hours (days if you're lucky), a blog post keeps showing up in Google when people search for answers. It’s not just content — it’s an asset.

👉 Example: Tony, a plumber in Benfleet, once wrote a blog on “What to Do If Your Boiler Stops Working.” He nearly deleted it, thinking it was too simple. But year after year, every winter, that one post still brings him customers.

And it’s not just Tony. Back when we ran our transport company, a single blog post — typo in the headline and a photo of our daughter included — caught the attention of a major international motor company. That post led directly to a seven-figure contract. Proof that even “imperfect” blogging can change a business.

Blogging isn’t about writing long essays, who has time for this? Blogging is about solving problems, showing personality, and giving people a reason to trust you and do business with you.

2. Arrow Marketing Lab’s Blog Tool

The Arrow Marketing Lab Blog is your content hub. No plugins, no extra logins, no faff.

Each post you create sits on your website, which is brilliant for SEO and makes you look professional when a prospect checks you out. You can add headings, images, calls-to-action, and schedule posts to go live later.

Best of all, it connects with the Social Planner — so publishing and promoting happen in the same place. No copy-paste chaos.

👉 Real-world win: Leah, a beautician in Grays, used to copy-paste her blog links across four social platforms every week. Now, she writes once, publishes, and Arrow Marketing Lab takes care of the rest.

3. How I Publish Blog Posts in Arrow Marketing Lab

Publishing is the easy part. Here’s my routine:

1. Draft in Google Docs — distraction-free writing.

2. Paste into Arrow Marketing Lab — format headings, bold key points, add images, use the highlighter.

3. Add links — to other blogs or your services.

4. Finish with a clear call-to-action — “Book a consultation,” “Download our guide,” etc.

5. Preview and schedule — set it and forget it.

👉 Example: Jess, who runs a local nail salon, batches three blogs in one go. She schedules them for the month and knows her content is sorted. Blogging no longer feels like a weekly panic.

4. Planning Content That Aligns With Your Services

Random posts don’t bring in customers. Strategic posts do.

Every blog you publish should connect back to a service you offer, a customer question, or an objection you hear.

Here’s my 3-step “15-Minute Blog Planning Framework”:

1. Start with a customer question. Write down the last 3 questions someone asked you about your business.

2. Frame it as a blog title. If they asked “Do I need an annual boiler service?” → your post is “Why Every Home Needs an Annual Boiler Service (and What Happens If You Skip It).”

3. Add the next step. At the end, link to your service or offer.

👉 Example: One of our Arrow Marketing Lab clients asked constantly, “Is SEO too expensive for small businesses?” We turned that into a blog post that not only explained costs but showed affordable ways to start. That post is still one of their best-performing pieces.

This way, blogging isn’t just “content.” It becomes part of your sales process.

5. Promoting Blog Posts with Social Planner

Publishing is only half the job. If nobody sees your blog, it won’t bring you leads.

That’s why I rely on the Social Planner inside Arrow Marketing Lab. For every blog, I create 4–5 promotional snippets that drip out across my social platforms.

Examples I use:

- A quote or key takeaway from the blog

- A question that hooks attention (“Still relying on word-of-mouth for leads?”)

- A call-to-action (“Read the full blog here”)

- A graphic or image variation

👉 Example: Jess’s “Winter Nail Care Tips” blog turned into:

- Three Facebook posts

- Two Instagram graphics

- One LinkedIn article

- One email newsletter

All scheduled in one sitting. One blog → a week of marketing.

6. Bonus Tools That Support My Workflow

Arrow Marketing Lab does the heavy lifting, but I also use:

- Google Docs → Drafting blogs quickly

- Grammarly → Light editing and tone check

- Canva → Blog graphics and headers

- DepositPhotos → Stock photos

- Google Search Console → Checking which blogs bring traffic

These tools aren’t essential, but they help polish and streamline the process.

Final Thoughts

Blogging doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the Arrow Marketing Lab Blog, I can publish, promote, and track content in one place — no tech headaches, no juggling logins.

To recap, you’ve learnt how to:

- Publish blogs quickly and consistently

- Plan content tied directly to your services

- Promote your blogs through the Social Planner

- Repurpose one post into a week of marketing content

The result? A blog that works quietly in the background to build trust, attract leads, and support your sales.

Next step? Start with one blog idea today. Answer a real customer question, publish it in Arrow Marketing Lab, and promote it with the Social Planner. Within weeks, you’ll see how powerful blogging can be for your business

Check out Arrow Marketing Lab

Sarah