About my blogging content
I have been blogging here at nealschaffer.com for over fifteen years, and this blog has grown into the center of my digital marketing business. I also teach content and digital marketing to executives at Rutgers Business School and UCLA Extension, and I wrote Digital Threads about building digital assets exactly like the one you are reading. Every blogging article I have published lives on this page, newest first. If you are not sure where to start, these are the posts I send people to first.
Start your blog the right way
Begin with how to start a blog, then sort out the foundation: WordPress hosting, the right WordPress theme, and a blog design that earns trust.
Write posts people actually read
Learn how to write a blog post, work from a proven blog post template, and never run dry with these blog post ideas. Want models to study? See my blog post examples. Curious where AI fits in? Start with AI blogging.
Get found in search
Master blog SEO first, then tune the platform with WordPress SEO and the right SEO plugins.
Promote your blog and grow an audience
Learn how to promote your blog, connect it to your social media, and expand your reach through guest blogging.
Make money from your blog
See how to make money blogging, the practical ways to monetize a blog, and how affiliate marketing fits into the mix.
If you want the bigger picture on turning content into a real business asset, it is all in my book, Digital Threads.
The moment you hit publish, you become a publisher. That is not a metaphor. It is the legal reality, and it comes with obligations most bloggers never signed up for and a set of protections most bloggers never claim. I…
You’re thinking about Instagram for your blog, aren’t you? Good. It’s a smart move. Everyone’s there, scrolling, double-tapping. So, let’s cut through the noise and figure out how to make this platform work for you. I’ve been teaching social media…
Video blogging works when you focus on three things: your smartphone camera, a clear niche, and consistent publishing. You don’t need expensive equipment to start a successful vlog. Most creators begin with the camera in their pocket and add gear…
I often hear the following: “I publish blog posts, but hardly anyone sees them.” That frustration isn’t about laziness or lack of creativity. It’s about one thing: visibility. Crafting useful content is only half the battle. To get found, shared,…
If you’re building your website on WordPress, you already have a head start. WordPress is built with search visibility in mind. Simply launching your site doesn’t mean search engines will find or rank it, however, and coming up early in…
Guest blogging has been a cornerstone of content marketing — and my own blogging journey — since the earliest days of the blogosphere. In fact, this very blog started as a collaborative project of guest bloggers back in 2009. Fast…
You’ve heard that blogging still matters, but with millions of posts published daily, can blog marketing still move the needle for your business? As a Fractional CMO, I’ve helped businesses of all sizes leverage blogs not just for traffic, but…
Bottom Line Up Front: These 15 apps will transform how you create, manage, and grow your blog. From design tools like Canva to writing assistants like Grammarly, each app serves a specific purpose in your blogging toolkit. Blogging in 2026…
Let’s be honest: The Internet is overflowing with generic blogging advice that often feels outdated or too surface-level. After mentoring thousands of marketers and business owners through their digital transformation journeys, I’ve seen firsthand what separates the hobbyist bloggers from…
Looking to improve your WordPress SEO? You’re not alone. Search engine optimization is one of the most critical strategies for driving long-term, organic traffic to your website. Whether you’re running a blog, an eCommerce store, or a service-based site, SEO…
Create the Content Brief and Outline
Blog design is essential for success. It shapes how visitors experience your content and influences their actions. Poor design can drive away potential customers while effective design keeps them engaged and coming back. As someone who provides business value through…
Starting a blog in 2026 is one of the best ways to share your passion, build an audience, and even create a profitable online business. But where do you start in creating a successful blog? In this step-by-step guide, you’ll…
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular and effective ways to monetize a blog, offering bloggers the chance to earn scalable, passive income while promoting products they love. While it takes time, work, and patience, I can tell you…
Although blogging may not be the newest trend in digital marketing, it remains one of the most powerful ways to build an online presence. In fact, despite what some may say, blogging is far from dead—it’s evolving. If you’re serious…
Selecting the right WordPress hosting provider can make or break your website’s performance, security, and growth. With so many options on the market, it’s essential to choose a host that aligns with your specific needs—whether you’re running a blog, an…
Formatting your blog post goes beyond just creating a visually appealing design. As AI-driven search engines increasingly influence how users find content, blog formatting must cater not only to human readers and traditional search engines, but also to large language…
Creating compelling blog titles is both an art and a science. Titles are your first opportunity to grab your target audience’s attention, entice them to click, and ultimately engage with your content. Without a strong title, even the most well-researched…
I have been blogging since 2008 and started getting serious about my own YouTube channel more recently in 2022, so I often get asked this question of blogging vs vlogging. Both mediums have unique advantages and cater to different audiences,…
The success of your website often begins with selecting the perfect WordPress theme. A well-chosen theme improves user experience, strengthens your online presence, and feeds directly into your WordPress SEO results through clean code and fast page loads. By aligning…
Blogging was once little more than a personal hobby. Over the years, however, it has evolved from that small hobby to a thriving industry, with countless opportunities to generate income. In 2026, the possibilities for making money by blogging are…
If your website is running on WordPress, you know how hard it can be to customize landing pages and the layouts of other important elements of your website. While many still do hire web developers to customize their WordPress installations,…
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine an effective blogging process without the use of artificial intelligence. With high-end AI software, creators can generate text, images, and videos from scratch. Blogging software increases your weekly blog output while also optimizing articles for…
Are blogs social media? Technically yes, practically no. A blog fits the original definition of social media, since it is web-based, published for an audience, and built for two-way conversation through comments and shares. In practice the two do different…
As Shopify has grown, so have its offerings. While online stores were once only large enough to provide landing pages and product description pages, these platforms have begun to offer the ability to establish your online presence–and Shopify is no…
Real estate blog ideas can begin to feel stale extremely quickly. Far too many realtors recycle old ideas, or offer the same stripped-down market analyses that leave very little to compel readers to carry on reading. How, exactly, can real…
If you are familiar with the concept of a blog, then you know that a blog is made to be read. A successful blog is one that is read consistently, and regarded as an authority, or a reliable standby. Unfortunately,…
Let’s face it: blogging isn’t always easy. In an age of intense competition, making sure your message gets out there is much harder than it used to be. Luckily, there are a whole bunch of blogging tools, both paid and…
Have you ever struggled, like I have, to build your own website on WordPress? Of course you have. There is a whole industry dedicated to web development to help businesses like ours. A WordPress AI website builder is meant to…
Blogging platforms are a must-have in this day and age, given that companies need to share their message online to connect with their audiences. Blogging might also provide SEO perks, allowing you to increase web exposure and boost your lead-generation…
I have been regularly sharing my own experiences using WordPress plugins to run this business blog to help you make your own website more social media optimized and SEO friendly. My goal in sharing is also to help you convert…
If blogging is how you go about generating website traffic and leads, do you always have enough compelling blog post ideas that will help you fill your editorial calendar? This article will make it simple for you to complete this…
Whether you are looking to start a new blog or looking for some ideas on what to write your next blog post about, it’s always a great idea to look around and be inspired by some of the great blog…
If you’ve never thought about subscribing to WordPress maintenance services, imagine this true story of what recently happened to me. I was updating one of my blog posts when all of a sudden, I realized that it was saving the…
Are you thinking to start a blog to earn money online? Looking for blog niche ideas that might make you money earlier rather than later? But, what if you choose a blog niche that’s too specific that it gets you…
If you’re looking for the blogging statistics to help you improve your content marketing, you’ve come to the right place! Blogs are increasing in popularity with businesses because blogging is increasingly critical to marketing success and it gives your brand…
Blogs are a big business. What were once small corners of the internet to find like-minded users and share content are now multi-million dollar operations. Blogging has become a career choice for many, and there are an increasing numbers of…
With time comes experience, and this translates into knowledge. Today I’d like to share my accumulated knowledge as it relates to blogging, and specifically to my favorite WordPress tips and tricks. It’s one thing to have great ideas, and another…
Some of you might have looked at this title and thought, “Why would a blogger even be considering blog writing services?” If you’re a business you’re probably already outsourcing some or all of your content writing, and if you treat…
It’s the question on everyone’s lips… are blogs still relevant in 2026? Is it worth spending time and money on your company blog or creating a blog in the day of social media? In a nutshell: yes. BUT…not if you’re…
Before I teach you how to create a Medium account, let me first answer the why. As any business owner should know, the trick from being a small business to a successful empire is simply exposure Online advertisements. Live events.…
Grab a free preview of my new book Digital Threads, the definitive modern marketing playbook for digital-first entrepreneurs and small businesses.
