Back to school season is upon us, which probably means you’re busy scouring the newspaper circulars for school supplies coupons and the best deals on glue sticks. If you’re anything like me, you’re also inspired by the back to school spirit to learn, grow and take your blog to the next level of success. That’s why I’ve put together this list of back to school for bloggers resources, along with a Cliff Notes-style summary of my favorite sections and takeaways.

As bloggers, we sometimes get stuck in the cycle of go go go, do do do. (Doesn’t that sound like a song? Well, an exhausting song, but still.) There’s always more we can be doing—social media! commenting pods! Facebook ads! freebies! webinars!—so we always feel behind.

But when we’re just treading water, doing things as we always have and feeling this close to drowning, it’s hard to realize that sometimes—sometimes—there might be a better way. A blogging life preserver, if you will.

That’s where these back to school for bloggers resources come in. I’ve selected the best podcasts for bloggers and the books that have made a huge difference in my own life, whether that’s giving this introverted/slightly awkward business owner actionable tips for authentic networking, or getting over my perfectionist tendencies to get more done.

These books and podcasts have taught me so much that I’ve applied in my own life, career and blogs, and I know they’ll help school you, too. You ready? Let’s do this.

Grow your blog with back to school for bloggers resources

We bloggers, entrepreneurs and bosses don’t have a lot of extra time on our hands. That’s why I’ve selected this brilliant resources from entrepreneurs, online marketing experts, psychologists and other smarty pants folks. We can always learn from those who are even more expert than we are (or who maybe just light a fire under you to do something different).

Don’t let your kids have all the fun. This back to school for bloggers post has what you need to learn—then put in to action—what you should do to grow your blog.

Back to school for bloggers: Podcasts

I’m a gigantic fan of podcasts. I listen to between one and three a day on my commute into my coworking space in Portland, Oregon, and I love how they tackle one topic and give you the Cliff Notes version of what you need to know.

Chances are, you’re like me: You listen to podcasts when you’re driving, cleaning, gardening or whatever because you want to maximize your valuable time. Well, I’ve helped even a bit more by narrowing down the podcasts you should be listening to and even selecting some of the gems you should put on your podcast queue today.

Get ready for back to school for bloggers just by listening!

Podcast review: 100% relatable, 100% helpful

When I found Amy Porterfield’s Online Marketing Made Easy podcast, I was overjoyed: Here was a podcaster who was like me, whom I actually identified with! I seriously did a happy dance while driving down I-5. (Don’t worry, I was totally safe!)

You see, I love her and her podcast because she brings heart to online marketing and entrepreneurship. It’s not all about squeezing the last dollar out of customers or clawing your way to the top of google rankings at any cost. Instead, she and her interview guests have integrity and emphasize the bigger picture behind wanting to grow your blog and online business: You’re making a difference and helping real people.

Amy Porterfield is also genius at narrowing down on a topic and distilling exactly what you need to know, but she doesn’t stop there. She makes sure to always go the extra step to show how you can actually put that know-how into practice. For example, most podcast episodes contain awesome, downloadable freebies so you can continue to integrate what you’ve learned (when you’re not driving 65 miles an hour down the highway, of course).

Finally, she’s totally relatable. She doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, and she doesn’t pretend to be perfect. She’s delightfully authentic and transparent. Her real talk (and showing how she has made mistakes and continues to learn) makes me think that I can grow my blog to be bigger, better and more helpful, too.

So for your first back to school for bloggers assignment, listen to a few of the Online Marketing Made Easy podcasts. I’m certain you’ll want to subscribe, just as I have. Start with this phenomenal podcast episode for bloggers:

Listen to this: B- is good enough

Why You Aren’t Taking Action, with Brooke Castillo (episode 217) was like a huge wake-up call for me and my blog. The entire episode is gold, but the real treasure for me was the portion on accomplishing things, not just working. In this episode, Amy’s guest told her (and the rest of us) that we should be striving for B- work. As a perfectionist, that totally blew my mind. Brooke Castillo explained that your blog posts or other content don’t have to be shiny A+ quality to help someone and make a difference in their life.

Since then, I’ve pushed back on some of my perfectionist blogger tendencies. For example, I recently wrote a post for my other blog on motherhood and didn’t proofread it a million times, like I typically do. So writing and publishing the post took a lot less time, freeing me up to do more to grow my blog.

Podcast review: Tips and strategies, straight-up

What I most like about The Blogging Millionaire podcast is that the host gives you super-useful blogging tips and growth hacks in an insanely digestible way. Brandon Gaille is expert at step-by-step instructions and just enough repetition that the lessons sink in (but not so much that you get annoyed).

That said, his style is very scripted—there’s not a lot of spontaneity, so the podcast’s tone isn’t very conversational. I later learned from one of his episodes, though, that his style is actually partly from how he manages a chronic health issue. Just goes to show we shouldn’t be so quick to judge!

Finally, I love that these podcast episodes are short. Most clock in around 15-20 minutes, which is always enough time for Brandon to break down a very specific topic and offer advice that you can start using that very day. There is pretty much zero fluff to this podcast—so it’s an excellent back to school for bloggers resource for those of us who are strapped for time.

Listen to this: Craft awesome blog post headlines

There are oodles of super-helpful, to-the-point podcast episodes, but I recommend you start with Pillar Two of the 4 Pillars of Blogging Success. This podcast episode was the one that got me hooked: It changed how I wrote headlines (and, later, subheadings). Another thing I appreciate about The Blogging Millionaire podcast is how Brandon backs up his advice with deep, thorough research. He brings out statistics, like characteristics of the best-performing headlines across the internet, to glean insights he turns into advice you can put into practice immediately.

Podcast review: Up-level your blog (and enjoy an Australian accent!)

Darren Rowse, host of the ProBlogger podcast, is friendly, straightforward and above all helpful. He makes listeners feel like he’s talking to them one-on-one. He delivers terrific content and ideas on how to improve your blog in his unscripted, conversational style. Plus, he has decades of experience to draw from.

Listen to this: Collaborate to drive traffic—together

My favorite ProBlogger episode is the one all about collaboration, called How Collaborations Can Accelerate Your Blog’s Growth (#237). In it, Darren shared how he has used collaboration to build courses, posts and more, and how doing so not only helps you create content faster; it also improves the quality of what you deliver.

What I absolutely loved about this post was it provided a fresh idea of how I can put this new approach into action—immediately. At the end of the episode he encouraged listeners to take the first step on collaborating with other bloggers, and I did! I reached out to others for an upcoming post that I’ll share soon, and I’m so excited to not only offer you readers something new—but to build relationships with other bloggers, too.

Back to School for Bloggers: Books

Whether you read or listen, buy or borrow, skim or underline, books can be a phenomenal back to school for bloggers resource. Books allow you to really dive deep into a given topic. If you know you want to learn more than you could in just an article or even a podcast, books are the way to go.

Here are a few of my recent favorite books for bloggers.

Overcome perfectionism

Anyone else here a perfectionist? I know I am. I like to always be on my a-game, to showcase my best work, to avoid mistakes—but life, unfortunately, gets in my way. Start Right Where You Are by Sam Bennett aims to help us become recovering perfectionists. If you’re too busy to give this book a read, download the free audiobook here!

One of my favorite things about this book for bloggers (and others!) was that each chapter is short—like a few pages. Slogging through a ton of text isn’t a huge task that I have to add to my already overburdened to-do list. And each chapter ends with something you can do right now to put that lesson into practice, and they’re all totally doable.

Her guiding philosophy is that by changing just a tiny bit, you can move your whole life by opening yourself up to new perspectives and opportunities. I highly recommend Start Right Where You Are for anyone who is turned off by the grand, sweeping narratives of most self-help books and just wants a little straight talk—and concrete ideas on how to execute small changes.

I found myself constantly taking photos of sections of the book so I can refer to them later. Finally, I would copy quotes from this book for bloggers into my planner, onto sticky notes, and everywhere that would remind me of her badass wisdom.

Embrace your inner introvert—and still network like a boss

I have to admit that I felt kind of goofy with this book on my bedside table, as it seemed a little manipulative to try to “hack” my body language and conversation sparkers so I could get along better with others. But I am awkward, at least in my head. I get major social anxiety around groups of people, especially those I don’t know well. Yet my professional and blogging success depends on making good first impressions, building relationships, collaborating, networking and more.

Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards is a book for bloggers and everyone else who sometimes finds themselves in a room of acquaintances, colleagues or strangers. First-off, I was so relieved her advice wasn’t to just fake it til I make it—she actually gives the recommendation to not dive into big networking events if those give you hives. Secondly, she gives science-based tips on body language, conversation starters, how to follow up with people and even where to stand at a party so you catch people when they’re ready to connect with you (not when they’ve just popped a meatball in their mouth—awkward!).

I’m actually going to reread this one. I don’t buy books often, but this book is perfect for my back to school for bloggers project—and beyond. There are sections I want to reread so I can practice and hone the skills she outlines. They’ve already helped me get over myself a bit, reach out to people I wouldn’t have met otherwise, and feel prepared when I strike up a conversation with someone new.

Constant learning to improve your blog in the long run

Whether you have kids going back to school or you’re just inspired by all the cute school supplies, taking a back to school for bloggers mindset can help you expand your blog’s reach, attract new readers and take your blog to the next level.

I’m curious—and always wanting to learn more!—so please share your favorite books, podcasts, articles or experts below. I can’t wait for you to school me!