Running a pet industry blog and podcast requires quite a few pieces of equipment! Over the years I put together a collection of tools, apps, programs and doo-dads that make it all possible. I get a lot of questions from other bloggers and Instagram followers about exactly what I use to take photos, blog and create my podcast. So, here’s a list of all the tools I rely on to produce everything at Wear Wag Repeat!
This post contains affiliate links so if you buy anything I recommend I could receive a small commission. I only share things that I love and actually use!
The Tools I Use For My Pet Industry Blog and Podcast
Tools I Use For My Dog Blog
Divi by Elegant Themes – This is the theme I use for my blog. It’s really easy to design new pages and add in special formatting since everything is drag and drop. This is a plugin that’s added to my WordPress site.
Mirrorless Camera – I did a lot of research last year when I wanted a new camera and found that a lot of dog photographers use mirrorless models because they can be faster than DSLRs, which makes them better for capturing dogs who never sit still! I love my Sony a7. My photos are crisper, brighter and overall much high quality than they were with my old camera. I also invested a “pancake lens” like this which is super compact and makes it easy to travel with my camera.
Lavalier Mic – For my YouTube videos I use a clip-on microphone called a Lavalier Mic. The sound quality is just amazingly different when I use this compared to the built in microphone on my phone.
ConvertKit – I’m pretty serious about building my email list so that I can stay in touch with my readers and fans regardless of the latest algorithm updates on social media sites. I have tried Constant Contact and MailChimp, but my favorite is ConverKit because it’s designed specifically for bloggers.
Tools I Use For My Dog Instagram Account
Planoly – This is my favorite app and website to use to plan my Instagram feed. It’s free if you have 1 account, and there are paid subscriptions if you want to do more. I use this to plan what order my photos will be posted in and to keep track of photos I want to use but just don’t have a spot for them yet. I also love to go on the desktop version of the app and write out my captions – it’s so much easier than typing on my phone! I love this app so much that I created a course showing how to use all the features! Check out Planoly Perfection!
A Color Story – This is my favorite app for editing photos. There are a lot of really great filters that will lighten and brighten my photos. I also love to use the lens flare lighting effects when I can to inject a little (faux) sunshine into my posts.
Bendy Tripod + Remote Shutter – I rely on a tripod and remote shutter for a lot of photos of Lucy and I together. I don’t always have someone around to take photos of us, so this is a must for me! I like to get a bendy tripod because it’s easy to use when we’re out in the woods or on a walk.
Spend Less Time Working, and More Time with Your Dog
The Wear Wag Repeat Resource Guide has over 160 apps, tools and resources recommended by my podcast guests that will help you run an efficient and successful pet industry business!
Tools I Use For My Pet Industry Podcast
Blue Yeti USB Microphone – This is the external microphone I use to record my podcast. It’s a little pricey, but it records great quality sound. I love that it sits on my desk so there’s less risk of me hitting it with my hand and causing some kind of sound interference. I recommend ordering this pop filter that will make your voice sound super smooth!
Headphones – I just plug Apple earbuds into my Yeti mic. When I interview guests on my show I ask them to use earbuds with the built in microphone. That has worked well for me!
Recording Software – When I started, I recorded all of my podcast interviews over Skype with eCamm Call Recorder. The call recorder software automatically opens when I start Skype and I just hit record. It will capture a video and the audio of my interview in a split screen style. When I record the intros and outros to my show (and it’s just me) I use Quicktime. *Update: I currently conduct podcast interviews over Zoom and record audio on Quicktime.
Editing Software -When I first started, I edited my podcast in iMovie, then I only export the audio file. Now I’ve hired a podcast editor.
Hosting/Publishing – I publish my podcast through LibSyn with the Classic 250 package that’s $15 per month. This is enough storage for me to release a half hour show once a week and get some stats on my show. When I publish my show through LibSyn I have it set to automatically distribute to iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play.
Scheduling – Setting up interviews for my podcast can be really time consuming. I use Acuity Scheduling so that guests can pick their own time, get automated reminder emails and fill out a form with key info I need for their episode. I integrate Acuity with my google calendar so new recording appointments are automatically added to my calendar.
Canva – I create the cover images and Pinterest optimized images for each episode on Canva. It’s a free online design program that gives you access to tons of layouts, fonts and graphics. What I love is that they provide templates for each social network that are pre-sized to the optimal measurements.
Discover more tools, books and products that I use to run my business in my Amazon Shop! As I order new things and test them out, I add them to the special lists in that shop.
Is there anything that I didn’t cover that you’d like to know about? Just comment below and I’ll update this post!
If you enjoyed this post and want to learn more, check out these posts:
Making It As A Dog Mom Lifestyle Blogger
The Human Side of Being a Dog Influencer
What’s It Like to Be A Dog Influencer?
How This Petpreneur Built a Community of Dog Moms
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