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15 Great Gifts For Bloggers & Online Business Owners
The holidays are here!
Do you have a side hustler in your life? Are YOU the side hustler in your life? Thinking about what to buy or what to get for yourself? Read on for some of my favorite recommendations of gifts for bloggers and side hustlers that will take your business to the next level in 2019.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 1: A Microphone
Looking to dive into video/podcasting in 2019? Then you need a quality microphone. The microphone built into the headphones you get with your phone will do in a pinch, but if you’re doing serious audio/video work, then you’re going to need something sturdier.
And when it comes to the best microphones for bloggers, two come to mind: the Blue Snowball Microphone (the affordable pick) and the Blue Yeti USB Microphone (the premium pick).
ETA: If you want the works, don’t forget to add a pop filter to your wish list. It’s that circular shield that you see in front of most microphones when you’re in a recording studio (check out the First Burn Hamildrop to see what I mean). These filters soften the stronger sounds you make when speaking, like the “P” and “B” sound. Extraneous sound reduction is very important for clean, easy to listen to audio.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 2: An Extra Power Cord
When I was working in college sports full-time, I had one power cord for home, and one power cord to keep at work, just so I had one less thing to lug around. Even if you have one power cord for the bedroom and one for the living room, having a spare power cord is HUGE. Also, not just having a spare power cord, but a spare power cord that also has the extension adaptor, so you’re not chained to the nearest outlet while you work.
And the other perk of having more than one is that it extends its longevity. Now, I’m not here to talk about planned obsolescence, especially since I have never had the issues that others have had when it comes to technology, but squeezing a little more life out of the things you use every day is awesome. And it’ll save you money in the long run.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 3: A Nice Blanket
It’s winter, and that means it’s cold.
As much as I don’t love living in the 110-degree Arizona heat, I struggle to deal with any temperature under 70. Yes, my blood is thin. No, I will not move myself to somewhere that it snows just to see what it’s like. In fact, when I was a junior in high school, I summarily ruled out going to college ANYWHERE it snowed because I couldn’t survive the outdoors in New York in March. March! It’s not even all that cold in March!
My happy medium these days is like…the low 80s.
But anyway, a nice fleece blanket like this one, this one, or this one would make a perfect gift for bloggers and side hustlers in any climate. And especially then super cold ones.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 4: A Coffee Mug With A Motivational Quote
It should go without saying that I’m a fan of motivational quotes (see: 47 Motivational Quotes For The Badass Entrepreneur Part 1). And it should also go without saying that I am a big fan of drinking beverages out of coffee mugs. Now, I went cold turkey off actual coffee since August 2018 for reasons of acid reflux and it dials up my baseline anxiety level to like…a strong seven. Without coffee? Call it a three and a half.
I have been drinking out of a Hawaii coffee mug I got at a Starbucks in Oahu while on a trip with the Arizona State volleyball team some years back. It reminds me that I need to get back out there one day (preferably to purchase my dream writing retreat, a ranch in the hills of Waimea on the Big Island.
If you’re not a morning person, then a coffee mug is a great way to remind the people around you to…wait to start all that silly chatter until after you finish your cup.
There are a ton of great options, and I am a HUGE fan of these:
Great Gifts For Bloggers 5: New Headphones
Headphones are SO helpful, because they’re great at helping you stay focused. And limiting distractions is one of the keys to a successful side hustle and how to have a productive work session, no matter how long or short it is.
If you’re looking for premium headphones, Beats Studio 3 Over-Ear Headphones are where it’s at. They come in a ton of colors, including red, blue, gray, and more. I have my eye on this Matte Black pair. If you’re into the in-ear headphones, then the Beats Urbeats Earphones are a great option too.
Looking for wireless AND in-ear? Check out this pair from Bose, which is another awesome option. While Beats really has the market on the over-ear headphones, Bose has made a ton of strides in the in-ear and noise cancelling market.
Want something little more cost effective? Skullcandy is an awesome brand, and you can get a quality pair of headphones for under $10.00.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 6: A Ring Light
You know how when you’re watching your favorite videos of your favorite bloggers and their eyes look bright and you can see circles in their irises? That’s because they have a Ring Light like this attached to their phone or computer. Ring lights are great because they make sure you have even lighting on your face, no matter where you are or what time of day you’re recording.
I’m going to be diving into video in 2018 and this is high on my list of things to buy (along with the Blue Snowball Microphone), because I don’t have the best lighting where I live. It’s great for summers, because it keeps my apartment cool, but it makes video a little difficult unless I record super early in the day or if I’m in just the right place.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 7: A Cute Notebook/Planner
Daily Productivity Planner by Intelligent Change
I am glued to my calendar. If it’s not synced up properly, I’m having problems. And if you’re someone who has better handwriting than me (I make doctors look legible), then a planner is a perfect gift for you. Brendon Burchard has The High Performance Planner, and there is also the 90 Day Goal Planner by 90X, which is a journal that breaks up your year into 90 day chunks. That is a great way to get you on your way to meeting your goals and meeting them quickly.
Update (January 6, 2019): Despite the fact that I have the handwriting of a 12-year-old, I decided to purchase a journal. I decided on The 5 Second Journal, from Mel Robbins of The 5 Second Rule (which I also have and will feature in an upcoming edition of Required Reading). As I write this update, i’ve planned out my day in this journal every day (and yes, it’d only been a few days), but I am LOVING it so far!
Looking for something a little simpler? Try this 2019 Weekly & Monthly Planner by BooQool.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 8: A New Computer
The holidays are an amazing time to pick out a new laptop. While I have been a MacBook devotee since college (after suffering from 3 malfunctioning non-Apple computers in the span of 18 months), I know that Apple product are not always be in the cards for most people. Are they worth the investment? Yes.
Fortunately, you can still get a quality laptop without giving up an arm, leg, and your first child. And the holidays are a great time to get a great deal on a new computer. You can get a well-priced ASUS Chromebook, or an HP Touchscreen Laptop for a few hundred dollars.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 9: Money Toward That Dream Course
One of the best ways to make money blogging is to create an online course. And there are a ton of bloggers who have really figured that out and have created some AMAZING courses. To name a few (and in no particular order), I’m a huge fan of the products from Melyssa Griffin, Ruth Soukup, Michelle Shroder-Gardner, Rachel Ngom, Kathrin Zenkina and more. When it comes to blogging, these creators are really people to look up to.
And yes, some of their courses are expensive. While there are a lot out there in the $300-$500 range, there’s nothing wrong with pricing a course at $1,000 or more (and pricing an online course is a blog post for another day). But for some people that may not be easy to swing, even for that dream course.
So, when the holidays roll around, there is nothing wrong with asking for money to put toward a course, in lieu of a physical gift. Gifts come in many forms, and the gift of that dream, premium online course will make any blogger or side hustler’s year.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 10: Books
It’s no secret that I love reading (see: the Required Reading series). There are few gifts that benefit more than a book. Or a bunch of books. And in the case of blogging and successfully making money, you have a TON of options to choose from. I’ve featured books like F.U. Money, The Science of Getting Rich, Rich 20Something, and Rich Dad, Poor Dad in the series, and to come will feature You Are A Badass and You Are A Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins, Fierce Optimism by Leeza Gibbons, How To Blog For Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup and so much more.
Want to dive deeper into making money, your mindset, and personal development in 2019? Try these:
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
The Introvert Entrepreneur by Beth Buelow
The Essential Habits of Six-Figure Bloggers by Sally Miller
The 12 Week Year by Moran & Lennington
Love Your Life, Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze
The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
Great Gifts For Bloggers 11: An External Hard Drive
If you have a laptop, then you need a quality, study external hard drive. This is 100 percent mandatory. I just bought the LACIE Rugged Mini (1TB) and I LOVE it. It’s small, portable, easy to use, water and shock resistant, and even pressure resistant up to one ton of weight. I’ve been a fan of LACIE hard drives for years, and this one comes with a USB 3.0 cord, and a USB-C for those of you using the newer MacBooks.
For those of you who aren’t so technologically inclined, what that mostly means is that it uploads really, really fast. I have about 4000 files on my computer (which isn’t much by a long shot, but are still all files that I would cry if I lost), and the LACIE backed them up in 10 minutes.
Setup was a breeze, which is great, because the last thing you need is to spend hours backing up all your data. Backing up your computer regularly is crucial, and with something like the LACIE, it’s easy enough to get it into your routine at least once a week.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 12: Premium Software
While it is entirely possible to blog on a budget, there is a lot of premium software out there. And that’s a great thing to put on your holiday list. You can get a subscription to one of the premium email services like ConvertKit (which you can try for two weeks free) or Active Campaign, or something top of the line like Leadpages. Graphic designer struggling with the constraints of Canva? Try a year’s subscription of Photoshop.
There are other pieces of software like Scrivener, which is where I write all my blog posts, or even the pro versions of some of your favorite products.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 13: A Laptop Bag
With computers and headphones and microphones and external hard drives, you need something awesome to carry it all. I never go anywhere without my Brookline Laptop Bag from Lo And Sons. It’s spacious, has a ton of pockets (which need to be cleaned out, but that’s another story), and super durable.
Looking for something similar for under $200? This tote bag from Sunny Snowy fits a 15.6 in laptop and comes in stylish gray and black. There’s also this Laptop Tote Bag by EDODAY, which comes in five colors, including a very bold and awesome red. I’m also a fan of this laptop bag by EaseGave, which comes in a soft mauve.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 14: Support
You can’t put a price tag on this one.
Support can mean a lot of things. It cane be having your spouse spend a little more time with the kids so you can have an extra hour or two per week focusing on your side hustle, or help clearing out a space in your apartment/condo/house to film, or simply having your family understand what it is you’re trying to do. It can be anything, as long as it’s the support that you know you need.
Blogging is complicated, a new frontier to many, and doesn’t always translate to something that make sense. Ask your family who doesn’t quite “get it” yet to tell you what they don’t understand so you can help them do that. And if they still can’t, then ask them to just support you, and the returns will come.
Great Gifts For Bloggers 15: Hosting
Don’t forget that a year’s hosting on a self-hosted platform like Siteground makes for an awesome holiday gift. A self-hosted website gives you credibility, and allows you to a much further reach than any Facebook page or Twitter account will ever be able to afford. A website that you own will take you higher than any other platform that changes its algorithms on a whim.
I write about hosting my websites in 6 Reasons I Host My Side Hustle On Siteground, and I also write about starting your side hustle in Start Your Side Hustle In 5 Easy Steps. You can get started with a WordPress website, hosted through Siteground for as low as $3.95/month. Not only that, but you can be up and running in less than 15 minutes. It’s that easy.
And if you need guidance on how to write the perfect blog post? Wel,l check out my FREE Idea To Awesome Workbook, which will take you from idea to an awesome blog post that everyone will want to devour!
Pin It For Later!
I love everything on this list! Especially the ring light. I am currently on the hunt for a good one!
Thank you! The ring light is at the top of my list too!
I have not been blogging for long yet anything on this list I would happily accept! Lol. I would hate someone to feed my addiction to coffee but the mugs would be my pick simply because it’s one of the first this I do in the morning and that motivation would be encouraging.
Right? Motivational coffee mugs are one heck of a drug!
I have never heard of the light ring…Its on my list for wants for Christmas! LOL
Me too!
Awesome gift guide. I could do with several of these as a blogger and side hustler myself lol! I have a few of those book you mention but I’ll check out some of the others! Thanks
Happy to share! Happy reading!
These are all great! I am doing a gift exchange with other bloggers and could totally send any of these and they will be perfect
That sounds like so much fun! Enjoy! Glad to help inspire you!
This is such an incredible list! I would never have thought of some of these. I love the mug, laptop and ring light ideas best. Great post!
I’m a fan of the ring light too! Definitely high on my list!
These gave me such good ideas to put on my Christmas list! I have a little ringlight that goes on my phone, and is surprisingly bright! I love it!
That’s awesome! Enjoy!
I just sent this over to my husband with a few notes on what would make great gifts for me this Christmas. Specifically, I want that ring light and a new mug. Thanks for the ideas!
Awesome! Enjoy!
Wow..these are some great list of gift ideas for bloggers! I love all those gifts, especially the cute small notebook. It will be very helpful for them.
I wish I was one of those people who actually utilized notebooks. I knew that I wanted to include them for people who do!
Great gift guide! A blanket! That’s my thing! I wake up at 4:30 every morning to start working, and in mouldy England, your life and happiness might very well depend on a cosy blanket – all a blogger needs to write an awesome post 🙂
That’s awesome! I’m an early riser too, but it’s usually too warm in Arizona for blankets except for…maybe two months out of the year. Still love blankets though. Stay warm this winter!
What a great list! As a blogger and vlogger I can see a few things I need especially the ring light!
The ring light is high on my list too!
A blanket! I am so glad I’m not the only one who loves to cuddle up in a blanket – I live in Wisconsin though, so it gets REALLY cold here 🙂
Sometimes I wish I lived somewhere that it got cold enough to warrant excessive blanket use, but then I remember that I’d actually have to go OUTSIDE in said weather! Stay warm!
I can see a few of my blogger friends liking these gifts. What blogger can’t use a microphone, or an upgraded mic?
Exactly!
These are such fabulous ideas! I really love the blanket and ring light.
Me too! The ring light is high up on my list!
Ring light and mic pls!!!
Right??? Same here!
I want to try the microphone! I also love the mugs!
I love a good coffee mug too!
Great list of gift options! I would personally love some good headphones… I need to silence out all the background noise and video games so I can focus on writing blog content!
Yeah, I need that too!
What great gift ideas! I love the motivational mug!
Motivational mugs are so much fun!
These are such fun gift ideas! I especially love the mugs! So inspirational!
Thanks! I’m all about a good motivational coffee mug!
Awesome gifts!I would love any and all of them!
Same here! Thank you!
I see that I need all these things, especially the hard drive would be an awesome gift for me. I’ll show this list to my husband for some inspirations.
Good plan! Definitely keep an external hard drive high on your list! It’s so important and definitely worth the cost to get a good one. And fortunately, it doesn’t cost as much for 1TB of space as it did a few years ago!
These are some awesome ideas. A microphone is always useful for bloggers. Supporting them by giving them their time and spending a little more time with kids is a very nice gift and support by a spouse.
Right? I’m single and can do what I want, when I want (outside the constraints of my 8-5 job, of course), but I know a lot of side hustlers and bloggers tend to be women with families, so this is super important!
I love this list! Several of them I finally invested in and a lot more of them are now on my wish list!
That’s awesome!
All of these gift ideas are great. Bloggers definitely should be spoiled. I love the blanket, coffee mugs, and notebook/planner. Definitely adding them to my wish list.
They really should be! I love the coffee mugs too! Enjoy!
Awesome gift list! Love the mugs and the hard drive is a great idea!
Oh yeah the hard drive is SO important! Make sure you take a minute and update your files!
There are so many gifts on here that I would love to receive! Sneaking this post into my family’s feeds 😛 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing! Hope you get everything you want!
The ring light is cool! I never knew something like that existed!
Right? I had no idea but it makes so much sense! It’s high on my list!
Haha… I’m not a blogger but I wish I can have all the items above. I hope to find some good deal through this black Friday or cyber Monday sale
Get after those deals and get all the things you want!
Oh a nice blanket. I’m one of those weirdos who have to have a blanket on them no matter what ha. Love them!
Me too! I always have to have one, even when it’s summer and it’s so hot here in Arizona!
This is such a comprehensive list. As a blogger, I always have a wish list of some new things I could use to help improve my blog life. This year it is new backdrops for my pictures. Always looking to up my game.
Backdrops are awesome! Definitely a must for bloggers who take their own photos!
It is funny… I am a blogger myself but never thought of gifts that would make a blogger happy. This is a fantastic list, I love it!
Right? I didn’t think so either, but I thought about all the things I want and figure that other bloggers like me would too!
Great list! Although I’m the worst person when it comes to getting gifts. I tend to buy everything myself1
Yeah, I’ve been there too! I need to be better at asking for what I want!
All these items are so cute! Perfect gifts for bloggers, I know my friend would love anything in here.
That’s awesome!
Great ideas! I am going to put a couple of these on my list!
That’s so awesome!
What a great list! So appropriate for bloggers! Just got me a black Friday computer deal!
That’s awesome! Happy holidays!
These look like very helpful tools!
I love your ideas, but once I saw that blogging mic in person, I realized that it wasn’t for me! It is so darn big!! What I decided on—after shopping for 6 months—is a zoom recorder. When we do our YouTube videos —that we turn into podcasts—sometimes one (or more) of our 3 cameras shut off (for various reasons) and I have use the audio from one of inferior cameras, which I hate to do. I have tried lav mics—but we move too much for those; I have tried handhelds and the volume is uneven—since we’re on-camera and must hold them. I did some research and found that a zoom mic is a good and workable solution to our issue. So, I put it on my Christmas list. 🎄 Thanks for speaking to the unique needs of bloggers.
Great site you have got here.. It’s hard to find excellent writing like yours nowadays.
I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!
I love it when individuals come together and share
thoughts. Great site, stick with it!