Webmaster Tools: 100 Useful Blogging Tools

This post is part of DailyTekk’s top 100 tech series published every Monday. Don’t miss a single week: follow @DailyTekk on Twitter!
Have you heard?!? Blogging is dead! It’s not, actually, but that’s what some people would like you to believe. Blogging is very much alive and well 5 months into 2012 (you’re reading a blog right now). Blogging is one of the Internet’s oldest platforms for sharing information and it’s just as important as ever to the Internet ecosystem. True, less people and businesses are blogging this year, but the bloggers that remain tend to actually publish worthwhile content. If you’re a tech startup, you can’t tell me you don’t want to be covered on Techcrunch. Yes, Twitter (a micro-blog itself) and Facebook (built-in blogging capabilities) and a slew of new apps and networks are making it easier than ever to share information, and control who sees it, but some things simply can’t be said in 140 characters or less or shouldn’t be hidden behind a walled garden. The open Web is here to stay (it would be a sad world if it disappeared) and blogging remains the best way to publish high-quality, findable and useful information quickly and easily for a very large segment of the world’s population.
This is an exciting time to be a blogger in my opinion. Look, DailyTekk is just about 3 months old at this point and we’re getting 140,000 page views per month, are part of the SAY Media network, have multiple partnerships with interesting people and companies and are already nearing 1000 Twitter followers. Clearly people like the content we are producing out and how it is being delivered. Like many of the articles I have created, I made this post at least partially for myself. I’ve included some awesome-looking new blogging platforms, tools that can help optimize blog content creation, ways to engage readers and encourage loyalty, tools for enhancing blog performance and security, creative ways to embed media in your posts and much more.
Also read: The Top 100 Twitter Tools of 2012

New & Emerging Blogging Platforms

Jux - Your pictures and words fill the page edge to edge.
scriptogr.am - Converts markdown text files in Dropbox into a blog.
Svbtle - The essence of blogging.
Summd - Awesomely amazing email blogging. Coming soon.
Hoydaa - Lightweight and scalable blogging service for Google Apps users.
Compendium - Content marketing software (blogging for businesses).

Optimize Blog Content Creation

Zemanta - Blog publishing assistant (recommendations and related items).
List.ly - List making made easy, fun and social.
DivvyHQ – Spreadsheet-free editorial calendar application.
SourceBottle - Connects expert sources with bloggers for free.
Webdoc – Enables you to create rich media posts in seconds.
ScribbleLive - Cover news in realtime with LivePage and LiveArticle.
StoryCrawler - Information-gathering engine. Find unique and meaningful content.
CurationSoft - Meet your new content assistant.
Listiki – Make lists, share lists, read lists.
HARO - Help a Reporter Out. Get qualified sources when you need them.
Demolistic – Create, manage and discuss lists.
Editz - Allows readers to post corrections (grammar, spelling, factual accuracy, and more).
Listography – Create a collection of lists and try the list topic generator.
After The Deadline – Spelling, style and grammar checker for WordPress.

Engage Blog Readers & Encourage Loyalty

socialbungy - Next-generation social content builder.
Livefyre - Supercharge your outdated comment system. Go realtime.
BuddyPress – WordPress-powered social networking in a box.
Wibiya – Boost your website with interactive features.
Zooshia - Create your own social widget.
E-MAILiT - Helping social syndication happen better.
Disqus - Comments platform with awesome features and powerful tools.
Gremln - Professional social media tools (starting at free).
NewsPin - Become a social media rockstar. Coming soon.
Shareaholic - Social bookmarking and sharing plugin.
blogfrog - Communities and conversations for bloggers and brands.

Blog Performance & Security

Akamai - Web app acceleration and content delivery.
Yottaa – Site speed optimization and website monitoring.
AlertBot – Website and service monitoring.
CloudFlare - Protects, accelerates and keeps your blog online.
VaultPress – Automattic’s official WordPress backup offering.
Load Impact – Website load and performance testing.
GTmetrix – Website speed and performance optimization testing.
Blog Metrics - WP plugin that calculates raw author contribution/conversion rate.
Pingdom – Uptime and performance monitoring made easy.
Which Loads Faster? – Have two sites compete head to head to see which one’s faster.
Site Trail - All-in-one free site analysis tool.
XCloner – Website backup and restore (PHP/Mysql).
blogVault – WordPress backup service.
BackupBuddy – Easily backup and move WordPress.
Tynt - See what gets copied/pasted from your site.

Embed Media In Your Blog

Pixlr - Like Photoshop but free and online (fast and no registration required).
SoundCloud – Share your sounds.
Skitch – Annotate, edit and share your screenshot and images… fast.
Screenr - Instant screencasts (just click record).
Blip.me – Turn your mobile phone into a voice broadcast network.
Curate.Us - Share screen clips everywhere.
Cinch – Create and share micro podcasts, images and text updates.
BYOAudio – Put audio and video on your website.
Aviary - An awesome photo editing solution for web/mobile.
Odosketch - Very cool web-based sketching tool.
PodSnack – Flash MP3 player.

Blog Design & Themes

WooThemes - Premium WordPress themes and plugins.
PageLines - Drag and drop web design for WordPress.
Blogic - Instantly creates a WordPress theme that matches your website.
Headway Themes - Drag and drop WordPress design tool.
StudioPress – Premium WordPress themes and design frameworks.
Graph Paper Press - WordPress themes for creatives.
Theme Forest - Premium WordPress themes, web templates and mobile themes.
Elegant Themes - Premium WordPress themes.
Themify - Awesome WordPress themes.
NewWPThemes - Free WordPress themes.
RocketTheme - Joomla templates, WordPress themes, Magento templates and more.
WTS - WordPressThemeShock. WordPress themes and web design sets.
Mysitemyway - A new breed of WordPress themes.

Ad Networks for Bloggers

SAY Media – Digital publishing company that works with the best editorial voices online.
Skyscrpr – Advertising, simplified. Sell advertising directly to buyers.
iSocket – Self-service advertising and direct sales tool for publishers.
BuySellAds – Makes buying and selling ads incredibly easy.
The Deck – Self-described as the premier ad network for creative culture.
Yoggrt – The creative ad network.
Carbon Ads – A premium, invite-only ad network.
InfluAds – The quality-only advertising network.
Fusion Ads – Making advertising beautiful.
Advertising.com – Get more return for the same inventory.
adBrite – The largest independent ad exchange.

Blogs for Bloggers

ProBlogger – Blog tips to help you make money blogging.
Copyblogger – Content marketing and copywriting articles.
Blogging Tips – Daily blog tips plus info on themes and design.
TentBlogger – Blogging for fun and profit.
BloggingPro – News, plugins and themes for blogging applications.
Spice Up Your Blog – Blogger tips, blogging gadgets and design tutorials.
For Bloggers By Bloggers – Helping you make your blog the best it can be.
The Blog Herald – News, information, tips and commentary on blogs.
Daily Blog Tips – Tips for bloggers.
Blogging Without a Blog – Your blogging classroom on the web.

Other & Miscellaneous

dlvr.it - Feed your blog to Twitter and Facebook.
OnlyWire - Automated submission to social media sites.
Scribe - Simple SEO software from Copyblogger Media.
Stribe - Link your website to others to share social interactions.
Plinky - Inspiration. You have answers. Plinky has questions.
Tagaroo – WordPress tag suggestion plugin.
Ping.fm - Update all of your social networks at once.
Penzu - Write in private.
TestSize.com – Test any website in any browser size.
Behappy.me - Inspiration. Receive an inspiring, happy quote in your email daily.
MarsEdit 3 – Desktop blog editing for the Mac.
Ping-O-Matic – Pinging search engines so you don’t have to.
timekiwi - Create beautiful timelines from your blogs/social media.
Blog2Print – Print your blog.
CoveritLive - Easy to use, scalable live-event platform.