If you’re in the business of creating content, then you need a Content Creator’s Tech Stack. In this guide, I unpack some of the essential tools you need to run and scale your ambitious Content Creation business for less than $150 per month.

And if you get to the end of the guide and would like some extra hands-on support, you can book a free consultation call here.

Who This Guide Is For

• Solo content creators and influencers
• Bloggers monetizing through multiple streams
• Digital product creators
• Affiliate marketers
• Social media influencers building a business

Not for: Large teams, agencies, or purely e-commerce businesses

Your Goals & Requirements

• Create and publish regular content
• Build an email list
• Sell digital products
• Manage affiliate partnerships
• Track revenue and analytics
• Maintain professional online presence

The Content Creator’s Tech Stack Solution

1. Website Platform: WordPress + WPX Hosting

Monthly Cost: $20.83 (Annual plan: $250/year)

Why WPX Hosting + WordPress:

• Superior speed compared to budget hosts
• Managed WordPress specific features
• Free SSL certificates
• Daily backups
• CDN included
• Expert WordPress support
• One-click staging sites

Alternative Options:

• Budget: Cloudways ($10/month)
• Premium: Kinsta ($30/month)
• Basic: Bluehost ($8.99/month)

Essential WordPress Plugins (All Free):

• Yoast SEO
• WP Rocket (caching)
• Wordfence (security)
• Monster Insights (analytics)

Why should you use WordPress?

WordPress serves as your content hub and digital home base, while WPX Hosting ensures it runs smoothly and securely. Content creators typically start their day by logging into their WordPress dashboard to publish new content or update existing posts. The platform excels at organizing your content library, whether you’re publishing in-depth tutorials, product reviews, or personal stories. Many creators use it to build topical clusters around their expertise, with main pillar posts linking to more detailed supporting content.

The real power of WordPress comes into play when monetizing your content. You might write a comprehensive review post that naturally incorporates affiliate links, then use the same platform to create dedicated landing pages for your own products or services. With WPX Hosting’s robust performance, your pages load quickly even during high-traffic periods, such as during product launches or when a post goes viral. Creators often use WordPress as their primary SEO tool, optimizing each post with proper headers, meta descriptions, and internal linking structures to build organic traffic over time.

2. Email Marketing & Audience Building: ConvertKit

Monthly Cost: $29/month (Up to 1,000 subscribers)

Why ConvertKit:

• Visual automation builder
• Landing pages included
• Commerce features built-in
• Tag-based segmentation
• Clean, modern templates
• Great deliverability

Alternative Options:

• Budget: MailerLite ($9/month)
• Premium: ActiveCampaign ($49/month)
• Enterprise: Klaviyo ($45/month)

Why should you use Convertkit?

ConvertKit acts as your relationship builder with your audience. Most creators start by setting up a welcome sequence that introduces new subscribers to their best content and core message. As your email list grows, you’ll use ConvertKit’s tagging system to understand your audience better – tracking which lead magnets they downloaded, what content they engage with, and which products they’re interested in.

The platform really shines during product launches. You might create a sequence that starts with valuable free content, transitions into case studies and testimonials, and culminates in a product offer. Creators often set up automated workflows that deliver different content based on subscriber behavior – for instance, sending follow-up emails to people who clicked on specific links but didn’t purchase. The visual automation builder makes it easy to map out these complex sequences without getting lost in the details.

Why do I recommend Converkit for Content Creators?

Managing email subscribers can be tough. Platforms like ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo are more powerful when it comes to what you can build and automate — but their learning curve is steep. Converkit excels in giving you the essential tools you need to build quickly, efficiently to a polished email campaign, which could take more time (at the start) than other platforms.

I’m confident that you could get started with Converkit and have a super email campaign ready to go in less than 60 minutes.

3. Digital Product Sales: Gumroad

Monthly Cost: $10/month (Plus 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction)

Why Gumroad:

• Simple setup
• Built-in affiliate program
• Instant payouts
• Multiple currency support
• Digital product delivery
• Subscription capabilities
• Basic email marketing included

Alternative Options:

• Budget: Lemonsqueezy ($8/month)
• Premium: ThriveCart ($495 lifetime)
• Advanced: Podia ($39/month)

Why should you use Gumroad?

Gumroad serves as your digital storefront, handling everything from payment processing to product delivery. Creators typically start with a simple digital product – perhaps a detailed guide or template pack – and use Gumroad’s simple interface to set up the product page, upload files, and start selling within minutes. The platform’s built-in affiliate system allows you to leverage your network for sales, with automatic commission tracking and payout handling.

What makes Gumroad particularly valuable is its flexibility in pricing models. You might start with a single ebook, then expand to offer tiered packages, subscription-based content, or even coaching services. The platform handles the complexity of different payment types, delivery methods, and customer communication, letting you focus on creating and marketing your products. Many creators use Gumroad’s analytics to understand which products resonate most with their audience, informing future product development.

4. Content Creation Suite: Canva Pro

Monthly Cost: $12.99/month

Why Canva Pro:

• Complete design toolkit
• Video editing capabilities
• Brand kit functionality
• Social media templates
• Schedule posts directly
• Team collaboration
• Unlimited storage

Alternative Options:

• Budget: Remove.bg + Pixlr (Free)
• Premium: Adobe Creative Suite ($54.99/month)
• Video Focus: CapCut Pro ($7.99/month)

Why should you use Canva Pro?

Canva Pro functions as your visual content studio, streamlining the creation of everything from social media posts to product mockups. A typical creator workflow might involve starting their week by designing a batch of Pinterest pins for upcoming blog posts, creating Instagram carousel posts from their latest content, and designing PDF worksheets for their digital products. The brand kit feature ensures visual consistency across all platforms, saving time and maintaining professional standards.

The real value of Canva Pro comes from its ability to repurpose content quickly. You might take a successful blog post and turn it into a series of social media graphics, an email header, and a YouTube thumbnail, all while maintaining consistent branding. The video editing features allow you to create engaging short-form content for platforms like Instagram and TikTok without needing complex video editing software.

5. Affiliate Link Management: Pretty Links Pro

Monthly Cost: $8.25/month (Annual plan: $99/year)

Why Pretty Links Pro:

• Clean, branded links
• Click tracking
• Split testing
• Automatic keyword linking
• Link rotation
• Geographic redirects
• Link categories

Alternative Options:

• Budget: ThirstyAffiliates ($49/year)
• Premium: ClickMagick ($37/month)
• Basic: Simple URLs (Free)

Why should you use Pretty Links Pro?

Pretty Links Pro manages your entire affiliate marketing operation, transforming long, ugly affiliate URLs into clean, branded links that build trust with your audience. Creators typically use it to organize their affiliate links by category or campaign, track click-through rates, and A/B test different link placements. The tool becomes particularly valuable when updating links across your site – instead of manually changing each affiliate link when programs update their URLs, you can make one change in Pretty Links that automatically updates everywhere.

The platform’s tracking capabilities help you understand which content drives affiliate sales most effectively. You might notice that links in your email newsletter perform better than social media links, or that certain types of product reviews generate more conversions. This data helps inform your content strategy and affiliate partnership choices.

6. Social Media Management: Later

Monthly Cost: $18/month

Why Later:

• Visual content planning
• Auto-publishing
• Analytics
• Instagram bio link tool
• Hashtag suggestions
• Best time to post
• UGC management

Alternative Options:

• Budget: Buffer ($5/month)
• Premium: Hootsuite ($49/month)
• Basic: Native scheduling (Free)

Why should you use Later?

Later transforms your social media management from a daily scramble into a structured, strategic operation. Creators typically use it to plan and schedule content across multiple platforms, maintaining a consistent presence without being tied to their phone all day. The visual planning features are particularly valuable for Instagram, where you can arrange your grid to tell a cohesive visual story.

The platform’s analytics help you understand when your audience is most active, which content types perform best, and how your strategy is performing over time. Many creators use Later to repurpose their blog content and digital products into social media posts, scheduling a mix of educational content, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and promotional materials. The hashtag suggestions and best-time-to-post features help ensure each post reaches its maximum potential audience.

Total Monthly Investment

• WPX Hosting: $20.83
• ConvertKit: $29.00
• Gumroad: $10.00
• Canva Pro: $12.99
• Pretty Links Pro: $8.25
• Later: $18.00 Total: $99.07/month

Implementation Timeline

Week 1: Foundation

1. Website Setup
   • Purchase WPX Hosting
   • Install WordPress
   • Configure essential plugins
   • Set up basic pages
2. Email Marketing
   • Set up ConvertKit
   • Create lead magnet
   • Design welcome sequence
   • Build signup forms

Week 2: Product Infrastructure

1. Digital Products
   • Set up Gumroad account
   • Create product listings
   • Configure delivery
   • Set up affiliate program
2. Content Creation
   • Set up Canva Pro
   • Create brand kit
   • Design templates
   • Build content library

Week 3: Marketing Setup

1. Affiliate System
   • Install Pretty Links Pro
   • Set up link categories
   • Create tracking links
   • Configure analytics
2. Social Media
   • Set up Later
   • Plan content calendar
   • Create posting schedule
   • Design templates

Week 4: Integration & Launch

1. Systems Integration
   • Connect all tools
   • Test purchase flow
   • Verify tracking
   • Set up reporting
2. Content Planning
   • Create content calendar
   • Batch create assets
   • Schedule posts
   • Plan email sequence

ROI Projection

Typical Month 6 Revenue:

• Digital Product Sales: $2,000
• Affiliate Commissions: $1,500
• Sponsored Content: $1,000
• Coaching/Services: $1,500 Total Revenue: $6,000 Net Profit: $5,900.93

Scaling Your Stack

Consider these upgrades when reaching:

• 5,000 email subscribers
• $10,000 monthly revenue
• 50,000 monthly page views
• 100,000 social followers

Upgrade Options:

1. Email Marketing: ActiveCampaign
2. Hosting: Kinsta
3. Analytics: Treffen
4. Link Tracking: ClickMagick

FAQs