Whether you run one or 100 blogs, desktop blogging tools help you save time and increase your productivity. There are many available applications that let you manage your blogs from your desktop. This really saves time if you run multiple blogs — you don’t have to log-in into your web-based control panels each time you have to make a post.

Here are two top choices:

Windows Live Writer - Free

Windows Live Writer Beta is a desktop application that makes it easy to publish rich content to your blog. Writer can publish to Windows Live Spaces, SharePoint, WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, Moveable Type, Community Server, and many other weblog services. Writer also synchronizes drafts on your blog with changes you make when you’re offline, so you don’t have to worry about reconciling different versions.

Version as of this writing: Beta 3 [download page]

NOTE: If you’re using Wordpress Version 2.3 with Windows Live Writer, then you should check out: Utility: Enable keywords/tags for Windows Live Writer to enable WLW to add WP 2.3 tags to your posts.

Related guides on Windows Live Writer:

Digital Inspiration - Get Productive with Windows Live Writer - Guide for Power Bloggers

Ecto - $17.95, after 21 day trial
Ecto is a feature-rich desktop blogging client for MacOSX and Windows, supporting a wide range of weblog systems, such as Blogger, Blojsom, Drupal, MovableType, Nucleus, SquareSpace, TypePad, WordPress, and more. The advantage over using your weblog’s control panel is that you can compose entries offline and use the extra features ecto offers, such as spellcheck, creating links, attachments.

Which to use?
I currently use Windows Live Writer. I love the image management capabilities which allows you to add effects and imprint a watermark (effective against bandwidth thefts). The Beta 3 version adds Video insert capabilities and better image handling (fewer blurry images). And also, it’s FREE!

DownloadSquad compares Ecto and Windows Live Writer, and its verdict? Windows Live Writer wins. Darren Rowse though prefers Ecto to run multiple blogs.

Remember, if you have to profit from blogging, then you have to spend less time blogging — and spend more time enjoying life.

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