Blogging has become one of the most popular forms of media on the internet. In fact, blogs are becoming so popular that they account for the majority of content on the internet.
However, deciding which blogging platform to use often proves to be a stumbling block.
In this blog post, we'll take a look at five of the best blogging platforms for content creators.
Let's get started!
1. WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms available, and this is mainly due to its ease of use. Most blogs use WordPress, which makes it a popular choice for both beginners and experts.
WordPress is also free, making it popular with bloggers who don’t have a lot of money to spend on their sites - or who simply don’t want to pay money for a website.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Vast number of themes and plugins are available
- Plugins add functionality
- Can be easily used as a platform for e-commerce (plugin)
Cons
- Maintenance can be a challenge
- Learning curve
- Limited functionality extended with Plugins
2. Blogger
Blogger is another popular blogging platform, with a hefty 1 billion active users. This makes it a great way to create your blog quickly and easily, without having to spend any money.
However, there are a few downsides to using Blogspot. The first is that it’s Google’s platform, meaning that your blog may be penalized by Google for duplicate content. Google prefers unique content, so even if your content is original, Google will still consider it a duplicate if it appears elsewhere online.
Pros
- Simple, easy to use
- Free blog
- Multiple themes
- Easy-to-use templates
Cons
- Limited functionality
- Difficult to upgrade
- Not ideal for larger blogs
3. Tumblr
Tumblr, now owned by the creators of WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms, boasting over 500 million users. However, Tumblr isn't as customizable as WordPress, meaning you may not be able to control the look of your blog as much as you'd like.
Pros
- Easy interface; simple for new users
- Great for social engagement
- Good for image and video content
- Fast loading speeds
- Good for blogging
Cons
- Not ideal for analytical or SEO content
- Software updates & configuration can be confusing.
4. Medium
Medium offers easy-to-use blogging capabilities that allow you to create beautiful blogs quickly and easily. It's perfect for writers who want to get their work to their audience without having to pay a dime.
Medium is also great for people who want to see their work published. Medium offers handy features and tools that give you the opportunity to connect with larger audiences. To host your domain to Medium, you need to subscribe.
Pros
- Easy to get started
- Free
- Markdown support
- Embeds
- Email-based login
- WYSIWYG editor
- Lots of themes and plugins
Cons
- No free plan
- Only for content publishing
- No contact management
5. Weebly
Weebly is a service that allows you to create a website online. Weebly provides readymade templates that you can use for your website, and it includes a number of features that allow you to create a website or blog quickly.
However, Weebly doesn't offer as many customization options as WordPress or which is one of its downsides.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Free plan for small businesses
- Great variety of templates
- No coding needed
Cons
- Limited to 10 pages
- No e-commerce ability
- No e-commerce integration
The big question is which one would you pick?
Our pick has always been self-hosted WordPress.
What are the top benefits of using WordPress?
First, it's the most flexible, easy-to-use, and free blogging platform on the internet. WordPress offers a variety of plugins to enhance the functionality of the software and allow bloggers to customize their blogs however they like.
WordPress is incredibly popular with bloggers and is used by many major websites and corporations. Most importantly, you can use WordPress even if you don't have any technical skills at all.
How can I benefit from using WordPress?
WordPress makes it easy to publish your articles on the web. You can publish articles directly to your website or blog, to a social networking site (like Facebook or LinkedIn), or to a blog site run by a company. WordPress' free version makes it simple and relatively inexpensive to get started publishing on the web. WordPress makes it easy to share with others and monetize from web traffic.
How do I get started with WordPress?
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS). This means it has the ability to update your website without requiring any programming knowledge.
The first thing you should do is find a good hosting service and then install WordPress. You can register your WordPress blog on your own domain, alternatively, you can also register a free blog on WordPress.com.
WordPress comes in two flavours, one is hosted by WordPress the next is a left hosting version which you can install and maintain. You can visit this link to learn more about the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
Things to consider:
- Cost: Free is great, but paid options offer many perks as well.
- Ease of use: Although WordPress is easy to use, it can be overwhelming. Free versions offer options, but paid versions offer customizable options.
- Support: WordPress has a robust community of users and developers.
- Security: WordPress sites are prone to attacks, so it’s important to use good WordPress security practices.
- Flexibility: You might start with a basic theme, but it’s always nice to have the option of changing things up with a theme upgrade.
As you can see, there are a variety of blogging platforms out there. Our pick will always be WordPress due to its power and flexibility.
However, after reading this post, you should now have a better understanding of which blogging platform to use for your content.
