The Best Blogging Platforms and Blog Sites for 2021

Are you ready to get straight to the solution? The best platform for blogging for the majority of people is WordPress with Bluehost Hosting , or Wix .

The process of creating a successful blog begins by choosing the appropriate platform. And there are a few worth looking into.

You can create a website and then host your blog on it. It requires a amount of work upfront however, you’ll be able to have control of your website fully. There are two methods to achieve this:

• Make use of a simple website builder such as Wix or Squarespace.
• Make use of WordPress using Bluehost to be your Web hosting service.

You can also create the blog using a distinct platform, like LinkedIn.

If you’re looking to turn into a profitable business through blogging, then these 5 platforms are the best choice.

The Top 5 Best Blogging Platforms and Blog Sites for 2021

We’ve compiled a list of the best blog platforms and what they’re ideal for:

1. Wix — Excellent for those who are just starting out with professional blogs
2. WordPress and Bluehost — Top for highly adaptable and custom blogs
3. Squarespace — Great for artists, photographers, and designers
4. LinkedIn — The best to network with thought leaders and influencers
5. Medium — Excellent for creating content for an audience with a built-in audience.

Another alternative is to utilize blogs on platforms like Medium as well as LinkedIn.

These platforms blend the influence of social media together with the tools needed to create blog posts. They offer you the opportunity to get your blog’s content out to more readers, but you’ll be in the hands by an algorithm.

It means you’ll have lesser control over who reads your blog posts, how you can personalize your website, and the way you earn profits from it.

There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to each of the options. To gain a better understanding of the way each site is performing and how they perform, I had the team from Quick Sprout reach out to users on every blog platform that we examined.

We were able to gain plenty of information about the ways and reasons these platforms are beneficial for different personal and professional projects. In interviews and surveys, users expressed their honest views on the areas how these platforms can be successful and where their weaknesses get in the way.

In this article I’ll show you the steps to setup your blog, and also assist you in choosing which blogging site, software and blogging software is the best for you.

1. Wix – Best for Beginners Building a Professional Blog

Total Score: 3.8 Easy Learning Curve: 4.3
Niche-Friendly Customization:4.3
Audience-Building Tools: 4
Profit Potential:2.5

Wix allows beginners to look as if professional blogs, without having to master code and web design.

Indeed, our group of customers gave the platform top scores for its user-friendliness, praising the platform’s usability and its relatively easy to learn curve.

One user said, “I think it’s as easy as it gets for people who have no programming experience.” They designed their site without having to worry about any constraints.

Another user praised the intuitive drag-and-drop editor’s UI and the tools it uses to create unique patterns and design.

We tried the software ourselves, and discovered they were correct. You can start your blog in some minutes. Wix will guide users through this process step by step in case you require it.

They have hundreds of templates for different types of websites. For instance, they offer templates for travel blogs, basic portfolios, or galleries of photos. We like the fact that it doesn’t require any programming skills to change assets and build the blog you’d like.

A user who was also a Wix user said that Wix was a user-friendly blog-building experience. He added, “If I’m unsure about something you can quickly find it through the site’s support.”

Wix offers live support with a 24 hour phone number (if you’re located in the United States) and a vast knowledge base that includes articles that can help novices in times of difficulty.

You can also leave Wix’s ADI builder do the bulk of the work. The tool makes use of artificial intelligence to assist you create the perfect website you’re looking for by answering a few simple questions.

Blogging using Wix

Wix’s blog management is simple and easy to use with SEO and analytics integrated right into the system. It’s easy to include the most basic features you’d like to include on your blog. These include elements such as social tools, comments hashtags, comments categories, and subscriber form.

There’s a category for blog templates which is a good starting point. Once you’ve got chosen your template I recommend updating the font, colors and logo to personalize it and make to distinguish it from the others.

The process of writing a blog post is as easy as clicking to create an Post and writing your post and adding images. Drafts can be saved or even grant other contributors the right to write for your website. It’s as easy on your mobile device as desktop computers. No app is required.

The process of blogging is as simple and intuitive as people have mentioned, but there were other features that surprised me.

There are numerous SEO features that you can utilize to enhance your SEO, from alt tags on your photos as well as internal links, to SEO descriptions and titles (that differ from your post’s title) along with Nofollow tags to external hyperlinks.

It’s pretty handy to use from the beginning without having to install extra plugins, widgets or other plug-ins. Be sure to modify your SEO settings on every blog post. This will be what appears in search results, and is essential for ranking organically.

The resultant post will feature an read-time counter to tell readers how long it will take to read through your blog post (something Medium also offers) and is a nice feature for readers.

We also appreciate the possibility to utilize live chat to engage with your readers on the Wix application. If you’ve built a genuine community on your blog, or are willing to answer questions from readers in real time, for instance for example, regarding the online course you’re hosting or a webinar in the works, then it’s a fantastic feature.

The majority of Wix blogs looked excellent on mobile devices, tablets and desktops, which our users reported helped attract viewers. “Since my website is running effortlessly on all devices,” said one user, “it made it easier for my readers to go through my work and get in touch with me quickly.”

 

Cons of Blogging With Wix

There are some downsides with Wix — however, in our survey of users, it was apparent that the most common complaints were could be boiled down to just a couple of points.

The platform can’t always work well on mobile devices when you’re trying to create more elaborate scrolling designs such as parallax scrolling. One user stated”my scrolling effect isn’t possible on mobile. “my scrolling effect can’t be created on mobile devices, therefore I had to design an easier version of my website] in a separate.”

Also, there’s the monthly subscription cost, which is inexpensive, could cause some budding bloggers to sneer (especially in the event that you’re planning to become more bootstrapped). If you’re planning to recover some of the money through their tools for ecommerce but you’ll have to consider paying to upgrade to a higher-end plan to enable that functionality.

The users’ panel evaluated Wix quite low in the monetization aspect, but that’s not to say that it cannot be achieved. Sometimes Wix will highlight standout blogs using their platform. That can open up new opportunities, as is the case with the blog of one of our customers.

“Being mentioned on Wix did lead to me securing freelance opportunities, which eventually I was offered a full-time position,” they said.

We believe that, regardless of the drawbacks, Wix is absolutely worth it due to its simplicity of use and its out-of-the-box blogging features.

Why We Ranked It at 1

Wix provides the top blogging platform for the majority of readers who visit the site (i.e. beginner blog builders). This is why we put first: the user-friendliness is such an important factor for people who are just beginning that we awarded it the top position just on the basis of that.

It provides a broad selection of themes that will work for any kind of blog or web site you’d like to develop. It also lets you easily alter the look and feel of the themes to create your blog appear as it looks the way youwant it to, with no coding skills required.

The users we spoke with expressed their satisfaction with Wix’s simplicity and the possibility to personalize their blogs using the platform. Our research has confirmed that. We were able to build a fantastic web-based blog without any knowledge of Wix in a matter of minutes. Consider how youcould accomplish with more time.

If you’re really looking to get rid of the hassle of creating your own website You can let Wix handle it by simply answering only a couple of questions, and let their AI-powered system do the rest.

The bottom line:We highly recommend Wix to bloggers who are new who wish to quickly create a stunning blog. Even those with experience building websites will be amazed at the benefits they can gain from Wix. Along with features like E-commerce capabilities and Wix email marketing, you’ll be able to develop and improve your website to make it more efficient for things like the growth of your audience and profits.

2. WordPress using Bluehost Hosting Ideal for creating blogs that are highly-scalable and customizable.

Total Score: 4.2
Easy Learning Curve: 3.8
Niche-Friendly Customization:4.3
Audience-Building Tools: 4
Profit Potential:4.7

WordPress is among the most well-known blog platforms available, and with very good reason.

It’s a customizable CMS that can be customized (CMS) designed for those looking to build an online presence to promote their business. It’s also great when you intend to expand your blog to earn money.

The reason? WordPress can be described as an open-source project. This means that they don’t keep their source code secret. Developers can access the code and create plugins, widgets and other tools that can be customized for WordPress blogs. So you can create any kind of blog you want.can make any type of blog you like.

One member of our panel who has been with WordPress for over four years, has described WordPress as a CMS to be “blogger-friendly” with many SEO features built-in. The same sentiment is shared by several others on our panel.

There is some learning curve. To make the most of what you can from WordPress with regards to customizability you’ll have to become more familiar in the plugins and widgets you select and the way you handle the backend.

It’s true that you’ll probably have to play around with CSS, HTML and other light programming.

However, this isn’t difficult with WordPress. It did not take too long the users of our site to master the basics of WordPress.

“With no experience with WordPress when I first started, it was an uphill learning curve, but I was able to figure it out fast enough” stated one of the users. “WordPress is extremely intuitive and if you’re unable to find something it’s best to look it up on Google or YouTube and you’ll discover the answer.”

Another user echoed the same opinion. However, they also noted that “it’s quite simple to utilize” after having blogged on this platform for just a couple of days.

The cost is definitely worth it as you’re capable of having a stunning site that’s fully customized to meet your specific requirements. That’s why it’s perfect for creating a website optimized for growth in audience and profits.

A user also had the ability to market products to third parties to make more money. “I was able to make money from my blog with affiliate marketing and minicourses and ebooks after my audience grew enough” the users said.

They also were able to use plugins to increase their fan base and generate more revenue.

“One factor that has helped with this was the creation of an email subscriber database and an email newsletter with the Mailchimp plugin” they said. “It’s essential if you want to earn money from the blog you have.”

As your blog’s audience and blog expands, you’ll be able to adjust your website to meet the demands of that increase in the direction you’d like to take.

Blogging using WordPress

The truth is out: WordPress is actually the CMS we use at Quicksprout, so we’re biased.

In reality, we’re highlybiased.

If you are planning to build out a blog that brings thousands, to millions visitors, not to mention making money from it, we can’t be more recommending WordPress enough… but the majority of users is right in saying that it’s difficult to master initially.

At first glance at first glance, the dashboard for blog sites for WordPress appears more complicated than the majority of other dashboards. Once you’ve jumped in the dashboard, it’s pretty easy to grasp.

The platform has introduced its Gutenberg editor in the last few days and makes editing easier. They outline everything you’ll need to create your blog in an straightforward, simple way.

I’ve tried this editor before and love the way you can drag specific elements of your blog’s pages and posts to the place you’d like them to appear when you publish the final version. The layout is simple to maintain and the process of finding the font settings and images is easy.

It’s certainly not like the drag-and drop functionality that Wix and Squarespace offer, as you’re not able to modify the entire page. But it’s close enough.

I’ve also discovered that WordPress is extremely adaptable. No matter what you plan to create or how large you build WordPress will continue to grow along with you if you select the appropriate plugins.

Beware of the rookie error of downloading tons of widgets and plugins. It’s easy for you to think that you’ll need everything, but sometimes the less you have, the better.

In addition, installing tons of plugins is an easy method to reduce your website’s load time.

One of the plugins we recommend would be the Yoast SEO plug-in. It’s a wildly well-known WordPress plugin that can help to set up your blog articles in a way that is as easy to search you can by following a few steps. It’s a must-have for anyone using WordPress.

If you’re really interested to change the code, you can do so by altering the code by yourself. Because WordPress is an open source software, that means that you are able to do what you like with it. If you’re familiar with PHP or want to engage a developer, you are able to modify WordPress in any way you want.

One user said it simply: “WordPress gave me everything I needed to build the blog I had in mind. It offered me a simple interface for posting my blogs and also everything I wanted or needed on my blog: A subscription box, author’s section; it’s all about the style I wanted, and the ability to alter things as required.”

Choosing a Host

For your site to be built using WordPress first, you’ll need to purchase a domain and web hosting and then set up your account.

More details are available on our blog posts on the top Web hostingand the most reliable web hosting options for WordPress that involves choosing an managed hosting service that is specifically designed to work with WordPress.The simple answer is to go to Bluehost.

Not just are Bluehost an extremely sought-after web hosts, it’s made to work with WordPress. They also recommend making use of Bluehost as a host option.

In just one click, you’ll be able to have your WordPress website running in a matter of minutes. One user stated, “It’s easiest if you select single-click WordPress installation and then get your domain name registered as well. ”

Our panel of users made use of the exact same combination of WordPress along with Bluehost to build their own sites.

“I’m staying with Bluehost after four years for the majority of my websites,” said a user. “It’s ideal for newbies because of how the pricing structure is laid out.”

This is the case. It’s true. price for Bluehost is designed to attract new customers with prices starting at $2.75 monthly. This is a bargain in the world of web hosting.

I’ve signed up with Bluehost through this deal previously and was stunned by the amount they offered for the price that included 24/7 customer support and one-click WordPress installation and a domain for free.

Bluehost is also an excellent choice for those who are migrating or switching to a different hosting service.

One user was extremely happy with the host’s simple and easy process of migration, saying “The site migration was amazingly simple! I’m really enjoying the Bluehost portal Bluehost in comparison to the old site, and Bluehost’s service is more suitable for me.”

They also have a fantastic customer support team who are available via email, chat or by phone should any problems arise.

“Once I encountered an issue with my website that caused it to stopped working,” said another WordPress user I spoke with, “and I contacted their chat support and they were able identify the cause (a damaged plugin) and immediately fix it. I’m very thankful for this.”

All in all, Bluehost is the hosting option you should select if you’re only getting started using WordPress. They are seamless to use and the pricing structure is very inexpensive, and you get domain registrations for free. It’s a simple choice.

Pros and Cons of Blogging with WordPress

The user panel gave me varying feedback about WordPress’s beginner-friendliness. Some users said it was easy enough but others noted that it’s difficult for novices in the beginning.

“I dislike the fact that it takes some time to learn curve to master,” said one user. Their comments indicated that WordPress isn’t the most straightforward optionto use, especially when creating your first website. “Sometimes I’d rather be guided throughout the process of creating a blog instead of looking for a plethora of YouTube instructional videos to find out how.”

After experimenting and creating websites myself with WordPress I’m able to say that it can take a while to master it. But once you’ve done it you’ll be happy you took the time to work on it.

Even if you’re not comfortable initially it’s still the best choice when you’re prepared to develop and master the job of managing your website’s site.

Another problem which one of our users has mentioned is that WordPress does not provide a complete customer support.

“I I would love to see an assistance desk can be reached via email or via chat.” someone told us. .

After a quick search the site, I discovered that WordPress support was an online support forum. After posting a question it took around two hours before I received an answer. Although the response was thorough and addressed my question however, it took two hours – which can be an lengthytime when there’s money in the bank through your blog.

 

Why We Ranked It at 2

In addition to scoring extremely high across all the criteria, WordPress with Bluehost is an excellent place to begin for those who want to create your blog to grow with you , no matter how big.

This is particularly beneficial when you are planning to make money from your blog and maximizing it for growth or traffic. In the end, you’ll have to include more resources that other platforms may not be able offer you. WordPress and Bluehost will be able to provide that.

Although the group of users did have a few difficulties with the platform’s apprehension curve, they agreed they could build their ideal website once they had mastered the art of it. They particularly liked the level of customisation, including some even monetizing their sites with the help of the numerous plugins available in the website builder and widgets.

The bottom line: Building a WordPress website takes longer than the creation of a Wix website. But the benefit is that your site will be more flexible (and strong). Furthermore, Bluehost is a great choice for making it simple for you to manage your WordPress website. Therefore, we strongly suggest this combo for bloggers looking to increase their revenue and/or traffic.

3. Squarespace – Best for Blog Builder for Photographers, Artists, and Designers

Total Score: 4.5Easy Learning Curve: 4.7
Niche-Friendly Customization:4.7
Audience-Building Tools: 4
Profit Potential:4.7

The first thing that I notice every time I visit the blog on Squarespace blog, is just how beautifulit usually appears.

Graphic designs and photography appear to leap out of the screen. The owners of the blog seem to be creative, just such as illustrators, photographers graphic designers, experts on home decor and many more.

Our panel was not an the only one. The panel was comprised of a designer who helps readers create stunning websites and a gardening influencer who regularly posts mouth-watering images of his own garden vegetables as well as an interior design expert who enjoys to show their design in their gallery blog posts.

There’s a reason why that all of them chose Squarespace to be their site.

The three users evaluated Squarespace extremely well throughout the board. Each of the three criteria was given at least a 4- on average. Many users had positive things to share about the user-friendliness and design.

“I believe I got your blog online and up in less than an hour,” said the user who manages an Interior Design blog. The site often features stunning images of the most eclectic rooms. “Squarespace provides beautiful, clean templates that are easy to modify.”

Their claims are supported by my own investigation from hundreds Squarespace blogs. Every template on the platform are created by their team of talented designers. And they look gorgeous.

Blogging using Squarespace

Editing your blog, from the contact page, through your about page your home page, your portfolio, and finally to the actual blog itself — is simple with Squarespace. Similar to Wix they offer a drag-and drop tool. And , unlike WordPress users, they don’t have to work with a frequently difficult editor for the backend.

“They offer a fantastic What You See is what you get builder” one user said. “That means that when you’re creating the page, you can see how the site will appear while you’re creating it.”

This user is also known also as Paige Brunson. She came across the marvels of Squarespace some time ago and fell in love with it so much that she started an incredibly successful career working with others to design on it as well.

She believes that the backend editor of Squarespace is superior to WordPress because it allows you to see the changes you make as you go.

“Sometimes such as in WordPress the editing process is done on your website in the backend, and then you need to switch back to the frontend to see what it will appear like after you’re done,” she said. “With Squarespace, as you’re writing your blog post you can see the changes happening simultaneously. It’s extremely beneficial. This is one of the things that makes it incredibly simple to use.”

#4. LinkedIn – Best for Networking with Thought Leaders and Influencers

Total Score: 3.7                              
Easy Learning Curve: 4
Niche-Friendly Customization:3.3
Audience-Building Tools: 4.3
Profit Potential:3.3

LinkedIn offers the ability to connect with business professionals with everystripes from HR and finance, digital marketing technology, and many more.

A lot of them are active on LinkedIn often sharing thought leadership and articles through the LinkedIn feed.

If you’re looking to becoming an influencer or thought-leader in your field then the LinkedIn community LinkedIn is the best way to do it.

The platform comes with a pre-built style and expectations which a professional blogger could imagine creating for their own blog. Your challenge is creating engaging and share-worthy content that will build an audience.

In the end, LinkedIn is a social network. Your influence increases according to your social network’s size. The more you post and the more connections you receive and followers you’ll get.

As a social network specifically for professionals in the industry, it makes it an ideal channel for contacting potential clients and getting immediate feedback from your peers regarding your writing. There is the chance to showcase your expertise to everyone, from customers and potential clients to recruiters to influential people within your area.

In addition, you can convert your followers into partners and customers.

All of the participants on our panel used LinkedIn blogging to build important connections with other users and build an audience.

“So far, I’ve been able to get better-quality clients on LinkedIn through blogging and writing posts on the platform,” stated one person I spoke to.

It’s not obvious however, many people don’t know that LinkedIn can be extremely profitable when you’re in the business. People on LinkedIn are usually high-earning. The LinkedIn users are C-Suite executives. They’re the industry’s movers and shakers that want to create new ideas and develop lasting companies.

They’re also willing to pay premium to the person to take them there.

One user said, “I can probably make about $1,000 on LinkedIn every month , in the event that I tried.”

Blogging on LinkedIn

The process of creating a blog using LinkedIn is simple and only requires an account. It’s then a an issue of clicking the Facebook-like status icon and then creating an article.

Similar to Medium, LinkedIn uses that Gutenberg-style editor which is fairly easy to use. Our panel of experts also found it to be very user-friendly, with one saying “The Article feature on LinkedIn is fairly simple to use. I just insert images, type in the text, then publish and I’m done. There aren’t any crazy formatting or alignment problems.”

It’s also important to note that there are some differences between the two types of posts: LinkedIn article and a post.

A blog post is an update that you can share with your followers and friends. Consider it as an anecdote, or perhaps a pro advice. You’re only allowed to write one hundred and thirty characters. That’s roughly five lines.

Articles are lengthy and more thorough, obviously. They’re something that a wider LinkedIn user base is likely to be interested in studying.

Someone who has read your post can also follow you through LinkedIn and be notified when you post your next piece. Your published articles will be displayed on your Articles area in the profile on LinkedIn profile.

Which is better than the other? It’s up to you, of course. You might come up with a brilliant idea for a lengthy article that your readers will enjoy.

One of our users on our panel believes that the shorter the article, the better. Therefore, they suggest avoid writing articles in entirety.

“Go full-time on multimedia posts as well as brief status updates,” said one user. “Do not publish long articles on this site. If you’re looking to gain an enormous amount of traffic and get it, you must post the right type of content. Then, come up with a strategy to divert attention towards products or services can be sold to customers.”

Cons of Blogging on LinkedIn

Although LinkedIn offers a variety of possibilities for building your brand and developing an environment for thought-leadership, it’s lacking in certain areas that are crucial.

In addition, there’s no easy way for people to get access to archives of your previous content, like you’d discover on Medium or on a standard Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress blog.

The article will be displayed on your activity feed which is accessible by clicking at your Profile, then click on your Activity feed, and finally scroll down to the article. This is quite a task to locate a single article.

“There’s very little search engine optimization for those who wish to read my post on LinkedIn according to me,” said one user who then weighed in on the absence of a newsletter option to assist in promoting the blog.

The user also offered a firm critique of blogging on LinkedIn in general, commenting “Articles typically have a poor impact on the feed. Making a real blog on LinkedIn is, to me, is a waste of time.”

Why We Ranked It  4

LinkedIn can be described as a social media platform, first and foremost. The rest is second to the goal.

It’s the same with their blog posts. This isn’t a platform for blogging in the traditional sense, but it could be an efficient tool for blogging to expand your network and connect with others.

Some of our users have made lots of money through blogs to create these connections.

“I earn money from LinkedIn. I must create an article, and then post the link to webinars in the comments section. A few people sign up, and buy my course after the webinar later,” one user explained.

However it’s not the most efficient blogging platform if it is all you wish to do. We’d suggest going with one of the alternatives above for those who want to focus on blogging and assisting your blog by sharing blog posts on LinkedIn.

The bottom line: LinkedIn is a great blogging platform, but only if the purpose of using it is to support the platform you manage such as your company’s website. You aren’t able to directly make money with it, and are completely dependent upon an algorithm to determine the reach and engagement.

If you’re writing on topics related to business, such as marketing or management, LinkedIn is an excellent opportunity to expand your reach and your followers. There’s already a community of users on the site who are talking about the same topics and are eager to read your articles.

5. Medium – Best for Writing to a Built-In Audience

Total Score: 3.3Easy Learning Curve: 4.3
Niche-Friendly Customization:2.6
Audience-Building Tools: 3
Profit Potential:3.3

Medium is without doubt among the more heated platforms available, and it’s the most controversial on our list.

It’s the home of bloggers who are focused in creating content that is relevant to readers. You can also find the most stimulating, incendiary and thought-provoking content available online.

What that makes Medium stand out to bloggers like our panel of users is their in-built communities of readers. You can look through a large selection of articles and topics to find your blog and then subscribe to it in just one click. They can click to have your blog posts delivered to their email inbox each time you write. You can also send your own work to publications to have a chance to appear elsewhere on Medium blogs and be placed on their radars for readers.

In the end, their content will have a higher chance of being viral provided that you remain constant in your writing.

“It’s simply chugging and plugging and moving,” one user told us. “Even when you’re not a professional with no experience in writing, and simply would like to start writing, it’s that difficult to begin and to get readers.”

The capability to tap into the vast readership was a major draw for many users, particularly after their less than stellar experience with another platform in this list.

“I strongly recommend not to start with a standard WordPress website,” someone else said. “Just join Medium since it functions as an online blogging tool as well as an online social networking platform. Naturally, there will be a greater audience that will browse your blog.”

Medium also offers the possibility of earning money for writing via The Medium Partner Program. The program allows writers to be paid according to the amount of engagement their posts receive.

Many bloggers earn six figures per year from their blog posts, though Medium has a tendency to say that only 7 percent earn more than $100 annually. It’s an ideal platform for those who are looking to build an audience of people who love your work, and earn some cash as well.

 

Blogging on Medium

There are two main methods for Medium users to write a blog:

1. You can publish the publication of your choice. This is the process of creating your own Medium page which can be based on any subject you wish to. Then, you create content that is specifically published on the page. This is the quickest method of getting published in a matter of minutes.
2. Submit your work to other publications. This happens when you write an article with the hope of being published in an alternative Medium blog. Although this can be a great approach to connect with an established publication’s readership however, it also means you have to compose an entire piece of content in advance but there is no guarantee that the article will be published in any way.

After having used Medium to accomplish both of these, I can confirm it being extremely easy to use.

All you need simply hit “Write” and you’ll begin writing your Medium article. The dashboard works like the Gutenberg editor in WordPress, making it a bit intuitive. After you’re done, click publish , and your post will be visible to the world.

Submitting your work to other publications is an excellent way to reach people. But, you’ll have to write in spec, as we’ve said. There’s a good chance that they’ll decide to reject your piece in full.

An alternative is to create your own Medium Publication , which I would definitely suggest.

It also gives you the chance to include editors and other writers on your site, and the option of accepting submissions. This can help you fill the editorial calendar with minimal effort from your side. You are able to provide an abundance of content for your viewers.

One of the participants who are on the panel find one of the largest and most popular magazines in the world on Medium: The Writing Cooperative. They currently have over 226,000 users on the platform and publish multiple times per daily.

“The Writing Cooperative began on Medium in 2014. In a way we’ve grown up on Medium” stated co-founder Justin Cox. “[…] The writing cooperative’s content is frequently mentioned in user feeds, which is a great method to expand the reach of your audience.”

Justin said that he does not earn an income from writing with the Writing Cooperative, but he along with his co-founders are able to earn some money through the establishment of a Patreon page for the organization and also creating a coaching program to their members. “Everything that we accomplish is designed toward empowering and encouraging the writers we work with,” he added.

There is also the option to accept contributions from other writers in the event you make a publication. This could be a great way to grow your blog and connect with more people.

Cons of a Medium Blog

Our group of Medium bloggers concluded that the platform overall simple to use however, they offered a variety of opinions regarding how it builds an audience.

Our user was not satisfied with the manner they are compensated by the system, and also signal boosts (or better yet it doesn’t signal increase) its content.

“Medium helped me expand my readership by directing my best content in the direction of external promotions as well as the new Medium users, but recently the trend has changed and I think it’s due to the huge number of writers who are new,” the user said. “When it is about getting new readers to join I believe that Medium could do much more.”

They then explained the frustration they felt by the system for payment in addition to the lack of information around it. In reality, they needed to go further to better market their blog.

“I was required to make a financial investment from my own pocket in order to make the publication more visible, which , I believe, was a great way to attract new readers, however my efforts were not acknowledged through Medium,” they explained.

Another user had the same opinion with regard to the program for payment. “I make a few dollars,” they told me. “It doesn’t pay enough to justify all the time and effort I invest in writing.”

What is inherent to the structure of the platform is a Hunger Games-like method way of gaining readers and earning money. You’re always competing with other content to attract attention, and fighting larger and more established publication.

This can be very disappointing for bloggers, especially when you’re trying to launch your own blog for the very first time.

“Sometimes even if your article is featured in these massive publications that are exclusive it doesn’t receive enough engagement at all,” said another user. “So it’s as if you’re trying to get nothing for your efforts.”

It’s a harsh criticism I’m unable to resist agreeing with to a certain degree. Medium is an online platform for bloggers who are who are willing to commit hours to create articles that people would like to read. But it can be a bit depressing initially as well as after you begin to gain popularity.

Why We Ranked It 5

Medium is a major player in the world of blogging with notable users including Former President Barack Obama and A-list celebs such as Chrissy Teigen who use Medium’s platform. Large brands such as Patagonia use the platform to publish the blogs of their employees.

It’s an excellent platform to build an audience if you’re committed to publishing consistently, but the inconsistency with regards to the algorithm and their Partner Program has resulted in an undeserved lower ranking in the rankings.

The bottom line: Medium is an excellent all-round traditional blogging platform, which gives you the possibility of getting your blog’s content to more readers. As our panel of users stated: It’s a blogging platform, as well as social media.

The disadvantage is that there are limitations on the extent to which you can go when member of the Medium. The traffic won’t be yours and won’t be able to sell advertising placements, for example therefore your earning potential is pretty small. Medium is a great platform to make use of Medium to gain a sense of blogging, discover your voice, and then begin drawing attention. Once you’ve built an audience, you’ll be better off moving to a different platform, such as WordPress which you’re in total control over.

How We Chose Which Products to Review

We selected our five top blogging platforms paying attention to four fundamental characteristics:

1. Easy Learning Curve
2. Niche-Friendly Customization
3. Audience-Building Tools
4. Profit Potential

Tips: You can scroll down for an additional in-depth review at this set of criteria.

We looked into a variety of the most well-known and well-known blog builders and platforms using the four factors below to evaluate the credibility of the builder.

This procedure involved “lighter” research that appeared different depending on the platform. We set up accounts and created basic blog pages for testing. We also looked into every one of the platforms features and tools that are available across their payment plans, if they included them.

Through this process we were able to discern the strengths and weaknesses as well as their target users.

Then, we narrowed our selection of 12+ items to 5 when we felt we had items that meet each one of the criteria in distinctive ways.

We were able to gain a lot of general knowledge as well as some tips on the interface for users for each platform to date.

We didn’t know how it felt to utilize each of these products for many years or how it felt for people to depend on blogs for business. Therefore, we decided to find those who had done so.

How We Reviewed Each Product

If you’re interested in knowing the quality of a steak cooked, don’t ask the cook or the cow. You consult the person who consumed the steak.

Similar to blogs: the most effective method to judge their performance is to speak with actual users.

They’re those who have practical experience using the product, and have been able to spend a range of hours or years creating their blogs. They know what works and what they enjoy,and what needs to be upgraded.

To obtain real feedback from actual users We approached users on every platform to build an audience of three people each.

All in all, we have reached out to 116 people to get our findings. To ensure that they were members of this blog site we:

• Utilized an advanced query which resulted in results for bloggers who use the platform Squarespace as well as Wix.
• Check out the featured lists of real users, officially released through Wix as well as Squarespace.
• Achieving a list of confirmed Bluehost customers, and then performing a the simple check of their page source to determine if they utilize WordPress.
• The search engine on LinkedIn for bloggers who are prolific and influencers. We also checked that they had published more than ten article articles on LinkedIn and had posted recent posts in the previous calendar year.
• I went through Medium for publications and bloggers to verify that they’d published more than 10 Medium posts and that they had published recently at some point in the calendar year.

After verification that we had verified each user, we then asked them to confirm if they were willing to be interviewed or surveyed about their experience using blogs.

The questions in both the survey as well as the interview were similar. They also asked you to rate the product on the four criteria listed below on a scale from between one and five (one being the most harmful and five being the most excellent). We calculated the average of the ratings of each user to calculate the overall score.

What We Learned on Choosing the Best Blogging Platform

The main takeaway we gleaned from our research is that there isn’t one-size-fits-all method to blogging.

Someone who uses Medium will be a different blogger from one who uses WordPress. The ideal option for you will will be a reflection of your specific needs.

There are however some elements we believe can be used by all in the search for the best blogging platform.

Easy Learning Curve

If you’re just beginning your journey as a blogger, you may not wish to get started with a complicated platform. You may be feeling that you’re ambitious and would like to learn how to make an enormous website however, I strongly suggest against it due to two reasons:

1. You’ll get burned out fast. It’s very easy to chew off much more than you could chew at the beginning. If this occurs, you’ll get tired of your blog very quickly. It could even be time to stop entirely as a result.
2. There are simpler (and more effective) methods to accomplish this. The platforms listed that are listed here are simple to use, however some are simpler to use than others.

Choose the right platform to start quickly, inexpensively and quickly.

Medium as well as LinkedIn are quite simple to begin with Simply sign up for an account, and then begin publishing right away. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about issues like domain names, hosting for websites or even the customization of your page when you use these platforms. The platforms handle everything for you.

However, if you’re a novice who would like to have their own website with an individual blog, Wix is the standout option. They offer the most straightforward to learn curve of any builder for blogs we’ve ever seen. We also found that the people we spoke to had positive reviews about their own experience with the platform.

“[Wix’sextremely user-friendly and provides powerful tools to design custom websites,” one Wix user shared with us.

If you’re not scared to be some bitdirty and dirty, I strongly recommend Wix. They’ll give you the most simple combination of ease of use and power for your website.

 

Niche-Friendly Customization

The most crucial decision you’ll have to make regarding your blog is to decide on the subject you’ll write about. This will determine your readership the size of it, as well as your eventual success.

Whatever you decide to do the best option, you’ll want to ensure that your blog has the ability to modify its appearance and feel according to your niche. This will help to build your blog’s and brand’s look and feel and establish more of a connection with your followers.

You can observe the websites we looked at not all provide the same degree of customization. For instance, WordPress gives you many possibilities to alter everything, from your site’s color scheme and layout of articles to your domain’s name, as well as the fonts you select.

If you’re not able to accomplish on your dashboard, install a plugin or widget to get the job done (or do it yourself by writing a few lines of code).

The two platforms Wix and Squarespace are based on WordPress in terms of customizing. Each platform offers thousands of themes to select to get the style and look you’d like for your blog. They’re the best choice when you’re looking for a traditional-looking blog and have your own platform.

Platforms such as Squarespace also provide native tools for doing things like adding an online store, which can be customized to your blog.

“One of the main reasons I would recommend Squarespace for small businesses and bloggers is that it doesn’t require you to buy a third-party plug-in to create a shop, or to include your Instagram on the footer or to create your own newsletters,” said Paige Brunton who is the Squarespace design expert who is on the panel. “It’s an all-in-one platform that is a dream.”

Websites such as LinkedIn and Medium have limited options for customization they offer only the option of changing your logo as well as the images you use in blogs. But the downside is that they provide better methods to increase your reach.

Audience-Building Tools

A good blogging platform will provide you with diverse tools to expand your reach. It could be as SEO tools (to assist your posts in ranking higher in results on search engines) or they may assist in connecting you to new readers through your own site.

For instance, Medium is a great blog platform for those who want to reach out to a huge already existing audience, and then become a viral sensation. Be aware that it’s going to be a labor intensive process and even the success of your blog isn’t guaranteed. You’re entrusted to their system and this is forevergoing to carry risk.

“Medium helped me increase my readership through the promotion of my best articles,” one user told us. “But recently it has stopped. […] when it comes in attracting readers, I believe that Medium could do much more.”

Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress offer a range of tools for marketing including integrations for Google Analytics and SEO dashboards to boost traffic. Actually any tool that can help to improve the rankings of your website will actuallyhelp boost your marketing efforts.

There’s a reason why WordPress’s Yoast SEO feature is well-known and well-known. If you concentrate on gaining the most organic visitors, it will save the money you would otherwise spend on ads for digital for Facebook as well as Google. In the end, this is a great option when you’re looking to get an enlightened an under-the-hood view of your growth plan.

Platforms such as LinkedIn do not have these tools. They can however be an integral element of a greater strategy for growth by giving you the chance to create vital connections with influential people and change makers within your field. These connections will increase the reach of your blog and also.

Profit Potential

Let’s face it: You are looking to earn money through your blog. It’s okay. In fact, we encourage you to do so.

But, the platform you decide to choose will have an significant impact on the amount of money you are able to earn and how much you can earn.

For instance, on LinkedIn it is the most restricted in your earning potential. This is because LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to apply common strategies to make money on blogs, like on-page advertisements, but you could still earn money through promoting webinars, ebooks and online courses.

Medium has a Partner Program, which allows authors to earn money from their content according to “member participation.” This means that when people are able to read, comment on and appreciate your article and you’re paid by Medium on the basis of the engagement.

However, you will not be able to make cash through advertising. In addition the Partner Program appears to be a rather difficult method of earning money of any kind. We even had one customer inform us that they needed to put their own money into to advertise their magazine.

Naturally, you may still make use of those websites to earn money through methods like affiliate marketing, coaching or other services that are freelance. But keep in mind that you’ll totally reliant on their traffic algorithm. This means that a single algorithm tweak could mean the difference between earning profits or shutting down your company.

It’s not an exaggeration at all. Changes to algorithms have been known for causing the shutdown of once-thriving blogs through throttling their traffic.

If earning profits is important for you, I would suggest managing your own platform by creating your own blog using WordPress. You’ll be able to completely personalize your site and expand your blog in order to maximize the highest return.

Platforms such as Squarespace and Wix provide native ways of making money for your blog, with tools that allow you to integrate e-commerce stores on your site. But they don’t offer the same level of customisation as WordPress offers, so you’ll be limited in the ways you can earn money and expand your blog.

Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace provide you with a means to truly control this blog, at last. It’s your blog, therefore you are free to do whatever you want. This way, you don’t be worried about changes to the algorithm that could affect your site’s traffic. You’ll be able to use as many or as few ways to make money as you want.

Conclusion

Here’s our list of top blogging platforms:

1. Wix — Best for Beginners Building a Professional Blog
2. WordPress that uses Bluehost is the best choice for High-Scalable and Customizable Blogs
3. Squarespace — Best for Photographers, Artists, and Designers
4. LinkedIn — Great to network with thought leaders and Influencers
5. Medium — Best for Getting a Foothold in Blogging for an Audience

The platform you pick will determine your specific needs, you’ll certainly find the platform you’re looking to find using our suggestions above and our methodological guidelines to help you.

After you’ve chosen the right platform, go on the blog’s Everything You Need to Know About page to get some of our most helpful tips techniques, strategies, and tactics for building the blog you’ve always wanted.