It used to be simple.
You started a blog, probably on WordPress, and got to work.
Now it’s not so clear. You’ve got Substack and beehiiv if you want to build through email. You’ve got Medium, LinkedIn, and even long-form posts on X if you want distribution baked in.
Everyone’s publishing, but not in the same place anymore.
Blogging isn’t one thing now. It’s spread across a handful of platforms that all work a little differently.
And once you see how they fit together, choosing the right one gets a lot easier.
Owned platforms (you control everything)
If you strip all of this down, this is the option where you’re building something that lives outside of any one platform.
Your site. Your domain. Your content.
In most cases, that means a self-hosted WordPress site. You buy a domain name, pay for hosting, install WordPress, and go from there. It’s the most traditional version of blogging, and it’s how Smart Blogger was built.
You control everything. How your site looks. How it works. What happens to your content over time.
But you’re also responsible for everything.
You’re paying for hosting. You’re setting things up. You’re figuring things out as you go, especially early on.
And when it comes to getting readers, nothing is built in.
Most of your traffic will come from Google (or Bing) search or from whatever distribution you create yourself. Which sounds fine, until you realize how long that can take. New sites rarely get traction right away, and there’s nothing pushing your work in front of people while you wait.
You’re starting from zero, and it takes time.
For some writers, that’s exactly the point. They want a home base. A place everything else can point back to that isn’t tied to a platform’s rules or changes. (Of course, you’re still at the mercy of Google’s algorithms. But that’s a discussion for another day.)
For others, it can feel slow.
If you’re thinking long-term, though… this is usually where everything else leads back to.
How to get started (without overthinking it)
If you go this route, try not to overcomplicate it… especially at the beginning.
Pick a domain name you’re comfortable using long-term. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Register it with Namecheap or GoDaddy and move on.
Get reliable hosting. There are a lot of solid options, and the differences don’t matter nearly as much as people think when you’re just starting. We use SiteGround. WP Engine, Rocket.net, and Kinsta are all good too. I’d avoid Bluehost, HostGator, or anything owned by EIG.
Install WordPress and keep things simple. For themes, GeneratePress and Astra both have solid free options. Don’t fall into the trap of installing a bunch of plugins. A clean design, a way to publish, and a way to capture emails is enough.
That last part matters more than most people realize, by the way.
Even if your traffic is small, start collecting emails early. Use something like Kit or another service so you’re not relying entirely on Google or Bing to bring people back to your site.
Everything else can come later.
All-in-one platforms (freedom from setup, with limits)
This is where a lot of writers are starting now.
Instead of setting up a site, you open an account with something like Substack or beehiiv and start writing.
What you publish shows up as a post (like a blog), and you can choose to send it out as an email to your subscribers at the same time.
That’s really the shift here. With something like WordPress, you have the freedom to control everything, but you also have to set everything up yourself.
With these platforms, it’s the opposite.
Most of what you need is already there. Publishing, email, basic design, subscriber tools, even some built-in discovery. You don’t have to think about hosting or plugins or how everything connects. And you don’t have to pay for anything either. You just write, publish, and send.
The tradeoff is that you’re working inside their system.
You don’t control how everything looks or functions. You’re not shaping the platform, you’re using it. You can take your email list with you if you leave, but you’re not taking the full setup with you the way you would with your own site.
So it’s a different kind of freedom.
Less control, but also a lot less to worry about.
Substack vs. beehiiv (which one should you pick?)
Most people don’t need to overthink this.
If you want the simplest possible setup, go with Substack. It’s easy to use, takes almost no time to get started, and has some built-in discovery features that can help people find your work early on.
One thing I like about Substack is how often it evolves. I have a friend who’s been building a Substack course for months, and every time he gets close to finishing it, they roll out something new that forces him to update it. As of this writing, they’ve started introducing drip campaigns, with a wider rollout expected later this year. Once that happens, one of the last “yeah but” objections people have had about Substack (raises hand) goes away.
With beehiiv, you get more control over how things look and function, more flexibility on the backend, and more room to grow into it if you want to treat your newsletter like a business. It’s still easy to use, just not quite as stripped down as Substack.
Both platforms have their fans, and both will get the job done.
If you want my take, I’d go with Substack. It’s where more of the momentum seems to be right now, and I’d be surprised if it’s not still a major player five years from now.
But my preference aside…
Pick one and start writing. You can always switch later if you outgrow it or change your mind.
What about Medium?
A lot of people think of Medium as an all-in-one platform too, and as the owner of one of its larger publications for writers, I’d be remiss not to mention it.
Medium does overlap with Substack and beehiiv in some ways. You can publish posts (“stories”) that live on their own pages. People can follow you. You can even have your stories emailed to readers who opt in for updates.
And it has some advantages too.
To my eye, the writing and reading experience is nicer on Medium. And then there’s its ace in the hole: publications. You might only have a handful of followers, but if you get accepted into a publication with a large audience, your work can reach far more people than it would on its own. That’s a real upside, and it’s something Substack and beehiiv don’t really replicate.
But the newsletter side of Medium isn’t in the same league as Substack or beehiiv. Same goes for discovery. If Medium has features there, I’ve missed them.
And while Substack and beehiiv are trending up, Medium isn’t what it was a few years ago.
It’s still useful, especially as a supplemental channel, but I wouldn’t recommend writers use it as their home base.
Feed-based platforms (short lifespan, long game)
Social platforms like LinkedIn and X play a different role than everything else we’ve talked about.
You’re not building a home base here. You’re showing up where people already are. But at first, that mostly means writing things no one sees.
You post something, it sits there for a few hours, maybe a day, and then it disappears into the feed. If it doesn’t catch on early, it usually doesn’t catch on at all. There’s no long tail like you get with search traffic, and no built-in way to reach people later like you have with an email list.
So for a while, it can feel like you’re putting in effort for nothing.
And just posting consistently isn’t enough. You have to be active… commenting, replying, sharing other people’s work, getting your name in front of people in ways that don’t involve your own posts. It’s slow, and there’s no guarantee anything will take off. But if you stick with it, you start to build a following.
Used well, it becomes a support system for everything else you’re building — your site, your newsletter, whatever you’re actually trying to grow.
You test ideas here. You work on your writing here. You stay visible here. And once you’ve built an audience that pays attention, everything else gets easier.
Where should you spend your time?
You don’t need to be everywhere. You shouldn’t be everywhere, if I’m being honest (at least not at first).
If your writing ties into your work or expertise, LinkedIn is usually the better place to start. The audience is already there, and strong posts can spread within that network if they resonate.
If you prefer something more open-ended, X gives you more flexibility. It’s less structured, more conversational, and tends to reward consistency over time.
If you have the time and energy, there’s nothing wrong with doing both. Some people write once and adapt it for each platform. Just don’t spread yourself so thin that you stop showing up consistently anywhere.
And these aren’t the only options, of course. Depending on what you’re doing, other platforms might make more sense. The specifics matter less than the role they play.
Just remember: this isn’t where your content lives.
Pick one (or two), show up consistently, interact with people, and use it to support what you’re building elsewhere.
Borrowed platforms (build authority on someone else’s stage)
Sometimes, the best platform for your work is someone else’s.
Why? Because it can mean instant credibility.
Once you’re published on a site like Smart Blogger, Forbes, or Business Insider, people look at you differently.
Yesterday, you were just you — a talented, attractive writer living in obscurity. But then, after having your work published on a well-known website, you’re seen as a subject matter expert in your field.
Now, back in the day, people called this “guest blogging.” Many still do (I still do). But whether you call it guest blogging, guest posting, or simply writing a piece of content for another site, building your authority by borrowing someone else’s platform is a strategy still used by many writers today… even if it isn’t talked about as much as it was a decade ago.
Why it works (and why it worked for me)
By putting your words in front of an audience that already exists — one that already cares about the topic — you can accelerate whatever you’re building. More people discover your site, your Substack, your X profile… whatever you want them to find.
Before I wrote my first guest post for Smart Blogger, the only people who viewed me as an authority on writing or blogging were my wife and maybe one of our cats.
Then I received an email.
Jon’s editor, the talented Glen Long, invited me to write a guest post for Smart Blogger (formerly known as Boost Blog Traffic).
That guest post…
Led to another…
Which led to another…
It led to opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Writing for other companies. Being quoted in articles. It eventually led to me being hired as Editor-in-Chief for Smart Blogger (and later Head of Content at Kindlepreneur).
And while it didn’t send floods of traffic to my site or large crowds chanting my name in the streets, guest blogging did something that would have taken me considerable time to do on my own:
It legitimized me.
How to approach it
Start with sites you already read and respect. If you’d be proud to have your work published there, it’s probably a good fit.
Some will have clear submission guidelines. Others won’t. Either way, the bar is usually high, and it should be.
Because this cuts both ways.
A strong guest post can open doors. A weak one can close them just as quickly.
You’re borrowing someone else’s audience, yes… but you’re also borrowing their reputation.
So if it’s easy to get your work published on a particular site, it’s worth asking whether borrowing their audience is actually a good thing.
What blogging looks like now
Blogging didn’t die. It’s still here, just spread out across a handful of platforms.
What used to live in one place now lives across a mix of tools that all do different things. Some are where your content lives. Some are how people find it. Some are just a way to get in front of people who don’t know you yet.
Once you see that, the question stops being “Which platform should I use?”
It becomes:
Where should this live?
Where should I share it?
And how do these pieces work together?
Answer those, and the platform question tends to take care of itself.
Am I first? I need to be first….
I know, I know, it’s a mental thing.
I’ll comment next…just want my toe in the door!
Hey Jaime,
Yep, I think you’re first. Congratulations are in order. 🙂
Wow, Kevin.
Seriously, wow. Forgot how well you write and how deeply you inform.
I missed that. Too many schmucks out there and most of them can’t comment worth a damn, either.
*rolls eyes*
Ya know, I’ve been a writer and blogging since 2004 and I’ve never heard of some of this stuff before. Maybe that’s because I’ve always done my own thing, eh?
Didn’t we talk years ago when we first met, that I believed the future of blogging was going to be based on personalities and not SEO, platforms, etc?
That was the very reason I signed up to follow your blog, Kevin, because your personality shines through in your writing and it was both entertaining and educational (if you forgot that by now). So first off, thanks for always being you—your success just proves my beliefs.
Never heard of Medium. Looks very interesting and though I am a follower of the word and I daresay ’spewer of the word’, I doubt I’d use it.
Not that there’s anything wrong with Medium, it’s just that I’ve learned my lesson about ‘free’ (spits on the ground) options and the terror that comes with it when you’re trying to build a business. Here’s a story that should curl your leg hairs…
In 2007-2008 I wasn’t able to draw, so I built a business around promoting MLM companies and doing what the traditional distributors couldn’t do because they were restrained by the Policies and Procedure rules of the various companies.
Poor schmucks.
So I was hired by both companies and people to get the word out and craft a whirlwind of attention to funnel new inquiries and sales to any given product line or MLM team.
One company paid me $29K a month to build them a national foundation, which I did, and one of those methods included several blogs using the ‘free’ (spits on ground) Wordpress.com which I loved using. Over the course of a year, the few blogs I was running and writing brought me an additional $8,000/mo. which was strictly for me to take home to my wife and 9 kids.
In a wild fight between financial companies online, the press covering the products I promoted got so bad—even though it was all false—that every one of my blogs were instantly shut off because WordPress didn’t want to be involved in the dogfight.
Just like that, my personal income I’d built was gone. Flip of a switch, ‘poof’.
Never had a ‘free’ (spits on ground) blog/website since then.
Now, you got my attention with the Instagram—and thank you for using me as an example—never knew I was a Microblogger! Was cool and never knew it.
Actually, I never considered blogging that way. The whole Social Media aspects of the web just mystify me. I’d rather have a conversation and laugh with folks myself. Instagram was used to make mini points and grab people’s attention, because, as you put it—it’s a visual platform and if there’s one thing a professional illustrator is—VISUAL.
You never let me down in your presentation, Kevin. That’s why I’m your second biggest fan.
Well, I’m probably the third now…you’re little girl has that spot alongside her mom (grin).
Great to have you back, buddy. The internet completely sucks without you.
Until the next brain-fart, I remain your faithful stalker and commenting comic relief.
Jaime Buckley
Hi Jaime,
You certainly are the Mozart of composing genuine, heartfelt, epic blog comments, my friend.
Yes, I remember us talking about that. And I agree, it’s a big part of the equation…
Because SO MANY bloggers are good at SEO, outreach, social media, etc.; it’s getting harder and harder to stand out. That’s where, as you state, personalities matter.
The best bloggers/writers in my opinion are the ones who, if you read something they wrote, even if you didn’t know the name of the author, you’d know it was them.
I don’t need to know it’s Scott Weiland (may he rest in peace) singing when I hear his voice on the radio. I know it’s him. I know his voice.
So, that’s what I try (knock on wood) to do when I write. When someone reads…
“As of June 2018, Instagram has 1 billion users worldwide. The previous September, they had 800 million users — a growth of 200 million in only nine months. Even if you subtract everyone who follows a Kardashian or has posted a photo of themselves impersonating a duck, Instagram offers an audience of well over 75 people.”
…I want my readers to be able to go, “Ah, yeah… Kevin wrote that.”
Sometimes I succeed with this goal. Sometimes I fail. But that’s the goal. 🙂
Anyway…
You’re welcome on the Instagram shout-out. And as for your “free (spits on ground”) story… yikes. That is awful.
That truly is a “con” to every free platform, and it’s one I should have mentioned: you don’t own the platform. It, and your work, can be taken away at any time.
Better hit POST before I write an epic rant…
Thanks again for the great comment, buddy.
Ya know Kevin, I’ve started having conversations about this article and bringing Medium into play.
I’ve been doing this, not because of the platform so much as because Medium brings something so important to light–an issue I talked about on my Life Is Like Fiction show yesterday:
Our mode of ‘free’ communication has been taken over by large corporations, ads, and clickbait.
Do you agree? Do you believe, Kevin, that the openness of a conversation between people of this world is now being monetized more often than not?
I’m bothered by this. Deeply.
Though I’m still thinking about Medium, this article (bless you) has me thinking about my own tactics, about my own messages, about how I address things in this world and especially online.
Funny how it all comes back to what my darling wife told me:
Just be you. That’s what people want. Be genuine.
Thoughts?
You gettin’ sentimental on us now?
I THOUGHT you were the king of creativity, the PRINCE original thought and comments….so whatdya have to worry about my boy?
Get back to writing your next book and leave these poor souls alone.
They have enough things to worry about than your emotional banter!
Cool it, Chuck.
The kids feeling passionate. You know he does his best work when his hearts into it.
Let it go.
Have you forGOTTEN how long it’s been since he’s written about US, monkey?
When’s the last time we went to the Black Market?
When’s the last time you had a proper liver, banana and kelp sandwich?
…and frankly, there are still too many people wearing spandex in this world, which should NOT be ignored–so with all due respect, my boy, why should we be sitting by while he contemplates whether or not he’s going to make MORE work for himself by using this Opium platform!?!
It’s frustrating.
“Medium”, Chuck. The platform the kid’s talking about is called Medium, not Opium.
Opium I think is a drug.
Opium, Medium,….Apes playing Cricket in Norway…..DOES IT MATTER?!?
Well,…..yeah.
I’d watch Apes playing Cricket in Norway.
Good point.
Me too.
Look, guys, relax, okay?
My thoughts here about Medium are that it seems to be a fantastic method to get back to the power of the written word–and start having more conversations with people without all the clutter, that’s all.
I’m not looking to make more work for myself, nor do I want to take more time away from you guys–OR the rest of the gang–but rather find a way to spend MORE time with you and to push that out to the world.
Though I may not use Medium right now, this article and Kevin specifically has gotten me to think more about how I blog and specifically how I can alter the WAY I blog to become more effective and entertaining to readers.
You two will play a key role in this, so stop sweating about it.
Alright?
Hey Jaime,
Just a FYI that, in case you miss it, I talked more about Medium and how it applies to your situation in a comment below. See Anne’s thread.
DANG it boy!
…and curse these old fingers for not responding faster.
Glad to see you back in the game, Kevin. You’re a talent that makes the internet a much better place to visit and explore.
Just wish you didn’t give Jaime more attention. You know he starts talking when you do that and we can’t control that genetic side of his personality.
Think TWICE next time, alright?
We should get together and down some Jell-O squares sometime.
…I’ll bring the straws and Rocky theme music.
Hey Chuck,
Glad you enjoyed the post! Yeah, it’s good to be back. Had to knock the rust off when I was writing this one. Think it turned out pretty good, though. 🙂
I’ll try not to give Jaime attention, but it’s hard… he’s pretty talented, you know?
Oh sure, *talented*…
If you could call playing the kazoo worthy of musical praise…
…or throwing a wadded up piece of paper worthy of sending someone to the NBA…
….or microwaving a Hotpocket worthy of getting you onto The Great British Bakeoff!
*PSHHHH!!*
Like I tell folks in my line of work, ‘Pulling a rabbit out of a hat is child’s play. You pull a hat out of a rabbit and we’ll talk.”
Hey Chuck,
In Jaime’s defense, properly microwaving a Hot Pocket isn’t easy.
To paraphrase the great Jim Gaffigan: There’s only two ways to serve a microwaved Hot Pocket… ice cold in the middle, or boiling lava hot.
If Jaime has figured out how to cook it perfectly, he demands our respect and admiration.
Well, I guess I won’t get respect OR admiration, cause the LAST thing you want me using is the microwave.
Why didn’t someone TELL me you had to take the foil off the leftovers beFORE you put it in the microwave?
…though the sparks really were pretty if I’m being honest.
Note to self: Write “The Definitive Guide for Using a Microwave Without Setting the Neighborhood on Fire” and send it to Jaime.
Will it include hot pads?
….hot pads would be nice as well as a manual.
Just sayin….
Jaime,
The section on “hot pads” will be a content upgrade.
Hey Kevin,
It’s good to see you back! I hope all is well with you and the little one.
I’m glad you mentioned Medium first. It is, by far, the most meritocratic platform out there. Medium has personally helped me add 5 figures to my bank account AND email list. I know many foremerly unknown writers who landed book deals and built 6 and 7 figure business solely from Medium. It’s the place to be. It’s also great that you can republish all of your Wordpress post to Medium without suffering a duplicate content penalty because of their import feature. I’m biased because of the success I’ve gained from using Medium, but I’m a total evangelist of the platform.
Hey Ayodeji,
Thank you! It’s awesome to be back here at Smart Blogger. My first guest post for them went live… gosh, 4 years this month. It’s a blast every time I get the opportunity.
The little one is doing great. She’s 2 now, which is hard to believe. She’s growing up so fast.
That’s awesome to hear how well you’ve been doing with Medium! Shoot me an email with a link to your profile. I’d like to check it out and send a tweet or two promoting it. I might even want to pick your brain about how you’ve been using it.
Thanks again!
I love my self-hosted blog Kevin but goodness; Medium is easy peasy for using, a nice free blog add on to a self hosted joint. Rocking post, buddy.
Hey Ryan,
Good to see you! It’s been a little while. Still blogging in paradise?
Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, I’m self-hosted WordPress, too, but the convenience of Medium is so nice. I really need to do better about levering the platform.
Hope all is well on your end…
If you already have a self-hosted blog (and I have many, many) …is there a good reason to utilize Medium as well?
I mean, the written word is so important to me, but I’d love some feedback on what Medium could be used for.
Suggestions?
Hey Jaime,
Good question. If you already have a self-hosted WordPress site (as you do and as I do), Medium could be used to republish/repurpose content you’ve already created (with the goal of introducing it, and you, to a new audience).
As an example, if you have written a series on a particular topic, you could republish Part 1 (tweaking the headline to fit Medium’s audience) and include a link at the end of the Medium post for people to read the rest of the series at your site.
Chelsea Baldwin wrote a post about Medium republishing here at Smart Blogger. (Search for “How to Get More Traffic from Every Post by Republishing on Medium”.)
Ryann!
Good to see you, buddy!! Yeah, I second Kevin’s question–still blogging in paradise?
I’ve been out of the loop for a while, writing for kids and illustrating for authors–which makes showing up to this article extra special for me. Wonderful to see great people still in the sphere.
Wish you all the best and even more success!
Wow Kevin, am blown away by the debt and insight in this post.
You know what?
Everything you pointed out here is true…guest blogging for traffic works but credibility, influence and relationship building is the real thing.
Thank you Kevin.
You nailed it.
And am off to share!
Hey Charles,
Thanks! I had a quite a few late night spent writing this one, so it’s great to hear people are digging it.
Appreciate the tweet! I’ll head over to Twitter and thank you proper in a little bit.
How are things on your end?
Hey – just this morning I was looking for an easy platform to set a blog up for a new client of mine and this post came right into my inbox. What a perfect post. Thank you for this detailed and timely article!!
Hey Esther,
Sounds like perfect timing then! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for taking the time to read it and leave me your comment. I hope things work out with your client’s new site!
Bravo Kevin, bravo! Well what do you know, you learn something every day! Had no idea that Medium is the “new” blogging recommendation. I dig it.
I gotta go work on my Wilford Brimley blog now. Lots of work to do…
Oh and thanks for this. Very helpful and very well done.
Blaine!
It’s been forever. How are you doing, buddy?
Hey, if you create a Wilford Brimley blog, I will gladly tweet it. It’s the fan club the interweb has needed for a long, long time.
Glad you enjoyed the post! It was a lot of fun to write. It’d been over a decade since I’d used a free platform, so I had to do quite a bit of research for this one.
How are you doing these days?
You wrote:
“Forget Jon and Glen.”
No, wait, actually, I wrote that. But since you didn’t listen the first time, it bears repeating. 😉
This was actually a nice post to read. Your writing style is great, your down-to-business attitude and information is perfect, and there are lots of helpful instructions that tell anyone how to get started. I also like that you didn’t over-complicate things or write tons just for the sake of hitting a 5k word count.
And I like that you quoted me. Even if you don’t listen…
Hi James,
Haha! Yeah, that’s a recurring theme in my life. Smart, successful people give me advice, and I fail to listen!
Appreciate the kind words, James. They mean a lot coming from you. (I love your writing too.)
I promise to listen to you next time, deal? 🙂
Hey Kevin,
So good to see you back in the saddle. Love your work (and, boy, did you put some work into this one). Medium’s definitely da bomb these days, but I hadn’t given as much credence to LinkedIn, which is an oversight. I’ll add that one to my growing list of things to do.
Cheers, Mel
Hi Mel,
It’s good to BE back! Appreciate the kind words. (I’ve loved the posts you’ve written here too. And the guest post you wrote for Be A Better Blogger, too, of course!)
Yeah, LinkedIn was the platform I had to do the most research. I really haven’t used it much. I think that will change, though. Maybe. Someday. Who knows. 🙂
Hi Kevin,
Amazing post. I love how many different ways there are to start blogging (for free!).
I wish this post existed three years ago. I started with a self hosted site, which is fine, but I wish now that I had started free. Not because it isn’t worth the money mind you!
If I’d started with a free blog I would have put less pressure on myself to write the most incredible, game-changing posts that I could (they definitely were not incredible, game-changing posts).
If I’d started free I would have had the freedom to just relax and, I guess, learn how to write good.
I would have had the freedom to stretch my legs, write a lot, find my voice, find my niche, and all of the other things that you really need to do before you have a shot at becoming a super star.
Thanks so much for this post, it’s inspired to go and check out Medium and see what it’s all about.
And thank’s for getting back in the game Kevin, I’m all the more grateful for it!
God bless.
Hey Geoff,
Thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Yeah, while writing the post I had a similar thought… “I wish Medium existed back in 2005 when I was starting out.” It certainly would have made things easier for me.
Of course, “easier” can be a trap in some ways. Maybe it’s good that you pushed yourself to write epic posts three years ago to justify your self-hosted WordPress costs? Maybe it was good for me that I had to roll up my sleeves and learn WordPress inside and out? I didn’t realize it at the time (since I was running a humor blog of all things), but that background became invaluable when I started Be A Better Blogger.
Anyway, yeah, it’s fun to play the “what if” game. 🙂
Shoot me an email or tweet if you end up trying Medium. I’d love to check it out and give your first few posts some tweets!
Thanks again, Geoff. Great comment.
God bless you too.
Really great article and well thought out Kevin. I enjoyed it thoroughly and am finally giving LinkedIn a second thought because of it 😀
Hey, just one point on the Instagram platform. Linktree could be used to display multiple links via your bio link…and its free too! Check it out and let me know what you think.
Hey Rae,
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Good to know it’s made you rethink LinkedIn! Take it you’re a business professional then (or looking to reach them)?
I hadn’t heard of Linktree, but thanks for the tip. I do love free. 🙂
Lol of course Linktree has a paid version too where you could further customize the look of the tree to match ur brand. I’ll continue to use the free one until my sites are set up just right and my cashflow will allow.
And yes, I’ve decided to focus on my skill as an Information Systems Specialist and Project Manager so it would be perfect for that going forward. Your article came in the nick of time 🙂
Hi again Rae,
Yeah, I saw they had a paid version too. Biggest perk of it, for me anyway, would be removing the company branding.
Oh yes, LinkedIn is a great option for you if you’re a Project Manager. Good luck with it!
This post blew me away. I’m still new in the blogosphere- 10 months old, though. The Medium app is seated comfortably on my device but have been ignored in months. It’s high time I took to action your recommendation about it. Thank you so much for sharing this important piece. An excellent read to return to again and again.
Hi Faith,
Thank you! A lot can happen in ten months, I bet. How’s blogging treating you?
You’re very welcome. If you do try Medium, send me a tweet at @kevinjduncan so I can check it out.
Good luck!
Thanks for a great overview Kevin. I’ve been using LinkedIn for weekly articles for about three years. Super easy. I simply copy and paste an article from my hard drive. I keep several pictures in my photo file that I get mainly from pixabay.com. Glad to know Medium is also so easy. I’d not gotten into WordPress as I am not at a point where I want to build a business.
Hey Virginia,
You’re very welcome. Thank YOU for the great comment.
Wow, so sounds like you’re a pro at publishing on LinkedIn. Three years doing anything in the blogging world is an achievement. How’s LinkedIn been going for you?
Hey, Kevin,
Good to see you here again with a rocking post after a gap.
Amazing to know the magic Medium can do with us!
Though I am a member there, I really neglected the golden opportunity it offers!
Thanks Kev for this shout out!
Will surely be active again!
Yes, Kevin as someone said it really inspired me to be more active on Medium.
Second in line is WP it’s really a great platform with lot of features, but before the I started using Google’s Blogger pages, but now shifted to WP with a own domain, that’s really amazing and doing good to me, though it cost a bit, I am happy with it and of course the monetary benefits are on a higher side if use it wisely.
Of course, LinkedIn too is a an amazing page for professionals.
Lately I am into Instagram, and that’s really an eye capturing experience. But I did not get you when you mentioned about the 2,200 word limit there, is it the text and hashtags we write under the images? I am there with pvariel123
Coming to blog comments, it’s my life! Yes, you read it, and I said it!
I entered into this areana of blogging as a blog comment author.
I could influence many thru my comments.
I wrote a post on my page about this amazing strategy under the title ‘ The power of blog comments’ Yes, this amazing strategy anyone can follow and gain more. Our value added comments can do wonders!
Thanks Kevin for sharing this valuable information through this EPIC post
I am bookmarking it for my further read.
Best Regards
~ Philip Ariel
Hey Philip,
Thanks for the warm welcome. It’s good to be back!
Yeah, all the platforms have good things to offer. Good to hear you’re having success with your self-hosted WordPress, though. That’s what I’m using, as is Smart Blogger here. 🙂
Yes, the 2,200 character limit for Instagram is for their captions (the text you write to accompany the image). If you’re used to keeping messages short due to Twitter, that number is plenty. But it’s something to consider. (Me, I would have a lot of trouble keeping my captions short!)
Thanks again for the kind words, Philip. Hope you’re having a great day.
Philip, Philip, Philip….
How’s my little brother on the other side of the planet?!?
If there’s one person with kindness, passion and focus on blogging, it’s you my friend.
Kevin’s spot on about the Instagram character limit, but there a couple other things you’ll want to consider–so here are a few little tips:
• Try and place your message in the art, not the character section.
• When you craft your hashtags, know that there’s a 30 title limit–so you can only use 30 hashtags, which may seem extreme, but it’s not…
• When you use hashtags, form them in a ‘story’–so if I was to do a family post, I would use general family hashtags and slowly work my way down to the specific hashtags.
• Try to use hashtags that have 60,000 or less uses and you’ll get seen more–or at least that’s what I’ve experienced.
• Create patterns with your posts to add visual candy when people look at your profile.
Hope those tips help you or anyone else here. It’s all be trial and error, but hey–I love the visual mediums!
Good to see you Philip!!!
Thanks for the Instagram tips, Jaime!
As you know, this post has spurred me to dip my toes into the Instagram waters. How are you enjoying Instagram now that you’ve been doing it for a little while?
Good day to start my day.. thanks Kevin for the wonderful blog.
Hi Stella,
Thanks! Your day is starting, mine is ending. (I should have gone to bed hours ago, in fact.) 🙂
Hi Kevin, Good to ‘see’ you again!
I’d put a caveat for using LinkedIn publisher. Nowadays the publishing side doesn’t get much mileage and is no longer included as a factor for determining your SSI. So if you want people to read the post, you have to literally tell them whether via the newsfeed or messages. This is a new development with the change in algorithms.
Having said that, publishing articles is good for improving one’s LI profile and adding strength to it.
I prefer blogging on my self-hosted website to get some Google attention. 🙂
Hi Vatsala,
Good to “see” you again too! It’s been awhile.
Believe it or not, I was about to email you. Since I’m back in the wonderful world of blogging after a hiatus, to reconnect with readers I’ve started emailing anyone who has ever left me a comment at Be A Better Blogger. Wanted to touch base, see how they are doing (and maybe tell them about this new Smart Blogger post). 🙂
Thanks for the LinkedIn tip. It’s the lone publishing platform discussed in the post I’ve never personally used. Writing about Medium, WordPress.com, Instagram, and guest blogging was like reconnecting with old friends. LinkedIn? Yeah, I had to do a lot of research!
How are things in your neck of the woods? Still blogging?
I was wondering where you had disappeared, Kevin, and was delighted to see your email earlier this morning.
I actually tested the LinkedIn publisher a few weeks back thanks to a group discussion back in a Facebook Group. There was someone spouting SEO virtues and I do have syndicated articles on LI but had stopped posting so thought, give it a shot and see what’s new. Compared to a view of approximately 9k in the past, I got a measly 15 for the latest one. QED.
Micro blog in the newsfeed is the better option.
I’m still blogging for my business website but have changed my strategy to 2 new detailed posts a month with content update and upgrade for my older posts.
Hi again Vatsala,
It does my heart good to know so many of you had wondered why I had disappeared! All the more reason I’m happy to be back. 🙂
So your LinkedIn views went from 9k to 15? Wow. Yeah, that’s a huge algorithm change on their part then. It’s enough to make someone go from “let me write as many as I can” to “why even bother?”
Glad to hear you’re still blogging! I like your content strategy. It sounds very similar to what Jon and the gang are doing here.
Good luck with it, Vatsala. Thanks again.
Great stuff, Kevin. Thanks!
We really live in the best possible times for anyone to become a blogger and make something big out of this 🙂
Hi Lidiya,
Yes we do! Isn’t technology amazing?
Glad you enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun to write. 🙂
Great post, Kevin!
I started out blogging way back in 2009 on Blogger…finally graduated to self-hosted Wordpress in 2014! But I think I needed that time to get the hang of blogging.
I now teach design students and we get them to keep blogs rather than handwritten journals and we get them onto Wordpress.com now. It’s nice and stable and if they decide they want to keep up blogging when their course is finished, they can export the contents for a self-hosted blog!
Hi Icy,
Thank you!
Wow, so you’re an old timer like me. (I started with a “Xanga” blog back in 2005.) Graduated to self-hosted WordPress the following year!
That sounds like a great walkthrough for your students. Originally in this post, I called WordPress.com the best “stepping stone” platform for that very reason — because of its ease when graduating to self-hosting WordPress.
I’d probably use Medium if I was starting in 2018. Kevin From 2005 would have loved its simplicity! 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Icy. And the tweet!
Hi Kevin,
so nice to see you again!
I really appreciate the tip about Medium. To me, Medium was great for business and personal development, but I would never have thought about it for health and nutrition.
After reading your post here, I did a quick search and realized dietitians like myself also write on Medium.
So, I now have a new opportunity to put myself out there, which is great.
Thank you so much!
Anne
Hi Anne,
Thanks! It feels nice knowing I was missed. 🙂
You’re very welcome. That was one of the real, surprising (for me) discoveries when I put together this post: how versatile Medium is as a blogging platform. The lack of customization would aggravate me, sure, but if I was just starting out? In 2018? It would have everything I need.
Good luck putting yourself out there! Tweet me at @kevinjduncan if you start using it. I’d love to check it out.
yes really a blogging is a platform that you can show your talent and knowledge
Kevin, I love the layout of this post. You made it so simple for people to decide what they want to do if they have never blogged before!
Wording Well is almost 5 years old. I’ve been blogging for 6. I’m currently using all platforms but Instagram is the one I use the least. Then again, like you said, it is mostly for visual stuff, and I work primarily with words!
I do editing and I help others become authors (like me!).
I’m off to Tweet this post out now. It is very share-worthy! <3
Hi Lorraine,
Thank you! Yeah, with so much info and so many words (over 5k), getting the layout and structure right were key. Glad to hear I got it right!
Congrats on your blog reaching the 5-year mark! That’s an eternity in blogging years. 🙂
Thanks for the tweet! And for the great comment. Glad to hear you’re doing well.
Just a quick thank you, Kevin.
So grateful for your clear, concise summary of free blog sites.
The only topic that I have a passion for (apart from ‘cats that look like Hitler) is extraordinarily obscure. But, it might be useful for a tiny but appreciative audience – (undoubtedly uneconomic other than on a free site).
I am therefore toying with Medium once I have confected a good ‘hook ‘em in’ headline.
Thanks, Kevin. Please accept my best for your continued success.
Hi Zara,
Welcome back! It wouldn’t be “a Smart Blogger post written by Kevin” if I didn’t have a kind, witty comment from Zara. Thank you. I really appreciate the support. 🙂
Trying to think of a topic more obscure than “cats that look like Hitler.” Maybe “food that looks like cats that look like Hitler”?
Good luck if you do toy around with Medium! Shoot me a tweet at @kevinjduncan if you get it set up. I’d love to check it out. Might even promote it with a tweet or two. 🙂
Appreciate the kind words and well wishes! Hope you have a great weekend, Zara.
Kevin,
So glad you are back!
I like how you have laid this out in a simple, organized way – newbies can run with it. I definitely have heard of medium and read articles on it but not published anything yet.
I really look forward to the day I’ll hit the publish button on Medium. Thanks so much for this post.
Hi Hannah,
Good to see you! It’s been a while.
So glad you enjoyed the post. Let me know if you end up trying Medium, okay? I’ll check it out. 🙂
Glad to see you back in business, it’s a great article. I notice that in recent years, more and more gaining popularity large and extensive articles. On the one hand, in one place you can find all the information you need, and on the other hand, the article is very, very large. How many people will read it to the end? I like that you touch on different points of view, because without it it is impossible to argue the point of view, is not it? Please continue in the same spirit, do not leave us without the new articles!
Hey Nick,
Thank you! It’s good to be back. 🙂
Hi Kevin!
Thanks for such a great post! I mentioned one thing: talking about Instagram, you wrote the following idea – “Limited to one hyperlink (in your bio)”. In fact, it’s possible to add another clickable link in your Stories if you have 10k+ followers. Plus, you can always collaborate with Instagram influencers to drive traffic to your blog.
Maybe you can find this info useful.
Cheers!
Hi Hugh,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Since I’m a tad shy of 10k followers on Instagram (the understatement of the century), I’ll have to take your word for it. 🙂
Partnering with influencers on Instagram is a good tip, and it’s a “pro” of Instagram I could have mentioned. Not to say it’s easy, but it’s easier to do on Instragram than on the other platforms we mentioned.
Appreciate the great comment, Hugh. Hope you’re having a great day!
Great run-down. I used to recommend Medium, too. Good for book authors whose medium is text, not images, even though you don’t actually have your own blog. But Medium has become extremely reader-unfriendly. I used to get a Medium digest every morning, with articles in my fields of interest listed. Then they started charging for “premium” content. No problem–as long as they labeled premium content as such. You’re allowed 3 non-premium articles a month. But they changed their policy and they now won’t tell you which ones are premium, so you use up your 3 articles on day one just trying to find out which ones cost $$. It’s a nasty game of bait and switch that keeps a whole lot of people from ever reading a Medium article again. So it’s only a useful blogging platform if your target demographic is wealthy people who are willing to pay to read you–even if your own articles are free. Not a good way to expand your reach, IMO. Better to freelance for a journal that will pay you some of what they’re taking in.
And please, please, please can I beg you to advise people who want to guest blog to visit the blog before querying? I get 100s of queries a week and less than 1% have any idea that my blog, called “Writing about writing. Mostly,” is about writing. No, we don’t want your make-up tips! Sigh.
Anne, I am SO grateful you left a comment!
My mind has been going back and forth on this–wanting to get in touch of more people with my fiction books, and when I visited the site, it looked good, it was impressive–but something was bothering me.
I had no clue why.
Truthfully I think it was just because I don’t want to make more work for my already hectic schedule, but reading your experience has calmed my fears. I’d rather clean up the look of my own blog than to go with yet another platform.
…and I don’t want to charge monies for what I would be blogging about, either. Oh, that would bother me to no end.
Thank you for sharing. It saved me a lot of time and probably a lengthy repentance process due to all the swearing I’d be doing after the fact!
– Jaime
Hey Jaime,
Knowing your situation, I don’t think you should worry about it. At least not right now.
For established bloggers (like you), Medium serves a different purpose. You don’t need it to test your ideas (unless you’re planning a totally different website or book idea). Instead, you use it for promotion (as you would with Instagram, Facebook, etc.).
That’s how Jeff Goins uses it (or used to use it). Sometimes, he would republish something he’d already written on his blog. Sometimes, he’d publish a new (short-ish) post to promote an eBook or conference. Either way, the idea was to get his content in front of people who may not be familiar with his books or blog.
But here’s the thing…
There’s only so much time in the day, and you can’t be in a million places at once.
If you have time to devote to Medium (or Instagram, or Facebook, or…) for promotion, it’s a good tool. But if you don’t, you’re far better off focusing on [whatever your #1 priority is].
That’s my two cents anyway. Looks like you came to the same conclusion. 🙂
Oh, and I GET your frustration on the queries, also!
Goodness, if I could tell you how many times people send me emails saying, “We have written an article that should be a perfect fit for your audience.”
Uhhh, no. Feminine hygiene, make-up tips (LOL, see? I KNOW!!) and baby food do NOT go with a 100% fictional book series site for teens!!!
HAHAHAHA
Like I always say, ya can’t fix stupid.
Exactly.
*rolls eyes*
Jaime,
People have pitched you posts about baby food? Wow.
(Though, you do have 12 kids. Makes sense if you think about it…)
Hi Anne,
That does sound extremely frustrating. I haven’t experienced the bait and switch, but that’s probably because I do most of my daily reading on blogs (and rarely on Medium).
I imagine this is one of the reasons Jon doesn’t recommend Medium as the “end game” for bloggers. When you’re new, get on Medium, test your ideas, validate them, and then move on to your own self-hosted website.
Haha. I wish I could help, Anne. I deal with the same issue every… single… day. My “favorite” recent example? Someone asking — moments after saying they were a “huge fan” of my site — if they could submit a guest post about dentistry.
Fun times… 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Anne. Hope you have a great weekend!
Its so helpful for me and thanks for posting this.
Thanks for the info. I had no idea that LikedIn would allow that kind of posting (hosting).
I’m trying to reach professionals in my niche and now I have some new ideas (big smile on my face and a twinkle in my eyes).
Have a wonderful life and keep that great info coming.
Hi Elliott,
You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
Oh yes, if you’re looking to reach professionals, blogging on LinkedIn could be a great fit. What business are you in?
Thanks for the well wishes, Elliott. Appreciate it!
Just an FYI, creating a publication on Medium is no longer free.
Hi Aurora,
Medium does have a paid membership option now, but it’s still 100% free to create an account and publish posts.
There are just certain posts on Medium you won’t be able to read unless you’re a paid member.
So…
Writing? 100% free to do on Medium.
Reading? Most posts are 100% free, but some posts you won’t be able to read unless you become a paid member.
🙂
The most effective and easy to use is medium, no expenses for hosting, no need to setup wordpress or anything, and you will get enough exposure as it is an established platform already. Thanks for the articles, good job.
Hey Christy,
For ease of use, I have to agree. Medium is super simple.
Glad you liked it!
This is a great post on how to write a really good blog. The detailed explanation is really helpful. Great post .! Gonna follow these instructions rightaway. Thanks!
This is a very detailed and helpful tutorial. Thanks a lot.
After years of ignoring Medium, you guys have slowly convinced me to give it a try. Especially as a means of reposting existing content (that i own) with the occasional original article. I do love its simplicity, which really explains my increasing attraction for the platform.
Thanks for the awesome read, Kev!
Elvis
Hi Elvis,
I know what you mean! I didn’t “get” Medium at first, but bit by bit I saw the light. 🙂
Republishing existing content (with the occasional new post) is the route I took too. Plan on doing more of it in 2019. Anything that gets new eyes on my content is a good thing!
Glad you enjoyed it, Elvis. Hope you have an awesome day!
Hello
Kevin J. Duncan
You have shared your experience regarding the articles which are very helpful for us Thank you very much
Nice post.
Thank you for sharing a informative information with us.
Those are fantastic platforms the way they look will try this for sure definitively
Nice Article,
Thanks for give us such a good information about this.
Thank you so much for writing this, Kevin! It took me a while to get to this (I mean, with reading this article) because it took me a while sifting through Jon’s [Morrow] emails (I’m subscribed, but only began getting serious about reading everything just a few days ago), and he had your article’s link (the first of 3, I haven’t gotten to the other 2 yet).
Anyway, I’ll try again if Medium will work for me. I know I tried it before, but, for some reason, it tracked my location and said it wasn’t available here (in the Philippines) so I think I didn’t push it because of that, and opened another Wordpress.com blog.
Also, I don’t usually read everything, but I read the comments here, too! Well, honestly, just upto the part where you’re planning to write on how to use a microwave without setting the neighborhood on fire (believe me, I didn’t look back on that comment to check f I got your title word per word.)
Okay, this comment is getting long, and I ought to start looking for those blogs who allow contributors and start writing those articles for them. Thank you so much for this, again, Kevin! Will subscribe to your blog/website now. ????
Hi Bevz,
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I can’t say whether or not Medium is available in the Philippines. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be available, but there’s a lot I don’t know. 🙂
Best of luck in your guest blogging pursuits. And a big THANKS for subscribing to my list! Very kind of you, sir.
Appreciate the great comment, Bevz. I hope this response of mine finds you doing well.
Anyone have recommendations for a platform for someone who is a writer but not a programmer?
WordPress has been the death of my blog efforts.
I just need to post text, a graphic or two, and an occasional video.
Thx for any recommendations you may pass along.
Hey Keith,
For what you’re describing, Medium would work great. No programming skills needed. Just click, type, and go.
Thanks, Kevin! I’ll check it out. I’m thinking that once I get everything going I can later revisit WP and see how if it’s a fit at that time. Thanks for suggestion.
Great post you have here, am impressed.. Keep it up
Nice Post and full information. Thank you for sharing with us.
Amazing post!
Highly informative and proven idea. I am a constant reader of the smart blogger. I have a LinkedIn account and I have published there 17 articles around 3,000 words each strong aligned to ‘ Affiliate Marketing Beginners’. But I didn’t know how much power it is.
Yesterday, I republished 2 articles on Medium. I didn’t know much effective and support for my business. I have learned it from here.
I am grateful to you; I have learned from you a lot. Because I have read 3 articles about writing that turned me to another blogging world.
Thanks for your long efforts for us.
Hi,
This is nice post for best free blogging platform and having right article to see you here. Thanks a lot for sharing with us
This is nice post for best free blogging platform
thanks for great informative post. I agree, idea of doing blogging on linkedin is quite unique.
Suuuuuper helpful – thanks so much for writing this! I plan on getting started with my own blog, right away!
I am new to your blog. And this is the first post I have read on this blog.
And its amazing. Your blogging style is really great.
Thanks for sharing all this information about blogging platforms.
And I will now read more of your articles.
Thanks for posting !!
So glad you’re back!
I like however you have got ordered this move into a straightforward, organized manner – newbies will run with it. I undoubtedly have detected of medium and skim articles on that however not revealed something however.
I really anticipate to the day I’ll hit the publish button on Medium. Thanks most for this post.
Long but, good Info…
Too Big Post. But, The Post is Very Good
This is really great post… because I have just started blogging & I want to know about blogger so this post help me alot. So Thanks a lot for sharing information
This was exactly the information that I was looking for. The Pros and Cons are extremely helpful. Thankyou Kevin.
Ghost is probably the best blogging platform. It works straight out of the box and is easy to master.
Personally, I Like WordPress a lot !! it gives us a lot of features to build and optimize our blog. After WordPress, I will choose Medium which is a neat and clean platform for blogging.
thank you so much kevin for this post
OMG! I LOVED your article. I thought to myself….Self, here you go, 6:00 Sunday morning, you are once again, wide AWAKE. Today is the DAY. Go forth, do this thing, let your voice be heard!!! The birds are singing, your Florida window is open! Shout it OUT!
So I read your article, I read most of the comments which entertained me no end, and finally, FINALLY I took the leap, I clicked on your Medium link. On the top of the page it recommended that I download the app, so I downloaded the app. Now, either I am an idiot (which I know I am NOT because we broke into the office in HS and read everyone’s IQs and mine just happened to be really high for some reason) OR this is not as easy as I had hoped. In fact, I remember trying to write a blog at least five other times in as many years and getting exactly this far and suddenly I become technologically challenged or something. What I see on the Medium page is a black page, no instructions, just a “close” button on the top left, “drafts” and “next” buttons on the top right and some icons down below. I tried the photo button just for sh*@s and grins and tried adding two photos which each disappeared immediately and brought me back to what appeared to be the “reading” choices.
By now, what seemed so urgent at 6:00 this morning (actually 5:00 – I first meditated for an hour) has again tucked itself back into the recesses of my mind and what has come forth is internet frustration. Will my voice ever be heard? How can I reach the masses with my very important message (Hahaha) (Pema Chodron calls it our “Very Important Story Line”). I kinda want to swear here, but I suspect it would not be considered very professional.
OK, bottom line…I haven’t even had coffee yet… is there a tutorial somewhere for people like me for God’s sake? Or, I guess I could go the olde fashioned route and type it up, mimeograph it and drop copies from a small plane.
I’m going to go get my notebook, my favorite pen and start writing. For no one. Just me. I await further word… I hope you still get these messages. Can you help me? Please? I am busting at the seams with entertaining observations re: today’s crazy world.
I await further word… Thank you, thank you, thank you.
PS: OK I just wrote that whole thing and I pushed “post comment” and got a message that said “comment is a spam” in the middle of an otherwise blank, gray page. I seriously almost lost my mind, which sometimes is tenuous at best. So I pushed the backspace button wondering why they would think I am a spammer and found the secret little box at the bottom. After staring at it for a while I again thought to myself, Self? What is that little * doing in that little box? Oh I get it! Must be you’re supposed to put the date in there.
So I type 2019, push “post comment” again and BAM, off it went into cyberspace. I guess I should consider myself lucky for the day then, eh? I might crack this whole code yet. I’m going to go have coffee…thanks for your time. xoxoxo jok
Medium is great as a platform for quick Google indexing. Google seems to really love it. Wordpress is also great for indexing and is user-friendly, and then at third place I’d put Blogspot. All three of these have their own advantages and they are fine for blogging.
Great comparison of some of the top blogging platforms. I do prefer WordPress if I had to choose.
I heard that guest blogging no longer has an impact on the SEO of a website for Google ??? !!!
Hi Kevin,
I happened upon your article and it’s PERFECT. Talk about finding exactly what you need when you need it. I made one brief, not very good foray into blogging almost 10 years ago and it went so badly I never tried again. I’m of the age before anyone had ever even heard of this word, so I’m obviously dating myself……. (Yes, it was only my junior year in high school that our school got like 10 Apples. ) But of late, I’ve felt the inkling to perhaps try this again and so went looking for a platform and voila, I found your wonderful article. I will be reading many other of your posts shortly. 🙂
Wow. Most people will love to start blogging, but doesn’t have the ability to buy web hosting plan and domain name.
This your post is really helpful
What a truely insightful article. I am starting out in this space and I am genuinely grateful I came across your article now and not six months and a swag of mistakes down the line.
You neglected to mention that Medium readers have a limited number of articles they can read each month and then they have to subscribe. For me, that’s huge drawback and a deal-breaker!
Thanks!
Blogspot is good for new blogger’s…
Medium is my favorite platform. It has plenty resources that make this platform incredible, and combining them you will be able to create a beautiful personal blog.
Hey Kevin, Nowadays freelancing is most of the people’s first choice over jobs, and blogging is at the top in it. Blogging is a best way, but not an easy way because of the competition. For blogging everyone needs experience first and for that free platforms are the best, You have provided the best platforms here. Thanks.
What is the best way to sell a product in social media?
affiliate marketing and marketplaces
Hi Kevin, This is one of the most in-depth guide of guest blogging. I have learned many new things regarding GB. Thanks
Guest blogging is what am finding difficult to do, I mean spending 2 hours to write a post just to get one backlink
Hello Kevin,
Thanks for the detailed article. I prefer Medium as a free blogging platform. It is very easy to use and gives impeccable results.
Hey, Kevin great post! To be honest, there are many blogging platforms that offer users the ability to create a free blog. I would not recommend any newbie blogger to start off with WordPress.
I’m not saying that WordPress should not be considered as your first blogging platform. But for a newbie blogger, it may seem to be very challenging considering those complicated Wordpress plugins and dashboard navigations.
Hello Kevin,
Thanks for list of best blogging platforms. I would like to include blogger.com as well in the list and it is too a vital platform today for most of the bloggers. And my best blogging platform is always wordpress and it has lots of options available.
Regards,
Ovais Mirza
Thank you Kevin for this amazing Post.
I know Instagram is a content media house.
But l have a query can we use Instagram photos for our Blog, is it will be alright or not? Even we give credit to the source.
Blogger.com is also a good choice. But from the list above I like Medium.com as it’s being used too much nowadays.
Thanks, Kevin.
Always love Medium than anything else.
Because with Medium, you can reach out to highly targeted readers.
Someone who is just starting blogging, Medium is the place to be.
Keep sharing
you can simple guest post on website that pays you while other benefits
I never knew that We could do blogging using LinkedIn.
Can that blog be monetized?
I think we can’t run any ads or anything on it. Correct me if I am wrong.
This is an amazing post, Kevin.
I have been using WordPress & Medium for a long time now and both are really great for blogging. But never thought about LinkedIn for blogging purpose.
Now I am definitely going to try LinkedIn as a blogging platform. It will also increase brand value.
Thanks for sharing!
No Doubt about it that these are the Best Blogging platform, but since last some time we are not getting any addition in this list. No doubt we can’t go further in blogging field without these platform, so we can’t deny their importance.
Medium and Wordpress by far remain the largest traffic getting sites so far. I had been constantly using both platforms for our clients. Thank you for sharing the blog
Thank you Kevin,
great tips and informative detailed descriptions. For someone like me simply learning all the “lingo”, you have certainly given me easy to understand breakdown. All enough to pick the appropriate blogging site suited for my needs and overall expectations.
I was really looking for some free blogging websites and the details of it on how to join it …to know whether it would be a good option or not. I think you solved most of my problems… Thankyou.. awesome content….
Well researched and informative article. Medium is best for writers because of its simplicity.
However, I prefer self-hosted WordPress above all.
Thanks, Kevin, and now I have already taken your advice and use these BLOGGING PLATFORMS, however, the traffic is not as good as I expected, are those platforms have more detailed tips to gain more traffic, if they are, would you like to share it? Thanks so much!!!
I’ve been blogging since 8th grade, I think it was back in 2009 and since then I’ve tried all of the platforms you’ve mentioned, but now when I’ve come back to blogging, more of a micro blogging; where I can help people with – I chose Tumblr, I know it’s outdated, but it’s still good enough. Choose a good theme, write about yourself and add a custom domain, you’re ready to go!
you can choose blogspot or medium which is free and easier to use
What about Substack?
Nice article Kevin. I like the unbiased opinions you expressed even if I am not a fan of some of your choices. (I really don’t like Medium) We’ve been big users of WordPress for over 15 years now and are big fans. You can do almost anything with it, including blogging.
Hello Kevin,
Let me, first of all, recommend you for the great works you are doing on your blog. We are much grateful.
The truth is setting up blogs is really easy to start off late. There are numerous of blogs but keeping things up is where the problem is.
When I began, Google was what offered me the platform through their blogspot and I really loved the fact one could monetize a blogspot blog, unlike Wordpress.com where they make money from you instead.
Let me be sincere here, this is my first time hearing of Medium.com and I am certainly going to give it a try.
Thanks a lot.
Nice article Kevin,
I like the WordPress platform. I run a new blog by using WordPress. Don’t like a free blogging platform.
Thank you so much.
What are the disadvantages of free blogging platforms? like in Wordpress we cant change the URL extension. bloggers still get monetize in free platform and can ear money well? I’m just curious
Thanks for this in-depth detailed article about the best blogging platform and I like medium and guest blogging these two are my favrioute
In the list above, they offer free blogging but only subdomains like wordpress.com or they can give you unique domains? I am thinking if they offer free unique domains even if it’s free trial. either way thank you for the details. appreciated!
Thanks a lot Kevin for this masterpiece.
It’s always a pleasure reading your articles here on SmartBlogger.
I’ve tried Medium and LinkedIn for publishing free articles but I wasn’t consistent enough to actually reap the benefits.
But the last time I went there, I published a few articles and linked to my blog. I wish they were giving dofollow link. Lol.
Keep up with the great work you are doing.
I’m learning a lot here.
– Lovinda
Nice list. I am using the first three platforms. Thanks!
I totally agree with Kevin that No Blog Platform Is Right for Everyone.
I don’t know what would have I done without your blogs.
Exact answer to any beginner.
Thank you so much for sharing with us!
I am not a content writer but as a marketing person, your posts are very useful to read. Your post every time sharing some unique informative tips that cannot be found everywhere.
Medium is my favorite! Good article, Kevin!
Great article Kevin! We actually use BlogCloud that is not in your list and are very happy with it. Multiple blogs with custom pages – CMS – functionality and it is simpler and faster then any other platform we tried. We also use the non free enterprise version for our business. Highly recommended.
I like medium and WordPress. I am quite active on both of these.
Thanks for the post.
Hey Kevin, I think medium, blogger is good to start blogging journey for beginners. but ,if you afford domain name and hosting, then you should go with your own website. am i right Kevin?
medium is good one, i think many are missing