Blogging Basics 101

Choose the Best Blogging Platform – Comparison 2025

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 17:58:00 +0000

Deciding to start a blog comes with a lot of decisions to make. One such decision: What’s the best blogging platform should I use? While there are numerous blogging platforms available, below we take a look at some of the most common platforms to help you make the best decision. Blogging Platform Cost Key Benefits WordPress Free (with Hostgator hosting) 1. Flexible customization options with thousands of plugins and themes. 2. Great SEO capabilities. 3. Active community and support. Wix Free (with paid upgrades) 1. Easy to use drag-and-drop editor. 2. Professional templates. 3. Built-in SEO tools. Squarespace Paid plans start at $12/month 1. High-quality, modern templates. 2. Easy-to-use platform with drag-and-drop editing. 3. Excellent customer support. Medium Free (with paid subscription options) 1. Large built-in audience. 2. Simple and straightforward interface. 3. Easy to find and connect with other writers. Ghost Paid plans start at $29/month 1. Focuses solely on blogging, with a clean and simple interface. 2. Great for SEO. 3. Built-in email newsletters. Tumblr Free 1. Built-in social features make it easy to connect with other bloggers. 2. Easy to use, with simple customization options. 3. Good for visual content. Weebly Free (with paid upgrades) 1. Drag-and-drop editor with many customization options. 2. Good for ecommerce sites. 3. Mobile-responsive design. So What is the Best Blogging Platform? WordPress.org Price: Free software; Approximately $3 per month for hosting. For a step by step guide, check my how to start blogging guide. A self-hosted WordPress blog is one that uses the WordPress software on a third-party server. With it, you can install plugins, edit your HTML code, and more, giving you full control over your website while making it look more professional. A self-hosted WordPress blog is usually the best way to go for anyone willing to invest a couple of dollars per month. It’s ideal for business owners, professional brand builders, and any blogger looking to expand their site’s functionality and professional appearance. Pros: Cons: WordPress.com Price: Free WordPress.com stores your site’s content for free on their servers. However, this means users receive a limited version of the WordPress software. Still, it’s a nice choice for hobby bloggers who don’t want to invest money. It’s also a good option for people who plan to upgrade to a self-hosted WordPress blog in the future. Pros: Cons: Blogger Price: Free Since Blogger is owned by Google, you’ll have access to Google tools like AdSense, Analytics, etc. However, Blogger is not nearly as flexible as WordPress.org. This platform is great for hobby bloggers and brand builders who don’t want to invest any money but may want to make some money through ads. Since it is easy to use, it is also a great platform for beginner bloggers just learning the ropes. Pros: Cons: Tumblr Price: Free Tumblr is easy to use and is a very social platform. This is the perfect place for bloggers who like the idea of “reblogging” posts. Its platform is best for microbloggers, so it’s perhaps not… Read More »Choose the Best Blogging Platform – Comparison 2025

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How to Make Money with Your Blog in 2025

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 13:39:00 +0000

Ideas, advice, and suggestions for monetizing your personal or business blog successfully.

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Should I choose a Free or a self-hosted blogging platform?

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 20:22:00 +0000

This article defines what hosted and non-hosted blogging platforms are and explains the pros and cons of each.

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Choosing a Blogging Niche

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 18:21:00 +0000

Are you considering starting a blog? Great! You have the first step down. Now you have to decide what your blog will be about. Of course, you can always start a blog talking about anything and everything. However, these types of blogs aren’t often as successful. That’s because people search the Internet for one reason only: to solve a problem. That problem may be to find entertainment, or it may be to answer a question. It could be any number of imaginable problems. But when readers are looking to solve a problem and your blog is nothing but ramblings on random topics, how is your blog going to solve their problem? That’s why niche blogs are popular. For instance, if you want to stay up-to-date on fashion trends, you’ll follow fashion blogs because you trust that they’ll continuously solve your problem. If you want to alleviate boredom, you might hit up Buzzfeed or any number of entertainment blogs that continuously deliver a solution to your boredom. A niche blog narrows your target audience, but it also keeps them coming back. How exactly do you “find your niche?” Check out these tips below. Choose Something You Know and Love Experts will constantly tell you to blog about what you’re passionate about. It may sound cliche and a little unrealistic on the surface, but there’s a reason for it. Stacey Roberts on ProBlogger says, “Something that seems present and that shines through in the blogs that I read and love is passion.” When you blog about what you’re passionate about, several things happen: If you go the other route and choose a niche solely because you think it’s profitable, you’re bound to run into burnout and dissatisfaction. Another disadvantage of going the profitability route is that you probably don’t have as much knowledge in those subjects as you do in what you are passionate about. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, why would anyone read your blog? How to Find Your Passion Okay, so following your passion would be fine and dandy if you had any idea what your passion was. Just a few questions to get you started include: Still not sure? Try this exercise: Start with your first instinct. Create a list of 10 separate blog post headlines/ideas. If you can’t come up with 10, then this probably isn’t the niche for you. If you do have 10 but aren’t thrilled about actually drafting the blog posts, then it’s worth considering a different industry. If those 10 ideas sound good to you, consider writing up those blog posts on your computer before you get into developing your site. If you find it difficult to finish those first 10 posts and are already cringing at the topic, then it’s probably not right for you. The good news is that you didn’t waste time and money setting up a blog that you would only abandon later. Do you find yourself excitingly coming up with more ideas after writing those first… Read More »Choosing a Blogging Niche

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How to Get 1000 Shares to Your Next Blog Post

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 13:40:28 +0000

Do you want to promote your blog post to more readers? Are you wondering how to get your blog content shared all over the social media? Creating quality content is important but it’s more important to make sure your content gets seen. Not everyone who writes a blog gets 1000 shares per post. Quite ironically, some blogs achieve their first 1000 or might be even 10,000 shares within some hours or a day of publishing. Sometimes it can be very tough to get more than 100 honest shares (you can get 500+ by spamming in Facebook groups but it is of no value). For those who are new to blogging, this article on starting a blog that people will actually read is a great place to start. While more shares are important for social proof and also showing authority many of my readers have been struggling with low share counts. That is why I have created the below infographic to help you get more shares from every article you write. Share this image on your site! <!—– Copy and Paste This Code Into Your Post —-></p> <h3>How to Get More Social Shares</h3> <p><a href=”https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/blog-post-shares/”><img src=”https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Tips-On-How-to-Get-1000-Shares-to-Your-Next-Blog-Post-HD.png” alt=”Name of infographic or image” width=”1000px” /></a></p> <p><a href=”https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/blog/”>eg: Infographic By Domain.com</a></p> <p>

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The Secret Ingredients to an Awesome Blog Post

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:09:37 +0000

It was during the late 1990s when blogs came out as a new rage, captivating the attention of people from around the world, all wanting their voices heard through this new, dynamic and engaging channel. In the years that passed, blogging eventually came to maturity, emerging as one of the top and most important digital marketing tools that actually deliver results. Many business people and professionals have come to realize the importance of blogging for their businesses. Marketers who have business blogs generate 67% more traffic and high-quality leads, while companies that added blogging to their marketing mix generate up to 97% more links to their pages and sites. Blogs are proven to create brand awareness and increase engagement with targeted audiences, but not all who blog achieved the results they want. So, what are the secret ingredients to an effective blog post?

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Making WordPress Load Faster

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:58:42 +0000

If you are starting a WordPress blog, then you are most probably experiencing its most common problem, which is its slow processing. Slow processing of WordPress becomes a real problem when your work is affected by the unavailability of your site. When your website is running slow, it can result in bad reviews, lower sales, poor search engine rankings and even brand reputation damage. Imagine a writer who needs to meet a deadline but the research site is running slowly. Truth is, delay is never good in any freelance or business work.

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7 Ways to Be More Creative

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 22:20:47 +0000

Sometimes, inspiration may suddenly hit you out of nowhere without warning and then there are times when being creative is hard work. Creativity is not something that’s innate. It isn’t a talent either, but a skill that can be learned, nurtured, and developed. Just like driving, sports climbing and coding, creativity takes practice. The more you intertwine creativity into your daily routine, the more it will flourish. The question is how do you make it part of your daily life? In my new infographic are some drills and tips that would help turn your genius on and get your creative juices flowing.

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6 Steps to Being a More Productive Blogger

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 11:10:36 +0000

There are so many problems that can arise when you’re trying to be a successful blogger. We have so much to do, we often wear many hats and with so much going on it can be easy to get distracted. We are all struggling to find efficiency in our busy working days; and often I have difficulty with maintaining my focus and being productive. So I decided to carry out some research and pull together an infographic with some tips and tools to become a more productive blogger. For those who are new to blogging, this article on starting a blog that people will actually read is a great place to start. Share this image on your site! <!—– Copy and Paste This Code Into Your Post —-><br /><br /> <h3>How to Be a More Productive Blogger</h3><br /> <p><a href=” https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/productive-blogger/”><img src=”https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/How-to-Be-a-More-Productive-Blogger-HD.png” alt=”Blogging Basics” width=”1000px” /></a><br><p><a href=” https://www.bloggingbasics101.com”>Via Bloggingbasics101.com</a></p><br /> <p>

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How to Create Killer Images for Your Blog or Facebook

bloggingbasics101@gmail.com (Melanie @ Blogging Basics 101) — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 18:01:26 +0000

One of the questions I’m asked most often is where to find images for your blog (or Facebook, Pinterest, or any other popular social platform). Here’s a quick reference list. Bookmark and Pin this page to refer to it often! Where to Find Images to Use On Your Blog or Facebook Dreamstime Shutterstock Morgue File (public domain photos) NYPL Digital Gallery Kozzi Flikr Commons (be sure to check the Creative Commons limitations and remember that if you make money from your blog, you fall under commercial use!) Stock Exchange Where to Make Your Own Pictures and Memes for Your Blog and Social Media Meme Generator PicMonkey Recite Font Image Generator Fotor Tools to Create Flashier Mobile Photos (on Instagram Too!) PicTapGo InstaFrame Aviary Phonto What are your favorite places to find images? What are your favorite apps for mobile photo editing? More Articles About Finding and Using Pictures Copyright Law for Blog (And Facebook) Images A Few More Links For Copyright Information Can I Legally Use Company Logos on My Couponing Blog? Copyright Fair Use and Online Images Don’t miss our guest post from Sara Hawkins about copyright issues associated with finding and using images. Sara is a lawyer and blogger who not only has a successful personal blog (Saving For Someday), but also a professional blog where she shares important information about the laws that apply to bloggers and how to ensure you’re within those laws so you don’t lose your page via a DMCA complaint.

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