During its infancy, Web logging had the unfair reputation of being amateur, narcissistic, and ungrammatical. But because it slowly gained an audience, the blogosphere soon turned into an avenue for almost everyone.
For most people, it has become a means for talking about their experiences and interests. For many professionals (e.g. writers, entrepreneurs, chefs, etc.), it has become a channel for sharing their insights. And, for the readers, it has become a source of relevant and updated information.
How about you, are you interested in creating your own blog?
If you are, here are four of the most popular and user-friendly platforms.
BLOGGER
As a beginner, you need a blogging service that provides you with simple features. As such, you can greatly benefit from Google’s free system, which is easy to set up and use. Even if you have not tried uploading your write-ups before, you can publish your first blog in less than thirty minutes.So, what does it have to offer you? Well, through it, you can perform these tasks.
- Edit drag-and-drop templates
- Update dynamic elements
- Use geo-tags for location-based articles
- Generate content through Windows Live Writer, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs.
With Blogger, you can feature other bloggers, helping you grow your site. This is possible because it supports a maximum of 100 users.
TUMBLR
If you like to combine blogging and social networking, this dashboard is ideal for you.
Technically considered as a micro-blogging platform, it lets you create short posts, which are longer than Twitter feeds and less formal than regular blog articles. Or, you can upload videos or images with brief descriptions, which is what most users are doing.
These days, it appeals to plenty of people, what with its informal yet fun and easy functions. If you want to share your passion in writing but you do not have enough time to commit yourself fully, Tumblr is a great selection.
WORDPRESS
This is an open source service, which provides you with the following options:
- Free blog setup on your server
- Blog hosting at WordPress.com
Whether you go for the former or the latter, you can take advantage of wonderful features like themes, widgets, and apps. Thanks to its growing community of developers and followers, you can make your posts more interactive for the readers.
Although setting up and configuring your account is not as easy, you can obtain amazing rewards for your effort. Because once your blog is up and running, you can use a wide array of customisation tools to tailor it according to your desired theme
SQUARESPACE
If the first three channels are free, this one is not. Now, you may find this aspect a huge downside and decide not to obtain the service. However, you need to think twice and check out its features and functions before making up your mind.
Just what does it offer? These usually include the following:
- A completely hosted and managed system
- A flexible platform for serious bloggers, photographers, and entrepreneurs
- Site and content customisation
- Free domain names
- Social widgets, professionally designed templates, analytics tools
- Blog importing
Judging from the list, you can expect a wonderful environment waiting for you. This means every penny you spend for the service is worth it.
So, there you have four well-known blogging platforms. Other than these, you can come across several wonderful options.
As conclusion to our topic, you have to be aware that as soon as you start publishing, you will stumble upon challenges, which are going to test your passion and dedication as a blogger. These usually come in the form of critiques and dissatisfied readers.
If you do receive negative comments, avoid retaliating; instead, cite your opinions and reasons for talking about the subject matter. On the other hand, do not forget to offer appreciation to anyone who praises your work.
