A blog can be a great way to earn additional income, promote your business or it can just be a fun creative outlet. It’s a terrific vehicle for making connections, finding new customers and meeting new people. And what’s even better is there are many platforms available that allow you to start a blog for free.
This article will review the free platforms that are available, so you know how to start a blog without spending money.
WordPress
WordPress is up there with the most popular platforms to use when starting a blog. You can start a blog WordPress free without knowledge of complicated code and programming. The fact that it is user friendly makes it a preferred option for many.
And although you don’t have to know a lot of complicated code to start a blog on WordPress, more advanced users will also be able to work with the site to get the results they are looking for.
Here are some other reasons why WordPress is a great option for those looking to start a blog website free:
- It’s flexible and adaptable so it can meet the needs of multiple companies no matter how big or small.
- It has a variety of themes that provide a customized look. Note: Even though WordPress gives you a great option for how to start a blog without paying, more unique themes will have to be purchased.
- Plug-ins allow users to add functionality to their sites. These small pieces of code can be used to add features like shopping carts, galleries, contact forms and more.
- WordPress sites are constantly being updated to provide tools and plug-ins that optimize content. This helps them rank highly on Google.
- WordPress sites are mobile responsive, so they format correctly on mobile devices.
- WordPress sites have built in blogs that allow you to add content that engages consumers.
- WordPress provides community support so users can easily get answers to their questions.
Social media users know Facebook to be a social media site that is used to post pictures and quick status updates. And if you’re wondering, ‘Can I start a blog on Facebook’, the answer is yes.
If you are looking to start a blog on Facebook, all you need to do is go to the link, facebook.com/notes. Then click on the ‘write note’ button. The site will take you through an easy to navigate process for adding a title, picture and text.
Facebook does not offer all the features of other blogging platforms. For instance, it does not offer plug-ins that allow you to add extras to your blog and the graphics it provides is somewhat limited.
However, it is a great way to reach your customer base and it can be effective for businesses who have existing business pages on Facebook.
Another way to start a blog for free online is to use Google. If you are wondering how to start a blog with Google, here are the steps you will need to take.
First visit Blogger.com and sign in using your Google account. If you don’t have a Google account, you will have to create a new account.
Type a username into the Display Name field and click ‘continue to blogger’.
Click ‘new blog’ and you will then be taken through the motions of creating a blog that suits your purposes.
Like Facebook, Google offers limited features when you start a blog Google. However, it also has several advantages. These are as follows:
- Because the blog is connected to Google, it offers great web exposure.
- It allows you to monetize your blog with Google ads.
- You can choose your own domain.
- Although the platform can be customized by someone with advanced technical experience, it is extremely user friendly for beginners.
It is pretty easy to start a blog on Blogger through Google.
Also…if you are looking to start a blog Blogspot, you should be aware that Blogger and Blogspot are one in the same. If you type in Blogspot.com, you will be redirected to the Blogger site.
Medium
Medium is a publishing platform that is gaining popularity as the years go by. If you are looking to start a blog on Medium, you can do so easily by signing up and starting to write.
If you start a blog with Medium, you will find that the platform offers several benefits as follows:
- You can easily import content from anywhere on the web without any duplicate content penalties. You can also alter it after importing it.
- You can connect your Medium with your Facebook and Twitter accounts to boost your network.
- It provides metrics so you can find out how many people read your article and how much of it they read.
- Medium has a huge active audience that allows you to grow your network.
- There is a lack of an Application Programming Interface (API) which provides less regulations and more of a stress-free environment.
- Not only are there plenty of readers and writers on Medium, there are also a lot of publishers in their audience. This increases the chances of aspiring writers getting discovered.
When you think of platforms for starting a blog in 2020 free, Instagram might not be the first to come to mind. However, this social media mobile site provides options for bloggers to publish their work at no cost.
To start a blog on Instagram, all you need to do is start an account. Once that is done, you can post relevant pictures. The captions you use on Instagram will serve as your blogs.
Unfortunately, this is quite limiting as no extra features will be available through plug-ins. In addition, blogs will be limited to 2200 words, so Instagram blogs are more like microblogs.
However, by adding the right hashtags and images, you can appeal to a wide range of users looking for concise tidbits of information that will help them learn more about your company or cause.
Linked In is another social media platform that has blogging capabilities. If you want to start a LinkedIn blog, all you need to do is click on the ‘write an article’ link near the top of your home page. Then enter the appropriate text into the ‘headline’ and ‘write here’ fields, click ‘publish’ and you’re all set.
Like most social media sites, Linked In offers limited features to those looking to customize blogs, but using it to blog can be a great way to connect with other businesses. Here are some advantages the platform provides:
- Allows you to connect content to your corporate pages to increase credibility, attract leads, inform employees, find partners and communicate ideas.
- It’s easy to use so no technical background is needed.
- Your content will appear in your followers’ news feeds to maintain brand awareness.
- LinkedIn is ranked highly in search engines, so your articles are more likely to appear in search results.
If you are wondering ‘can you start a blog for free?” the answer is yes. These are all great options for platforms and hopefully this article has answered your question if you are wondering which website to start a blog. Now that you are armed with this information, all you need to do is head over to your computer and start blogging!