Tips for Newbie Bloggers: Sharing My Experience Using Free Tools for Blogging

This is my advice for newbie bloggers or beginners.  You have to start somewhere so start using free tools.  That way you test yourself and see if you really want to pursue this endeavor.  Been at this for over 10 years and I can tell you from experience, that consistent and persistent blogging is not for the faint of heart.

I'm cheating a little with this post.  Via Quora (a Q&A platform where I am an active member) there was a published post generated by an AI bot titled "Which are the best free tools for blogging? - Quora".  

I went through the list and I can comment on most of them because I have tried them.  I am publishing this content on Blogspot (aka Blogger) - owned by Google - because quite frankly, I think this is the best blogging platform for newbies.  The Quora post listed 8 platforms and I am sharing my thoughts and experience with some additional thoughts for the platforms that were not mentioned.

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1. WordPress.com

The free tier is nice but I could not monetize my content.
Last blog post: Creating Real Worlds in Fantasy and Fiction

2. Blogger

A simple blogging platform owned by Google.

Easy and free. Was approved for Ad Sense but that was ages ago, Not sure if new users can get approved.

I have several blogs.  View my Blogger profile.

3. Medium

Affiliate links are permitted but not encouraged. They don't want the site to become a spam magnet.  Super easy to publish and has a lively community that interacts with the writer. The Partner Program helps you monetize content but don't expect money to come rolling in. The PRO is the ability to create your own publication (kind of like a magazine).  

View my Medium publications:  Express Yourself! and Nothing but Love for Korean Drama.

The CON is that if you are not a member you can only read 3 free posts each month.  The way the monetization program is set up, external visits don't count.  Only visits to your articles by other members are used in the algorithm.  Even so ... it's one of the best platforms.  They accept original and republished content and Medium links often get found by the search engine.

View my Medium writer's profile.

4. Wix
5. Weebly

Tried them but did not like it. Just my preference.

6. Ghost (Self-Hosted)

Never heard of it!

7. Substack

Tried it. Liked it. But it didn't work for me. It was just extra work with no profitability. But others have reported a different experience. So don't take my word for it.

8. Tumblr

They offered a way to monetize and then they discontinued the program. Nevertheless, it's a fun platform for social sharing or for bookmarking.  Take your links from your other blogs and share them via Tumblr ... BUT! ... 

"Tumblr backlinks can help you increase traffic, but they won't be as effective as backlinks earned on another blogging platform. This is due to the fact that Tumblr pages are considered subdomains. And they carry less weight as a source of backlinks. You should also include images in your blog posts."  (Per Tumblr SEO Best Practices & Tips | Tactica)

View my Tumblr blogs.

CONCLUSION: 

Two Platforms Not Mentioned:  Quora and Vocal.Media

(1)  Interestingly, the AI-generated post was published on Quora and it did not mention Quora! {Maybe it's not "the best". (O.o) }Quora offers a free blogging platform. I have used and it's been an off-and-on relationship. At present, I am turned OFF! Quora had a program that would allow bloggers to monetize their content and now they don't. That was the reason I tried so hard. I was trying to earn money. But now that they don't have the revenue-sharing programs anymore, so I said “Bye Bye!”

(2) The post also did not mention Vocal.Media.

Easy to publish. Republished content accepted. Free account (upgrade offered). Earn $3.80 per 1000 unique views.

View my Vocal.Media profile.


Hope these tips help.

Tips for Newbies: Sites That Accept Republished Content: Vocal.Media

Blogging and article writing are work-at-home endeavors I have been doing for years.  My first article was published on a site that is now defunct.  However, it taught me my first valuable lesson in online writing.  The site's policy was original content only but after the content had been on their site for one year, the writer was allowed to republish elsewhere.  

The light bulb went off in my head.  You can republish content?  I was a newbie.

So, I started searching for publishing platforms that accepted republished content. The first site was Yahoo! Voices, but it shut down. After that, I found Medium.com, where I publish both original and republished writing. (View my writer's profile on Medium.)  

Recently, friends directed me (or redirected me) to Vocal.Media.  I already had an account and my profile boasted 4 original articles, and I had not been active for 4 years.  However, I was unaware that VM allowed republished content.  

But now that I know, I'm all in.  (View my writer's profile on Vocal.Media.)

The big difference between Medium and Vocal.Media is that external views are counted. Both platforms have a program that allows you to monetize your content. 

• However, you must be a member of Medium. 
• By contrast, Vocal.Media membership is not required and if you have a free account, you can earn $3.80 for 1,000 unique views.

I almost passed on a money-making opportunity for my online writing.  It's nice to have friends.