42 Publishing and Best Blogging Platforms To Show Your Awesomeness

42 Publishing and Best Blogging Platforms To Show Your Awesomeness

I initially started creating web pages on Tripod, Yahoo GeoCities, etc. back in 2000s. After that I attempted best blogging platforms like WordPress.org and Blogger.com and also begun creating HTML web pages with no coding skills (all thanks to Microsoft FrontPage). And that is how I begun web development.
Now with the introduction of web 2.0 individuals want more. A huge number of the population no longer loves static HTML web pages with boring designs. People need more new features with an amazing user experience. That is how best  blogging platforms begun to become very famous.

I receive a lot of emails from my specific readers requesting to work online or share their articles. And I used to suggest a blog- to be more specific, a WordPress blog. However, I discovered that a blog may not be applicable for everyone as things differ from one person to another.

If you are a technology enthusiast then beginning a blog makes a lot of sense. However, if you are a writer and wish to share your articles randomly, then posting on Medium.com is a great idea.

Start a Blog 

A blog is the best way to show your awesomeness. You may wonder why? This is because it is your personal brand. Despite what you want to do or what you do, if you can write well, then you should start your own blog.

Here is a complete list of some of the best blogging platforms.

Free blogging platforms

WordPress.com
If you wish to start a personal blog, then WordPress.com is perfect for you. Starting a personal blog on WordPress.com is very simple and best blogging platform. You also don’t have to worry about its security or backend or development. It is already catered for. However, its features are somehow limited and as such you cannot personalize it the way you want. But you don’t have to worry. You can always upgrade by buying add.ons.

If you are looking for a simple to use platform to post your weekly/ daily articles the WordPress.com is the best alternative for you.

Blogger
Blogger.com is one of the most famous blogging platforms and it was developed by Google. If you have already created a Google account then you are good to go. Blogger.com blogs are normally preferred by individuals who wish to start a personal blog because managing a blog on Blogspot.com is very similar to managing your Facebook account. However, if you want to make your blog professional then you will need to hire a developer to personalize it the way you want.

GhostPro
This is a brand new publishing platform that can be downloaded and installed on their server by anyone. However, they do not provide a free hosted version (like WordPress.com or Blog.com).

Joomla
There is a big chance that you are looking for WordPress.org publishing platform. However, Joomla is still a great option too.

Drupal
This is an open source information management system that can be utilized to create blogs, forums and enterprise applications.

Share your writings online

If you don’t want to create a website or a blog online then the following platforms should provide you with a great start. It is a great option for wanna-be writers who would love to observe some of their writings online. You can display you work on the following platforms.

Medium
Medium is a great content platform with a great user experience and intuitive design. Now what makes medium unique from a blog? Usually, a blog is useless without readers and with poor traffic our blog posts will go unobserved. Medium takes a very unique approach to publishing. Normally, it is a publishing platform where you can express yourself- in pictures and words. There are no widgets or plugins to personalize and it is very simple to get started.

LinkedIn Publishing Platform
If your LinkedIn network is big enough then you can attempt LinkedIn Publishing Platform as it is the simplest way to show your writing ability to your LinkedIn connections.

Storyboard That
This is a free online storyboard maker. You can get it at $9.95 per month for the premium version.

Create a free Portfolio/personal website

Sometimes it makes a lot sense to start a portfolio or personal site. Like, when you wish to display your services and write a few pages concerning you and you level of expertise. In such occasions, you don’t need to start a blog- as a blog looks great when it is updated regularly.

If you are an expert who just wants to build an online presence then put in mind the following site builders. Usually, most of them provide a free plan (and if you wish you can always upgrade later) with a drop and drag website builder- as they need individuals with zero coding skills to own a free website.

Weebly
Weebly allows you to create a site, an online store, or a blog in a simple way for free.

SnapPages
Snap pages allows you to create a site with a drag and drop simplicity. Normally, pricing begins at $8 per month for the premium version.

Wix
Wix is very famous but its free plan provides limited features only. The pricing begins at $4.08 per month for the premium version.

Webs
Webs also provides a free plan but the free plan has limited features. The pricing begins at $5.99 per month for the premium version.

Squarespace
Squarespace does not provide a free plan. The pricing begins at $8 per month with a free trial period of 14 days- no credit card needed.

Smore
Do you have something to advertise online? Go ahead and try Smore! The pricing begins at $15 per month for the premium version.

Create a free social website

Free personal site services like the Old GeoCities or Tripod were actually great to display only a simple web page- with very little personalization allowed.

Today, displaying our portfolio, services, social media channels and content is the main purpose of owning a personal website. In light of this, the following services appear to be the best option based on my opinion.

About.me
About.me is an extraordinary place to build a one page personal site. About.me allows you to build a personal page with your picture, bio, experience, social media links etc.

Flavors.me
Flavors allows you to create a free site in a matter of minutes to showcase your social media updates, videos, photos and much more into a unified web presence.

Pixelhub
This is a premium platform to build your social website.

Contently
Contently is a platform that links publishers with freelance writers and brands.

Create an Online Store

If you wish to sell something online then what you require is an online store but not a blog. Obviously, you can build an e-commerce website by utilizing WordPress. However, it is a very tiring and complex process.

Apart from that, you will need to hire a web developer to do that.

If you wish to build an e-commerce store by yourself, here are the best options:

Shopify
Shopify is a platform of e-commerce that lets anyone to simply build an online store. The pricing begins at $29 per month with a free trial period of 14 days.

Square
Build an online store free of charge on Square and begin selling. You can list your services and products for free and pay 2.75% in every sale you make as their commission.

3DCart
Usually, pricing begins at $19.99 per month with a free trial period of 15 days- no credit card needed.

Goodsie
The pricing begins at $25 per month with a free trial period of 30 days.

Miiduu
You can go for premium or begin with their free plan. The pricing begins at $8 per month for the premium version.

Big Cartel
The pricing begins at $9.99 per month for the premium version.

Promote your Service/ product

If you wish to sell online but you don’t want to open a store online (or create a website or blog) then you can go ahead and try the following services.

Gumroad
Gumroad simplifies the process of selling digital products. It allows you to sell books, software, comics, films, music etc directly to your target audience.

ClickBank
ClickBank is one of the famous market place online for product builders who wish to sell digital downloads (like how-to-videos, e-books, audio books etc.)

Etsy
Etsy is one of the biggest market place for vintage or handmade items, supplies and art. There is no membership fee and you just have to pay $0.20 to list an item.

Fiverr
Fiverr is the biggest market place for professional and creative services. Build you Gig and begin selling.

Begin Micro-blogging

It is probably the simplest way to express oneself.

Twitter
Twitter as you perhaps know is the most famous micro-blogging platform. However, it is not right to call it just a platform for publishing as it is much more than that.  For example, you can utilize your Twitter account to reach a brand or an influencer- the simplest way.

Tumblr
Tumblr is another micro blogging platform but comes with a huge number of additional features. You are allowed to publish anything you want-photos, chats audio, links, quotes, stories, etc.

Share your concepts and presentations

Look no further if you want to share a presentation online.

Slideshare
Slideshare allows you to upload Word documents, PowerPoint presentations and Adobe PDF Portfolios and share them privately or publicly.

Sway
This is a web presentation application by Microsoft that lets you develop and share presentations, stories and much more.

Share your software projects

If you are not sure where you want to host your open source projects, here are great options.

GitHub
On GitHub, you have the chance to share your software venture with the world and receive feedback. You can also contribute to a current project. It is a great place to showcase your coding skills.

Show your Design Skills

If you are a designer, attempt the following services to get inspiration and attention.

Dribble
Dribble is a community of graphic designers, web designers, icon artists, illustrators, Logo designers, typographers, etc. who share the screenshots of their project and work so as to get inspired and inspire.

Behance
Behance is an online blogging platform to show and discover artistic work.

Carbonmade
Carbonmade allows you to build an online portfolio site where you can showcase you best design, photography, illustration and other types of artistic works.

Show off your Photography

If you are looking for a place where you can share expert photographs, look no more.

500PX
500px is a picture community where you can discover photos and showcase your work.

Flickr
This is a great platform where you can showcase your photography skills.

Publish an e-book

Kindle Direct Publishing
Kindle Direct Publishing allows you to publish your books directly on kindle stores globally within 48 hours.

Podcast Your Passion

SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an audio platform that lets you to share and upload originally created sounds.

YouTube
YouTube is not just a place where you can only share videos. You should see YouTube as a publishing platform for videos.

Build your online resume

Despite what you do, you require an online resume to inform the world what you are doing.

Linkedin
This is not just a social network; it can also serve as your online resume.

SkillPages
Skillpages is simply a platform for getting service experts. If you are an expert, then you can join Skillpages to show your experience, skills and services.