As part of this Blogging for Musicians series, it’s important to talk about the best blog sites. There are many websites you can use to set up a blog, and each one works differently. Because of that, not all blog sites are worth it.
I’ve used multiple blog sites to host my blog and website, but I do have my personal preference. You may find you like another site better, and that’s okay. However, the best blog sites let you do what you want to do for your entire website, including your blog.
First, a little reminder about what blogging can do for musicians, music groups, and music companies. There are tons of benefits that you don’t want to miss out on.
Also, note that is post does contain affiliate links. You can click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Blogging for Musicians
The previous post in this series covered the basics of what a blog is and how it can help. Basically, blogging is a great way to add relevant content to your website. That can help you grow your online presence and thus grow your career or your business.
Blogging is pretty easy to start doing, and almost anyone can set up a blog. However, it can take time to learn the ins and outs of creating good blog posts that can bring visitors to your site.
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about how to write for the internet. For better or worse, you can’t write an academic style paper and expect your online audience to read it and understand it.
We’re busy people, and many of us have short attention spans. We don’t want to be shown big blocks of text.
Basics of Blogging for Musicians
When choosing from the best blog sites, you should consider what you want to do with your blog. If you want to make your blog a huge part of your website, then you need a blog site that can support that.
On the other hand, if you just want to use a blog to share updates, you probably won’t need as much blogging functionality. There are many roles a blog can take on in your career or business, so consider the possibilities when choosing the best blog sites as options for your website.
Add to your website
If you already have a website, you can easily add a blog to it. You don’t have to create a second website just to house your blog, which means you can keep all of your information in one place.
Regular website visitors will have new content to read, and you can share new updates. You won’t have to feel “stuck” with just a home page, a bio page, and a calendar page.
Instead, you can use your blog to share even more information. Plus, the more posts (and therefore pages) your website has, the more likely you are to rank in Google search results for relevant topics.
Build authority in your niche
The best blog sites allow you to blog as little or as much as you like. Blogging any amount can help you build authority in your niche. For example, I’m a flutist, music teacher, and content writer, so I use this blog to share information about those topics.
The goal of this blog is to serve as a portfolio and proof that I know my stuff. You wouldn’t want to hire someone who didn’t know much about their industry, right?
If you wouldn’t, then you can’t expect people to take lessons with you or book you for gigs if they can’t tell that you’re an expert.
Connect with people
Content marketing, be it with blog posts or social media posts, allows you to connect with your audience. That includes your potential clients and customers.
Building a relationship with the people you want to sell to is so important. While the internet makes it easier to connect with people, there’s also much more competition.
If someone’s trying to decide between your business and your competitor’s they’re probably going to choose the business they’ve connected with. Updating a blog regularly and asking questions at the end of posts can help you get that engagement so that you can build relationships.
Best Blog Sites
Now that you have an idea of what you can include in your blog, it’s time to consider some of the best blog sites. The best blog sites can allow you to share updates or tips with your audience, and some sites have more features than others.
Depending on how much you want to update your blog, you may need to choose one option over the others. Here are some of the best blog sites to consider when starting or building a blog.
WordPress (org)
WordPress.org is a free software that anyone can download and put on a website. However, you do have to own the website where you plan to use it.
That does mean you have to have a website hosting account with a company like SiteGround. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on hosting your website, but it will give you the ability to use WordPress to build and create content.
I love that WordPress lets you do pretty much whatever you want with it. You can choose everything from the colors of your website to the layout. There are also tons of plugins that you can download, which will give you even more custom options.
You can also add as many blog posts as you want, or you can add a few blog posts. That makes it great for any website, blog or not.
WordPress.org is used by about a quarter of all websites, including this one. Since WordPress.org is free, all you have to worry about is the cost of hosting your website.
WordPress (com)
If you’re really on a tight budget, you can start building a blog on WordPress.com. Don’t confuse this WordPress with the other, though.
This WordPress is free, and it works as a place to host your website online. You don’t need to pay for hosting fees, and you also don’t even need to own your own domain name.
If you’re in school and on a budget, this is a great option. Unfortunately, because it’s completely free, you don’t have as many options as with WordPress.org.
You can’t add plugins, and you are limited to a few different layouts, or themes. However, you can easily migrate your site to a new host with WordPress.org once you have the money.
Blogger
A nice compromise between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is Blogger. You can add your own domain name for free (just pay for the domain), and you have a bit more flexibility than WordPress.com.
If you have a Google account, you can set up a blog with Blogger with your Google account. You can give other Google accounts access to edit your site, and you can change some of the design and layout with a bit of coding.
Your site will live on Google’s servers, so you don’t have to pay for hosting your site. If you want to create a site, you can set a homepage, but it’s more for blogs than standard sites.
With Blogger, you don’t have access to some WordPress specific features. If you do decide to switch to WordPress.org, you’ll have to completely redesign your site. That can take a lot of time and energy, so you may want to just design your site once and not switch.
Your current website
If you already have a website, you can probably add a blog to it. While I don’t have much experience with website builders outside of WordPress and Blogger, you can ask your website host about that feature.
WordPress is the most common platform for blogs, but it’s not the only one. Adding a blog to your current website means that you won’t have to create a new site. That can make it easier for you to start blogging about your services or your business.
So…
Blogging with the best blogging sites can help you prove your expertise. It can show potential customers that you know what you’re doing, and it means you’re active on your website.
I personally love blogging, and I’m passionate about helping other musicians and music companies use content to build their online presence.
If you have a blog on your website, what’s your biggest question about it? And if you don’t have a blog, what’s stopped you from creating one? Share your answers in the comments, and subscribe for exclusive tips and updates!