There are many blogging platforms, including WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium, Ghost, HubSpot, Squarespace, and Wix. Each platform has pros and cons that depend on what you're trying to say. For example, Tumblr is good for pictures and a small amount of text, but it's not a great platform for digital marketing.
Squarespace and WordPress are very easy to use, but neither has the easy-to-use features of the HubSpot blogging tool. HubSpot has been a big part of what we do at Digital 22 for many years. We use it to make useful content for ourselves and our clients. Here are 10 ways the HubSpot bloggers tool is the best tool on the market for making blogs.
Simple to use
It's easy to learn how to use the HubSpot CMS. Now, I'm not good with tech. Even though I know a lot about technology, I'm not a coder. I didn't know what HTML was or what Java was. Some blogging sites use code more than others to add different functions and features to blogs. HubSpot is not.
And that's what I enjoy most about it: it's easy to understand and use. You don't have to know how to code to add things like videos and different formats to your blog. You can use the built-in and embedded features. For each part of your blog, you can build and edit sections that are easy to spot. You can change the header, banner image, footer, meta descriptions, and main image.
At the top are specific tabs:
● On the Content tab, you can write the blog's title, share it on social media, and write the main blog content.
● On the Settings tab, I can choose the author, candidacy, and topic tags, set a custom URL, add a featured image, and write down my meta description. It even informs me when my meta description is too long or doesn't have any keywords. I have to keep up with the SEO of my site!
● On the Schedule tab, you can choose to publish your blog right away, backdate it, or set it to publish automatically at a later time. After publishing your post, HubSpot also keeps track of the analytics to see what's working and not.
Set templates
If I'm writing a blog post for Digital 22 or a customer and I click "Create Blog Post," the template is already set up, right down to the fonts for the heading and subheading. I don't have to remember what shade of deep violet my H2 headings should be, nor do I have to re-upload images or logos that go with the blog. I don't have to do anything. I have to write and leave.
For people who work in marketing, you don't have to start from scratch whenever you want to make a blog. Your writers can use the tool right away to start writing. All headings, subheadings, body text, and link colors are already set to what you want.
integrated stock photos
I'm not kidding when I say that finding pictures for my blogs takes longer than writing or editing. It could be the part of the process that takes the longest. It's hard to find free images. It's just as hard to find the right image.
That's where the stock images that are built come in handy. These stock images saved me a lot of time. When I click the image toggle in the Content tab, I can immediately search for and download stock images. Then I only need to change the alt text.
You can't search for images on free sites for half an hour or give them credit. You don't want to violate image copyrights in marketing, so having free stock images built in saves you time and money in the long run. You mustn't sign up for expensive stock image sites, pay per image, or pay a monthly fee.
Enhanced text editor
With preset layouts, the text is already there, but I can change the font, make it bold or italic, change the line spacing and size, add special characters, and so on, all from one toolbar. I can get rid of all the formatting and start over if I need to.
I can add a "Read More" line, change the headings, and add pictures, videos, documents, and calls to action (CTAs). It's easy to add bullet points, change the font color (use colors that match your website), and change how the text is aligned.
I can copy existing CTAs, change them, or make new ones. You can make simple buttons or add unique design elements. You can also use analytics tools to track how well your CTAs are doing. Smart CTA features are not found in any other blogging tool.
You'll also love the smart CTA function. You can clone and make simple, solid-color CTA buttons in the font and below using your blog, or you can have your design team make fancier CTA buttons. It's easy to add the images, and the link can go straight to your landing page. When you need to locate your CTAs again, you search for them, and in the search field, insert them, and you're done.
Insert and modify images
Every tool for blogging has a way to add and edit images. But nothing of them is as simple as HubSpot. You can upload an image in seconds, make a copy of it, and change it without changing the original. You can also set the percentages for Twitter or Facebook with smart editing tools.
I can crop images and turn them around. I can add text, effects, enhancements, frames, lighting, stickers, color, focus, and red-eye. I can do everything your basic editor can do, but better. Even if you don't know much about Photoshop, you can use these tools easily.
Preview tool and customize the publication
Most blogging platforms have a prerelease version tool, but HubSpot goes one step further. The preview gives you a timestamp as if you just posted it, so you can see how it will look. You can send movie trailers to clients or readers to see how they like them. Or, if you want to start writing for your blog, you can see how it will look when printed.
You can also test links, check the size of images, and see how the text flows. I use the preview tool to send movie trailers to customers and my fellow content marketers. This way, people can look at the blog post without modifying settings before it's ready to be signed off.
If something is wrong, anyone with a HubSpot access account can quickly fix it or suggest a fix for me. Even after the blog is live, it can be edited and updated, but there are plenty of warnings to ensure you want to make the changes.
I hadn't heard of this on any other platform, but you can choose when to post, which is another great thing. HubSpot gives you three ways to publish: right away, for a date in the future or a date in the past.
This backdating and timetabling feature in marketing is great because it lets you ensure you make and share content on time for your current campaign. So, if you want to post two blogs per week, you can maintain all of them in draught mode until you approve them.