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The 3 Most Popular Blog Programs Among Business Bloggers

April 23, 2008 |

Blogs have exploded in popularity over the last few years, especially among business owners and Internet marketing folks.

The reasons why are fairly obvious, at least for those of us who are familiar with blogging. It is, after all, an excellent way to grow your business presence online.

But for the marketer just getting started, the world of blogs can be a confusing one. In this article, I’d like to eliminate some of that confusion by explaining the top-three software programs that power most of today’s business blogs. I’ll also give you some tips on choosing the right platform for your needs.

How These Programs Work

Basically, a blog is nothing more than a website published in reverse-chronological format (with the more recent posts listed at the top). Behind the scenes, there will be some kind of content-management system at work, and this is what makes blogs so easy to use — the scripts and software do all of the logistical work for you.

Different blogging programs offer different features, but they all perform the same basic function. They convert your text into an HTML web page, known as a post. Best of all, they do this for you at the click of a button. You create your blog post by typing into a text area, much like you would create an email message or a Word document.

When you are ready to publish the new post, you simply click the “Publish” button and the program does the rest for you — converting your post into HTML coding, publishing it onto the blog, and even organizing it by category and chronology.

Which Blogging Tool Should You Use?

Before we go any further, we need to discuss an important point. The blog program you use is not nearly as important as the information you publish. So my advice is to experiment with the three platforms listed below, choose the one you like best, and then focus your energy on creating quality content.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the three most popular blogging programs in use today — WordPress, Blogger and TypePad. These are covered in no particular order.

1. WordPress

This is one of the most popular blog platforms. WordPress can be used in two ways. You can host your blog with WordPress, or you can download the program and install it onto your own web hosting account. In other words, it can be used as a hosted solution or a standalone solution that you run on your own web domain / website.

The creators of WordPress upgrade the program quite often. This can be good and bad. It’s good that they are always adding new features and what not, but at the same time it can be a real pain to upgrade it all the time (if you have it installed on your own web hosting account).

2. Blogger

Blogger has been around for many years, but Google now owns it. I’ve been using Blogger for quite some time (in addition to other programs), and in my opinion it is the most stable blogging program available. I haven’t had a single problem in many years of use.

While Blogger lacks some of the “bells and whistles” of WordPress and TypePad, it’s still an excellent tool with many benefits. Here again, you can use this program in one of two ways, as far as publishing goes. You can host your blog with Blogger’s domain (blogspot.com), or you can publish it onto your own web domain / hosting account.

3. TypePad

At this point, it’s worth noting that the two programs previously discussed (Blogger and WordPress) are both free to use. On the other hand, TypePad will cost you money. Prices vary based on the level you choose, from basic on up to “enterprise.” Many bloggers who use this program feel that it is well worth the price, especially if you’re looking for a more advanced solution with greater flexibility.

Experiment With Blogging Software

So which one is the right tool for you? Well, that’s a question you’ll have to answer for yourself. The good news is, it’s fairly easy to find out which one you prefer. All you have to do is try each program to see what they offer. You can (and should) experiment with most blogging platforms for free. Even TypePad, which costs money, allows you to take a free trial of their system.

Any of the solutions covered in this article can support a business blog. So here’s what to take away from this lesson. What you put into your blog (content, ideas, information and personality) is far more important than which software program you use to power it.

Brandon Cornett is the publisher of Software Learning Center, which offers articles and reviews of popular blog creation software tools and many other types of business software. Learn more by visiting http://www.LearnAboutSoftware.com

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