Blogging Tools

What do these tools do?

The clue is in the category name; they’re used to write and publish blog articles! In fact, this category name has become misleading since many services like Wordpress and Drupal can now be used to create entire sites.

Why are they important to digital marketers?

Blogs are common on many commercial sites now from retailers (customer magazines) to B2B services. The quality of the free, open source options like Wordpress mean potentially large savings compared to CMS. Some offer the option of open source plus service and account management.

Key things to consider before purchasing and using these tools:

þ Don’t just assess your current needs, but consider what you may want the tool to support a year + ahead. For example, will you want to add personalisation, perform AB testing

þ Assess the range, quality and frequency of updates for the plug-ins and themes available with the platform can be used to extend the functionality of your site.

þ Think of the availability of designers and developers familiar with these platforms. Wordpress developers are far more common than Drupal for example.

12.1 Wordpress

Free to download and use. However you’ll need to pay for server capacity via a server provider and you may need to pay someone to implement it if you have a large or complex site.

Why do I need it? Wordpress is the largest self-hosting blogging tool in the world. The open source nature of the system means it is free to use and has incredible customization options.

What makes it stand out? Wordpress’s key strength is its customisability. A massive suite of plugins and themes means you can build a Wordpress site to do just about anything. In that respect it is a far more useful solution for those wanting more advanced options compared with simpler paid web platforms like Square Space. The fact it’s free is also a bonus, but remember it’ll probably require staffing costs to implement.

Key features þ Fully customizable with a huge array of themes (designs and page layouts) and plugins for different functions to allow it to be used for a wide range of functions.

þ Effective content management system complete with content calendars to scheduling content.

þ Offers several useful SEO tools for optimising your on-site SEO.

þ Hosted service on Wordpress.com can be used for smallest businesses. Larger businesses can use a managed service like Wordpress VIP.

The Smart Insights view Best in Class

We are HUGE fans of WordPress since we have used it as the CMS for our site since launch, so we’d certainly recommended it to any digital marketers, with one proviso. You need an internal capacity to implement the system. If no one on your team has worked with Wordpress before and you aren’t planning on bringing anyone in with that expertise, then a simpler CMS if for you. IF you do have that resource in place, then great, Wordpress is among the best in the business and

12.2 HubSpot Blogging

Hubspot’s CMS comes as part of HubSpot’s marketing software package.There are free trials for those wanting to try before they buy.

Why do I need it? If you’re in the market for a CMS, HubSpot’s product is great place to start. It is optimised for SEO and mobile by default, so you don’t have to use plugins to set these things up. Built in task management capabilities and content calendar make great for anyone wanting to get started with content marketing.

What makes it stand out? Its usability and built in features are what really make Hubspot’s CMS stand out. You don’t have to mess around installing other systems to optimise for mobile and help you perfect your SEO. A visually simple content slander with the ability to assign tasks across your team and organise your team is another major advantage.

Key features þ Content calendar with an ability to organise campaigns and assign tasks

þ Comes with a variety of blog post blueprints to help you get started

þ In-line editor lets you see exactly how your post will look when live.

The Smart Insights view Recomended

Hubspot’s CMS is great for small businesses wanting to get started with content marketing. It integrates very well with Hubspot’s other products, so if your leaning towards purchasing HubSpot for any of its other Marketing software products then going with its blogging tool is probably wise. If your looking to get advanced then it isn’t the most customizable platform, so may not be for you. That said, its default tools for content management, SEO and blog templates aren’t to be sniffed at.

Disclosure: HubSpot are content partners of Smart Insights.

12.3 Movable Type

An easy to use and capable CMS, perfect for bloggers who don’t need bags of complicated add-ons, it works with little set up and has an intuitive user interface.

Why do I need it? An easy to use and capable CMS, perfect for bloggers who don’t need bags of complicated add-ons, it works with little set up and has an intuitive user interface.

What makes it stand out? Movable type positions themselves as a simple and easy way to start managing your content. The usability is a big plus, and whilst its not quite as plug and play as Hubspot, the software does pretty much work straight out of the box, so you won’t have to waste time on complicated installation. The intuitive interface is great for people starting out with blogging, and the ability to track edits and have multiple editors makes it great for coordinating work a across a team.

Key features þ Easy to set up and use

þ Easy to track edits and coordinate multiple editors

þ Responsive support team

The Smart Insights view Top 5 Tool

12.4 Expression Engine

Expression Engine costs $299 dollars for a licence, then you’ll also have to pay for a hosting provider. To be able to access the software support team you’ll need to pay monthly, with plans from $49 to $1,999 per month. There is also a free version with very basic features

Why do I need it? ExpressionEngine is great value for a paid CMS system and offers a lot of functionality. The template structure allows any HTML, CSS, JavaScript or PHP, meaning it is extremely flexible and capable if you have the right developers in place.

What makes it stand out? ExpressionEngine comes with a big bundle of administrative features that are extremely useful if you’re planning on doing more than just running a simple blog. It has admin logs, site membership functionality, searchable content forums, a blacklist/whitelist module, SQL and extension manger. The ability to customise is second only to Wordpress (and arguably better than Wordpress when it comes its templates system).

Key features þ High degree of customizability

þ Thriving community based of users who can help with questions

þ Simple admin interface for the end user

The Smart Insights view Top 5 Tool

ExpressionEngine is a highly capable and flexible CMS which is great for those who are a bit more advanced in their content marketing efforts and want to do more than just start out with blogging. The draw back is that it doesn’t have the usability of the simpler providers and like Wordpress you’ll need a coding background to understand how to use all the features. Developers have to learn the tinplating language, which shouldn’t be a problem but will slow down the implementation process.

12.5 Drupal

Drupal is free and open source. But don’t forget you’ll need to pay for hosting.

Why do I need it? Drupal is an extremely capable CMS with great customization features and has a huge pool of plugins to draw from. A well-developed permission structure allows the management of content and publishing times across a team without wasting time.

What makes it stand out? Drupal is one of the widely used CMS in world. It is used as the framework for 2.1% of all websites world wide, and has a community of over 1 million members. The fact that it is free is a nice bonus, and its integration tools make it perfect for complex sites.

Key features þ Great range of plugins and extension modules.

þ Integrates well with many other web services and CRMs