Free Blogging Services to Test Your Blog Ideas

Just a quick post in response to some questions about testing your blog ideas. In the create a blog business in 60 minutes post, I said:

You’ve got five minutes left. Sign up at one of the free blogging services and create the blog.

Using a free service is best when you’re testing a blog idea. You can move the blog to your own site later, if it’s successful.

You’re using a free service because you’re TESTING your idea. You can move your content later, if your blog’s a winner. In the meantime, using a free service saves time, energy and money. Your blog may be a success, let’s hope it is. Until that’s case, stick with free blogs on sites like WordPress.com and Blogger.com.

Or on my new fave site-creation tool, Weebly.

Here’s what a Weebly blog looks like:

I talked about creating a blog on Weebly on this post.

BIG TIP: Stay away from Posterous. Twitter bought Posterous, but doesn’t seem to have an interest in maintaining the site. If you want a super-simple, fun Posterous-like blog, give Tumblr a try — I’m loving my new Tumblr blog. It’s cute. That said, Tumblr doesn’t seem to have a simple way of exporting content, so be aware of that. (You can do it, but it’s an involved process.)

WordPress.com and Blogger.com are the big players in the “free blog” area; more to the point, you can get your content out of the sites, and can easily move it elsewhere when you’re ready.

Someone asked what topics you should create a blog around. That’s up to you. Years ago an editor told me that you can’t go wrong when you write about sex, money and weight loss. That’s always been the case, human nature being what it is…

I’ll have more to say about hot blog topics in another post.

Related posts:

1. New Blog? Try Tumblr
2. Instant Blogs with Weebly: Fun and Free
3. Get Creative, And Sell Your Ideas (Editorial)
4. Blogging: How to Find Free Images for Your Blog