Two of the popular platform choices are Tumblr and WordPress. If you are wondering about the differences between the two and want to know about the positives and negatives of using either of them, here is a comparison that will help you decide which one to go for.
Starting your main hub on WordPress
I have heard, seen and experienced many wonderful benefits achieved by running a site. My projects have made an amazing difference for me in my life and career. That’s why I prefer to use the platform that gives me the full control and freedom, which is the reason why I recommend you go with WordPress on your own domain name and hosting too. I run all my projects on WordPress and so do many of the biggest bloggers. It is the most popular online content publishing platform.
There is a hosted and a self-hosted version of WordPress. WordPress.org (self-hosted) is the home of the platform, while WordPress.com is the hosted version. The difference between the two is like owning or renting a house. I use and recommend the self-hosted WordPress.org where you actually own your site.
For the simplest possible install you can use Bluehost. They offer a free domain name and a hosting account for cheap. It takes 5 minutes to have your site online, no tech knowledge needed. Follow this guide:
- First step is to click here to visit Bluehost and choose your domain name
- After you have chosen the domain name it’s time to select the hosting package. The hosting price ranges from $4.95 to $6.95 per month depending on the length of commitment. You will be required to pay the annual rate in advance so if you pick 36 months for $4.95 per month you will pay $178.20 in total. It is not necessary to register for any other services like Domain Security and Site Backup so feel free to tick them all off.
- After you have made the purchase of your domain name and a hosting account, it is the time to setup your WordPress site. In your Bluehost account find and click on “Install WordPress”
- This will lead you to the Mojo Marketplace which helps you install WordPress inside the browser and without any prior know-how. Click on “Start” a brand new install to proceed
- The final step in the process is to fill in your site details: Site Name, Admin Username, Admin Password and Admin Email. Then click “Install Now”
That’s it. Your site will be ready and live within couple of moments. You can then go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin/ and log into your WordPress admin dashboard. There you can explore your new WordPress home and learn about all the options you now have. You may be surprised with all the functionality and features you have access to. Check out these things I do as soon as I start a new WordPress site.
Disclosure: I do earn a commission if you signup to Bluehost using my link at no additional cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products and services that I find helpful and useful. If you do choose to purchase through my affiliate link, thank you for your support!
4 steps to using Tumblr to complement your main site
Instead of choosing between Tumblr and WordPress you should get both of them to work together. This combination could be more powerful for you than using either of them on its own. Tumblr might not be up to WordPress standards in terms of content control, ownership and freedom but its positives can still be used in order to complement your main WordPress site.
People rightly consider Tumblr not as a publishing platform but more of a social network. You should see Tumblr as another distribution platform and get the most out of its social properties to help you drive attention and traffic to your main site. This is how you get this powerful combination:
1. Setup your Tumblr profile
Create your Tumblr profile. Fill in your full details. Find a nice looking design. Make sure to include a link back to your main site and your other social profiles in your Tumblr sidebar and bio section.
2. Follow and interact with other curators
First part of getting an audience on Tumblr is following other sites. Find people that curate content about things relevant to what you are doing, explore their content and follow them. Don’t just follow but interact as well. “Like” the content that you love, “reblog” posts that you find interesting. This way you will be getting attention from Tumblr users that you have shared content from.
3. Publish visual post excerpts with links to your main site
Publish your post excerpts, interesting facts and quotes, and pictures on Tumblr and link back to the full article on your own site. Tumblr content is generally very visually appealing, it has to look good and be eye-catching to grab the attention. Use images, quotes on images, infographics and videos.
4. Tag your content properly
Tag your content properly. Tags are key getting your content to be discovered by a wider audience. Tag everything you do and do not be afraid to tag each post with a large number of relevant keywords. Collect popular keywords by visiting the “Explore” section, seeing what tags other people are using and searching for different keywords. Aim to post content tagged with the relevant popular tags that you discover.
From Tumblr to WordPress – Step-By-Step Guide
For people that are ready to switch their main sites from Tumblr to WordPress, there is a free Importer plugin that migrates all your posts and content. The process is all done in the browser, takes only few minutes of your time and you do not need any tech know-how. This is the step-by-step process:
- In your WordPress admin go into Tools – Import
- Click “Tumblr” to install Importer plugin that imports the content from your Tumblr
- In the “Install Importer” pop-up click “Install Now”
- Importer is now being installed. When done click “Activate Plugin & Run Importer”
- Type in your Tumblr login details and click “Connect To Tumblr”
- Select which WordPress user should be listed as the author of imported posts and click “Import This Blog”
The process of importing your Tumblr content to your WordPress has now started. It will take few minutes depending on how large your site is, so do wait a little bit and click on “Refresh View” to see the status of how many posts, drafts and pages have been imported from Tumblr. When the import has finished you can see all your Tumblr posts on your new site. Note that your old likes and reblogs will not be imported as that is part of the Tumblr network and cannot be replicated on your new home.
Tumblr – summary
Tumblr looks and functions more like a social media network than a content publishing platform. It makes it easy for people to follow other people and post their own short updates, pictures, videos and quotes in a very simple interface.
- Tumblr is all about curation of content – you go to explore, like, repost and share content other people have created
- Posts are normally short, don’t have too many words but include a lot of visual and multimedia aspects such as images and videos
- It allows you to follow and connect with like minded people
- Your domain name is something like yoursite.tumblr.com
- The process of buying and setting up your own domain name cannot be done directly from Tumblr interface but can be done via a domain registrar
- There is a decent range of different design themes – some free, some premium
- There are no plugins for you to add additional features and functionality
- In case you’re into HTML or CSS you have the option for limited customisation of the themes
WordPress – summary
WordPress is a very flexible platform that gives you full control and ownership in terms of the way you run your site, everything from the look and feel, the way you publish and present your content and to the way you monetize it.
The brilliant thing about WordPress is the large community of people modifying it and adding to it. Open source thrives on ideas from the community and WordPress benefits from that.
- WordPress is all about creation of content – it is mostly used for the creation of new and original content.
- You have the complete control and own your site
- You need to get your own domain name and a hosting server
- You can monetize any way that you wish
- You can edit the database and modify different CSS and PHP files and codes
- Access to thousands of free designs that can help you create a unique looking site
- Access to thousands of plugins that help you add any feature and functionality
- Several Tumblr styled designs and plugins to turn your WordPress into Tumblr-like site
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Tumblr Vs WordPress Comparison: A Powerful Combination
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