In the digital age, brands and creators have various platforms at their disposal for publishing content and engaging with their audience. Among the most popular choices are Medium, Substack, and Ghost, each offering distinct features and benefits. This blog post delves into a comparative analysis of these platforms and articulates why Ghost became our platform of choice for Acter.
Medium: The Community-Driven Platform
Medium stands out for its community-driven model. It's an appealing platform for writers who wish to tap into an existing audience. Medium's strength lies in its discovery algorithms that can potentially increase the visibility of your content. However, the platform exercises considerable control over your content, and monetization depends significantly on its partner program.
Substack: Simplifying Newsletters
Substack has redefined email newsletters, offering an intuitive interface for writers to distribute content directly to their subscribers' inboxes. It's particularly attractive for creators focusing on text-based content and looking to build a subscription model. Despite its ease of use, concerns about content moderation and the nature of content hosted have made some creators wary.
Ghost: Ownership and Flexibility
Ghost is a powerful publishing platform designed for creators seeking full control over their content and presentation. Unlike Medium and Substack, Ghost provides users with the tools to create a customizable website, own their content fully, and set up their monetization models, including subscriptions, memberships, and ads. This level of control extends to data ownership, SEO, and integrations with other tools, making it a versatile choice for those willing to invest time in setting up and managing their platform. In addition, Ghost is open source. It's free to install on your server - or with a SAAS model.
Why We Chose Ghost for Acter
Several key factors drove our decision to choose Ghost over Medium and Substack:
- Ownership and Control: Ghost gives us complete ownership of our content and data. This autonomy is crucial for maintaining our brand identity and building direct relationships with our audience without intermediary influence.
- Customization: The ability to fully customize our site's look and functionality allows us to create a unique user experience that aligns with our mission and values. This level of personalization sets us apart in a crowded digital space.
- Open Source: Ghost is published under the open source license. This is a kind of code that is designed to be publicly accessible—anyone can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit
- Data Privacy and Safety: Owning our platform means we can ensure the highest standards of data privacy for our users. Additionally, controlling the environment helps us maintain a safe space for our community, free from the content concerns associated with other platforms.
In conclusion, while Medium and Substack offer valuable features for creators, Ghost's emphasis on ownership, customization, and flexibility aligns more closely with our goals and values at Acter. By choosing Ghost, we've empowered ourselves to build a platform that not only meets our current needs but is also capable of growing and evolving with us into the future.