Websites using Hatena Blog

Okay, let s break down Hatena Blog, covering its overview, revenue (or lack thereof for users), alternatives, pricing (mostly free), and customer care.

What is Hatena Blog?

Hatena Blog is a popular Japanese blogging platform. It s known for its simplicity, focus on community, and features that cater to Japanese-language blogging conventions. While it has a decent number of users internationally, its main audience is in Japan.

Key Features & Overview:

• Simplicity: Hatena Blog emphasizes ease of use. The interface is clean and straightforward, making it easy to start writing and publishing.
• Community Focus: Hatena provides features that encourage interaction among bloggers, such as:
  • Hatena Bookmark: A social bookmarking system where users can save and comment on web pages, including blog posts. These bookmarks and comments are often displayed on the blog post itself, driving engagement.
  • Group Blogs: Multiple authors can contribute to a single blog.
• Customization: Users can customize their blog s appearance with various themes (some free, some paid). You can also modify the HTML and CSS directly for more advanced customization.
• Mobile App: They have a mobile app for writing and managing your blog.
• Markdown Support: Write blog posts using Markdown.
• Automatic Table of Contents Generation: Hatena Blog can automatically generate a Table of Contents for your blog posts based on the headings within the post.
• Integration with Hatena Services: It integrates seamlessly with other Hatena services, like Hatena Antenna (a feed reader) and Hatena Question.
• Japanese Language Support: Excellent support for Japanese text, including furigana (reading aids for kanji).
• Free and Paid Plans: Offers both free and paid plans with varying features and storage limits.

Revenue (for Users):

• Hatena Blog does not offer a direct revenue-sharing program for its users. You can t directly monetize your blog through Hatena Blog itself with built-in ads or a partner program.
• External Monetization: You are free to monetize your blog using external methods. This typically involves:
  • Affiliate Marketing: Including affiliate links in your content to earn commissions on sales.
  • Advertising Platforms (e.g., Google AdSense): Embedding ads from external ad networks in your blog s HTML.
  • Selling Products or Services: Promoting and selling your own products or services through your blog.
  • Donations (e.g., Buy Me a Coffee): Adding donation links to your blog.
• Important: Make sure you comply with Hatena s terms of service regarding advertising and commercial activity. Overtly spammy or misleading advertising is likely prohibited.

Alternatives to Hatena Blog:

If you re looking for alternatives, consider these, depending on your priorities:

• WordPress.com (Free or Paid): A very popular and versatile platform with a large community and extensive customization options. The free plan has limitations, but the paid plans offer more features and control. WordPress.org (self-hosted) provides complete control but requires more technical knowledge.
• Medium (Free): A minimalist platform focused on writing and reading. It has a built-in audience, but less control over design. Offers a Partner Program for earning money.
• Blogger (Free): Google s blogging platform. Simple and easy to use, with integration with other Google services. Allows AdSense integration for monetization.
• Ghost (Paid): A more advanced platform aimed at professional publishers. Focuses on content and subscription models.
• Tumblr (Free): A microblogging platform with a strong emphasis on visual content and community.
• Note.com (Japanese): A Japanese platform that s similar to Medium in terms of monetization. Popular in Japan.
• Joomla and Drupal (Self-Hosted): More complex CMS options, but offers the most flexibility.

Pricing:

Hatena Blog offers both free and paid (Pro) plans:

• Free Plan:
  • Basic features.
  • Hatena ID subdomain (e.g., yourname.hatenablog.com).
  • Limited storage space.
  • Hatena s ads are displayed on your blog.
• Hatena Blog Pro (Paid):
  • Removes Hatena s ads.
  • Custom domain support (e.g., yourdomain.com).
  • Increased storage space.
  • More customization options.
  • Priority support.
  • Various pricing tiers (usually monthly or annual subscriptions) depending on the specific features offered. Check the Hatena Blog website for the most up-to-date pricing. The Pro plan is relatively inexpensive compared to some other blogging platforms.

Customer Care/Support:

• Help Center/FAQ: Hatena Blog has a help center and FAQ section (often in Japanese, but some translated content is available). This is the first place to look for answers to common questions.
• Email Support: Paid (Pro) users typically have access to email support for technical issues.
• Community Forums/Hatena Bookmark: While not formal customer support, the Hatena community (especially through Hatena Bookmark) can be a source of information and help. You may find answers to your questions by searching or asking in relevant communities.
• Documentation: Look for official documentation (likely in Japanese) on the Hatena Blog website.
• Language Barrier: Be aware that much of the support documentation and community interaction is primarily in Japanese. If you don t speak Japanese, you may need to rely on translation tools.

In summary:

Hatena Blog is a solid option, particularly if you re targeting a Japanese audience or appreciate its simplicity and community-focused features. It s not a direct revenue-sharing platform, but you can monetize your blog through external methods. Consider your needs and language skills when choosing between Hatena Blog and its alternatives. Remember to carefully review Hatena s terms of service before using the platform.