While I am working on sorting out my rosacea and other health issues, I am going to pivot a bit and talk a little more about blogs and websites.

Specifically, why they are still relevant and why you need a website.

When I first started blogging about ten years ago, a website was a must for a blogger. Social media was mostly used to let our audience know a new post was up or to share more of our lives or favorite things. It was more of a companion or extension to our websites/blogs if you will.

As social media grew in popularity, however, platforms like Instagram and TikTok took the place of blogs and websites were pretty much “put to pasture”.

However, here’s the thing.

You don’t own your social media. You don’t own your audience.

A blog (and **email list/newsletter) is the only audience/content you truly own!

Think about it. If Instagram decided to shut down tomorrow, all of that amazing content you spent hours creating, all go buh-bye. How will you reach your followers/readers if social media was your only platform for content sharing?

Social media is essentially like renting, but a blog/website is like owning a home.

By having a website to house all of your content, you’re insuring that what you create will be found years down the road. And you don’t have to worry about algorithms constantly changing and making your content less visible or harder to find!

There’s a reason why web design and web designers are so popular right now!

As I mentioned, I’ve been blogging for a while. And I’ve used pretty much every single blogging platform out there. I started with Blogger, moved to WordPress, tried out Squarespace, used Wix (my music site is on Wix) and now use Showit + WordPress.

I have a background in visual arts (in addition to music) and I am super picky and particular about aesthetics – I know what I want, what I like, and what I need my website to do. It’s just that without knowing coding, my creativity has always been limited on every platform I used. And I know that Wix and Squarespace are supposed to be more design friendly for those of us who don’t know how to code, and for the most part, they are. However, I still found myself getting frustrated because there are still limits to what you can do even on designers like Wix.

Enter Showit. Showit, like Wix, is a drag-and-drop web designer/platform. Unlike Wix, however, Showit is waaaaay easier to use and offers far more creative possibilities. Showit is a true drag-and-drop web platform that was initially designed for photographers but has become so popular that people in every industry are jumping on the Showit bandwagon.

I honestly don’t even remember how I discovered them – I think I was (once again) looking for a web template that felt like me, and the one I loved was a Showit design.

Since Showit (like WordPress.org & Squarespace) is a paid platform, you can try it out for 14 days for FREE (no credit card needed) to get a feel for it. And then I also have a discount code for one month FREE if you sign up – brielouise. Showit also integrates with WordPress, so if you have a blog, they will migrate it over for you. And hosting is included in the pricing, which I love.

Before I jumped on the Showit train, I did the 14-day trial and fell in love with how easy it was to design! No coding, no crying, no throwing my slipper at my screen – I was able to create whatever I wanted, how I wanted it! You can even have your mobile design completely different from your desktop design! It’s insane what you can do! You can watch this video overview to get an idea of how Showit works!

And this is what makes Showit stand out from all of the other web platforms. You’re not limited in your creativity. If you can imagine it, you can design it. I can’t tell you how amazing that is! It’s honestly what got me starting to learn web design seriously (see my own original designs below).

Now, even though Showit is the best of the best web platforms out there, I still felt like something was lacking in my own design. Maybe I’m just one of those super hypercritical artists and am never truly satisfied with anything I do for myself, but something was just not right enough for me.

And then I discovered Tonic. And now I am happier with my site (I still want a full Tonic design someday, but right now having a mostly Tonic design will have to do).

A few of the things that make Tonic so unique from all of the other Showit designers out there (and there are some really talented ones out there) is that their designs have the impact and wow factor of a custom design but without the huge cost of a custom design, they’re built with content strategy and flow that will turn leads into clients, and of course, they are completely customizable. Also, they’re just stunning!

For my website, I am using Tonic’s Lillet Blanc Sales Page, Blog Expansion Packs 1 & 2, *The Insta Links Page, *The Favorites Page, and the Digital Marketing Kit. I also use their Canva Content #2 pack, which I highly recommend even if you don’t have a Showit site! Their social media templates are designed to stand out in the feed! I’m so obsessed and you can use them over and over and customize them however you want. I noticed my engagement grew since I started using them in my own feeds!

To sweeten the pot, I have a discount code you can use on any of Tonic’s designs (including their canva templates). You can get 15% off with my code Brie15.

Also, if you need help choosing the right Tonic template, they have a super fun quiz on their site or you can reach out to them and ask – they’re really helpful!

Have you tried Showit or Tonic yet? Do you want tutorials on using Showit and customizing a template? Let me know in the comments!

Chat soon,
Brie xo

*Affiliate link is used. All thoughts on Showit and Tonic are my own from my personal experience. All purchases of Showit and Tonic templates were made by me (with the exception of 2 that were *gifted). Photos of my web designs are the property of Brie Zimmerman- please do not use them without permission. Tonic photos are courtesy of Tonic Site Shop.

**Next blogging post will cover email marketing and which platform(s) I’ve used and which one I am obsessed with currently!