Have you ever wondered who uses WordPress?
I get asked all the time and you’d be surprised to know who does use it.
One of the biggest advantages that WordPress has is that it is ‘open source’; a term where anyone can modify and enhance the software to suit their own needs without paying anything. It is also a reason for their success.
It has been said that because of this, some people have a hard time taking WordPress seriously as a business and as a platform.
“How can you make money with something that is free and can be used by anyone?”
“How can something that is free and used by anyone be scalable?”
“How can something free and used by anyone be safe and secure to use?”
Perhaps the best way to demonstrate WordPress’ capabilities is by highlighting some of the top brands around the world what do use WordPress.
All 99 of them.
Choose from the following categories to see examples of such brands or just scroll down to see them all:
News | Publishers | Music | Sports | TV |
Technology | Fashion | Automobile | Entrepreneurs | Movies |
Social Media | Universities | Educational | Government | Tourism |
Services | Shopping | Charity |
NEWS
Time.com
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Metro UK
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BBC America
The New York Times
CNN
CNN en Espanol
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New York Post
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is one of the leading news magazines that focuses primarily on global affairs, economic news, current events and of course, foreign policies.
Reuters
PUBLISHERS
Quartz
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People Magazine
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Mashable
Maclean’s
Maclean’s is a weekly Canadian news magazine focusing solely on Canadian politics, pop culture and current affairs. Based in Toronto, the magazine was launched under the name The Business Magazine with the aim to “not merely entertain but also to inspire its readers”.
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Boing Boing
First established in 1988 as a “zine” (an abbreviation for fanzine or magazine), Boing Boing is now a group blog where it has a number of authors covering an eclectic mix of topics such as technology, sci-fi, futurism and communism.
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Laughing Squid
In their own words, Laughing Squid provides “a daily dose of unique art, culture and technology from around the world”. As well as being an award-winning blog, they also operate as a web hosting company.
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Variety
The weekly entertainment magazine has been published since 1905. Their site regularly updates with the latest breaking entertainment news, box office results, culture news and cover stories.
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Fortune
Also published by Time Inc, the business magazine is known for their long in-depth articles. Established in 1955, they are best known for the Fortune 500, a list of the top ranking companies by revenue.
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MUSIC
Justin Bieber
Can you “belieb” (sorry) that even Justin Bieber uses WordPress? The Canadian singer/songwriter is one of the biggest pop stars in the word. At the time of writing, Bieber boasts over 78.7 million Twitter followers.
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Jay-Z
Born as Shawn Corey Carter, Jay-Z is one of the most successfullhip hop artists in America, but is also an entrepreneur and an investor.
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Katy Perry
The American singer/songwriter and actress is another influential pop star who also goes by the name of Katy Hudson (who knew?).
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Snoop Dogg
Born as Calvin Cordozar Broadus, the American rapper Snoop Dogg is another major figure in the hip hop industry and has certainly made a career for himself after being discovered by Dr. Dre.
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Beyonce
Arguably a huge figure in the industry, Beyonce has moved another level after her Destiny’s Child days.
I wonder if she and Jay-z update their WordPress sites together!
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Lily Allen
Lily Allen is an English singer/songwriter famous for a number of catchy tunes. Allen also began to host her own talk-show Lilly Allen and Friends on BBC Three.
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Jason Mraz
It is said that the American singer/songwriter first came to prominence in a coffee shop back in 2002. Since then, he has released a number of tracks – his most successful one being I’m Yours.
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Alanis Morrisette
The Canadian alternative-rock singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer has several well-known albums. Jagged Little Pill helped to raise her profile.
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Kylie Minogue
Although originally an actress, Australian singer/songwriter is better known for her pop success with tracks such as Spinning Around and Can’t Get You Out of My Head.
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The Rolling Stones
The long-standing English rock band, originally formed in 1962, is popular across the globe and has been for decades.
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Spotify
The Swedish music streaming site uses WordPress to power their news/blog site to discuss the latest news in the industry as well as sharing their thoughts.
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MTV
Although they were previously known as Music Television, the American television channel originally intended to play music videos. They now broadcast reality programmes, comedy shows and drama. The company uses WordPress for their blog/news page to discuss similar topics.
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Sony Music
The American music corporation has a number of high profile music stars in their roster who use WordPress to power their entire site.
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SPORTS
Usain Bolt
Deservedly labelled as the fastest man in the world, the Jamaican athlete is another user of WordPress to power his site.
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Dallas Mavericks
The NBA team, which is also known as the Mavs, is one of several basketball brands who use WordPress.
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Canadian Olympic Team
The Canadian Olympic Team proudly display their Olympic story on their official site by using WordPress.
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WNBA
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) comprised of 12 teams, all of whom are mentioned on their official site.
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Chicago Bulls blog
Another major basketball brand, the Chicago Bulls are another user of WordPress – it currently powers their blog.
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TV
Wil Wheaton
A man of numerous areas of expertise, but mainly known for playing Wesley Crusher on Star Trek, Wil Wheaton has also featured on the comedy series The Big Bang Theory. He uses WordPress to update his site where he can be himself and discuss various topics.
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Derren Brown
Known for his extraordinary illusions, Derren Brown has appears on his TV programmes as well as performing ‘live’ in front of audiences.
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Bear Grylls
The British adventurer, writer and television star is well-known for his expeditions to the most extreme locations in extreme conditions. But Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls has no problem updating his WordPress site.
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Russell Brand
Another figure who has various roles, Russell Brand was originally an English comedian before going on to become an MTV presenter. He has also embraced the roles as actor, radio host, author and activist. You can see it all for yourself on his WordPress site.
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AMC
The American cable and satellite channel is known for broadcasting a host of popular series including: The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul and CSI Miami.
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TECHNOLOGY
Mozilla Firefox
The well-known open source web browser is one of the most popular browsers since it launched back in 2002. Their Mozilla Blog is regularly updated with the latest news and industry discussions.
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TechCrunch
Another member of WordPress VIP, TechCrunch is one of the leading online publishers of technology news, though it mainly covers news about businesses, from startups to established firms.
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Wired
Wired operates both in a monthly magazine format and online, where they report on technology news and how it affects the everday culture, economy and politics. Their entire site is powered by WordPress.
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IBM
The technology and consulting giant may have the resources to create their own platforms, but they still use WordPress to power their Jobs Blog where they publish articles related to jobs (naturally) and career stories from current IBM staff.
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General Electric (GE)
Another major corporation is General Electric where they provide products ranging from aircraft engines and healthcare, to lighting and wind turbines. GE uses WordPress to run their corporate site where they discuss company news and reports.
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Microsoft
As the largest software maker by revenue and one of the world’s most valuable companies, Microsoft has no problem using WordPress for the News section of their site.
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Windows
Continuing on the Microsoft theme, their operating system, Windows, which is still found in millions of computers worldwide, is continuously updated. Their WordPress blog is the main place to find the latest news and stories.
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Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine is one of the top resources for web developers and web designers, while it is known to have a vibrant community. The company also hosts their annual conferences. They use their site to include highly resourceful and professionally written resources for their community.
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PlayStation
Developed by Sony, PlayStation (or PS) is a hugely successful series of video game consoles and has been around sine the first PS1 was released in December 1994. Their blog is regularly updated with the latest news as well as showcasing their series of consoles and stores.
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VentureBeat
Founded in 2006, VentureBeat is one of the leading sources for technology news and breaks content down into a series of “Beats” such as business, entrepreneur, media, security, small business and social.
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Bloomberg
Bloomberg covers a number areas – they provide financial software tools, data services and financial news via the Bloomberg Terminal which is on the Bloomberg Professional Service, proudly powered by WordPress.
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The Next Web
Also known as TNW, The Next Web is another leading source of technology and web development news as well as organising their popular TNW Conferences and providing hand-picked online courses to improve your online skills.
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9to5Mac
9to5Mac is one of the top news sources for all things related to Apple and particularly known for providing breaking coverage via their Apple News Community. They have been known to publish first photos of various Apple products before other sources, as well as providing accurate details of new apps and updates.
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Evernote
Evernote is a freemium app, generally designed for note taking, organising them and archiving, but has been known as a highly powerful tool for organising your personal and professional time. Their blog, which is powered by WordPress, is not only a place to understand how to get the most out of Evernote, it also provides advice on organising your life and increasing your productivity.
Disclaimer: along with WordPress, I am also a huge fan of Evernote.
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FASHION
Marks & Spencer
The popular British multinational fashion retailer is seen on many high streets across the UK, Marks & Spencer (also known as M&S) uses WordPress for their corporate site.
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Wolverine Worldwide
The name Wolverine Worldwide may not ring a bell to most people, but the American footwear manufacturer are known for their own branded Wolverine boots and shoes, and also their subsidiaries such as Hush Puppies, Merrell, Cat Footwear, Keds and Sperry.
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Vogue India
The Indian edition of the well-known fashion and lifestyle magazine has been publishing since October 2007 and still continues to feature the top Indian superstars and models, both in the magazine and on their WordPress site.
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Glamour Italy
The official Glamour Magazine site for Italy, otherwise known as Glamour Italia, is a hugely popular fashion magazine and frequently updates their site with the latest fashion news, tips and advice.
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The Sartorialist
The Sartorialist is one of the most influential fashion blogs on the web. It was originally started by Scott Schuman who began to carry his digital camera around the streets of New York after leaving his fashion sales position to look after his daughter. He then posts them on his WordPress site and has revolutionised fashion photography in blog form.
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AUTOMOBILE
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is undoubtedly one of the most recognised automotive brands in the world. The German automobile manufacturer is not only well-known for their luxurious cars but also for manufacturing buses, coaches and trucks as well as having their own Formula 1 team.
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Toyota Brazil
The Japenese automotive manufacturer is ever-present on many roads around the world. Their WordPress site is mainly created for the Brazilian market, though not all of their sites are created on the same platform.
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Renault
Another popular automobile manufacturer is the French brand Renault, which is still headquartered in France. Their official site is powered by WordPress and available in both French and English.
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ENTREPRENEURS
Tim Ferris
Tim Ferris is possibly best known for his bestselling book The 4-Hour Workweek, but as well as being an author, he is an entrepreneur, podcaster, angel investor (Facebook, Twitter and Uber are just some of those brands he invests in or is an adviser to) and public speaker.
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Backlinko
An influential figure in the world of SEO (search engine optimisation), Brian Dean uses his WordPress site Backlinko for his hugely popular, resourceful and actionable blog posts about SEO.
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Neil Patel
Neil Patel is another influential person in digital marketing, content marketing, conversion rate optimisation and growth hacking. Although he uses his personal site for writing high-quality and actionable content, he also does the same on his company site QuickSprout (also powered by WordPress).
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Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is owned by Harvard University and is a general management magazine where they discuss areas such as leadership, marketing, finance, managing people and other business topics.
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MOVIES
007.com
The most famous spy in the world, James Bond is happy enough to use WordPress to power his site and discuss the latest news and interviews.
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Star Wars
The Star Wars franchise does not need much introduction but it is another up-to-date site powered by WordPress.
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Walt Disney
Obviously well known to many people, Disney uses WordPress to power their corporate site and update it with the latest company, financial and press news.
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LL Cool J
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know whether to put LL Cool J under music (what he was originally known for) or under movies. But seeing as he is more likely to be acting than rapping, perhaps he is suited in this section.
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Channing Tatum
Channing Matthew Tatum is not only known for his performance in the Lip Sync battle, but during the day he is an American actor, dancer and model. He appeared in films such as Coach Carter, Magic Mike and the two G.I. Joe action films.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
As a social networking service, LinkedIn is a business-oriented site and primarily used for professional networking. The company uses WordPress to power their blog which is updated regularly with the latest LinkedIn, business and entrepreneur news.
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That’s right, the biggest social networking site in the world is also happy to use WordPress to power their Facebook Newsroom where they publish the latest news, announcements, company news and various other topics.
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Flickr
Owned by Yahoo, the popular online photo management, image hosting and video hosting site is a vibrant place for the online community to share and embed photos. The company uses WordPress to update their blog on the latest company news, stories and announcements.
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Buffer
Buffer is a popular social media sharing tool, making it easier for you to share, schedule, optimise and analyse your shares (and yes, I am a fan). Their WordPress-powered blogs are incredibly resourceful and provide actionable tips and advice on a number of areas such as social media and content marketing.
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UNIVERSITIES
Harvard Gazette
The Harvard Gazette is the official news outlet for Harvard University, where the writers “cover Harvard Innovation and discovery in teaching, learning, and research – on campus and worldwide”.
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Boise State University
Based in Idaho, Boise State University is one of many universities who uses WordPress to power their whole site. Another example would be…
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Georgia State University
Georgia State University, based in Atlanta.
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EDUCATIONAL
TED
TED (which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a global set of conferences where they are known to host speakers – some are highly influential – to present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways. Their blog consists of well-written, creative and engaging content.
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Make Use Of
MakeUseOf is an online guide which teaches you how to “make use of” the technology and gadgets around you to help improve your life.
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GOVERNMENT
Consumer Finance
The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, otherwise known as CFPB, is an independent agency owned by the United State government. Its main goal is to offer consumer protection in mortgages, credit cards and student loans.
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TOURISM
San Pellegrino
Located in the province of Lomardy in Italy, most people would recognise the name San Pellegrino from the carbonated mineral water drink brand and it is there where it is produced. Their site focuses on tourism and even mentions “Featured in the WordPress Showcase” in the sidebar.
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Sweden
The official site of Sweden is a beautifully designed site and the official source for facts about the country. Even in the ‘About Sweden.se’ page, they mention that they site is built with WordPress.
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Sao Paulo Carnival
The São Paulo carnival may not have the same reputation and popularity as Rio’s, they still attract over 350,000 Brazilian visitors and tourists to dance to sound of the drums.
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SERVICES
Enterprise
Enterprise Magazine is a blog run by the car rental company and covers a number of topics, from ideas on where to go on a road trip to corporate information.
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Hyatt Hotel
Hyatt Hotels use WordPress to run their blog, which naturally covers travel news as well as stories from guests.
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Moo.com
If you are not familiar with Moo.com, they are a London-based print company specialising in printing custom business cards. Their blog covers not just design but also creative articles about business and management.
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AirBnB
AirBnb is fast becoming the go-to place to find and rent lodging, and its huge presence around the globe does help. Their blog naturally covers interesting travel articles as well as important travel news.
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Thomson Holidays
The high street UK-based travel operator uses WordPress to write about travel news, tips and advice on their blog.
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First Choice
First Choice is another similar (very similar actually) blog which covers the same topic as Thomson Holidays. The two brands appear to be similar as they operate under the same umbrella brand. They seem happy to use the same theme for their respective blogs.
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SHOPPING
House of Fraser
The high street British department store uses the blog consistently (not necessarily to the best of their capability though) to post fashion news and competitions.
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Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols is another British department store with a flagship store in the prestigious area of Knightsbridge in London. Their blog is another which could be used in for other purposes as they currently use it to solely focus on promoting their products and services.
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Bata
Bata is a family-owned Swiss footwear brand with a global presence of over 5,200 stores in more than 70 countries. Though they do not sell online. Their entire site is powered by WordPress and it is filled with content about their company, products and fashion articles.
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Van Heusen
Another member of the WordPress VIP list, Van Heusen provides smart and stylish fashion clothes and accessories. Although they clearly show you what they sell, they unusually do not directly sell from their site, instead they partner with the likes of Amazon, JCPenney and Macys to sell on their behalf.
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IZOD
Another partner of Van Heusen is IZOD who designs men’s clothing and footwear but also relies on their partners to sell their products.
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TOMS
Famous for their “One for One” initiative, where for every pair of shoes you buy, they will donate one to an impoverished child, Tom’s is a huge footwear brand. “Stories” is powered by WordPress and this is where they share their news and stories.
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Kickers
The French footwear retailer is popular with both the music and popular culture as well as for children. Their blog is not updated regularly enough by the brand who barely seem to make use of it.
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Topshop
Known to many shoppers, Topshop is a British multinational fashion retailer with over 500 stores worldwide (with approximately 300 in the UK). Their blog covers a wide range of topics from the obvious fashion and beauty, to music, film and popular culture.
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CHARITY
Charity: Water
Charity: Water predominantly focuses on providing clean and safe drinking water for people in the developing countries. Their blog is used to share “stories and updates from our team, partners and supporters”.
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Have I missed anything out? I’m sure I have so feel free to share in the comment box below.
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Sources:
http://www.wpexplorer.com/name-brands-use-wordpress/
https://wordpress.org/showcase/
https://en.wordpress.com/notable-users/
http://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/x-type-of-websites-you-can-create-with-wordpress/
http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress/all/all
http://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/40-most-notable-big-name-brands-that-are-using-wordpress/
http://sproutsocial.com/insights/wordpress-blogs-examples/
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