--- title: "Daily Buzz: A Big CMS Shift for WordPress" id: "44850" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-a-big-cms-shift-for-wordpress" published_at: "2018-11-27T19:15:27+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T23:11:55+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/11/27/daily-buzz-a-big-cms-shift-for-wordpress/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/11/27/daily-buzz-a-big-cms-shift-for-wordpress.md" excerpt: "WordPress is making some major changes to its content management system in the coming weeks. Are you ready? Also: The success of branded Facebook Groups is helping ease the pain for marketers." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Gutenberg" - "headless CMS" - "Technology" - "WordPress" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: A Big CMS Shift for WordPress After more than 15 years in development, the widely used blogging platform WordPress [is introducing version 5.0 very shortly (opens in a new tab)](https://wordpress.org/news/2018/11/wordpress-5-0-release-candidate/) , the largest upgrade in its long history. Not that everyone’s excited about it. The developers of WordPress decided to go bold by implementing a new editor technology that effectively represents a Band-Aid rip from the past. Gutenberg, a tool that is more visually oriented than the classic editor, [has received less-than-rave reviews (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cmscritic.com/the-first-release-candidate-for-wordpress-5-0-is-now-available-and-sadly-it-brings-gutenberg-with-it/) , but WordPress sees it as a necessary change to modernize the platform, which is [facing increased competition](https://associationsnow.com/2018/10/content-management-consider-alternatives/) from newer content management systems. Gutenberg [relies on a block-style system (opens in a new tab)](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/) , rather than a traditional text-based format. This makes it easy to add visual elements to an article but adds layers of complexity, and your plug-ins will need to be updated. ([Business 2 Community has some details (opens in a new tab)](https://www.business2community.com/web-design/gutenberg-is-invading-your-wordpress-website-wait-who-02139028) , if you’re curious.) The new system bears some similarity to the editors on Medium, Ghost, and Squarespace. You can give the new editor a whirl [on WordPress’ Testing Gutenberg website (opens in a new tab)](https://testgutenberg.com/) to get a feel for things. But for those who would prefer to stick with the tried-and-true, there’s a plug-in [that keeps the classic editor in place (opens in a new tab)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/classic-editor/) , so you can maintain the latest version of WordPress without getting to know Gutenberg. ### Facebook Groups: Still Growing > 💏😎👉Engaged audienced thanks to Facebook groups!!![#Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Facebook?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#Audiences (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Audiences?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#digitalmarketing (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/digitalmarketing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [https://t.co/ab3t8iSjNS (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/ab3t8iSjNS) > > — Baloo Soar (@baloo_soar) [November 25, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/baloo_soar/status/1066811768394137601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **There’s been a lot of bad news** coming out of Facebook in recent weeks, but the platform still has plenty of upside for marketers. [According to Marketing Land (opens in a new tab)](https://marketingland.com/why-businesses-are-relying-on-facebook-groups-to-build-engaged-audiences-252276) , many marketers are benefiting from using Facebook Groups. The piece highlights the work done by the parenting website Grown & Flown and the exercise bicycle brand Peloton. Lisa Heffernan, one of Grown & Flown’s founders, says the approach has allowed it to nurture a targeted audience. “We know what parents want to hear about. We know what’s on their mind so we can create content, find experts, find writers who will speak to what we already know our audience wants,” she says. “That’s a huge business goal, because who wants to publish things that no one wants to read?” ### Other Links of Note **Outdated technology doesn’t always** **die quickly.** Case in point: the fax machine. *The Atlantic* looks into [where you’re likely to still find one in use (opens in a new tab)](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/why-people-still-use-fax-machines/576070/) . **Workers are putting off retirement** far longer than they once did. *Harvard Business Review* suggests [that’s not necessarily a bad thing (opens in a new tab)](https://hbr.org/cover-story/2018/11/when-no-one-retires) . **”Member visits are the way.”** Eric Lanke, president and CEO of the National Fluid Power Association, [shares an anecdote (opens in a new tab)](http://ericlanke.blogspot.com/2018/11/member-visits-are-way.html) that shows the importance of in-person interactions. WordPress’ new Gutenberg editor. (Handout photo) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Gutenberg](https://associationsnow.com/tag/gutenberg/) [#headless CMS](https://associationsnow.com/tag/headless-cms/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) [#WordPress](https://associationsnow.com/tag/wordpress/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F11%2F27%2Fdaily-buzz-a-big-cms-shift-for-wordpress%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !