| By Erin Nelson
Yes, this selection is subjective. And subject to change. What’s tangible? The real revenue we’ve seen by adopting the insight found on these sites.
Whether you make it part of your breakfast routine or take a lightweight peek, the authors and curators below know digital media. They breathe social media and technological innovation. They see the big picture and understand the micro-elements necessary to drive thoughtful and creative marketing schemes.
Some of the names you’ll recognize as the original (content) gangsters. Others are newcomers, rightfully staking their claim. Give it a gander. And prepare for a thicker wallet.
1. Buffer Social
Whether you’re interested in the best time to tweet or you want to understand the psychology of emojis in marketing, Buffer Social enlists well-reached authors (and superb writers) to tell you what you need to know to understand and amplify your ROI.
2. Jon Loomer
Jon Loomer basically gives away free money. If you spend anytime driving traffic to your site or generating leads from Facebook, this blog should serve as one of your ‘how to’ guides. Jon breaks down new (and ever-changing) developments in Facebook for business and instructs on how to implement these shifts.
It’s practical, efficient and highly effective. Just last week, John introduced me to the glory that will be Facebook Lead Ads.
3. Neil Patel
One of the founders of KISSmetrics, Crazy Egg and Quick Sprout, it’s not surprising Neil Patel’s blog knocks the marketing ball out of the park. Leading by example, Neil implements the same tactics he advocates—then reports on the results.
A comprehensive marketer, he covers everything from converting visitors to email subscribers to increasing referral traffic and reducing bounce rates. Neil is interested in driving traffic to your site, generating quality leads, converting loyal customers and growing your bank account. All that, in a timely (and data-driven) manner.
Read what Neil says and do as Neil does. It works.
4. Digital Marketer
Earlier this year, I heard Ryan speak in Vegas on customer value optimization and can attest that the voice of Digital Marketer’s blog mimics his own: blunt, witty, poignant and thoughtful.
Ryan Deiss and his team of marketers use this platform to share tools and case studies on how to drive traffic, generate leads and boost conversion—based on over $15 million in research over the last 3 years. As they state in their ‘About Us’ video, the Digital Marketing crew “knows how to sell stuff” because they sell a lot of it. Everyday.
5. HubSpot (Marketing)
If Hubspot is the heart of inbound, then its marketing blog is its aorta. Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah set out with the single mission: adapt to how the world had changed—how customers shop, buy and share their experiences.
The HubSpot blog provides marketing templates, content generation tools and the inspiration necessary to make businesses profitable.
6. Backlinko
SEO is a real thing that grows real online business. On Back Linko, Brian Dean breaks down how to link-build and promote content in a way that drives more traffic. His strategy? Provide practical techniques, such as this post on 16 (actionable) copywriting secrets.
7. Unbounce
Unbounce’s blog is the posterchild for utility. Topics are diverse (how to use UTM tags correctly, subtle and powerful copywriting tips, etc.) yet specific enough to implore an actionable checklist for the content production process. Writing is clean, fun and shareable. It’s not surprising readership is on the up.
8. Content Marketing Institute
The content marketing mecca. In addition to hosting the basics, the CMI blog stays fresh with posts on developments in tools and strategy for creation, distribution and measurement. Though big names publish alongside founder Joe Pulizzi, CMI leaves room for the smaller birds to shake their tailfeathers.
9. Brian Solis
Brian Solis is digital’s premiere philosopher, interested in a macro-understanding of how tech, social media and the Internet of Things relate to the larger human experience. Packed with original research, data and graphs, Solis’ articles use a combination of numbers and marketing psychology to help you understand things—in order to more effectively strategize and implement tools and technique
10. Top Rank
Run by marketing leader Lee Odden, Top Rank’s blog toutes measurement and ROI case studies, how to use digital and analytic tools, and general content marketing best practices. Author of the book, Optimize, it is no wonder a main focus of Odden’s blog is content optimization.
11. Marketo
Marketo’s blog segments it content to easily identify and access the content you are looking for. Here, email marketing is distinct from marketing automation, social media and lead management (avoiding the manual, scroll down self-filter).
12. Copyblogger
One of the original gangsters.
Brian Clark and Sonia Simone have cultivated a platform that genuinely instructs you on how to become a better writer within a marketing context. Superb writers (who post regularly) and strong editors, they curate a multitude of posts that are—and continue to remain—relevant.
13. Convince and Convert
Jay Baer’s Convince and Convert blog is about taking action. Whether elaborating on how to create positive story loops or understand why blog posts fail, Convince and Convert focuses on the importance of knowing your audience—their behaviors, pressure points and purchasing patterns.
14. The Content Strategist
Clean, applicable strategies, insight and tools for the advanced content marketer. The Content Strategist breaks down emerging applications and updates in concise, well-written articles. (Like this one, on how to utilize Newslab, Google’s new digital journalism toolbox.) One of my new, morning must-reads.
15. Social Media Examiner
Tactical coverage that teaches you how to do things you didn’t even know you wanted to do on social media. The blog’s annual report, written by Mike Stelzer, also interviews thousands of digital marketers to give you a detailed account of where online marketers are currently—and where we are headed.
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