There are very few professions whereby you get a degree and ultimately learn everything you’ll ever need to know. Even those specialising in History, where everything has already happened, will eventually uncover new learnings. However, not all industries are as quick to evolve as Marketing.
With the introduction of digital, marketers and businesses are left constantly trying to find the next creative (and effective) way to market themselves and drive conversions.
Often, companies will outsource their digital marketing efforts because they just can’t keep up to date with how quickly the industry moves on top of everything else running a business entails.
To be successful, professional marketers must stay in the loop with the latest reviews, case studies, analytics and best practices across each marketing method, from email marketing to content strategies. The easiest way to do this is to work as a team and share tips and tricks with one another, and one popular method in the industry is to create, share and subscribe to marketing blogs.
What We Look For In A Marketing Blog
When marketers read a blog post, we want to feel like we’re learning something but in a fun and friendly manner, as if it was over a cuppa with a friend or colleague.
The best blogs share interesting, real-life examples or case studies of the topics they’re trying to cover but with supporting visuals and easy breakdowns.
For us, the best marketing blogs should include factual information, such as ‘How To’ or the latest industry update, and some added value from an expert’s point of view.
Marketing, especially digital marketing, is a fast-paced industry, so it’s essential to stay up to date with the latest insights, tech features and statistics.
How Do Blogs Support Digital Marketing
A good digital marketing blog will cover a whole range of helpful topics such as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), Content Marketing, Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing.
When reading a blog, we often find useful examples of how to utilise different marketing methods within each topic, from creative ideas such as Infographics and Videos to analytics and best practices.
Due to the evolving nature of digital marketing, you may find the lifespan of a blog post rather short. By consistently following marketing blogs, especially those that share strategies, case studies and advice, we’re able to gain insight into what works well for others across various tactics and industries and learn from their mistakes. Following proven strategies from other marketers will help businesses engage with their target audience.
12 Of The Best Marketing Blogs Around
HubSpot
The HubSpot platform supports sales, marketing automation and everything a business needs for Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Not only does HubSpot provide a selection of free sales and marketing courses and certifications, but their Blog is also frequently updated with insightful tips around Digital Marketing, Customer Retention, Data, Email Marketing and Content. HubSpot also publishes an annual report summarising all things Marketing.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is an SEO tool that also provides free learning materials for businesses and marketers. As you’d expect, they frequently publish helpful ‘How To‘ blog posts around SEO, Google and Keyword research. However, although Ahrefs niche is SEO, you’ll also find over 150 marketing blogs covering related marketing topics such as Inbound Marketing Guides, PR Tactics and Google Analytics insights.
Social Media Examiner
Social Media Examiner is designed to help navigate the ‘Social Media Jungle’ and is a valuable platform for all things Social. Here you’ll find digital marketing video tutorials, a Marketing podcast and, of course, a Blog full of useful posts. Social Media Examiner concentrates on How-To guides, Expert Interviews and Professional View Point articles.
Adweek
Adweek focuses on sharing the breaking news in Advertising, Media and Technology. As an American publication, their posts may be ahead of the curve, but that simply gives us a head start. Here you will find news updates across a selection of related topics, including Brand Marketing and Performance Marketing.
Neil Patel
Introducing Neil, a New York Times Bestselling author who has built his reputation as a well-known Entrepreneur and Marketer. Neil is a Co-Founder at Neil Patel Digital, and he supports businesses at each stage of their marketing journey, including setting up a website, introducing SEO and developing an online marketing strategy. Neil’s Blog is made up of How-To articles, expert insights and guides to every imaginable area of marketing to ensure businesses have every possible resource they need.
Content Marketing Institute
The Content Marketing Institute is designed to support and advance the practice of marketing, with a focus specifically on content – born out of a lack of information specifically around content marketing topics. It won’t come as a surprise to readers that their Blog is made up of articles focused heavily around content, including top tips and highlighting what others are doing well and/or wrong.
Search Engine Land
Another company with a focus more so on a specific area of marketing is Search Engine Land. Here you’ll find the latest news on Search Engine’s, SEO and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Search Engines, especially Google, frequently tweak their algorithm, so SEO and SEM are certainly an ever-evolving area of marketing. From Organic to Ads, marketers are bound to find the quality content and insights they need to understand search engines and increase web traffic.
Moz
Moz is another SEO site whose services are designed to help boost business’s online reach and convert more web traffic.
The Moz Blog is a fantastic resource and contains posts from the industries top experts sharing their advice, research and insights across SEO and Online Marketing. Moz also offers a selection of Guides, such as SEO Competitor Analyses, Keyword and Links Research plus SEO Academy Training.
Small Business Trends
Small Business Trends (or Small Biz Trends) aim to help businesses, influencers and industry experts by sharing the latest news and advice on everything that’s related to – you guessed it – running a business.
The Small Business Trends platform contains a whole section on Marketing, including Sales, Social Media Marketing, Blogging Tips and other related content.
Peg Fitzpatrick
Enter Peg, a successful Social Media speaker, marketer and blogger. Peg provides training courses for a more in-depth understanding of all things Social as well as sharing frequent blog posts. Not only does Peg share the best marketing blogs full of conversion-optimised content, but her whole site is also mega aesthetically pleasing and #Inspo.
MobileMonkey
The MobileMonkey platform is designed to help businesses manage their mobile marketing communications, including Live Chat marketing software and SMS marketing automation.
The MobileMonkey Growth Marketing Blog contains posts around initiating conversations, Messenger Bots, posting to Social Media platforms and driving visitors to a company’s website.
feedalpha
As you’d expect from a Social Media Scheduling platform that also provides topical content across multiple subjects, feedalpha shares blog posts covering Social Media marketing and the like.
If you’re looking for content inspiration, check out their ‘Post Ideas‘ series covering multiple industries. What’s more, if you’re new to the digital marketing scene, their ‘How To‘ guides outline everything marketers will need to know to get their head around the key Social Media platforms.
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