Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

50 Content Marketing Blogs to Read and Follow

Content marketing is all the rage at the moment. Whether you’re a small business manager, a large company CEO, or a freelance designer, content marketing is something you should be aware of and able to leverage. Getting it right can be tricky though, so you need to read up. Fortunately, there are tons of great resources out there on this very topic. Here are fifty of our favorites.


1. Kissmetrics


Kissmetrics covers a wide variety of topics including analytics, advertising, blogging, Facebook and more.


2. HubSpot


HubSpot covers a wide variety of marketing topics for the individual, sales team or agency. Discover everything from A/B split tests to landing pages and agency pricing.


content-marketing-blogs


3. Simply Measured


Simply Measured is on the cusp of social media marketing and analytics.


4. Sprout Social


Sprout Social discusses the best social media practices.


5. SEOMoz


Follow as SEO rock star Rand Fishkin and his crew discuss the latest with Google, SEO tactics and creating content that’s perfect for both.


6. Optimizely


Founded by former Google product managers (Dan Siroker and Pete Koomen), Optimizely gives you the latest on optimizing the best marketing content for your brand.


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7. SEER


Founded by Wil Reynolds (out of his apartment), SEER Interactive has grown into an SEO powerhouse in the USA. Get the latest from Reynolds and his team on SEO, Google and PR.


8. Unbounce


Not sure how to convert users? Discover the best landing page techniques at Unbounce.


9. AimClear


Aimclear is the master of click bait and out-of-the-box campaigns. Give your team a reboot by visiting Aimclear’s blog, where you’ll find info on their trials, as well as high-quality tutorials.


10. Raven Blog


Raven is a popular suite of extremely powerful analytics and marketing tools (similar Moz), but they also have a very insightful blog that is constantly posting great tips for content marketers.


content-marketing-blogs


11. Alex Houg


Alex Houg’s blog may not wow visitors like the fancy formatting of other resources, but his content and interviews provide insight to creating stellar content.


12. Trackmaven


TrackMaven helps you understand why people are sharing your Facebook posts and why they’re so engaged on Instagram. It’s crucial for every marketer.


13. Zack Onisko


Creative Market’s own Gead of growth, Zack Onisko, runs his own blog and frequently posts great insights on marketing strategies that we put into practice as well as how they’ve affected our site.


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14. Matt Cutts


If Google makes a change to its algorithm, who are you going to call? Matt Cutts! Cutts is a Google employee who provides insight about why Google is ranking what. It’s essential to knowing how to write your content.


15. Search Engine Watch


Don’t ignore Bing, Yahoo and Amazon. Search Engine Watch gives you the best ways to capitalize all search engines.


16. Copyblogger


Copybloggers gives even seasoned writers new tactics to gain traffic and readers.


content-marketing-blogs


17. Social Media Examiner


Unsure of how to write content, make podcast or create other content? Social Media Examiner covers all things social media.


18. Convince and Convert


How do you know if your content will be shared? Convince and Convert provides you with cutting-edge tactics.


19. Post Advertising


Gain insight about storytelling, consumers and best practices with Post Advertising.


20. EConsultancy


EConsultancy goes beyond digital marketing to a wide variety of topics on social media, online pricing and more.


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21. Marketing Interactions


Discover how to create content and market to B2B customers with the Marketing Interactions blog.


22. Brian Solis


Brian covers a wide variety of content–and where it’s going next–to help you stay on the cusp of the best.


23. MailChimp Blog


Mailchimp does more than deliver High Fives. They deliver amazing content strategies in their blog.


content-marketing-blogs


24. Marketing Profs


Get insight on memes and marketing challenges with the Marketing Prof.


25. Content Marketing Institute


Content Marketing Institute provides more than just a website – it includes how to guides, a huge social media following and education to stay on top of content marketing.


26. Brafton Blog


Brafton’s blog takes on the creative side of content marketing, with themes like the 12 Days of Content and how brands can learn from small business Saturday.


27. Velocity Partners


Although Velocity Partners is based across the pond, they still keep tabs on USA marketing events. Stop over on their website for breaking new tools, recaps of industry events and what you need to know as a creative individual.


content-marketing-blogs


28. Chris Brogan


Chris Brogan not only helps business owners, but shares how to master the art of storytelling for a variety of audiences, from digital content to podcasts.


29. Heidi Cohen


Cohen focuses on content marketing specific tactics to boost results, shares insider secrets and is on the cusp of groundbreaking tactics.


30. Content Strategist by Contently


Contently has eye-catching visuals to coincide with its innovative content marketing posts.


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31. B2B Marketing Insider


Get insights on content marketing, strategy and social beyond content and into leads and advertisements.


32. Buffer


Buffer focuses on Social, Open (transparency) and Engineering (technical) side of compiling your content marketing for lasting results.


33. Scoop It Blog


Scoop It provides content marketing insight from their writers, CEO and more with interesting tactics.


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34. QuickSprout


Discover how to make your website high quality and increase traffic with QuickSprout’s Blog.


35. Atomic Reach Blog


Atomic Reach goes beyond content marketing tactics in order to justify tactics and programs to the C-suite of your company.


36. Seth Godin


Seth Godin is popular with marketers and experiments with a variety of content strategies on his blog, too. You know what they say about imitation and flattery…


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37. Search Engine Journal


Search Engine Journal covers a variety of topics from search engines, paid search, entrepreneurship and WordPress. However, its Content Marketing column includes ways to challenge your blog intros and the biggest mistakes you’re making.


38. King Content


Take a hint from the land down under and challenge yourself with another perspective on content marketing from one of Australia’s top content marketing agencies.


39. Conversion Scientist


Discover how to use content marketing in conjunction with Google Analytics, social media and more with the Conversion Scientist’s tactics.


40. Outbrain


Outbrain explains top content marketing strategies as well as shares news sources and advice for agencies.


content-marketing-blogs


41. Smart Insights


Find out about content marketing ideas with case studies that back up how others made it work.


42. Content Science


Content Science publishes biweekly but offers expert opinions so you can stay on top of your game.


43. Find and Convert


Whether you need to hone your brand strategy, keep up with the latest technology or social selling, Find and Convert offers new information through its blog and provides webinars, presentations, eBooks and more to round out its offerings.


44. SEO Copywriting


Whether you’re freelancing or working in-house, Heather Lloyd-Martin shares copy writing strategies for success.


45. Content Wrangler


Scott Abel often uses slide decks to move you through content management and social media tactics.


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46. Content Mastery Guide


Discover how to optimize your business blog (or know when to outsource) with the consistent advice of Linda Dessau.


47. Idea Launch


Bryon White gives guidance on business regarding marketing, emails, data and more.


48. The Portent Blog


Whether you’re more concerned with Google or WingDings symbols showing up in your email subject lines, Portent addresses off-the-cuff topics to keep you on your toes.


49. Sprout Content


Balancing inbound and content marketing, Sprout Content offers analogies to the Wild West and when to say no to your customers.


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50. Wishpond Blog


Find out how to write great content and appropriately distribute it through tools like Google Adwords, Google Ads and retargeting.


What Did We Miss?


There you have it, 50 awesome content marketing blogs that you can bookmark and read regularly to get the best advice in the industry for crafting an unbeatable content marketing strategy. If you know of any great content marketing sites that we missed, leave a link in the comments below.


50 Content Marketing Blogs to Read and Follow

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

10 Blogs Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Read

The road to success sure is long, and many people think that having their own business is the key, a shortcut. True, but it’s one of the most difficult paths to take, especially when you don’t have enough experience and resources to use.


Thankfully, there are entrepreneurs out there who willingly spend some of their time typing away on their blogs to provide guides, tips and useful resources to people who have dreams. If you’re wondering about which business-related blogs to read, I’ve put together 14 blogs for the budding entrepreneur. From startup-based knowledge to marketing tips, you’ll find plenty of good advice to help you along.



Both Sides Of The Table


If you are looking for an honest take of what it’s like to enter the world of entrepreneurship, you need to read Both Sides of the Table by Mark Suster. He is the American entrepreneur behind Koral and Salesforce.com.


He is also a prominent blogger about startups where he regularly posts about startup fundraising, leadership, marketing, and even sales – a gem that everyone who desires to enter the entrepreneurial scene should spend some time reading.



Numerate Choir


If you are hard into solid data and case studies, along with a personal take of what’s happening in the entrepreneurial world, head to Numerate Choir and take a look at the in-depth articles by Mike Greenfield. Numerate Choir focuses on tech startups. Articles about the startup scene in the Silicon Valley are aplenty, along with case studies and discussions that will prove practical to data-driven entrepreneurs.



Feld Thoughts


Feld Thoughts is run by Brad Feld, a managing director of the Foundry Group. He also invests in software and Internet companies in the US – he is the guy you should listen to if you are aiming to build an Internet company.


Brad Feld regularly publishes articles regarding entrepreneurship, technology, education, productivity, and just about anything that might prove useful to “lost” souls. Reading Feld Thoughts gives the same vibe as listening to a mentor who knows how to accomplish things.



OkDork


Does the name Noah Kagan ring a bell? Noah Kagan is the founder of AppSumo, a daily-deals website which has over 700,000 subscribers. One of his babies is OkDork, his personal blog where he teaches curious and avid readers how to make it big by building their own businesses. You will find tips from marketing, social media, leadership, and startup tips on OkDork, written by the man himself on how to be a true entrepreneur.



Groove HQ


Groove is a business that help their clients through their management service. It removes all the clutter that management services offer and simplifies how customer support should be done. On another note, GrooveHQ publishes the things they’re doing in order to reach their goal of 0,000 monthly.


This blog is important because companies who disclose their methods are rare. And most certainly you can learn from their successes as well as their mistakes.



4-Hour Workweek


The man behind 4-Hour Workweek is Tim Ferris, who was included in Forbes Magazine’s “Names You Need To Know”. The 4-Hour Workweek blog is an entrepreneur’s self-help blog that can help increase productivity and give an insider’s perspective on how the real world operates.


It promotes more time for yourself and rejects the idea of overworking – this coming from someone who experienced 14-hour working days. If the lifestyle you want is one where you get to chill most of the time, this blog is definitely for you.



Need Want


Here is another favorite like OkDork. Need Want is a company that produces stuff that makes living easier and smarter. And yes, you guessed it, they share their secrets on their blog. From ideas to conception, profit and loss, marketing techniques, how they built a product, secrets and common tips, these details are all in their blog. This is a true gem that you should definitely bookmark.



Wise Bread


Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle of its own. With that, you just don’t spend your money on anything you want, no, you have to live a frugal life – especially when you are just starting! Wise Bread has a lot of writers and entrepreneurs who share their lifestyle and personal finance tips. They publish a lot of articles about how to save money, how to cut spending, how to get free stuff (or for a lower price), and more.



Quick Sprout


Quick Sprout is the place where Neil Patel shares his marketing magic. Neil Patel is the co-founder of KISSmetrics, Crazy Egg, and Hello Bar which are big names when it comes to online marketing and data gathering. If you are into learning what works and what doesn’t work in the marketing world, you should give Quick Sprout a visit. You will learn tremendous marketing techniques from simple social media marketing, email list building, down to analyzing trends and data.



Blog Maverick


Mark Cuban, the chairman of HDTV cable network and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, regularly shares his insights at Blog Maverick. He writes about business strategy and management, how you can make things work better, as well as his views on the tech industry. He sometimes rants too (which is totally fun to read). If you want to have a peek of what some successful people spend their time on and how they think, read this.



 


Conclusion


If you are thinking of starting a business by your own, you must start by reading a lot. Ideas are useless if your execution is poor. And no, you don’t need a business degree to become a successful entrepreneur. All you need to do is to read a lot, apply what you’ve learned, and remember to not give up. So, what is your favorite business blog?











10 Blogs Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Read

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

10 Tumblr Blogs To Follow For Great Writing Tips

Few websites are friendlier to creatives than Tumblr, a place to scroll through, like, and reblog posts like there’s no tomorrow. It’s not surprising, then, that hundreds of writing blogs have popped up all over that site faster than you can say “dashboard”.


With so many to choose from, it can get a bit daunting when trying to figure out which you should pay attention to. Therefore, I’ve gathered here 10 of the best must-follow Tumblr blogs for writers. Whether it’s helpful feedback or just some inspiration that you need, these sites can help you keep on writing.



1. The Right Writing


“A tip a day keeps writer’s block away.” This, in a nutshell, is The Right Writing‘s tagline (if it had one). Unlike most writing blogs, TRW does its best to give more than generic writing advice such as “Set a daily writing quota” or “Just keep hammering away at your keyboard”. Instead, it gives specific, actionable tips on how to craft a first line, how to describe a character, how to craft an eye-catching title, etc. The blog also occasionally posts interesting, writing-related links.



2. Quotes From Books


Whether you need life advice from the world’s greatest writers, or inspiration for writing awesome lines, Quotes from Books is the blog to follow. The site also provides book recommendations, in case you’re looking for something new to read. After all, writers need to read as much – if not more than – they write, right?



3. Writing Quotes


If “writer’s block” is bugging you (again), check out this site. Writing Quotes dishes out tips straight from the greats themselves on how to write, how not to write, how to read, and “all sorts of wordy things”, as the blogger put it. Pro-Tip: You can reblog the quotes that resonate the most with you, and tag them “writing quotes”, so you can refer back to them later when you need them. More Tumblr tips here.



4. WordStuck


One of a writer’s greatest weapons is an expansive vocabulary, and WordStuck does a wonderful job of filling that need. The site regularly posts about words from around the world and their respective meanings, framed in beautiful graphics created by the blogger. It’s especially fun when the site posts words that have no direct English translation – and you’re a native speaker of the language that uses that word!



5. Yeah Write


Yeah Write doesn’t just dish out writing advice, post daily prompts, and write about industry news, it also encourages writers to come together as a community through their “workshopper” program, where people can publicly offer their editing / proofreading / workshopping services. Whether you need any of these services or not, Yeah Write is a must-follow site.



6. Writing Problems


Ever felt that you’re the only one who suffers from (insert writing problem here)? Don’t worry; Writing Problems is here to let you know that, yes, you’re not the only one who types a word, presses “Backspace”, types that word again, and presses “Backspace” again. Scroll through their posts for a dose of side-splitting, “Hey, I can relate to this!” humor, and feel your writing-related stress melt away.



7. Fix Your Writing Habits


Writers have a nasty habit of doing everything except – irony of ironies – writing. Douglas Adams, for instance, was notorious for missing deadlines, and had to be locked up in hotel rooms to have any of his work done. (In case his name doesn’t ring a bell, he’s the man behind The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.)


As the blog’s title implies, Fix Your Writing Habits tries to give you the best advice possible for getting you back on track, as well as vanquishing the Procrasti-Monster forever. The site is run by multiple authors, who put their money where their mouth is by posting on the blog regularly.



8. Reference For Writers


If you’re a writer who constantly works under tight deadlines, Reference For Writers is for you. The site posts comprehensive lists and links to research materials that would have taken you hours to find on your own. Occasionally, it posts the usual writing-blog material: tips, ideas, and inspiration for wordsmiths.



9. The Writing Café


Don’t want to clutter your dashboard with too many writing blogs? Just follow this one, then. The Writing Café is your all-in-one resource for writing advice, writing resources, links to research materials, etc. The blogger is friendly enough to answer questions, and patient enough to direct you to existing links if you ask a question that’s already been answered.



10. Your Favorite Author’s Tumblr Blogs


It’s difficult to link to just one author, since there are so many of them, and each of them caters to a specific taste. Personally, I follow Neil Gaiman for updates on his work, as well as Joe Hill, the eldest son of Stephen King and a formidable horror author in his own right. You can find more author blogs when you click “Find Blogs” on your dashboard, and click “Writers” in the Spotlight tab.



Conclusion


These blogs are just the tip of the iceberg. As writing keeps evolving as a craft, it’s inevitable for new writing blogs to mushroom all over the web (not just on Tumblr). If you know other writing blogs that haven’t been listed here, please do share them in the comments section.











10 Tumblr Blogs To Follow For Great Writing Tips

Monday, December 29, 2014

10 Tumblr Blogs To Follow For Great Writing Tips

Few websites are friendlier to creatives than Tumblr, a place to scroll through, like, and reblog posts like there’s no tomorrow. It’s not surprising, then, that hundreds of writing blogs have popped up all over that site faster than you can say “dashboard”.


With so many to choose from, it can get a bit daunting when trying to figure out which you should pay attention to. Therefore, I’ve gathered here 10 of the best must-follow Tumblr blogs for writers. Whether it’s helpful feedback or just some inspiration that you need, these sites can help you keep on writing.



1. The Right Writing


“A tip a day keeps writer’s block away.” This, in a nutshell, is The Right Writing‘s tagline (if it had one). Unlike most writing blogs, TRW does its best to give more than generic writing advice such as “Set a daily writing quota” or “Just keep hammering away at your keyboard”. Instead, it gives specific, actionable tips on how to craft a first line, how to describe a character, how to craft an eye-catching title, etc. The blog also occasionally posts interesting, writing-related links.



2. Quotes From Books


Whether you need life advice from the world’s greatest writers, or inspiration for writing awesome lines, Quotes from Books is the blog to follow. The site also provides book recommendations, in case you’re looking for something new to read. After all, writers need to read as much – if not more than – they write, right?



3. Writing Quotes


If “writer’s block” is bugging you (again), check out this site. Writing Quotes dishes out tips straight from the greats themselves on how to write, how not to write, how to read, and “all sorts of wordy things”, as the blogger put it. Pro-Tip: You can reblog the quotes that resonate the most with you, and tag them “writing quotes”, so you can refer back to them later when you need them. More Tumblr tips here.



4. WordStuck


One of a writer’s greatest weapons is an expansive vocabulary, and WordStuck does a wonderful job of filling that need. The site regularly posts about words from around the world and their respective meanings, framed in beautiful graphics created by the blogger. It’s especially fun when the site posts words that have no direct English translation – and you’re a native speaker of the language that uses that word!



5. Yeah Write


Yeah Write doesn’t just dish out writing advice, post daily prompts, and write about industry news, it also encourages writers to come together as a community through their “workshopper” program, where people can publicly offer their editing / proofreading / workshopping services. Whether you need any of these services or not, Yeah Write is a must-follow site.



6. Writing Problems


Ever felt that you’re the only one who suffers from (insert writing problem here)? Don’t worry; Writing Problems is here to let you know that, yes, you’re not the only one who types a word, presses “Backspace”, types that word again, and presses “Backspace” again. Scroll through their posts for a dose of side-splitting, “Hey, I can relate to this!” humor, and feel your writing-related stress melt away.



7. Fix Your Writing Habits


Writers have a nasty habit of doing everything except – irony of ironies – writing. Douglas Adams, for instance, was notorious for missing deadlines, and had to be locked up in hotel rooms to have any of his work done. (In case his name doesn’t ring a bell, he’s the man behind The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.)


As the blog’s title implies, Fix Your Writing Habits tries to give you the best advice possible for getting you back on track, as well as vanquishing the Procrasti-Monster forever. The site is run by multiple authors, who put their money where their mouth is by posting on the blog regularly.



8. Reference For Writers


If you’re a writer who constantly works under tight deadlines, Reference For Writers is for you. The site posts comprehensive lists and links to research materials that would have taken you hours to find on your own. Occasionally, it posts the usual writing-blog material: tips, ideas, and inspiration for wordsmiths.



9. The Writing Café


Don’t want to clutter your dashboard with too many writing blogs? Just follow this one, then. The Writing Café is your all-in-one resource for writing advice, writing resources, links to research materials, etc. The blogger is friendly enough to answer questions, and patient enough to direct you to existing links if you ask a question that’s already been answered.



10. Your Favorite Author’s Tumblr Blogs


It’s difficult to link to just one author, since there are so many of them, and each of them caters to a specific taste. Personally, I follow Neil Gaiman for updates on his work, as well as Joe Hill, the eldest son of Stephen King and a formidable horror author in his own right. You can find more author blogs when you click “Find Blogs” on your dashboard, and click “Writers” in the Spotlight tab.



Conclusion


These blogs are just the tip of the iceberg. As writing keeps evolving as a craft, it’s inevitable for new writing blogs to mushroom all over the web (not just on Tumblr). If you know other writing blogs that haven’t been listed here, please do share them in the comments section.



10 Tumblr Blogs To Follow For Great Writing Tips