11 Blogs for Marketing and Business Inspiration
As a marketing agency, we are expected to be the experts in the latest trends, tools and processes in order to deliver results. But where do we go to learn more about our industry? Who do we listen to for ‘insight’ on what’s happening in the world of web, social, seo and more?
Below are 11 blogs–because 10 is just lame–that I follow to keep an eye on the industry and what affects my day-to-day work life. From web design and seo metrics to social media marketing and video production, these are the experts I follow (in no particular order) to help bring the latest and greatest into my work at Insight Creative, Inc.
Buffer - blog.bufferapp.com
When it comes to sharing best practices for social media success, Buffer is one of the most transparent companies I know. Their articles cover major social media platforms and they collaborate with industry leaders to create some of the most helpful articles out there. Easy to read and understand, they bring the world of social media down to earth for anyone trying to build their social media presence.
An added bonus, their web-based app is one of the best tools I’ve used for managing social media and reviewing metrics. Their free plan offers plenty of features and their paid plans won’t break the bank.
Moz - moz.com
If you’re looking to understand the world of SEO, Google Analytics and everything in between, Moz is your blog. These folks cover the latest in Google’s analytics algorithms and how it impacts your SEO efforts. If you’re looking to get started in SEO optimization, their Whiteboard Friday series of video blogs are a fantastic resource.
Moz also has a suite of SEO tools available to help you make the most of your search engine optimization.
Wistia - wistia.com
Video has become a standard part of marketing and there’s no sign of that changing anytime soon. Wistia has quickly become the industry leader (in my humble opinion) for their streaming video services, but also for their incredible blog focused entirely on helping you create better quality videos for your audience. Their enthusiastic approach to teaching is infectious, sharing how-to’s on not only video production and but also integrating video into your marketing plan and developing your team’s processes to keep getting better at it.
The Story of Telling - thestoryoftelling.com
The Story of Telling offers unique blog articles that look at the concepts of why, and challenge the status quo processes businesses often times fall into. They write in an effort to help you choose a better path to success–whether it’s learning to tell your brand story, tracking the right metrics to gauge success, or ask the right questions before you begin marketing. They may not write about key performance indicators or algorithms, but they cover one of the most important aspects of business and marketing–the human element. As an inspiring blog to follow when you’re feeling stuck or out of ideas, they can help you look at your goals from a new point of view.
Socially Sorted - sociallysorted.com
Visualizing your message effectively is one of the most important pieces of the marketing puzzle. Socially Sorted focuses on the tactics, processes and everything in between for implementing effective visuals into your marketing and business campaigns. Their articles constantly evaluate the latest tools available to make your business life easier–and more successful. The articles are fun and easy to read, allowing you to take the information and apply it to your own applications.
Simply Measured - simplymeasured.com
Simply Measured offers a suite of social media metric reporting tools. Every sound decision should be based on data, and Simply Measured’s articles present real-world examples of how monitoring the right data–and understanding its impact on your business– can help you grow.
From the most recent features on social media platforms to identifying the key performance indicators that really matter, Simply Measured is a great business marketing blog to stay on trend.
Razor Social - razorsocial.com
Razor Social is another great blog covering all the latest updates to popular social platforms, and do a very good job of writing in an easy-to-understand style. If you’re looking for tips to improve your presence on a specific social network, Razor Social has an article that can help you.
Growth Hackers - growthhackers.com
Growth Hackers is about as real as it gets. It’s a community of real-life marketers, business managers, social media gurus and everyone else across the online business spectrum. Their posts, discussions and studies come from the front lines of business marketing efforts.
Design Modo - designmodo.com
Design Modo is a great resource for the web design crowd, covering the latest trends in UX design, development tools and inspirational articles showcasing the best of a particular industry. They spotlight the latest tools and updates to help make your development life as stress-free as possible.
Smashing Magazine - smashingmagazine.com
I’d be remiss if I did not mention Smashing Magazine in this list. They’ve been at the forefront of all things web–coding, design, mobile, design, UX and more–since 2006, they’ve helped web designers and developers improve their skills to build a better web. Their articles are great for anyone looking to gain an edge on the very latest in any aspect of their web development game.
KISSmetrics - kissmetrics.com
We’ve all heard the acronym ‘K.I.S.S’ (Keep It Simple Stupid). Following KISSmetrics’ blog for a while now, I’ve come to appreciate it even more. They focus on the business side of marketing helping you improve your day-to-day processes, tactics and become more efficient in reaching your business goals.
I hope you find these resources helpful. As an added bonus, below is one of the most inspiring videos that has really affected how I approach a project. An incredibly powerful TEDx Talk by Simon Sinek, his “Start with Why” approach will be incredibly motivating for you to approach your work from a new perspective.
