A friend asked me this week which were my must read digital marketing blogs. Who do I turn to for inspiration and good content in the digital marketing and social media space? I typically answer that by saying you can tell by seeing what content I share on social media. If I find something useful, I don’t keep it to myself.
You can also plot out patterns and repetition in sources by seeing what links I share on social networks. While I am constantly on the lookout for more sources, I have my main resources I turn to consistently for ideas, inspiration, instruction and perspective.
In no particular order and with all due respect to many others I have in my feed reader but categorize differently, here’s a lit of my “Must Read” digital marketing blogs. That means if I only have 10 minutes to look for new content, I start here. That doesn’t mean others are just as good, but that I go back and read them later rather than prioritize their content.
(And I’d love to see your Must Reads in the comments, so get ready to share!)
Awaken Your Superhero – Christopher Penn
I’ve not done the math, but I’m guessing I’ve shared more of Christopher Penn’s content in the last five years than any other source. I might also be the person who has shared Christopher Penn’s content more than any other person, too. I do it because Chris is the go-to resource for how to measure things. He’s also quite the technologist, offering up hacks and solutions for many of marketing’s problems. If I could read one blog in the marketing space and only one, it would likely be his. (And unlike many individuals with impressive blogs and credentials, Chris doesn’t toot his own horn too much. That’s rare. Lots of bloggers in this space are really big fans of themselves. Chris is pretty even keel. I appreciate that.)
Convince and Convert – Jay Baer (and others)
No single blog can claim to really cover almost every angle of social media and digital marketing more so than C&C. Jay Baer has done an excellent job of building a hell of a brand for himself and his company, but half of that company is perhaps the most reliable publishing resource in the marketing space.
{grow} – Mark Schaefer (and others)
Similar to Convince and Convert, Mark Schaefer’s {grow} blog has become one of the top resources in the industry for digital marketing and social media insights. He integrates some of the brightest minds in the industry (like Kerry Gorgone, a lawyer who often addresses the legal issues in the social space) to add to his own expertise for an all-star cast of advisors for the casual or enthusiastic reader.
Conversation Agent – Valeria Maltoni
Valeria is probably the smartest person I’ve ever met. I say that mostly because I have to study her posts, consult dictionaries and sometimes find interpreters to understand it all. She thinks and writes on a plane I’m unfamiliar with so I always learn something. I’ll admit I sometimes hesitate to share her content because I fear you may not understand it any better than I do, but I’m learning to give you a lot more credit. I’m just a dumb guy most of the time. But she’s a world-class marketing mind and seems to always hit me with great philosophical reminders just when I need them.
Straight Talk – Ted Rubin
Ted is a newer addition to the list, though he’s been around a while and is smart as a whip. His perspective on social and digital aligns with mine in a lot of ways and while he can bleed a little too far into the hippiesphere for my tastes he proves consistently to have at least half his head in the business end of it, not just the rainbows and unicorns part.
Social Media Explorer – Drew Neisser (and others)
Yeah, there’s some bias here. I did found the original SME and I guest post there on occasion, but Drew Neisser and his Renegade team are pumping out helpful content for brands and businesses in the Explorer tradition so much that it’s hard not to pay attention to them. I’m proud they’re keeping the legacy of what I once started going, so they’re on my digital marketing blogs must read list.
Spin Sucks – Gini Dietrich (and others)
Mostly written from a public relations perspective, Spin Sucks is a model of consistency in giving communications professionals sound advice and approaches to digital, social and more. Either they go in spurts of awesome content or I react to their content in spurts. It seems like I share everything they write for 2-3 weeks at a time, then perhaps get distracted. But I always come back. Great stuff here.
Communications Conversations – Arik Hanson
If Arik Hanson wasn’t made of Minnesota niceties, he’d be a ball-buster. He is truly one of the more observant and smart PR and digital pros out there and brings a very subtle No Bullshit attitude to the table without the healthy does of asshole some people we know also have. Heh. He’s helpful, generous and smart. Can’t go wrong reading digital marketing blogs like that.
Without Bullshit – Josh Bernoff
The difference in me and Josh Bernoff can be deciphered in comparing our use of the concept of bullshit. I’m the “No Bullshit” guy. He’s “Without bullshit.” You almost naturally say his version with a British accent. Josh is the better educated, more civilized version of a bullshit caller. His review of current events to either identify companies that are full of it or explain how to approach situations yourself without dishing any is incredibly useful in today’s world. And Josh has been around the block as an analyst and strategist in the digital space, co-authoring some of the authoritative texts of our industry. Trusted resource, him.
Honorable Mentions
These are all blogs on my Must Reads list, but that either don’t publish often or that I make sure to read but are maybe secondary resources for sharing based on their content, my audience or both:
- A Contrarian’s Guide – Tac Anderson
- Ann Handley – Ann Handley
- BrandSavant – Tom Webster
- Maximize Your Social – Neal Schaffer
- Techipedia – Tamar Weinberg
- Web Strategy by Jeremiah – Jeremiah Owyang
Those are my Must Read digital marketing blogs. And to reiterate (mostly to ensure friends and such that this is just the tip of the iceberg), I have dozens of others in my feed reader categorized in a dozen or so ways. The last time I called out great blogs one notable influencer emailed me all butt hurt I didn’t mention his blog. The Cult of Personality (Read: Ego) in the marketing space is eye-roll-worthy sometimes. If you think I left one out, here’s your chance …
What are yours? Share your go-to resources in the comments!