The Top 10 Marketing Blogs to Start Reading Today

Although it has been an internet trend for quite some time, recently businesses have started to utilize blogs to increase their brand recognition and become more engaged in the digital age. Blogs, used by companies both large and small, have several benefits, such as driving traffic to your website, complementing social media goals, and establishing you or your company as a field expert. So it should come as no surprise that 36 percent of Fortune 500 companies currently have an active blog.

Additionally, because blogs are easy to find, easy to read, and extremely informative, they are considered to be a reliable resource for consumers. In fact, 81 percent of US online consumers believe that blogs are a trusted source of information, which is oftentimes why they will consult blogs and online communities prior to purchasing a product.

As a result, according to Social Media Examiner, 45 percent of marketers say blogging is the #1 most important piece of their content strategy. This means that there’s plenty of blogs out there to both read as a means of educating yourself on a topic (such as marketing) OR to use as inspiration to start your very own blog.

So if you’re looking to educate yourself about SEO, increase your inbound traffic, or improve your business’ blog by diversifying your content, you should consider looking at marketing blogs for some tips and tricks.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best marketing blogs that have an abundance of resources from articles to webinars to help you achieve your various marketing goals. Read on to begin your journey to becoming a marketing expert!

Start reading these marketing blogs today:

1. Neil Patel

A guru in the marketing industry, Neil Patel has a lot to offer for marketing professionals. A best selling writer and online marketing expert, Patel is passionate about helping businesses of all sizes grow and expand upon their marketing objectives. He uses his own experience to create blog posts, webinars, infographics, and more that provide unique insight and advice.

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2. HubSpot Blog

With options to subscribe to both marketing and sales articles, the HubSpot Blog offers a variety of resources to cover all your basic content needs. With over 40 marketing topics alone, HubSpot has tool suggestions, marketing essentials, and free ebooks. Posts are published daily, so there will always be something new in your inbox with unique and valuable tips on how to improve your business.

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3. Content Marketing Institute

With unique events, a digital magazine, and a consulting service, Content Marketing Institute offers a lot more than just a blog. Mostly centered around content marketing strategy, creation, and distribution, CMI offers a variety of articles from a list of best practices to how-to’s. Additionally, it provides a list of unique topics to browse, such as industry news and measurement and ROI, so you’ll never be bored!

Suggested Reading: What Is the Difference Between Content and Content Marketing?

4. IMPACT

IMPACT describes itself as “The latest in inbound marketing, sales, design, and conversion rate optimization,” and I don’t think I could have said it better myself! The blog offers the best tips and tricks for small and medium sized-businesses primarily to enhance their online presence and generate leads and sales.

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5. ProBlogger

ProBlogger is here to support you and all of your personal and professional blogging objectives. With over 8,000 posts, it provides “advice, tips, and in-depth tutorials alongside the latest blogging trends.” In addition to the blog, ProBlogger offers podcasts, eBooks, and a resources tab for common blogging tools. We recommend checking out ProBlogger if you’re interested in starting a blog or if you already have one and need guidance on how to create better and more engaging content.

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6. Duct Tape Marketing

Focusing mostly on small businesses, Duct Tape Marketing was founded to provide “simple, effective, and affordable small business marketing advice.” Duct Tape provides a wide array of articles related to small businesses success and what drives it. In addition to articles, the blog has resources such as podcasts and free consultations in categories such as Adwords and pay per click to ensure that your small business is getting the most help to grow.

Suggested Reading: Why Small Businesses Have the Social Media Marketing Advantage

7. Brian Solis

A well respected author, influencer, speaker, and blogger, Brian Solis is a highly regarded marketing professional who offers advice about marketing strategies, leading a “digital lifestyle” and more. In addition to his blog, he has several books such as What’s the Future of Business (WTF) and The End of Business as Usual which discuss the relationship between a business and its customers and how to improve it.

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8. Convince and Convert

Convince and Convert has articles for almost every marketing topic you could possibly think of. From campaign testing and optimization to blogging and content creation, the site has plenty of articles that leave you equipped to improve your online and social media presence, optimize community influencers, handle social media crises, and more.

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9. Econsultancy

Econsultancy, a digital marketing blog, is focused on providing its audience with a variety of articles that can be applied to almost any industry. With plenty of advice, all businesses are sure to find something that will benefit their overall marketing strategy and keep them up-to-date on the latest digital marketing trends.

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10. PR 20/20

PR 20/20 offers a variety of public relations, content, and general marketing tools, among others, that complement each other to ensure that you are tackling marketing efforts and objectives from all sides. Be sure to check out Marketing Score, an online assessment tool and marketing intelligence engine that allows you to rate your marketing efforts and review a comprehensive report. You can also invite your colleagues to register and then compare scores to improve your performance on a broader level.

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Ready, Set, Blog!

It’s no secret that a blog is an irreplaceable tool for a business and it’s important that it’s done right to gain maximum returns. If you don’t have one or are just starting to blog, you should look for online resources (like the Top 10 Marketing Blogs!) that will help decide what and how to write, who your audience is, and how to distribute your material. Now that you have some ideas, it’s time to get ready, get set, blog!

To view the original article, visit the Contactually blog.