You're on Cloud 9 right now.
You just closed a high-profile account and your boss is praising you non-stop for a job well done.
That means a well-deserved "me time".
A raise. Or, a quick flight to the nearest exotic beach.
But then, a phone call wakes you up. Your boss is on the other line and he needs your report on how to close this high-profile account. Upper management is pressuring him to produce the numbers. And your boss is demanding you to come up with the strategies.
You need inspiration. You need input. You need expert advice from people who know marketing. You demand fresh, timely nuggets of information. Not re-hashed ideas regurgitated over and over again.
So what are you going to do? Ask your friends on Facebook? Post a question on Quora? Scour your local library?
How about subscribing to 17 of the most well-loved (by yours truly) inbound marketing blogs on the planet TODAY?
Pick their brains. Mine for information. Learn from the gurus. Voice out your opinion. Argue with the author if you have to.
You may disagree with my list and I understand that. But most of the blogs I read recommend the sites on this list as well.
Are you ready?
Here they are.
Copyblogger
This site is a one-stop shop for anything about sales and marketing. They’ve got topics about SEO, copywriting, internet marketing and many more. This blog is a definite destination for marketers of all levels. You'll get to enjoy a mix of ebooks, articles, podcasts, webinars and forum posts.
Recommended topics for you:
- Empathy Maps: A Complete Guide to Crawling Inside Your Customer’s Head
- How to Use Customer Experience Maps to Develop a Winning Content Marketing Strategy
- Why Interactive Content May Be the Most Exciting Marketing Tactic of 2015
Danny Brown
One of his posts, “Facebook for Android and Why Zuckerberg Now Owns Your Ass” has a total of 9,800 shares.
Impressive, don’t you think?
Danny’s blog is the first place you should visit if you’re new to inbound marketing. Each article combines marketing lessons with story telling – making it easy to digest and a fun read. I guarantee you, every post is worth your coffee break.
Recommended topics for you:
- Your Product Will Catch Me, Your Service Will Keep Me
- How to Build the Commodities of Identity and Trust in Social Media
- Content Marketing Experts Share Their Top 100 Content Tips
HubSpot
Being a former HubSpotter, I’ve gotten to experience how they value quality above anything else. And the same is true about their articles. Their content is one of the most in-demand in the market. In fact, their site attracts 1.2 million visitors a month.
The content is so rich and dynamic, they had to split it into 3 categories: Marketing, Sales and Agency. Between these 3 categories are valuable lessons about branding, design, business, career & personal development and more.
Recommended topics for you:
- How to Tap Into Your Inner Don Draper to Win Your Next Sales Pitch
- 6 Simple Ways to Tap Into the Power of Influencer Marketing
- How to Manage, Centralize & Learn From Client Feedback
IMPACT Branding & Design
If there are 3 words to describe IMPACT, I would choose:
Short, fun and educational.
Each article – 3 to 7 minutes of reading time – is brimming with industry’s best practices and easy-to-apply tactics. This blog combines theory and practice like no other.
Recommended topics for you:
- 8 Marketing and Sales Lessons I Learned from Watching Shark Tank
- The 10 Most Overused SaaS Buzzwords (& Why You Need to Abandon Them)
- Video Content is King: The Importance of Video Marketing [Infographic]
Inbound Marketing Agents
I admire how each article digs-in to answer your most pressing concerns about marketing. Every blog post is rich with information, it’s an ebook by itself.
Recommended topics for you:
- What is Growth Hacking and Why Should You Care?
- When Choosing a Marketing Agency, Choose Authenticity First
- 4 Keys to Optimizing Lead Generation on Your Website
Jeff Bullas
His blog is the #1 resource for all things social media. Every post has all the tips and tricks you need to succeed in any social media platform – whether it’s for your business or your clients.'
Recommended topics for you:
- 5 Ways To Make Money with Your Twitter Account
- 10 Powerful Tips to Increase Fan Engagement on Facebook
- 30 Things You Should Not Share On Social Media
Kuno Creative
Do you know what’s good about this blog?
Guest posting.
It gathers the brightest from SEO, social media and web design to produce insightful, relevant articles.
The result: 13 unique categories that talks about growing your business, taking care of your customers and taking advantage of breakthrough technologies.
I also admire their effort in coming up with helpful resources for marketers: “Free Marketing Storytelling Ebook” , ”Mobile Marketing Responsive Design Guide” , “How To Get Started With Marketing Automation” and “Conquering Content Marketing”
Recommended topics for you:
- Using Storytelling in Your Software & Technology Marketing: When & How
- How Tech Companies Can Turn Employees into Brand Storytellers
- When It Comes to Long-Form Content, It’s Not Just About Word Count
Lynton
With close to 900 posts, this blog has all the inbound marketing content you need. Roman Kniahynyckyj, Mike Rastiello and company made inbound marketing a topic worth learning about. They even include a weekly roundup of refreshing themes about it.
Recommended topics for you:
- 3 Email Tools I Can't Live Without
- 5 Reasons Why Your WordPress Website Is Too Damn Slow
- Any weekly roundup from Roman and Mike. Just like this one and this one.
PR 20/20
How do you encourage your readers to finish your article?
Simple.
Give them something new to talk about. Share something fresh to think about.
That’s what PR 20/20 excels at. I’m amazed at how much research they’ve invested for each blog post. They're passionate about topics designed to make their readers excel in content marketing.
Recommended topics for you:
- The Content Marketing Toolkit [Checklists, Charts & Graphics]
- 23 Must-See Resources That Will Make You A Better Marketer (And They Have Nothing To Do With Marketing)
- 21 Marketing Podcasts You Need to Listen To
Precision Marketing Group
If you’ve been working in the B2B arena for some time now, you’ve probably realized how competitive it is. First, the market is limited. Second, you’re dealing with a long sales process. And third, it’s a buyers’ market.
If you’re smart, you’ll bookmark this blog and devour its content to your heart’s desire.
Each article is a treasure trove of information on how to market your products better, grow your funnel quicker and run your business smarter.
Recommended topics for you:
- Ask and You Shall Receive (No, Really – It's Okay to Ask!)
- How To Market Services – Treat Them Like a Product
- How to Market Services Part 2 – More Ideas to Productize
ProBlogger
Blogging is an important part of your content marketing efforts. In fact, some Fortune 500 companies have active blogs. So why can’t you?
To keep your blogging skills in tip top shape, you’ve got to subscribe to ProBlogger.
This site is a leading resource of anything about blogging. I’ve learned a lot about blogging – and writing – by investing a few minutes a day reading its content.
Recommended topics for you:
- ProBlogger Podcast: Can You Really Make Money Blogging?
- Partnering With Brands Series
- How to Find Readers For Your Blog
SEOmoz
If you want to rank high on search engines, there’s really no other choice but to subscribe to Moz.
This site is the place for SEO gurus and newbies alike. You can also share your SEO knowledge by writing for YouMoz. And if you’re not into articles, you can watch Whiteboard Friday. Each broadcast offers SEO tips, techniques and best practices.
Recommended topics for you:
- Whiteboard Friday
- How To Learn SEO
- The Importance of Being Different: Creating a Competitive Advantage With Your USP
Seth Godin
I get it. You’re always busy. You’re always on the go. You don’t have time to read a two-page article about the next content marketing tactic.
But I bet you’ve got a minute to read Seth’s posts. Anything about business condensed into 200 to 1,000 word articles. Written by one of the best selling authors, speakers and entrepreneurs today.
What more to ask?
Recommended topics for you:
Social Media Examiner
If you think social media marketing is a tough nut to crack, then subscribe to this blog today. Because it has all the resources you need to become a social media expert.
Name it: ebooks, blogs, videos, webinars, reports, events, community and forum.
You get all the content you need in just one site.
Recommended topics for you:
- 5 Twitter Tools to Boost Your Productivity
- Why Social Media Marketers Fail to Innovate and What to Do About It
- How to Create Facebook Ads That Stand Out Using Power Editor
The Inbound Marketing Company
An inbound marketing blog for SMB’s. They are experts in delivering content that helps small businesses compete. Each lesson is easy to apply – perfect for business owners who have no time for complex theories.
Recommended topics for you:
- 9 Steps To A Google Friendly SEO Strategy – That works!
- How Sales and Marketing Must Change Tactics To Succeed Online
- Learn How To Improve Your Marketing ROI With This Free Guide
WebInkNOw
Marketing strategist David Meerman Scott knows his topics really well. In fact, he was able to incorporate Grateful Dead with content marketing and made an article out of it. I met David a few times while working at HubSpot, and his expertise in the industry is unparalleled.
Recommended topics for you:
- The Best Time to Market a Product, Service, or Idea
- Team Building Lessons from the Grateful Dead
- Learning from Jack King: Visionary of Real-Time Content Marketing
Weidert Group
The Whole Brain Marketing Blog. Yes, that’s what they call their site and rightfully so.
The blog offers a complete selection of topics aimed at making you an expert marketer. They divided each post into categories and sub-categories. Their topics are timely, relevant and thoughtful. You’ll find articles about SEO, strategy, customer relationship, web design, lead generation, conversion and analytics.
Recommended topics for you:
- Top 10 Most Effective Marketing Strategies
- SEO: 6 Ways to Craft Better Meta Descriptions That Rock The SERPs
- 18 Outstanding Examples of Companies Using Instagram Video
There you go. My personal list of inbound marketing blogs. I suggest you check them out. Start with my recommendations and let your curiosity guide you. I’m telling you, these sites have more than enough knowledge to make your business profitable or your boss happy.
I'd love to hear from you and what blogs you like to follow. Leave your comments below with your own list and tell me what makes them special.
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