Inbound marketing is an ever-growing topic and it seems like every year it becomes more complicated, more intricate, more… well, more.
And sometimes it can feel overwhelming.
But not to worry – there are people out there committed to keeping up to date with all the latest updates, trends, news, research and data. People so committed to keeping up to date with all of this information that they maintain wonderful blogs that then help us to stay on top of this fast-paced industry.
Last year, we brought you the top 7 content marketing blogs to read in 2014. Each and every one of those blogs is still going strong, so check them out if you get a chance! This year we wanted to top that number and bring you 8 more that are sure to help you stay at the top of your game.
Here are the top 8 content marketing blogs to read in 2015 to get more customers and boost your sales online.
On Social Media Marketing
Hootsuite
Who writes it? Hootsuite
What do they write about? Hootsuite writes and curates content about social media strategy, advice, and tips. It’s updated several times a day.
Why should I read it? Easy to read bite-size content that helps build savvy social media marketers. The Hootsuite team stays on top of all the latest developments in social media by curating bite-sized videos that wrap up industry news and product updates.
Where can I find it? http://blog.hootsuite.com
Top picks:
- The 7 Essential Mobile Apps For When You Have To Work On Your Phone
- Game of Social Thrones (because it’s an awesome example of great video content)
- Big Global Social Networks are Catching Up on Facebook
RazorSocial
Who writes it?
Ian Cleary
What do they talk about?Social media tools and technology.
Why should I read it?RazorSocial explores social media tools and technology with well-illustrated and detailed posts. Ian manages to tap into questions that no one else has explored yet, making Razor Social an invaluable source of information.
Where can I find it?http://www.razorsocial.com/blog/
Top picks:
- How to Make Simple Animations for Social Media
- How to Perform a Hashtag Search Across Multiple Channels
- 26 Social Media Monitoring Tools [Reference Guide]
On Landing Pages and Conversion
Unbounce
Who owns it?
Unbounce
What do they talk about?The Unbounce blog offers marketers data-backed and actionable content on building landing pages that are optimized to collect and convert leads.
Why should I read it?The Unbounce blog doesn’t just talk, they show. With step-by-step guides, thorough walk-throughs, data in every other paragraph, it’s the perfect blog for marketers looking to up the ante.
Where can I find it? http://unbounce.com/blog/Top picks:
- How to Use the 6 Principles of Persuasion to Create Landing Pages That Convert
- 9 Content Marketing Growth Hacks to Drive Traffic and Conversions
- 12 Surprising A/B Test Results to Stop You Making Assumption
To Improve Your Copy Writing
CopyHackers
Who writes it? Joanna Wiebe
What do they talk about?
Loaded with actionable short posts, theoretical posts, audio interviews and videos, the copy blog by Copy Hackers will teach you to convert like a mofo.
Why should I read it?If you like well-written, and often downright hilarious, content that will help you take actionable steps towards improving your writing (and therefore, you’re content marketing) then this is the blog for you.
Where can I find it? http://copyhackers.comTop picks:
- To measure the copy you write, use this graphic
- Choices, Consequences and the Reason Every Pop-Up Box Needs 2 Buttons: Opt In, and Opt Out
- Swearing, Euphemisms and Writing Something That Actually Sounds Like You
On Customer Service
Honestly? There really should be more blogs about customer service. It’s such an important part of running a business that’s overlooked more and more in online marketing.
That’s why I’m choosing 2. It’s that important. (Plus, I love both these blogs equally and just can’t decide!)
Groove – Customer Support Blog
Who writes it?
Len Markidan
What do they talk about?All things related to supporting customers.
Why should I read it?Because great customer service can make or break a business, and Groove does an awesome job at creating content around a topic that many of us dread thinking about.
Where can I find it? https://www.groovehq.com/support/Top picks:
- How To Make Your Customer Service More Personal (And Why You Want To)
- The Crisis Communication Handbook for Customer Service
- Understanding Customer Service Metrics: The Numbers That Matter Most
HelpScout
Who writes it?
HelpScout
What do they talk about?How delight customers and build/measure true customer loyalty.
Why should I read it?It’s super easy to read, really engaging, well illustrated and the topics have mass appeal. What more could you want?
Where can I find it?http://www.helpscout.net/blog/
Top picks:
- How Disney Creates Magical Experiences (and a 70% Return Rate)
- 15 Customer Service Skills that Every Employee Needs
- How to Build a Brand that Wins Over Customers’ Hearts and Wallets
For Email Marketing
Mailchimp
Who writes it?
Mailchimp
What do they talk about?The real itty gritty of email marketing. From building, growing and analyzing your email marketing strategies, they’ve got it all.
Why should I read it?If you’re a mailchimp user, or you use any kind of email marketing software, Mailchimp’s blog offeres marketers a glimpse into the campaigns of their customers which is highly valuable. You can use this data to improve and inspire your own email strategy.
Where can I find it?http://blog.mailchimp.com/Top picks:
- How The Onion Turns Funny Headlines Into Great Emails
- For Cultivated Wit, Email is No Joke
- Perfecting Our Own Automation Recipes
For An Unusual Perspective
If you want to get ahead in this very over crowded world of content marketing, you need to have your own thing. You just have to be unique nowadays. And that means, not always reading what’s considered “safe” content.
The Ad Contrarian
Who writes it?
Bob Hoffman
What does he talk about?Contrary to popular opinion type content on the topics of marketing and advertisement.
Why should I read it?Marketers tend to start believing their own BS sometimes, but Hoffman’s blog works as a counterbalance to this tendency. Hoffman likes to take the mainstream and flip it’s on its head and, well, just kind of talk about it. It’s a great way to keep you on your toes, while also making sure that you get a more balanced view of the world too. It can be a tough read, and I don’t always agree with him, but it’s definitely a blog that will get you thinking (and sometimes downright mad too!).
Where can I find it?http://adcontrarian.blogspot.ca/
Top picks:
- Why I Hate Content
- The Slow Painful Collapse Of The Social Media Fantasy (Part 1)
- How Marketers Lie To Themselves
Final Thoughts On The Top Content Marketing Blogs To Read In 2015
Keeping up to date with the latest news in content marketing can be hard. It’s too fast, too much, too soon and it can leave us feeling a little deflated. Last year, Skey wrote in her post “The 7 Top Content Marketing Blogs To Read In 2014” that we should focus on our customers, and not spend hours every day scrambling to read all this content in order to stay up to date.
Focus your efforts on your customers, and use learning tools – like blogs, videos, webinars – when you need to learn something to provide even better products and services to your customers.
And this year, I say the same thing.Personally, I spend 30 minutes a day reading through content and curating my favorite 4 – 5 posts using the feedly extension that populate the content straight into the Spokal Editor so it’s then a simple matter of dragging and dropping the content into the time slots that I want it to be shared.
But other than that, I might go a month or 2 without checking in on my favorite blogs and then, when the need arises, I’ll go on a content-binge and read everything that I missed around that specific topic.
There are so many great blogs this year – it was really tough choosing just 8. What are some of your favorite content marketing blogs to read in 2015? Please share!
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