As an inbound marketing agency, we are always working to stay up-to-date with this rapidly-evolving industry—something we know you try to do as well. That’s why we’re providing you with a list of our favorite inbound marketing blogs. We hope you find something you like and if there are any we’re missing, let us know on Twitter @rakacreative.
GrowthHackers
GrowthHackers is focused on user-generated/submitted content. The overarching theme is “to help companies ignite sustainable growth using the cross-functional, value-based approach proven effective by today’s fastest growing companies.” The articles primarily focus on traffic, conversions, and revenue growth.
Why We Love GrowthHackers: Their Growth Studies section highlights different case studies with some of the industry’s largest companies. It gives you insight into creative, original strategies.
On Twitter: @GrowthHackers
The Moz Blog
Where do we even begin with Moz? Their SEO and inbound marketing blog is one of the best out there. Each and every day, they publish new content that’s always thought-provoking and extremely comprehensive.
Why We Love The Moz Blog: Whiteboard Friday is one of a kind, and there’s plenty of other content available. What Rand Fishkin started, other writers are now contributing to, each of them bringing a fresh perspective to topics you undoubtedly have been searching for. They also recognize their visitors are in all different stages of their SEO journey so they provide posts for those just getting started as well as those leading the SEO charge for large organizations.
On Twitter: @Moz
Backlinko
Like MOZ, Backlinko focuses on SEO. Or in their words, “Backlinko is where professional marketers turn for proven SEO advice.” Founded by Brian Dean, an internationally recognized SEO expert, Backlinko shares all of the lessons Dean learned building five online businesses.
You can’t get much without giving up your email, but once you do, there’s a treasure trove of SEO Hacks. Eleven hacks, to be exact.
Why We Love Backlinko: We appreciate experts in their field who don’t give up when the going gets tough. Dean has mastered the SEO game and is now willing to share. To date, Backlinko generates over 170,000 unique visitors per month and over 105,000 people are subscribed to the Backlinko newsletter. Definitely worth a look!
On Twitter: @backlinko
Conversion XL
The Conversion XL blog focuses on conversion optimization and content marketing. Whether it’s more leads, referrals, or sales, founder Peep Laja can help you. After all, he was voted the number one most influential conversion rate optimization expert in the world. That’s impressive.
Why We Love Conversion XL: The content is high quality, clear, comprehensive, and to the point. No fluff here. And if you really want to become an expert in conversion optimization, check out Laja’s recently launched vlog on YouTube called The Pe:p Show.
On Twitter: @peeplaja
Copyblogger
Ah, Copyblogger. One of our absolute favorites. They regularly publish marketing content to help businesses attract attention, increase traffic, and build their brand. Copyblogger focuses more on the art and business of writing than some of the other inbound marketing blogs here.
Why We Love Copyblogger: This blog is full of helpful posts to help you up your content marketing game. If you really want to get serious, you can become a Copyblogger member and enjoy 15 free ebooks and a 20-part course that “lays out the proven framework for online marketing that works.”
On Twitter: @copyblogger
HubSpot Blog
HubSpot’s inbound marketing blog is full of valuable information to help online marketers, no matter what your role is. You can find posts on landing pages, SEO, CTAs, social media, email marketing, and other aspects of the inbound marketing methodology. We know you probably already read HubSpot’s blog, but any list like this wouldn’t be complete without it. HubSpot is the gold standard for content on inbound marketing.
Why We Love Hubspot’s Blog: If you’re looking for easily-digestible and actionable posts, you’ve come to the right place. Since HubSpot essentially coined the phrase “inbound marketing,” it would make sense they are leading the way in educating the rest of us about what it is and how to do it best.
On Twitter: @HubSpot
Search Engine Watch
Don’t let the name fool you, they’re about more than just SEO. Search Engine Watch covers a variety of topics, from PPC and analytics to social media marketing, content creation, and more.
Why We Love Search Engine Watch: The wide range of topics they cover makes SEW a one-stop shop for the more technical side of inbound marketing.
On Twitter: @sewatch
KissMetrics
The KissMetrics marketing blog is full of great information about analytics, inbound marketing, and testing. They provide a wealth of knowledge about improving conversion rates, analyzing website data, and much, much more.
Why We Love KissMetrics: Their Webinar section provides visitors with dozens of webinars that will keep you busy for hours. You can filter them by analytics, marketing, and testing. If there is something you want to learn to “turn insights into sales” KissMetrics can help.
On Twitter: @Kissmetrics
Marketing Land
Marketing Land is a daily publication about the digital marketing industry run by SVP of Content and Editor-In-Chief Michelle Robbins, who also oversees MarTech today and Search Engine Land. The site features articles by their staff as well as contributed articles by subject matter experts so you know you’re getting rich content no matter what the topic.
Why We Love Marketing Land: The site features practical tips, tactics, and strategies that cover the entire spectrum of digital marketing including social media, SEO, SEM, mobile marketing, analytics, display ads, and retail marketing. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop to get all of your digital news then you should sign up for their newsletter. It includes content from their sister sites as well.
On Twitter: @marketingland
MarTech Today
MarTech Today focuses on marketing technology and, like Marketing Land, also covers an array of topics. The difference between the two is that MarTech delves deeper into the tools and technology digital marketers use to execute their digital marketing plans.
Why We Love MarTech Today: At Raka, we’re always looking to get better, faster, stronger, and more efficient. We like to stay on top of marketing technology so we can take advantage of the latest and greatest tools to not only streamline our processes but help our clients streamline theirs as well.
On Twitter: @martech_today
Search Engine Land
To complete this trio of powerful digital marketing blogs produced by Third Door Media, you’ll want to also check out Search Engine Land. It covers all of the tricks of the trade to get found online and reveals the mystery behind Google and Bing’s algorithms that help companies land at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). They also buddy up with Marketing Land to host Search Marketing Expos (SMX) across the world if you want to meet and greet other digital marketing professionals.
Why We Love Search Engine Land: We refer to Search Engine Land’s wealth of knowledge to help maximize the SEO on our website, our clients’ websites, and as a research tool to create compelling content for the Raka blog.
On Twitter: @sengineland
Content Marketing Institute
If you’re in charge of writing content or managing the content marketing team at your company, then this blog is a no-brainer. The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) was founded by Joe Pulizzi, a leading evangelist for content marketing. Their focus is to educate people about content marketing through white papers, articles, online training at the Content Marketing University and at events like Content Marketing World Conference and Expo—one of the biggest content marketing events in the world.
Why We Love Content Marketing Institute: Plain and simple, we love to learn. Content Marketing Institute’s blog not only has a lot of great posts, but they also have eight How-To Guides that will be helpful to the novice as well as the seasoned practitioner.
On Twitter: @CMIContent
Convince & Convert
If the Content Marketing Institute names your blog the number one content marketing blog in the world, then it has to be good. Convince & Convert was founded by Jay Baer, a 24-year digital marketing veteran, in 2008. He knows his stuff and he certainly knows how to share.
Why We Love Convince & Convert: “Jay’s Baer Facts” shed the light on why things are done in content marketing and whether or not you should try them for your business. Highlighting the trends and best practices of a successful content marketing campaign is what makes this blog successful.
On Twitter: @Convince
Unbounce
If you had to summarize in one word why businesses engage in content marketing, it would be…CUSTOMERS. You promise to deliver content potential customers want and when they’re willing to give up their email address to get it, the conversion process begins. One tool that helps with this process is the creation of landing pages. Unbounce’s blog has expert advice on creating landing pages, pop-ups, and sticky bars to capture emails, as well as sending more relevant content to convert prospects into customers.
Why We Love Unbounce: We create a lot of offers to entice our readers and although we use HubSpot to create our landing pages (we are a HubSpot partner after all), Unbounce provides a lot of great information on how to create a winning landing page that converts. Works for us!
On Twitter: @Unbounce
Social Media Explorer
Social Media Explorer started its blog to “discern the marketing wheat from the withering chaff.” Well said, my friends. Holding true to that theme, they named one of their channels “News & Noise” where you’ll find the latest news and trends happening in the world of social media. Their “Tools & Tips” channel can help you up your social media game.
Why We Love Social Media Explorer: The thing that makes Social Media Explorer a little different than other social media blogs are the two remaining channels: “Movers & Makers” and “Cases & Causes.” The first shares the stories of both individuals and companies executing cutting-edge social media strategies and the latter focuses on how people and companies are using social media for the greater good.
On Twitter: @smxplorer
Social Media Examiner
Social Media Examiner states its mission is to “help you navigate the constantly changing social media jungle.” Yes, please! Founded by Michael Stelzner in 2009, his goal was to show how social media could help businesses, rather than just being a tool to keep in touch with your Aunt Martha. Since this blog is still going strong, I’d say this goal was achieved.
Why We Love Social Media Examiner: Not only do they have helpful posts, but they also have a helpful podcast, a live Facebook Ads Summit, and host Social Media Marketing World—one of the largest social media conferences in the world. And, if you’re just getting started with social media, they’ve got you covered with their Getting Started Resource Guide. There’s something for everyone.
On Twitter: @SMExaminer
Social Media Today
Social Media Today’s blog is all about…you guessed it…social media. Their content is full of hands-on tips, thought-provoking analysis, and breakdowns of the latest news. It’s the go-to resource when you want to know how to target a custom audience on Facebook or the state of the social media marketing industry.
Why We Love Social Media Today: Their weekly webinar series brings together experts in the industry to chat about everything social media and they are religiously consistent in publishing contributing authors every day.
On Twitter: @socialmedia2day
The Content Strategist
Sometimes when businesses are just getting started in content marketing they write posts “just because.” They don’t take the time to really create a strategy before putting fingers to keyboard. That’s where Contently’s blog, The Content Strategist, can help. The posts do a great job of shining a light on things you should consider before writing anything to make sure your providing valuable content for your audience.
Why We Love The Content Strategist: When you work at one company doing the same thing day after day for the same audience, you tend to get tunnel vision about what you write and sometimes forget why or for whom you’re writing it for. Has your audience changed? Have their needs changed? Can you be doing something different that might be more effective? The Content Strategist gives you a good break from your daily grind to “look up” and take in a different view before continuing cranking out content.
On Twitter: @contently
Raka
Last, but certainly not least, is the Raka blog. We don’t want to toot our own horn, but we do put out a regular stream of awesome content for our readers. We work hard to determine what type of information people are searching for and deliver it to them in our posts (like this one). Essentially, what we put out is a cornucopia of content touching on all of the topics mentioned above.
Why We Love Raka’s Blog: Each of the content writers at Raka truly wants to help their clients and their readers. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Without all of you, there would be no Raka. So we aim to please and will continue to crank out great content to help our readers along their digital marketing journey.
On Twitter: @rakacreative
How about you? Any other suggestions for inbound marketing blogs we may have missed? Let us know on Twitter @rakacreative.
