As per a global survey conducted by HubSpot in 2019, more than 60% of brands, companies, and marketers are spending time actively learning more about and performing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for their products and services. To put it simply, these days businesses are spending more and more on digital marketing and advertising, even when compared to TV advertising and print media combined. Following the top digital marketing blogs is the need of the hour.
In fact, digital content marketing and social media marketing are the need of the hour for every brand.
The competition is tough.
Also, the trends in digital marketing and blog marketing keep evolving by the day.
Now in order to make sure you’re getting the basics right, beating your competitors, and are up to date with the latest trends in the industry, here are the top 12 blogs you should follow on a regular basis:
1. Moz
Whatever your SEO learning needs may be, MOZ is the answer!
Over the years, this particular blog has been able to produce amazing content on digital marketing as it also learned through the process itself. Whether it is specific website content like the ‘About’ page of a website or their weekly ‘Whiteboard Friday’ editions about common SEO mistakes, you will find tips that you can directly apply to your own company blog as well.
Once you go through the engaging comments that the readers post on the blog, it is only then that you will realize the engagement that the blog has been able to create among the readers. They also share case studies through their blogs at regular intervals. Getting to learn from a real-life example can be the most enriching and effective way to learn through a digital marketing blog.
So then what makes this blog stand out among all the digital marketing blogs every digital marketer should follow in 2020?
In addition to the blog, the website has introduced multiple resources that can be accessed to improve your local SEO knowledge as well. Their blog posts are creative, crisp, and useful. You can always have concrete takeaways from each of their blogs and also keep yourself updated with the latest trends of SEO. They have also gained popularity and recognition because of the video tutorials they make available.
2. Orbit Media
Originally, Orbit Media, as the name suggests, is a Chicago-based web development and design company. For beginners, the blog also offers an option where they can explore blogs on the topics of their choice.
If you look closely at their blog, you will notice that a lot of their blog posts are driven by data and numbers. Andy Crestodina leads the blog and you will find a lot of articles by him on the blog. The unique thing about the blog is that it focuses more on putting the ‘digital’ in digital marketing.
The common topics on the Orbit Media blog are focussed on web design and analytics. The writers dissect the topic in great detail and dive as deep as one can on a topic. For instance, in a blog about ‘How to Take a Great Selfie’, the writer Andy Crestodina talks about everything from lighting to positioning and even about using the selfie.
Who knew taking a selfie could require so much technical knowledge, right?
But you’ll be surprised to know that it does. In fact, most of the things we do for digital marketing, whether it is a blog or a brand, require deep experienced knowledge about aspects that a layman may not even be able to imagine.
3. Kajabi
As a brand, Kajabi focuses on two things. Simplification and Integration. Through their own services, they offer to take care of your online business as if it is their own brainchild. They offer various services including web design, integrated marketing, simple payments, useful analytics, campaign designs, and email marketing among others.
Let’s look at their blog:
It can be a very smart idea to blog about the people working behind the screen.
Here are a few topics that they have blogged about:
Their blog is a showcase of their product updates, of course. But in addition to that, it also offers knowledge on various content creation ideas that might be useful for your own brand. For instance, one of their popular blogs talks about trigger words that can be used to increase conversation. Now, digital marketers may not be the only people who could benefit from such ideas.
With the idea of supporting upcoming small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs, some of their blogs also talk about business strategies like employee mental health or engagement. If you are a beginner or an upcoming entrepreneur, you might find some of their blogs especially relevant to your issues. They also do tutorials and interview formats in their blogs on a regular basis.
4. Hubspot
This name needs no introduction for anyone who has worked in the field of digital marketing even for a short period of time. Given the sheer volume and utility of the content that Hubspot puts on its blog, it would be a crime to not include them in this list of digital marketing blogs every digital marketer should follow in 2020.
Looking to monetize your blog?
Hubspot has a blog post on it!
Need planning tools or training modules to manage remote workforce?
Hubspot has got it covered!
From detailed comprehensive guides to quick listicles with usable tips and strategies, they have everything you need to kickstart your digital marketing journey. Even people who have been in the field for years rely on the blog to keep themselves updated with the evolving trends in the digital marketing landscape.
In addition to the blogs, they also offer various learning resources and certifications related to digital marketing. Hubspot is your go-to blog especially if you cater to the B2B industry or are planning to learn more about inbound marketing. After all, it was Hubspot that introduced the term in detail to the industry. The Hubspot blog gives you a platform to explore blogs related to your learning needs and then provide you with unlimited resources on the topic of your choice!
5. Neil Patel
Neil Patel is one of the most respected and renowned names in the digital marketing industry. A marketer and blogger himself, Neil Patel has also founded many effective digital marketing tools that are high in-demand in the industry like the Kissmetrics or the Quick Sprout. His enriching experience is very well reflected in his blog as well.
As you can see in the image attached, the blog covers topics from content marketing to email marketing and even conversion rate optimization.
The blog’s vision? Simple.
Help companies increase their revenue through digital marketing.
Having worked with several big brands like General Motors, Google, and e-bay, he has been able to convert his experience into blogs that impart the pearls of wisdom in the sea of digital marketing to newcomers and experienced marketers alike.
Another thing that you should know about the blog and the teaching material that it offers is that it is also used in colleges and universities all over the world as a learning tool. The blog has posts that cover a variety of topics and also has podcasts to keep up with the daily trends and happenings of the digital world. The layout of the blog is very simple and catchy. You can scroll through the latest blogs and podcasts or you can select the topic you wish to learn more about.
6. Leanplum
Have you explored the mobile marketing segment for your brand yet?
In the world of digital marketing blogs crowded with articles on email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and others, this blog has created a unique space for itself. Majority of the blogs on Leanplum focus on mobile marketing. Their blogs have been able to beautifully capture the world’s most used digital marketing device.
Some blogs on Leanplum also help you learn how to optimize emails for mobile phones, which is a very important aspect of email marketing as well. This is not to say that they do not cover conventional digital marketing topics. But instead of repeating the topics that you may generally find on other blogs, this blog covers a separate niche.
We don’t need data to tell us that mobile marketing is here to stay. As more and more people engage in different forms of media on their smartphones, it will be easy and effective to target mobile marketing as an important subset of digital marketing. That is exactly what the blog focuses on. It also offers valuable insights and learning resources for mobile marketing management. You can also find topics like customer engagement being covered in-depth in many of the blog posts.
7. Unmarketing
Wait, what?
Unmarketing?
But weren’t we learning about digital marketing blogs?
In a world where everyone is focused on the obvious details about digital marketing, this blog is your entry into the world of Unmarketing. As per their tagline, they want you to “Stop Marketing, Start Engaging”. Most of their content is directed towards how brands can up their engagement game instead of playing among the marketers of today.
Unblog. Unpodcast. Unspeaking.
These are the three things you can find on their blog. The idea behind all these posts is to make you think outside the box about all the traditional digital marketing wisdom that you may have. Their unblog topics range from making social media relevant to brand endearment. The blog also involves many case studies and talks about unconventional topics that you may not generally find on a digital marketing blog.
If you are looking for some interesting tips and tricks to engage with customers through digital marketing, this is your go-to blog for the same.
8. Duct Tape Marketing
If you are a small business, you are generally tight on funds.
Quality digital marketing, in such cases, may take a backseat as compared to operations, HR, and finance, which are functions that simply can not be ignored.
Guess what?
Every brand can get its own creative digital marketing without spending a lot of money if they follow this blog!
Most of the blog posts on the blog are targeted towards small and medium-sized businesses that want to perform effective and efficient digital marketing functions without spending too much. However, this does not mean that big banners and brands can not learn anything from the blog!
No matter what the size of your company/brand, wouldn’t you want to save money on digital marketing without compromising on the quality? That’s exactly what the blog focuses on. Small businesses can find useful and practically applicable tips on the blog which focus on growing the small businesses and build a successful marketing strategy for the same.
9. Unbounce
What’s more important?
Getting leads or converting them into business?
While as a business you have to focus on both, this blog has its own speciality. Most of the digital marketing blogs focus on reaching out to more and more people. This blog, as the name suggests, focuses on conversions.
The topics on the blog range from designing successful landing pages for your website to making them more empathetic to the audience as per the current scenario. From generating interest among readers to pursuing them to take action, the blog posts on this blog have a different vibe to it.
You can also check out their product offerings as a company. They use AI to create landing pages that are more likely to convert leads into business.
10. Grow
The niche of the blog ‘Grow’ is just as simple as its name. The blogs are directed towards the growth of a business. Mark Schaefer heads the blog along with some guest writers. As a popular business consultant and public speaker, Mark Schaefer aims at combining marketing, technology, and humanity through the blog.
Given the experience of the writers, this blog can be classified as a well-brewed mix of digital marketing tips and leadership thoughts in general that can help a business reach new heights. Some of the blogs also analyze upcoming trends in the digital marketing industry in addition to comprehending the existing ones.
You can also search according to specific topics like influencer marketing, case studies, and blogging best practices to keep a check on your own digital marketing strategy. Some blog posts are already analyzing the trends post the pandemic and the effects that the lockdown will have on the industry.
Conclusion
In today’s times, there are thousands of digital marketing blogs that one can follow as per one’s own learning needs and requirements. The best digital marketing blogs are those that are practising what they preach effectively and efficiently. If you are a beginner, check out our top picks of digital marketing blogs Every digital marketer should follow in 2020 or make up your own. But remember, a blog is as useful as it offers strategies that are applicable.
In addition to these top global digital marketing blogs, you can also explore Indian blogs like Digital Deepak if you are looking for targeted information. What more do you need when you have this valuable resource that you can access sitting at home and make the best of this knowledge for your own brand or company? Get a notebook, open these blogs, and get going!