2022’s Best Digital Marketing Blogs to Follow

Knowing how fast things shift in digital marketing, we as marketers must stay on top of the latest trends and recognize the evergreen ones. Otherwise, we risk falling behind.

Staying in the know in the industry where the only constant is change can be a challenge. That’s why we’ve prepared this practical guide for all our fellow marketers to rise to the occasion.

To help you get all your marketing ducks in a row, we’ve compiled the best digital marketing blogs and resources to follow for a smoother, knowledge-driven 2022 and beyond. After all, the best way to learn marketing today is to go straight to the source, or in this case, to the most trusted sources in the field, and we’ve singled them out for you.

But first, let’s kick off by discussing some of the most notable trends in digital marketing today.

Digital Marketing Trends

The relevance of digital online marketing has grown substantially over the years. Only in the last three years, the interest in internet marketing has doubled to reach an all-time peak in 2021.

The pandemic has nudged more companies to take their digital strategies more seriously, but customers have also reinforced the shift toward digital communications. 

It’s likely a mix of these and other contributing factors making digital marketing solutions the go-to growth strategy for businesses across all industries.

Although the learning curve is steep and new methods pop up regularly, the following marketing trends are stealing the spotlight today.

1. Video content creation on the rise

It’s not just the TikTok craze. Video marketing is possible everywhere: on Instagram and Facebook, not to mention the video-focused YouTube platform, and even LinkedIn loves them. 

Brands post videos on their sites to promote new products instead of how-to articles and showcase their work and case studies. Both sales and marketing teams today leverage short and easy-to-produce videos to engage customers and generate more leads. 

We, humans, are very visual creatures. That’s why videos are the perfect medium for brands to engage customers and inspire interaction and repeat business. When you’re buying those new shoes, you’re much more likely to check out a video review by a satisfied customer to see those shoes in action. 

If you’re after that cheesecake recipe, you’re also much more likely to follow video-based instructions—not only is it highly appetizing, but it also puts each step in the right perspective. 

The interest in video content is growing at a head-spinning rate. The pandemic alone has pushed this trend forward, as 91% of marketers agree that the health crisis has made videos much more relevant for their campaigns. 

In 2021, video ROI was also staggeringly higher than in previous years, as now 87% of marketers reported a positive ROI for their videos (compared to only 33% from 2015):

Besides, producing and editing quality videos today is far more affordable and easy to master. Even if you’d like to learn marketing in home conditions, all you need is a good phone camera, a tool like DaVinci Resolve, and you’re in business. 

The result? The rise of video content creation to strengthen your digital marketing strategy.

2. All eyes on inbound

The pandemic and the resulting increase in remote work have both elevated the phenomenon known as screen fatigue. 

Naturally, too many Zoom meetings and too much time interacting via digital outlets have made people less tolerant of pushy, interruptive content. To meet customer expectations, inbound marketing has stepped in to save the day.

Even before 2020, people’s interest transitioned more to value-driven content that educates and entertains rather than intruding with ads and pop-up offers. The health crisis only strengthened this shift, with people leaning more towards brands that build trust and awareness above all else.

3. Micro-influencers with major impact

Although having several thousand or tens of thousands of followers doesn’t sound “micro” at all, it really is in the world of influencers. Despite the lack of celebrity-level impact, these social media names have become a powerful asset for brands to forge trust-based relationships with customers. 

Working with micro-influencers has reshaped how brands grow their reputation.

Authentic and often unscripted, micro-influencer campaigns are a natural continuation of word-of-mouth marketing on social media. 

Brands love them because they’re more candid and cost-effective, and customers appreciate them because they have a much more close-knit relationship with their audience.

4. Ephemeral paired with permanent

Stories on Facebook and Instagram have a 24-hour lifespan, making them the perfect vessel for inspiring FOMO—the fear of missing out, so pervasive among younger audiences. 

This kind of ephemeral content is helping businesses boost engagement on social media but also gain more site visits through embedded links. 

Knowing that stories disappear after a day, customers are much more likely to feel curious about them. However, keep in mind that people are most active on social platforms during the workweek, apparently needing a break from their chores and stress. 

This is your chance to offer them interesting, value-driven permanent content on the newsfeed to fortify your ephemeral efforts.

5. AI-powered learning and personalization

Whenever you interact with a site’s chatbot to ask for advice, you’re interacting with artificial intelligence. Amazon makes on-site recommendations based on your digital footprint, and their AI helps make more meaningful, person-specific offers. 

Marketers are turning to AI for all kinds of problem-solving processes. So much so that AI is expected to generate up to $2.6 trillion in value over the next three years. Not to mention that the use of AI in marketing has skyrocketed from a measly 29% in 2018 to a staggering 84% in 2020. 

AI-based tools and deep-learning apps speed up the learning process and data analysis. They help marketers and sales experts make better forecasts, recognize emerging trends (much like we’re doing now), and personalize the customer experience.

AI is not designed to replace us. It’s meant to help reduce the time-consuming menial work prone to bias and human error and help us focus on creating more meaningful experiences for customers. 

6. Performance must prevail

With faster internet connections and better phones, we’re getting more impatient by the day. It means your customers don’t want to wait that extra second for the page to load, nor do they have the patience to scroll through a site not optimized for mobile.

So, before you move on to producing videos and writing brilliant blogs, make sure your site works smoothly for every user on every device. Consider this an evergreen prerequisite rather than a seasonal marketing trend.

7. Hey, Google, what’s all the fuss about voice search optimization?

You’ve finally decided to make that delicious cheesecake, and your hands are messy from making the base from butter and cracker crumbs. But you have no clue what to do next. So, naturally, you yell at your phone. 

Smart assistants, both as standalone devices and on our phones, aren’t that new, but they’re quickly changing the SEO landscape. We’re using longer phrases in question and instruction form to browse, and search engines are adapting accordingly. 

With the vast majority of customers favoring voice queries over typing, marketers are taking notice. Your content needs to be optimized to reach people conducting voice searches. Otherwise, you risk falling behind those who do.

Best ways to generate leads

One of the top goals in digital marketing today for any growth-oriented business is to generate new leads. That said, it’s not about the quantity of generated leads. It’s about their quality – hence the term qualified leads.

A qualified lead is someone truly interested in what you’re selling and is therefore highly likely to convert into a customer. Of course, it’s up to you to generate a qualified lead using the right digital marketing solutions and attract the best potential customers in your industry.

To do this, you need to know your audience and understand their interests, passions, and values, as well as the problems and pain points they are trying to overcome. You also need to take into account the critical lead generation statistics and trends, like the fact that video can generate 66% more leads in a year.

This is the only way to create and optimize fantastic lead generation tactics that will bring new customers to your business.

Now, lead generation comes in many forms, and you should use inbound lead generation tactics primarily to appeal to the younger generation of consumers. But it doesn’t mean that you should neglect outbound lead generation altogether.

Based on the trends we just discussed, we can identify some of the top-performing lead generation strategies for 2022 and possibly beyond.

Even though artificial intelligence will play an important role in the future of lead generation technology, it will be up to you to create and implement the following solutions.

1) Create value-driven, optimized content

In the modern digital realm, people are looking for brands, products, and services to deliver true value. But what does it mean in digital marketing today? You can generate value by creating something that solves a person’s problem, guides them towards a solution, or affects their life in any positive way.

Sounds simple enough, right? The problem is that no matter how valuable your content may be, it will mean nothing if people can’t find it. This is why search engine optimization should be an integral part of your lead generation strategy, especially when creating high-value content.

According to Moz’s search behavior stats, SEO has 20x more traffic opportunities than PPC on mobile and desktop. So, when you’re creating lead generation content, you need to optimize it for Google and your audience.

Keep in mind that Google’s priority is to provide the best possible experience to every user. This means that no matter which digital marketing solutions you’re using to generate leads, you need to optimize the content by:

• Incorporating relevant keywords.
• Having a content structure and using headings and subheadings properly.
• Using data and credible sources.
• Adding optimized visuals.
• Writing long-form content broken up with bullet points, subheadings, and lists.
• Adding external links to authority websites.
• Adding valuable links from your website.
• Optimizing the content for easy mobile viewing.

This is how you make your lead generation content more searchable, and it’s how you can help it achieve your sales and marketing goals. The higher the content ranks in organic search, the more relevant and valuable it is to the user.

Complemented by the value of the content itself and the solutions within, you should have no problem using videos, articles, infographics, images, and more to take your lead generation to the next level.

2) Leverage social media to build an online community

Our highly detailed lead generation guide for beginners is a great read if you’re trying to learn marketing in home conditions. In this guide, we mentioned that social media wouldn’t work for lead generation. At least not if you blatantly promote your products.

It does work for passive lead generation, which is when you focus on building a community of followers through engaging content, conversations, and being an active participant. And then, you message them and use your exceptional interpersonal skills to guide them through your sales funnel.

People will become much more receptive and will lower their guard if they know you, trust you, and have a generally positive image of your brand on social media. Both your sales and marketing agents can capitalize on a thriving social media presence, so how can you build one?

• Firstly, identify the most relevant social networks for your brand.
• Analyze your audience and figure out when they are most active on social media.
• Create a consistent brand identity on all social channels.
• Post regularly on every channel and have a posting schedule.
• Optimize your content for the specific platform for maximum engagement.
• Don’t disappear after posting. Instead, engage with your audience.
• Ask relevant questions and welcome feedback in the comments.
• Post interesting polls on topics that matter to your audience.

Do this consistently, and you will notice that more people are starting to follow your pages, interact with your posts, and even get in touch via comments and direct messaging.

Why? Because they have gotten to know your brand.

3) Generate personalized email courses

There are many powerful ways to generate leads in digital marketing today, and one of them is through email courses. An email course is a lead magnet – a free item or service you offer to your customers in exchange for contact info.

We already have an extensive list of lead magnet ideas for you to steal for your next big marketing campaign. So go ahead. We won’t look. Now, if you’re searching for the best way to learn marketing quickly and generate leads, then you should focus on mastering everything email-related.

In this particular case, you can send out personalized email courses to subscribers to provide relevant information about a specific topic. Essentially, you’re trying to teach people something and thus offer value in a concise and impactful format.

Oh, and email can be very impactful, especially when you consider how big the playing field actually is:

First, send out an email promoting your course. You’ll need a catchy headline and a hook, which is a compelling statement that promises something to the reader. This will create value immediately.

Next, ask people to sign up to get access to your free course. Once they do, you can send them free lectures every week via email, which they can share with others with ease – thus growing your subscriber list and generating leads for your business.

It pays to give people free stuff, and email courses are a great way to deliver value quickly.

4) Cater to the voice search demographic

Look at the trends we outlined above, and you’ll notice that voice search is becoming more popular every day. Given the fact that 71% of consumers prefer to search the web by talking into their smartphone, it’s safe to say that voice search is a big part of the future of lead generation technology.

So, how can you generate new leads by leveraging this trend? You need to start optimizing your content for voice search. You can start by trying to rank for Google’s featured snippets.

A featured snippet is the small block of text that you immediately see when you use voice search without clicking on a link. It’s Google’s way of providing value instantly to users, and here’s some interesting data from SEMrush to help you put things into perspective:

As you can see, the vast majority of search results that have a featured snippet are question-based. This allows you to drive qualified leads to your website through featured snippets by optimizing your content for query-based search.

Using the keywords that involve why, who, how, when, where, which, etc., will allow people to discover your content quickly when using voice search. This is because Google wants to give them a concrete answer to their question, and if they wish to, they can click on your link below the snippet for more information.

Make sure that the page the snippet leads to is optimized as well, and use other compelling digital marketing solutions like long-form, informational content to dazzle your visitors. 

5) Don’t neglect outbound lead generation

The phrase “inbound marketing” gets thrown around so much nowadays that you would think that outbound marketing has some contagious disease and should therefore be avoided at all costs. Well, inbound marketing should be the primary driver of all your marketing campaigns, but that doesn’t mean that outbound marketing should be left to the history books.

At least not yet. In fact, there are some great ways to do outbound lead generation in 2021 that you should try out yourself. After all, the best way to learn marketing is not just to read guides but to actually try out stuff for yourself and optimize over time.

That’s how you can capitalize on cold emails, cold calling, paid advertising, various online events, referrals, and more. To achieve this, you first need to optimize your outbound lead generation strategy, so be sure to read the complete guide we linked above.

To summarize, if you’re looking to learn marketing in home scenarios and find out how to generate leads, you should look for extensive and detailed guides. As you’re learning, you should focus on the key strategies we talked about today:

• Create value-driven, optimized content
• Leverage social media to build an online community
• Generate personalized email courses
• Cater to the voice search demographic
• Don’t neglect outbound lead generation

There are many other ways to generate leads for your business, so be sure to diversify your approach using all the great ideas we outlined in our guides. Keep the key statistics at hand as well so that you can optimize your approach for maximum lead generation.

Top 11 Digital Marketing Blogs

As a diligent marketer, keeping an eye on trending blogs should be your top priority. This list offers some of the most relevant and trustworthy resources for digital marketers today to fill up your bookmark list and make your life a lot easier in your pursuit of growing your business.

1. Crazy Egg

The tool itself helps marketers make sense of customer behavior and the whys behind all their actions. It’s meant to help any business boost conversion rates and build smarter, more customer-centric websites.

The Daily Egg blog provides hundreds of well-researched, data-based articles to help marketers make smarter decisions every day. The website owes much of its reputation to its founders, Ethan Schach and Neil Patel, who started the business in 2006.

2. Digiday

If you’re looking for the latest news, most relevant updates around the world, and unvarnished overviews, then Digiday should be one of your educational pit-stops. Free access allows you three monthly reads, but you can also subscribe and gain full access to their immense library of constantly updated news pieces.

In addition to being highly educational, they are also an endless source of blog ideas for digital marketing. Plus, you can enjoy other informative formats, including podcasts, as well as their thought-provoking case studies with membership access.

3. Social Media Today

Most marketers have a love-hate relationship with social media. However, the more you understand them, the more you learn to appreciate and utilize them to your benefit. And Social Media Today will help you understand them. 

Run by Industry Dive, this publication offers original views on anything worthwhile in the world of social. With in-depth knowledge of the ever-changing social media machinery, this platform is an indispensable resource of useful ideas and trending blogs. You’ll be able to learn about expected advancements as well as the most game-changing ideas on this side of marketing.

4. Marketing Tech News

Recognizing the inextricable link between marketing and technology, this online community is a goldmine of strategic ingenuity. The writers cover various relevant topics in outbound and inbound marketing alike, paired with the technology that’s shaping these outlets.

In addition to blog posts written by the experts, Marketing Tech offers webinars and a page for industry events. The platform ties in all the marketing and technology puzzle pieces together in a single place to keep you up to date.

5. Content Marketing Institute

A name known by marketers all over the world, Joe Pulizzi started Content Marketing Institute in 2011. Imbued by his expertise and authentic view of all things content-related, this website is the perfect example of where quality meets quantity. Have you, for instance, had a chance to read their piece on storytelling structures by Robert Rose?

This site, however, surpasses the reach of just another content-focused blog. This is where all the latest content marketing research can be found, together with a dedicated CCO (Chief Content Officer) magazine and in-depth articles, each with a unique take on the most relevant topics. They also provide workshops and organize industry events, adding further to their authority.

6. CMO by Adobe

A somewhat unusual pick, perhaps, but Adobe’s blog is a brilliant mix of leadership-oriented topics and industry-specific insights. The filter makes it easy for you to research what they have in the database, but you can also go into the Insights & Inspiration tab to explore the latest trends and forecasts.

What makes this particular blog so appealing is its authenticity. As much as they cover the latest of the latest in marketing, you’ll find it difficult not to check out other riveting pieces on a range of subjects. They are refreshing as well as clever, and you can always find something new to learn from their blog posts.

7. Mari Smith

Famous for her Facebook and SMM savvy, Mari Smith’s blog has become a great learning resource for social media marketers. She is a huge advocate of trust-based relationships for establishing a powerful social presence. If this is your specialty, too, then it might be helpful to subscribe to her newsletter and join her Facebook group, too.

The blog library alone is more than enough to keep you occupied. Tackling the latest trends in social and the most promising strategies for the entire family of Facebook platforms, her insights will prove to be real assets for your work in marketing.

8. Think with Google

This is the epitome of going straight to the source. Google’s dedicated knowledge platform offers some of the most applicable information for the industry. Plus, if you can imagine learning from what Google and other giants do right, can you envision what you can do by learning from their mistakes, too? Google isn’t stingy, so they share the insights they pick up from taking the not-so-perfect road in marketing.

Consumer insights grant you a unique vantage point of current market shifts, while the section for marketing innovations is a brilliant source of blog ideas for digital marketing. You can filter all the articles to find exactly what you need. Finally, the free tools on the site are likely already in your own arsenal, but they can come in handy to marketing newcomers, too.

9. Quick Sprout

Another gem resource created by Neil Patel, Quick Sprout recognizes the deep connection between marketing and all other business sectors, from HR to finances. The site is conveniently segmented to offer specific, penetrative articles in a myriad of categories, including e-commerce, tech, and even something as specific as blogging.

Boasting over 600 reviews and thorough guides, Quick Sprout is a matchless marketing authority. When you pick a specific category, the site cross-references additional material you might find useful and suggests it immediately on the page. This kind of content categorization helps even the least experienced marketers leverage the platform, while experts can also discover new topics while saving time.

10. MarTech

Another news and research platform helping marketers understand and leverage technology in all their pursuits, MarTech really goes that extra mile. They not only publish articles written by the finest marketing minds, but they also offer in-depth intelligence reports and white papers.

In addition to sharing vast amounts of invaluable knowledge, marketers can also use MarTech for joining virtual and in-person events. You can meet your peers, expand your network as well as your know-how. Education is at the very core of their purpose, so you’ll never run out of inspiration when you land on this site.

10. Digital Marketers World

Last but not least, Digital Marketers World unites fresh marketing voices to provide the most groundbreaking research, accurate trend analyses, and result-driven strategies. We try to create pieces that go beyond theory and offer practical examples and purposeful ideas for driving your marketing forward.

As an evolving community of experts, we recognize the growing pains most marketers face. In this highly competitive sphere, selecting the most effective strategies is essential, which is where their articles can help. Whether you need help choosing a powerful laptop to perform your marketing tasks, or you need a thorough analysis of what delivers results in lead generation, Digital Marketers World has you covered.

Top 6 Digital Marketing Websites

To further strengthen your learning curve, make sure to add these top marketing websites to your list of worthwhile bookmarks. All of them boast impressive blog pages, but they also have a host of data-packed guides and resources waiting for you.

1. Search Engine Land

Every marketer, no matter the expertise, needs access to SEO-related trends. They reflect customer behavior and preferences, and they dictate your entire marketing output. Search Engine Land is definitely one of the best marketing news sources with ready-to-use tips. The site covers all things SEO in great depth, with plenty of supporting research, and is always based on relevant data.

They recognize the intricate relationship between various SEO tactics – so they cover nothing in isolation. Everything they publish is balanced and properly verified. Using digital marketing to grow your business and your marketing practice becomes much more streamlined with access to their guides and research. 

One of their best performing pieces: It’s definitely the SEO Guide that gives you a much-needed overview of SEO fundamentals, best practices, and basic terms properly explained. It’s interlinked with numerous other on-site resources you can use to learn more on specific topics within the piece.

2. Search Engine Journal

Another dominating SEO name in the field, SEJ has been in the business of posting cutting-edge SEO blogs covering popular topics. They offer a daily newsletter with highly informative articles coming your way. 

Have you ever thought you’d see the day when a pop-up wouldn’t be annoying? SEJ has managed to achieve that with their non-intrusive “Trending” banner offering you a pop-up-like experience without the actual pop-up. Simple but elegant, right?

One of their finest articles: Make sure to check out Online Marketing piece from 2018 – it still rings true in 2022 and will continue to do so for years to come. It covers the essentials of what internet marketing is and how you can use it today. Read by almost 200k people and shared almost two thousand times, the article is accompanied by compelling visuals and plenty of additional learning material linked throughout.

3. Grow & Convert

You know you can expect great content from an agency that creates performance-driven content for a living. They give a unique twist for every topic and access to the best marketing news you can leverage in your own strategy. When you’re feeling curious, you can peruse through their extensive list of blogs, but when you need to see what other marketers value, you have their Top Articles section.

An article that deserves extra attention: How to Land Your Dream Marketing Job. The title says it all. There’s no better guide out there for marketers still searching for that ideal position in this field. It has generated quite a bit of engagement, so you can also find some additional ideas and experiences in the comment section.

4. Sprout Social

Social media is fun, but Sprout Social makes it business-worthy. Not only do they offer a range of tools that amplify the impact your business can make on social media, but they also have a whole array of internet marketing blogs to master the latest in the world of digital. Beyond the blog, you can also apply for their training program, check out their case studies, and look for events.

Their blog provides compiled data reports that put social media growth in perspective. On the right-hand side, you’ll find Editor’s Picks, a hint at what might give you the most useful material for your marketing efforts. 

A blog to pay attention to: It’s an overview of a 2021-worthy social media strategy, which will be 11 minutes of your time well spent. No business can afford to dismiss a social media strategy, and this article lays the groundwork for you.

5. Smart Insights

Started by Dr. Dave Chaffey and Stuart Miller in 2010, the platform lives up to its name and provides insightful, actionable tips for the modern marketer. The site offers free membership as well as several levels of paid options. 

In addition to providing research-backed marketing frameworks and articles, they also have training, consultation, and lead generation services on the site.

This platform is a treasure trove of marketing wisdom, led by a global team of experts. They publish popular blog posts almost every day, and every piece is worth reading. From tool reviews, practical advice, all the way to the latest industry research, their articles are useful for businesses from every industry and of every size.

One of their most noteworthy pieces: The practical application of the BCG model, a matrix that might become an asset for your growth strategy. The model is used by larger enterprises, and it can simplify the decision-making process substantially – but only when you know how to use it. Smart Insights has created this step-by-step guide to get you there.

6. HubSpot

There are good marketing websites with the latest news, and then there’s Hubspot. As one of the most valuable collections of software tools, HubSpot has earned the trust of the marketing community many times over. 

Their free tools aside, you get access to a stellar marketing blog, ebooks, guides, and not to mention training modules. All in all, HubSpot is synonymous with lifelong learning, and it’s one of the finest marketing news sources available.

Their star piece to steal the spotlight: This is the marketing equivalent of Sophie’s choice, but their guide to creating a marketing strategy tops the list. It comes with simple but powerful instructions as well as a free template to get you started.

Top 5 Digital Marketers to Follow

We’ve already mentioned a few distinguished names in digital marketing. These and other popular marketing experts regularly post their own discoveries and industry research. Keeping track of what they publish will provide you with plenty of ideas for your own marketing practice. Here are a few people worth following.

1. Brian Dean’s Backlinko

Can you imagine yourself analyzing billions of articles to learn something from how they perform? Very few marketers can, which is why Brian Dean has done it for you. He and his team, supported by a number of tools they use, regularly publish studies of this magnitude.

As one of the best SEO minds, Brian pushes the bar higher with every piece he posts. You’ll notice some of his articles are locked. All you need to do is subscribe, and you’ll get access to his exclusive case studies and blogs, too. If your marketing output depends on SEO (and it absolutely does), his articles should be on your must-read list.

2. Bill Slawski’s SEO by the Sea

Bill started in SEO when many had no idea what SEO was, back in 1996. He was there when some of the most remarkable algorithm changes occurred, witnessing the inception of what we know as modern-day SEO. 

In 2005, his blog came to life as an online community for his fellow marketers to share their insights and ideas. True to his values, his blog posts are impartial, helpful studies meant to demystify SEO, making him one of the best in online marketing today.

Fascinated by how search engines work and how we can use them, Bill’s blog covers many topics that go beyond typical listicles. Complex topics like term frequency and inverse document frequency are explained in words even beginners could understand and benefit from. 

If you have the time, the discussions in the comments section can also become a helpful resource for getting even more value from his pieces.

3. Andrew Shotland and his Local SEO Guide gang

Although not a one-person show, the Local SEO Guide site started as Andrew Shotland’s brainchild. As the site’s name suggests, the primary focus is on the impact of local SEO on positioning businesses online. In addition to on-point blogs with up-to-date information that local businesses can leverage (such as entire lists of online business directories), you can also use the available guides.

With more small, local businesses on the map, learning what matters in local SEO can help you not just rank higher but manage your reputation better for the long term. This is one of the most trustworthy resources on the subject, handing you the knowledge you need to become a better expert on local SEO.

4. David Meerman Scott

A speaker, best-selling author of ten books, and one of the most popular marketing experts, David has made a name for himself, quite literally, in digital marketing. The man used his middle name, Meerman, to set himself apart from a sea of notable David Scotts in the world, or more specifically, to make sure his name would rank better in the industry. Talk about practicing what you preach!

Many consider the seventh edition of his book, “The New Rules of Marketing & PR,” a marketing bible. While you’re immersing yourself in the book, keep an eye on his blog, too. His advice can make your life as a marketer a little easier, as you’ll find productivity hacks, his favorite tools and plugins, and honest views on tough topics in digital marketing.

5. Neil Patel

Every marketer and their dog knows about Neil. He has transitioned from being another marketing expert into becoming a force of a marketing nature. So much so that he can teach you about the basics of digital marketing in five minutes. And then provide you with practical strategies you can employ yourself.

Neil presents the most effective marketing solutions and backs them up using statistics and verifiable data. His direct approach has earned him the title of the best in online marketing and one of the greatest marketing influencers on the web. 

You’ll find that his articles generate dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of comments and that he makes sure to respond. This can come in handy if you find yourself puzzled by something in his articles and eager to get his view of the matter.

Top 5 Services with Blogs

Most of the marketing blogs and experts we’ve listed offer services in this field of work. Then there are great digital marketing websites that primarily offer a service but come with indispensable knowledge bases to boot.

1. Ahrefs

This globally beloved SaaS business started small, only to show the world what SEO passion and tech know-how can accomplish. Ahrefs is a set of tools every marketer can use to learn more about site performance, ranking, competitors, and content marketing.

If you’re not already using Ahrefs, you’ll likely start as soon as you learn more about what they offer. On top of the toolbox every marketer needs, you can access their blog, tutorials, case studies, as well as their Academy with free digital marketing courses. If you’re interested in a particular marketing branch, such as affiliate marketing, Ahrefs has you covered with step-by-step guides.

To get even more expertise from Ahrefs, join their private Facebook community. This is the perfect spot where you can ask for the professional opinions of about 10,000 other SEO experts available when you have an idea.

2. Plerdy

Optimizing CRO is much simpler with Plerdy. This SaaS platform combines a set of tools that monitor, analyze, and help you boost your site’s user experience. This kind of back-end knowledge is crucial for marketers. It helps you create a better content marketing strategy, develop better SEO tactics, all in line with the desired UX.

Along with the best practices they share, you’ll also find out what not to do. Their coverage of 20 bad website designs helps you look more critically at your own website’s appearance and feel. Such example-driven guides can build up your understanding of UX and customer expectations. Have you tried their UX Game? Give it a go. It’s an interactive learning experience!

3. Moz

A comprehensive SEO toolset with a global track record, Moz is every digital marketer’s best friend. It helps you both with keyword optimization as well as technical audits for a complete overview of your site’s (or your client’s site) ranking and SEO performance.

Moz is one of those great marketing websites that uses its own set of SEO tools to cover the latest trends in marketing. They’ve developed one of the finest articles that explain what SEO is and why it’s necessary – a brilliant entry into the SEO universe for novice marketers.

Moz provides free SEO education through their online learning center, and they have a growing SEO community. Feel free to use their interactive FAQ forum, visit their Seattle MozCon (when it’s possible once again), or go exclusive with their Moz Lab to try new product ideas.

4. BuzzSumo

If anybody knows how content marketing works, it’s BuzzSumo. This SaaS company takes the “content is king” mantra very seriously. The tool enables you to educate yourself on trending topics, get blog ideas, and produce better content every time. In line with their expertise, BuzzSumo contributes to the marketing community with superb research and writing of their own.

Their 2017 piece on the best-performing Facebook content lays out a systematic analysis of how specific social content can drive engagement. The rundown in the hands of the right marketer also serves as a projection of which content trends you can anticipate in the future.

With access to so much up-to-date data, BuzzSumo is one of those great marketing websites with extensive case studies and blogs that live up to their reputation. They also organize free webinars for those who want to upgrade their content expertise a bit more.

5. Buffer

Automating, analyzing, and measuring the impact of social content is much more streamlined with Buffer. The toolkit helps you schedule and publish posts and then keep track of how they perform and engage with your audience.

One of their best performing pieces tackles the overview of social media marketing, and it points you to how you can use Buffer in different instances of your social strategy. 

The most valuable aspect of the site is its extensive content output, divided into several main categories. They have two podcasts, Breaking Brand and The Science of Social Media, for marketers that appreciate the audio format for learning. They’ve also created several blog segments to help you find precisely what you need, from coding-oriented stories, to how Buffer is building their own brand.

Before You Go

Have you discovered any other marketing news outlets we should keep an eye on? 

Feel free to tell us how you’re expanding your knowledge as a marketer today. With so many resources available, we must discern between fluff and genuinely valuable content.

Share the best digital news platforms in the comment section, and keep an eye on our blog – we’ll continue posting the latest news, trends, and changes in digital marketing to help you stay in the know.