Are you stuck in a marketing rut? Looking for something good to listen to at the gym? Want to stack your inbox with great marketing content? There are so many great marketing resources out there that it can be tricky to know where to start. Here’s our curated take on the best marketing blogs, podcasts and newsletters out there.
This is the list of some of the top leaders, innovators and creative thinkers who regularly share their best tips and techniques, via their preferred media. These marketing champions will show you how to stay on top of the latest trends in marketing, from digital marketing to product strategy, startups to ad world, B2C or B2B.
Best Marketing Blogs
1. Moz
What is it? Moz is a well-written, far-ranging digital marketing blog. The core focus is on improving SEO results, with a lot of great information on best practice, from content strategy for performance to effective backlinking. Moz also offers free training courses, including the Moz Academy to help you master SEO marketing.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants to learn solid SEO strategies.
What makes it great?
- You’d be hard-pressed to find a blog with more in-depth articles than the solid, well-researched ones you find here.
- Moz shows you how to get the most from the technology you already have. They lead by example.
Sample post: What Do Dolphins Eat? Lessons From How Kids Search
2. Social Media Examiner
What is it? The SME has been leading the conversation about how your business can be successful on social media for well over a decade – which is a crazy long time in internet years if you think about it. If it’s about the latest developments in social media, it’s on this lively, information-packed blog. There are articles on boosting your LinkedIn presence, creating Facebook audiences that convert, repurposing video content for social media and more.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants to expand and monetize their organization’s social media outreach, and stay on top of how different platforms are evolving.
What makes it great?
- The engaging design and interactive menus make this blog fun to visit, and subscribing to the newsletter makes it easy to stay up-to-date.
- So much great content and everything in great detail – inspires better practice or completely new ideas.
Sample post: How to Optimize Your Social Posts for the Visually Impaired
3. Duct Tape Marketing
What is it? A spin-off of a best selling book on marketing (with the same title ). This blog is a great resource for small businesses with tight budgets, who want tips on great marketing executions. Written by marketing expert John Jantsch, it has great range, covering your core marketing bases – with enough meat to deliver results.
Who is it for? Small businesses who want to make a marketing splash on a shoestring budget.
What makes it great?
- Jantsch does an amazing job of demystifying marketing concepts for every business owner.
- The podcast is very solid – lots of great info for those who prefer to digest information while on the go or in a more conversational format.
Sample post: How to Put Your Website at the Center of All Your Marketing
4. Marketing Land
What is it? As the name implies, this blog covers anything and everything to do with marketing. While the range of topics covered is far-reaching, the individual pieces offer specific and thorough looks at niche subject matter. Marketing Land also offers white papers, webinars, research reports and more to help you spruce up your marketing skills.
Who is it for? Marketing professionals looking to augment their knowledge on very specific marketing areas.
What makes it great?
- It’s a vast resource of guest writers, articles and information you won’t find anywhere else.
- Interact with industry leaders through webinars and live events
Sample post: How the Auto Sales Industry Is Transforming Into Digital Dealerships
5. ConversionXL
What is it? A bit heavier on the SaaS model, it provides a ton of really valuable insight into all things funnel and building a successful B2B model. But even for those in the B2C world or selling services or products, there’s a lot in here – and it’s very well done.
Who is it for? Anyone interested in constantly improving their online business model.
What makes it great?
- They really know their stuff. They sell optimization services and give this info to get you through the door – but don’t hold back much.
- Posts are very actionable, and cover the basics to get you started.
Sample post: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Optimization
6. Buffer Blog
What is it? Buffer content is unique. They’ve been inspiring millions (I’d guess) with their incredibly transparent content and opening their books on how they run their business – even though they are a private company.
Who is it for? Anyone who deals with marketing (in the broadest sense).
What makes it great?
- Transparency – go behind the scene of their business decisions, along with their data driven approach to measuring results.
- They are innovators in content, but also in how they operate as a (remote) organization.
Sample post: Buffer Is Moving to a 4-Day Workweek for the Rest of 2020
Best Marketing Newsletters
1. Convince and Convert ON
What is it? This weekly newsletter covers content strategy, social media and many other topics.
Who is it for? With over 650,000 subscribers, it’s broad enough for anyone who wants to improve their content marketing.
What makes it great?
- Jay Baer is an OG – and has been doing digital marketing from way back before it was even a thing.
- It’s relentlessly comprehensive, relevant and up-to-date.
Sample article: How to Create a Customer Experience That Creates Conversations
2. Non-Obvious Insights
What is it? As the name implies, it’s a newsletter that delivers overlooked news and insights you may not find on other sites.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants to look beyond the standard industry news.
What makes it great?
- The editor curates the most under-appreciated marketing-related news items each week.
- The articles are always thought-provoking and unexpected.
Sample article: The Complicated Truth About Blackout Tuesday and Hashtag Activism.
3. Marketing Dive
What is it? It’s a daily newsletter that brings you bite-sized news updates related to marketing.
Who is it for? Creative professionals, copywriters and account executives in marketing.
What makes it great?
- The editors promise you can read each issue in 60 seconds.
- It’s daily, so it’s on the pulse of the day’s events.
Sample article: What Covid-19 Did to Customer Loyalty
4. Sketchalytics
What is it? If you’re tired of reading, take a break by looking at Sketchalytics’ informative, lively graphics. They allow you to grasp complex concepts quickly and easily.
Who is it for? Anyone who works in marketing.
What makes it great?
- Learn important marketing concepts from enjoyable sketches.
- The company promises it won’t send you junk or marketing emails.
Sample article: Make Your Audience the Hero
5. Lenny’s Newsletter
What is it? If you want well-written, well-researched emails that will inspire better strategy, Lenny’s newsletter is the hottest newsletter on the market. Focussing on the B2B SaaS marketing professional, his ideas will inspire anyone in the field.
Who is it for? Definitely SaaS marketers, but anyone looking to know what will be moving marketing tomorrow.
What makes it great?
- Very thoroughly researched with a lot of links to sources.
- Formatted for quick and easy consumption.
Note: You’ll need to pay to access past issues. But subscribe to get a newsletter weekly. It’s really well done.
6: No Mercy / No Malice
What is it? NYU business professor Scott Galloway’s pet project connects ideas across disciplines in order to make sense of the moment we find ourselves living in – whatever moment that happens to be when you receive it in your inbox. No Mercy / No Malice has a distinct viewpoint that will make you a more sophisticated thinker and help situate the way you do your marketing in a broader context.
Who is it for? Higher-order, “big picture” thinkers.
What makes it great?
- No need to enroll to a NY business school to get access to this pragmatic scholar’s musings on the business world.
- Sketched out illustrations and graphs make complex ideas easy to visualize.
Sample edition: Post Corona: Higher Ed
7: Marketing Brew
What is it? Their byline guarantees to “the latest stories shaping the marketing and advertising world, like only the Brew can”. They definitely bring this to the table.
Who is it for? All marketers or even the marketer-curious.
What makes it great?
- Very well written and thought out content.
- It has great coverage on a wide range of topics keeping you well informed
Sample edition: Check out their full archives.
Best Marketing Podcasts
1. Marketing School
What is it? Hosted by marketing giants Neil Patel and Eric Siu, this is a daily dose of valuable marketing advice that newbies and experienced veterans will find useful. This podcast brings you fresh news in digestible ten-minute bites.
Who is it for? Social media marketers, content creators and really anyone else who works in marketing.
What makes it great?
- Each podcast is only ten minutes long, so you can listen any time – very digestible.
- Neil Patel (and Eric) have been so successful as entrepreneurs.
Sample episode: #1 Marketing Skill That Will Get You Hired in 2021 (Hint: Not SEO or PPC)
2. UnPodcast: The Business Podcast for the Fed-up
What is it? Its aim is to cut through the clutter of bad advice while focusing on what works. It offers interviews with experts and industry analysis in frank, no-holds-barred language.
Who is it for? Anyone interested in engagement marketing who also has a sense of humor.
What makes it great?
- The episodes are funny, far-ranging and very insightful.
- The host and guests analyze real campaigns by independent businesses and big corporations alike.
Sample episode: Robot Toilet Paper
3. Empowered Marketer
What is it? This weekly podcast focuses on B2C marketing. Each episode offers an interview with successful marketers who share their tips, techniques and inspiration. These are tightly focused talks with zero fluff.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants to improve their B2C marketing.
What makes it great?
- It offers helpful tips for businesses of all sizes.
- It is all about great guests – they are very grounded and engaging.
Sample episode: Building a DTC Brand from the Ground Up: Tracey Wallace of Doris Sleep
4. The Humans Strike Back
What is it? Hosted by Louis Grenier of HotJar, this podcast focuses on the human side of marketing. Each episode features an insightful look at reaching and engaging customers. Episodes have covered marketing with integrity, injecting a human touch into copywriting and reaching peak creativity.
Who is it for? The jaded or cynical marketer. Or the one who wants to avoid becoming the cynical or jaded marketer.
What makes it great?
- It’s an unusual approach that reminds us we are all humans behind these machines.
- The podcast offers an ever-changing mix of guests and topics.
Sample episode: Conscious Leadership: How to Create a No-Drama, High-Trust Work Environment
5. Under the Influence
What is it? Terry O’Reilly’s show gives you an intellectual adman’s take on the advertising industry, and delivers inspiration in the process. It’s the good, the bad, the ugly and the lessons. It’s wildly entertaining.
Who is it for? Whether you are interested in the ad world or not, his podcast will inspire anyone in the marketing vertical.
What makes it great?
- Great lessons for anyone looking to communicate their brand identity
- It’s fun. And funny.
Sample episode: Goliath Meet David: Small Brands That Beat The Big Boys
6. Marketing Over Coffee
What is it? This podcast features the hosts chatting with their guests at a local coffee shop. The interviews are casual but insightful. They cover a variety of topics, including social media marketing, using analytics and developing brand awareness.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants a fresh take on marketing in a casual setting.
What makes it great?
- The relaxed approach feels like you’re listening to advice from good friends.
- The hosts take listener calls, so there is a lot of dynamic interaction and practical, real-world-applicable advice.
Sample episode: Rising to the Challenge: Interview with Kelly Gillease, CMO of NerdWallet
Gain a Fresh Perspective on Your Marketing
These marketing podcasts, blogs and newsletters can keep you inspired as you take on the challenge of digital marketing and beyond.
Is there one you’d like to add?
Let us know.
