Nonetheless, it’s important to stay current with what’s going on in the digital marketing world and there’s no better way than to spend some time reading what others are writing.
My Google Reader is overflowing with amazing content and I could probably mention dozens of great blogs with ease, but here are seven from proven digital marketers that I would recommend you add to your RSS feed immediately.
1) {grow} from Mark Schaefer
When it comes to credentials in the social media world, it’s hard to find anyone who outdoes Mark Schaefer — Forbes “Power 50″ social media influencers of the world, AdAge magazine “Power 150″ marketing blogger, author of two best-selling marketing books (The Tao of Twitter and Return on Influencer)…the list goes on and on.
Needless to say, he understands the landscape and always provides unique marketing insights that most others don’t catch. {grow} is always worth a read!
2) Convince and Convert from Jay Baer
Having read Baer’s book, The NOW Revolution, I’m of the opinion there’s no one who better understands how digital marketing is forcing and allowing businesses to become more efficient, effective, and versatile.
Convince and Convert is constantly bringing the top-notch kind of content that very, very few other blogs publish with as much consistency. Not only does Jay walk the walk, he talks the talk as the lead social media and content strategy consultant at Convince and Convert. Definitely someone worth following!
3) Virante Orange Juice from Mark Traphagen
I like to call Mark Traphagen the King of Google+. I’ve yet to meet someone who grasps all the details and inner workings of Google+ as well as Mark does. Virante Orange Juice is always bubbling with fantastic posts showing readers how they can get the most out of Google+.
For those who still have doubts about the importance of Google+ from a business standpoint, as well as a content marketing standpoint, this blog is for you.
4) Windmill Networking from Neal Schaffer
Neal Schaffer might be the closest person to Mark Schaefer (and I can’t be the only person who thinks there’s some kind of conspiracy going on with the similarity between last names — joking!). As a Forbes Top 30 Social Media Power Influencer, you can be sure Neal is bringing value to the table.
The Windmill Networking blog is never short on quality content from Neal and a myriad of guest bloggers — Joe Ruiz, Rebekah Radice, and Bob Geller to name a few. If you want to truly understand what being a social business means, as well as pick up some solid social media marketing strategy, Windmill Networking is your blog.
5) Inbound Marketing Agents from Jasmine Henry
I’ve got to give a shout out to Inbound Marketing Agents, because they’ve been very good to me lately! We recently had Jasmine Henry on our blog writing about Vine and that led to me checking out Inbound Marketing Agents.
They have an explosion of flavorful content that spans the entirety of social media marketing and, from what I can tell, they do some quality marketing work out of Nashville.
6) SteamFeed from Daniel Hebert and DJ Thistle
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a blog or community take off as fast as SteamFeed has done. I met Daniel Hebert through My Social Game Plan’s Facebook Group shortly before he and DJ were set to launch SteamFeed. Out of nowhere, the site flew up and I started constantly seeing “via @SteamFeedcom” in my Twitter timeline.
They have an outstanding lineup of bloggers who push out a ton of great content on a daily basis. If you’re looking for a blog with a thriving, growing community, I would definitely recommend taking a step into SteamFeed.
7) Jon Loomer from Jon Loomer (duh!)
If Mark Traphagen is the King of Google+, Jon Loomer may be the King of Facebook. I honestly never thought a blog could be solely devoted to Facebook marketing strategy, but Jon Loomer has taken that niche and made himself an authority.
If you’re struggling to understand Facebook as a marketing channel, Jon’s blog is a must-read. Even as someone who considers himself to have a solid grasp of Facebook marketing, I constantly find myself learning something new from Jon’s blog.
What Blogs Would You Add to the List?
Seven isn’t nearly enough. I know you all follow a lot of incredible blogs I didn’t include on this list, and I want to know what those blogs are! Please share your favorite, must-follow social media and digital marketing blogs in the comments.