Content marketing is the way to go when it comes to marketing online. But, it isn't the easiest type of marketing to do, and we all need resources to help us get better as well as to keep our skills and knowledge sharp (things change rapidly in this space). To help, we're providing the 10 best content marketing resources (besides ourselves) that we could find. They are listed below in no particular order.
- The Content Marketing Institute - For us, this is the go-to place for content marketing. They have excellent articles and webinars, and should be the hub for content marketers everywhere. Their magazine, Chief Content Officer, is also really good, and it is free to subscribe. The Institute also hosts the Content Marketing World conference everywhere, of which we plan to attend next year in Cleveland, and has its own LinkedIn group.
- Business2Community Content Marketing Page - Business2Community in general has tons of great articles, covering social media, business strategy, technology, and business news. Something that intrigues us about them is that they just started doing sponsored posts, which are posts written by companies to provide valuable information while pushing a specific product.
- HubSpot's Blog - Okay, HubSpot's blog doesn't just cover content marketing. However, content marketing is as much about content as it is about marketing, and this blog is an excellent resource for all things marketing. Outside of their blog, HubSpot also has tons of great white papers and webinars, so be sure to check those out too.
- Inbound.org - Started by the very same people who started HubSpot, this site syndicates the best and most popular articles related to inbound marketing, which of course includes a lot of content marketing, SEO, and perhaps stuff that could be found in some of our other resources on this list. The member factor is what makes this site really cool, as you can peruse articles that members have shared, liked, and commented on. Lots of great stuff here, so it doesn't hurt to browse it every now and then.
- Alltop's Content Marketing - We go here when we need news articles for our news roundups, and not just for our content marketing news roundups either. Alltop syndicates content marketing resources from some of the best places out there. Although popular topics like content marketing can take some time to sort through because so many places are syndicated through it, it's often worth the time.
- Soovle.com - Have your run out of keywords to try and to rank for? Run out of ideas for the day, perhaps? Let Soovle help! Soovle will find additional, but popular, keywords related to whatever you type in. It's great for finding something to write about that will also be worthwhile to rank for. A similar tool, called Ubersuggest, provides a much longer list of keywords, but is a bit more difficult to sort through.
- JeffBullas.com - Jeff Bullas, a prominent marketing consultant, often has some really great stuff. He does cover a lot of social media marketing, but social media is very much a part of content marketing and shouldn't be considered a separate silo. Therefore, what Jeff has to say is very important and should be considered.
- Emarketer.com - Emarketer is a digital marketing research firm, and they produce a lot of excellent articles on digital marketing trends, statistics, and content consumption. It's one of the few resources on this list that publishes original research and not just how-to guides or informative articles. Sharing research and statistics can be great for content marketing, as it gives you a chance to add your own perspective and to think about what the research means to the bigger picture.
- SEOmoz - We love SEOmoz because they cover everything there is to know about SEO, busting myths and confirming truths while doing it in a fun, informative and approachable way. SEO and content marketing go very much together, and SEOmoz does a good job of doing that as well as showing how the latest in SEO relates to you and what you are doing to market your business.
- LinkedIn Groups - There are two that we are a part of: B2B Content Marketing and the Content Marketing Professionals Association. Both are superb places to ask questions, to network with other content marketing professionals, and to add your own insight into the most important content marketing conceps right now. We learn a lot from these groups and the people in them, so we think that you can do the same.
You heard our favorites, so now we want to hear yours! What are some of your go-to content marketing resources? Are there any resources on this list that you wouldn't go to at all? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.