When you’re a busy entrepreneur or corporate content creator, it can be hard to keep up with the latest content trends.
Formatting, post length, on-page SEO…gah! It can be overwhelming and adds a layer of stress that can stop you from blogging entirely.
I get you.
Sometimes you need a bit of expert advice or inspiration to shift your gears and help you flex your creative muscle.
I have listed a few of the resources I turn to for help on staying updated with marketing and writing, as well as sources of inspiration and motivation.
Copyblogger
Copyblogger is an awesome resource for entrepreneurs and writers. The Copyblogger team focuses on persuasive writing that isn’t super salesly or sleazy.
The blogger is a treasure for anyone who uses words to sell, or even just convey a message or opinion, actually.
In addition to the blog, they have:
- Copyblogger library
- Copyblogger podcast
Copy Hackers
Like Copyblogger, the folks over at Copy Hackers explore how to use words to grow your business. Copy Hackers was started by Joanna Weibe, the original conversion copywriter.
On top of in-depth long-form blog posts, Copy Hackers offers regular tutorials.
Weibe is also the founder of Airstory, a free content creation platform.
Neil Patel
If you follow Neil Patel on LinkedIn, you’ll know his blog posts are choc full of insights on digital marketing.
Not only does he release regular video updates about all things digital marketing, he also provides an awesome free SEO tool, Ubersuggest.
Enchanted Marketing
Enchanted Marketing is my go to for business blogging best practices. Run by business blogger Henneke Duistermaat, Enchanted Marketing offers practical advice on the writing process, and how to transform your business blogging copy from dull, dreary deadwood to yummy sentences that entice your audience.
Grammar Girl
If you’re blogging in standard English, it’s good to get a solid foundation of grammar basics.
Now, I indulge in word nerdery, but I’m not pedantic about grammar and punctuation. As long as I don’t struggle to follow along, I’m golden. I always felt recognizing a good story was more important than spotting a dangling participle.
But I digress…
Grammar Girl answers all the grammar questions you’ve been wanting to ask and shares the history of words and parts of speech along the way.
Moz
Ah, SEO our old friend. Ever since Facebook squeezed poor Pages right out of users News Feeds, search is back on every marketers radar.
Moz has a great guide to help you get the basics sorted. It’s also a good resource to pay attention for ongoing search updates. They also do Whiteboard Fridays, short video tutorials on a SEO concept.
Buffer
I can’t lie about it. I’m a Buffer fan girl.
There’s so much awesome content on the Buffer blog. On top of that, they have a free plan for their social media scheduling tool. (Their customer service is among the best in the world- the customer rep once sent me a GIF!)
If you’re on the go, check out their Science of Social podcast, a roundup of trending news in social media.
HubSpot
HubSpot’s another center of valuable content.
You can explore the blog for news and strategy advice for content marketing and social media.
There’s tons of free courses. I completed the Inbound Course and it’s a practical, updated approach to reaching customers with offers when they need it.
The podcast provides education and insights in all things marketing.
Ted Talks Daily
So, Ted Talks isn’t directly related to business blogging or marketing. But many of the episodes are thought-provoking. I love Anne Lamott’s 12 Truths I learned from life and writing.
Digital Doughnut
If you following marketing news, you may have heard of digital doughnut.
It’s a platform where marketers and content creators can publish pieces with the latest insights from the field.
(Please indulge my self-promotion. Here’s a link to a piece I wrote on business blogging.)
Craft Your Content
Now it’s enough always enough to commit to a topic and get a writing habit down, writing is hard work, too. That’s why it sometimes falls to the wayside when the competing priorities of life and business take over.
Craft your content helps entrepreneurs and writers make sense of it all with practical tips from professional writers.
Can I swoon here for a bit?
CYC accepted a guest post of mine for publication and I’m so excited to share as soon as it goes live!
Writing and finding ideas for helpful content isn’t always easy. Sometimes, though, we need a push in the right direction to set off a creative spark. Add some of these sites to your reading list, and you’ll be updated on industry trends, and always brimming with new ideas.
