Top 25 Marketing Blogs of 2011

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Marketing is an ever-evolving world right now, and it can be a chore to keep up with the current trends and techniques. Checking out case studies and listening to input from around the internet will help you keep your mind sharp without taking all day to understand what's going on.

Clearly, I'm hinting at keeping up with blogs: lengthy, up-to-date information about the latest marketing trends, and encouragements and reminders of the classic tips that still work wonders. Here we've taken a few different sources and mashed together their best advice in a decidedly un-scientific way to give you the top 25 marketing blogs to follow this year.

1. TopRank Online Marketing Blog
   Social Media and content marketing is the name of the game at this blog with a lengthy history of success — it started in 2003! 
2. Brian Solis
   Brian Solis has set himself apart with his thoughts about new media and how companies can use it to engage their audiences. The blog also regularly features infographics and other great visualizations
3. Web Ink Now
   The Author of “New Rules of Marketing and PR” writes about just that at this blog about… you guessed it… marketing and PR!
4. Convince and Convert
   Another advocate of social media, this blog by Jason Baer emphasizes that companies don't just have to be on social media, they have to be social.
5. Copyblogger
   A great go-to resource for anything involving the content part of content marketing. Specific articles have been written about any kind of writing you might find useful.
6. Social Media Examiner
   Can it be more obvious that this blog focuses on social media? With long articles, often profiling different products and services that could make your social media life easier, this is definitely a resource to hold onto.
7. Grow
   Grow promises to help grow your company's impact and voice – including a number of resources on B2B, social media, and a pretty regular supply of videos.
8. Ads of the World
   Advertising! The cornerstone of this blog is the plethora of links to interesting advertising strategies which are awarded prizes each month, in categories including film, print, outdoor, and online.
9. chrisbrogan.com
   Entrenched in both the business and blogging worlds, Chris is great at inspiring people to take action both on- and off-line.
10. PSFK
    A trends research and innovation company, PSFK stays on top of the leading news in a number of industries. The primary purpose of the blog is to inform and inspire individuals and businesses.
11. Search Engine Watch
    SEO only scratches the surface of what's available here: mobile search, search marketing, link-building, and other lengthy, factual articles.
12. Marketing Pilgrim
    Keeping an eye on internet marketing and online advertising, plus a host of other sites, tools, and news, Marketing Pilgrim keeps abreast of the latest happenings with multiple posts each day.
13. Search Engine Land
    More search engine optimization information, including news, features, and regular columns. Also the creators of sphinn, a community-contributed collection of SEO and SEM links.
14. brandflakesforbreakfast
    “We read the internet so you don't have to.” You can definitely do a study on what catches people's attention by checking out some of the fun and random links curated by this creative agency.
15. SEOmoz
    When looking through this blog, you might be struck by the variety of contributors, which offers a very broad, comprehensive look at the SEO industry and techniques.
16. Search Engine Round Table
    If you want to keep abreast of both blogs and forums centered around SEO, let the Search Engine Round Table be your hub. Interspersed with informative articles are daily digests of the most interesting conversations in a number of forums.
17. Seth's Blog
    Some thoughts from the one and only Seth Godin. This is a great collection of snippets of what's going through his mind, whenever he feels like posting – and it's usually inspiring or thought-provoking, and often marketing- or customer service-related.
18. TrendHunter
    Just keep scrolling and scrolling through photographic eye-candy and intriguing new ideas, complete with a “hot” bar beneath showing exactly how the trend is taking off.
19. Social Media Explorer
    Social media (of course) plus publications, communications, marketing, and more. Plenty of quality authors keeps this blog consistently informative.
20. I Believe in Advertising
    If all you want to see are good advertising campaigns – no explanation, no fluff, just ads – you have come to the right place. Scroll through the archives to get inspired and entertained.
21. Influential Marketing Blog
    “Reflections on creating compelling marketing, advertising, and PR strategy” – a subheading that says it all. The blog does focus on online markets and social media as part of the larger marketing whole.
22. Search Engine Journal
    You can expect to find plenty of informative articles and lists about search engine marketing here. With a polished, professional look, Search Engine Journal comes off as more of a journal than most blogs, even though it is updated daily.
23. HubSpot Blog (Inbound Internet Marketing Blog)
    Here's some great insight into everything from Facebook fans to B2B marketing online – definitely more similar than you might think!
24. Conversation Agent
    If having conversations is more about the conversations you're having than the media you're using, check out the thoughtful advice from the conversation agent herself, Valeria Maltoni.
25. John Chow dot Com
    As “a dot-com mogul,” John Chow certainly has a lot to share, but he prefers to call his updates “miscellaneous ramblings.” Either way, there's plenty of blogging advice here!

And, if you're still running out of options, here are some even more extensive lists (which actually don't overlap as much as I expected):

• 2010's Top 50 Marketing Blogs from Evan Carmichael
• Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs at Junta42
• AdAge Power 150 (A Daily Ranking of Marketing Blogs) at AdAge
• TopRank BIGLIST of SEM and SEO Blogs at TopRank

Happy reading!