Marketing Roadmaps

Blogs you can learn from simply by reading

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As many of you know, I am currently writing Professional Blogging For Dummies, due this summer. One chapter of the book will cover ten blogs you can learn from simply by reading.

I have a working list of blogs I am considering for this section (below, in no particular order) but I thought I’d throw it out to you for your suggestions as well.

The audience for the book is small business owners and individuals who want to use a blog to promote their business or as their business.

I plan to divide the list into:

  • blogs that contain excellent tips for professional bloggers and small business owners
  • successful blogs that exemplify how to do it right

Here’s my working list. Yes, I know it is more than 10 blogs, and I am still working through my feed reader. Take a look, and if you’ve got a suggestion for a blog I should consider, please email me at sgetgood@getgood.com or leave a comment.

  1. ProBlogger
  2. Copyblogger
  3. Cool Mom Picks
  4. WantNot.net
  5. Diva Marketing
  6. Duct Tape Marketing
  7. Notes from the Trenches
  8. Global Voices
  9. Common Craft
  10. Passive Aggressive Notes.com
  11. Cake Wrecks
  12. Lip-Sticking
  13. Small Business Trends
  14. Mom 101

Note: The book is chock full of examples. Rest assured that all the blogs mentioned above will be included somewhere, even if they don’t make the final cut for this particular list.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This is a great list – I think it skews a bit toward the marketing/PR industry, for obvious and legitimate reasons. Your big exception – I am Global Voices’ biggest fan. And of course, Liz is fabulous.

    Here are four examples I’d recommend from completely different walks of life.

    First, Nathan Yau’s FlowingData. His mission: “In a nutshell, I want to make data available and useful to those who aren’t necessarily data experts; I think visualization plays a major role in this.” The blog is nicely laid out (Susan, I think you’ll recognize the basic template) and is a wonderfully curated collection of the best examples of data visualization. The writing is brief and crisp. The author also uses the right social media tools (twitter and delicious) to strengthen his position as both a thought leader in the field and an ambassador to the “lay public.”

    Politics: Markos Moulitsas’ Daily Kos. It’s an outrageously popular liberal political blog, but it built its strength on its open platform and on letting others start their own blog there – he’s built a massive community. He has a team of writers who both provide “front page” content and “rescue” content from diaries, promoting them to the front page and giving “regular folks” a wider audience.

    I can’t forget Alder Yarrow’s Vinography: A Wine Blog. It started as a personal wine blog and grew (sustainably) into a site that features wine reviews, restaurant reviews, and very smart “predictive counsel” on the wine industry. This is a smart guy who knows wine from both the industry side and the consumer side. He’s established set criteria for reviews. He runs an interactive design & strategy company but I think he’s better known for the wine stuff.

    And I’d be remiss not to mention Chris Hogan’s “Off the Cuff,” a men’s fashion blog. Chris is a college buddy of mine. He’s always had a passion for men’s clothing – he knows the industry, the history, you name it. He’s always wanted to write about it. So one day he just decided to start. His blog isn’t particularly fancy, but he demonstrates his knowledge of the topic on a regular basis. Now he’s built a number of regular writing gigs, men’s fashion companies come to him for marketing advice, and he’s built a nice little niche for himself.
    .-= David Wescott´s last blog ..The Myth of the "Green Media Bubble" =-.

  3. Susan – wow! many thanks for including examples from Diva Marketing in your new book. As for blogger ideas .. so many people are doing great work. Paul Chaney, Connie Reece, CK Kerley, Nettie Harlsock & Valeria Maltoni come to mind right off.

    Do you say break a leg to a new author? I’m not sure. All the best in your new venture.
    .-= Toby Bloomberg´s last blog ..3 Steps To Khoas Social Media =-.