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What Makes a Great Content Marketing Blog?

I try to read as many content marketing blogs as I can. I subscribe to these blogs via feedly and try to catch up on my subscriptions 2-3 times per week. The volume of content on the web is growing quickly . You can see this in the number of content marketing blogs that have sprung up recently. There are good and not-so-good content marketing blogs. A few of them are great. Let’s consider what makes a content marketing blog great.

1) Clear Writing

I remember reading classmates’ papers in college. It seemed like the more highfalutin vocabulary words you used, the higher chance you’d get a good grade from the professor. But you don’t need highfalutin to get your point across. In fact, it’s more effective (and more useful to your reader) if you use simpler words. Your average reader isn’t going to have a PhD in English. I’m a fan of simple and clear writing. This holds true of my favorite content marketing blogs.

2) A Variety of Contributors

A content marketing blog written by an individual is good. A content marketing blog that features a variety of insightful contributors is great. While I do admire the work of individual bloggers, I prefer to learn from an assortment of people, who share their varied perspectives and experiences.

3) Advice from the Trenches

Think “Social Media Examiner” for content marketing. Ever read the useful posts from Social Media Examiner ? Their contributors don’t just give you tips. They show you how to get things done, with prescriptive instructions (and screen shots). For content marketing, I love receiving advice from the folks who live and breathe content marketing every hour, every day. Bonus points for screen shots.

4) Gives You New Ideas

Good content (or even great content) is no longer enough. You need great content mixed with great delivery: new and innovative formats, beyond blog posts, SlideShares and videos. A good content marketing blog helps you create better content. A great content marketing blog arms you with ideas to spark your creative juices .

5) Gives You Tactics to Copy

Great content marketing blogs “show by doing,” in the sense that you copy (or adapt) tactics from them. I’ve seen creative social sharing widgets, call to action areas, tweetable quotes and more. Great content marketing blogs can provide value well beyond their written content.

A List of Content Marketing Blogs

I’ve started a list of content marketing blogs. Let’s make this interactive: vote up (or down) items in the list. If you regularly read a content marketing blog that’s not listed here, please add it. Thanks!

Must-Read Content Marketing Blogs

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