Learning from expert content writers is one of the best ways to improve your content marketing skills and knowledge. Here are eight blogs you should follow to learn about the latest news, best practices, and tools in content marketing:
 

1. Content Marketing Institute

   The name of the website says it all – it’s a website about content marketing! Content Marketing Institute publishes stories mostly written by contributing authors regarding developing content for social media, mobile readers, search engine optimization, and more.

   For example, the website has recently published articles such as:

   •    A 4-Point Plan to Boost Your Website’s Authority for Search Engines

   

   •    How a Lawyer at the French Embassy Ended Up a Social Media Entrepreneur

   

   •    How to Write Content That Engages Mobile Readers

    

   Because Content Marketing Institute gathers content from various writers, you can learn about the latest best practices in content marketing from different experts and perspectives.

2. HubSpot

   HubSpot is an inbound marketing software vendor that develops an abundance of content on the latest digital marketing best practices and news – content marketing included.
   
   HubSpot is a great source of information because the company offers resources such as: surveys and statistics, charts on different types of content formats that copywriters can develop, lists of tools that writers can use to generate topic ideas, and buyer personas so writers can better tailor their content for their target audiences.
    
   
    

   

   

   To read HubSpot’s articles on content marketing, go to: http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/content-marketing-plan.   

3. WordStream

   WordSteam is a marketing agency that offers search marketing software and pay-per-click advertising services.

   Similar to other digital marketing firms, WordStream establishes and shows its thought leadership by creating articles on the latest best practices and news in digital marketing. One of the marketing topics they cover is copywriting. 

   
    
   By accessing the Copywriting section, you’ll find articles such as 5 Super-Basic Writing Tips to Help You Be a Better Web Copywriter and The 9 Best Email Subject Line Styles to Increase Your Open Rates that offers hands-on tips for improving content marketing performance!

4. Moz

   Moz, an industry leader in the SEO field, provides a resource-rich website for information on content marketing. Moz’s blog has two categories on content marketing: content and blogging.
   
   Content:

   

   Blogging:

   
    
   The Content section discusses topics regarding content marketing in general. For example, Moz has published articles on performing a content audit using Google Analytics and developing a local content strategy, which help their readers improve overall content marketing performance.
   
   The Blog section, on the other hand, focuses entirely on blogging. For instance, Moz has published articles such as Blogger Outreach - What Do They Think About SEOs?, Time for Guest Blogging With a Purpose, or How To Blog Successfully About Anything to help readers improve the results of their blogging, guest blogging, and bloggers outreach initiatives.
    

5. Search Engine Watch

   Search Engine Watch offers technical and hands-on tips on improving your content marketing performance.
   
   For example, Search Engine Watch has recently released an article called Content Inspiration From Competitors that provides five steps readers can take to analyze competitors’ websites and use their contents for inspiration by using a competitor analysis tool called Ahrefs.
    

   

    Similar to Content Marketing Institute, a majority of Search Engine Watch’s articles are sourced from different writers, which lets you gain insights on content marketing from professionals of various backgrounds!
    

6. Buffer Blog

   Buffer is a social media management tool vendor that runs a killer blog.
   
   The Buffer Blog offers tips and research studies that readers can use to discover specific ways to improve their content marketing results.
   
   For example, Buffer has written blogs such A Scientific Guide to Posting Tweets, Facebook Posts, Emails, and Blog Posts at the Best Time and The Ideal Length of Everything Online, Backed by Research to help writers gain the largest reach of readers and achieve the maximum engagement from their content on social media. 
    
   

   

   

   Buffer has also written articles such as How to Find Your Best Time to Tweet: The 4 Most Accurate Methods to give readers ways of finding out when’s the best time to engage with their audiences.
   
   

   

7. MarketingProfs

   What’s unique about MarketingProfs is that it writes for both the B2C and B2B audiences.
   
   For example, the website has published article such as What B2B Buyers Value Most on Vendor Websites and Overcome B2B 'Content Marketing Crash' in Four Moves that help B2B marketers who use content to generate leads and sales achieve better results
    
    

    

   

8. Smartt

   If these articles don’t have what you want, visit Smartt’s blogs on content marketing. We write about tools, tips, and trends on content marketing that will help you develop content that your customers want!

   If you have any questions about the article, please tweet us at @SmarttCanada!