In this post, we cover 10 great blogs that all bloggers and web publishers need to follow to step up their game.

We all want to do good work, but sometimes making the leap from what you want to do and actually doing it consists of a big jump in knowledge.

For bloggers, this means getting proficient at everything from setting up the blog to configuring its design, to improving one’s writing skills, to finally shipping the content to its intended audience.

Each part of the process requires you to learn some specific skills, apart from getting up-to-speed with the lesser know tips, tricks, and techniques.

Thankfully, there are many experts disseminating their knowledge — most of it for free. In this post, we cover 10 great blogs that all bloggers and web publishers need to follow to step up their game.

1. OkDork

The OkDork blog is run by Noah Kagan, the brain and ‘Chief Sumo’ behind the app curation service AppSumo.com.

On OkDork, you’ll see posts on marketing, startups, hacks, and even life advice. Among other things, Noah has written about how to write a cold email, books that changed his life, how to deal with depression, growing email lists to 20,000+, and how to make it easy for others to say yes. There’s also a resource section that you must check out and a free marketing toolkit up for grabs.

2. Boost Blog Traffic

As the name suggests, Boost Blog Traffic is dedicated to helping its readers increase their blog audience.

The blog was started by Jon Morrow, who earlier served as the associate editor of the widely popular blog Copyblogger. Jon believes that that most bloggers have both the passion and the smarts to be successful, but what holds them back is the lack of understanding about how the blogging game is played.

That’s where Boost Blog Traffic comes in — on it, you’ll find detailed and actionable posts on everything from writing better to outreach strategies. Don’t forget to grab their free Headline Hacks eBook to learn how to write headlines that captivate readers.

3. Social Media Examiner

Writing and publishing a post is only one part of your job as a blogger; finding, growing, and maintaining a great social media presence is an essential part of blogging.

Social Media Examiner helps millions of businesses discover how to best use social media, blogs and podcasts to connect with customers, drive traffic, generate awareness and increase sales.

Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other social network… if you want to learn how to make the best use of them as marketing tools, Social Media Examiner is the blog to follow.

4. The Daily Egg

The Daily Egg blog is run by the team behind Crazy Egg, the heatmap software that helps website owners visualize their visitors.

The main focus of their blog is on conversion rate optimization. Conversion means different things to different users. To e-commerce stores, it means sales. To bloggers, it means signups for the newsletter or perhaps product sales. But it’s usually the most important metric for any webmaster.

Besides conversion rate optimization, the blog also has posts on analytics, copywriting, branding, email marketing, UX, WordPress, and many other topics. Internet entrepreneur Neil Patel, who is also the founder of Crazy Egg, also blogs on Kissmetrics, QuickSprout, and Neil Patel, covering topics of interest to both bloggers and marketers.

5. 99u

Not your typical blog about blogging tips and tricks, 99u is an idea blog for anyone engaged in creative endeavours. Winner of two Webby Awards for “Best Cultural Blog,” 99U.com provides daily insights on how to make ideas happen through in-depth interviews, articles, videos, and bite-size blog posts about topics such as productivity, psychology, work hacks, and more. Across these formats, the website aims to extract pragmatic, actionable tips that equip creative minds to make their dreams a reality.

6. Jeff Goins

This is the blog you need to follow if you want to improve your writing chops. Jeff has written four books including the national bestseller, The Art of Work. On this blog, he shares his reflections on writing and life.

There are some great posts on his blog that are a must-read for anyone who not only wants to improve his or her writing skills but also learn about how to promote themselves, do great work, and live the writer’s life. Some of these include The Secret to Effortless Writing, The Difference Between Good Writers & Bad Writers, and How to Never Have to Pitch Your Writing Again.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Resources section where he lists out all the tools and techniques he uses to get work done.

7. Jeff Bullas

Jeff Bullas is one of the original ‘social media gurus’ and his blog is about all things to do with social media marketing, content marketing and digital marketing. This includes Twitter, Blogging, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and email marketing.

The blog has won multiple awards and mentions by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Social Media Examiner, and more. The wealth of valuable content that the blog has generated over the years is simply amazing. You’ll find everything from guides to lists to posts about facts and stats.

If you’re a beginner, the Resources and the Get Started sections will teach you everything you need to know to successfully launch and run your blog.

8. Buffer Blog

Social Media account management software Buffer has been running a wildly popular blog targeted towards marketers and bloggers for many years now. Almost every post published on the blog sees thousands of shares on social networks.

There are a few reasons why almost every post they published is destined to go viral. First, their quality standards are impeccable. You would really struggle to find even one mediocre post published on their blog. Seconds, they don’t restrict themselves only to topics that are of interest to the target audience, but occasionally publish general interest features that almost everyone would be interested in.

Some examples of these include How Much Sleep Do We Really Need to Work Productively?, What Multitasking Does to Our Brains, and Why We Have Our Best Ideas in the Shower: The Science of Creativity. Even so, their focus remains on helping bloggers and marketers work smarter and be more productive. A must-follow whether you’ll looking for the tools, techniques, or just inspiration for your work.

9. Successful Blogging

Sue Anne Dunlevie started Successful Blogging to helps help bloggers make more money with their blog so they can work at home, be their own boss, and spend more time doing what they love.

In a sea of blogs filled with jargon, Sue’s blog stands out as a breath of fresh air because of its simplicity both in language and presentation. If you’re a beginner, the Get Started section will help you learn how to set up your blog, how to create compelling content, how to get traffic, how to make money, and other tips and tricks.

10. Sparring Mind

Sparring Mind is a blog run by Gregory Ciotti, who is the content strategist at Help Scout, an enterprise CRM software. The blog is essentially a collection of essays on clear communication, creativity, and doing better work. His blog has over 20,000 subscribers and his work has been cited by publications such as The New York Times, Discovery News, FastCompany, Forbes, Inc., and PsychCentral.

Though this blog may not be directly related to the day-to-day tasks and operations of a blog, it does give valuable insight into the nature of work and how to be better at it. Some essays you must read are How to Build Good Habits, Are You Cultivating Knowledge or Consuming Information?, Easy Reading is Damn Hard Writing, and Leaving Your Desk Behind.

What are your favourite blogs? Let us know in the comments ↓

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