On the eighth day of Christmas, Spin Sucks gave to you eight PR blogs, seven online courses, six PR professional development opps, five productivity tools, four PR pro gifts, three PR trends, two PR books, and one habit to change in 2018.
When I set out to write this, I was going to do eight blogs, podcasts, and TED talks.
But it was impossible to narrow it down to only two or three per category.
So I had eight per category.
And then I realized even that was too much so I decided to focus solely on PR blogs; the podcasts and TED talks will come later.
Eight PR Blogs to Voraciously Read
Not all of these are PR blogs, so to speak, and that’s done on purpose.
They’re blogs that will help you evolve your skillset, expand your thinking, and learn new tricks.
You’ll learn everything from entrepreneurship and business development to digital marketing tactics and communications integration.
Subscribe to them either by email or RSS and make a commitment in 2018 to read everything they produce.
Moz Teaches SEO and Earned Media
The Moz blog is one of my favorites because it combines search engine optimization with content marketing and media relations.
If you’ve heard the lines are blurring, this will demonstrate that more than ever.
A lot of the recommendations are on how to use earned media to gain links to your site. It’s very, very important work.
Orbit is Well-Researched
The Orbit Media blog is written by guests such as Barry Feldman, David Fisher, and even me on occasion.
It also has Orbit media team members sprinkled in.
But the real gold is the twice-per-month article that Andy Crestodina writes.
He and I always do a live Fireside Chat at the end of the year (it was this past Tuesday).
This year I asked him how much time he spends on his two articles.
He said, “At least 10 hours each.”
That goes to show how much research, thought, and pure time he puts into his content.
I guarantee you’ll learn something every time he publishes.
The Buffer Blog Teaches Social Media Hacks
The Buffer blog is billed as “thoughts on social media and online marketing.”
You’ll find everything from Instagram tips and decoding the Facebook algorithm to where to find music for your videos and how to curate your content.
You can find case studies and best practices, along with how-tos, such as building a social media plan from scratch and increasing your Facebook engagement.
(You also should follow Spin Sucks on Facebook because I’m always shocked at how well Corina Manea does with our organic engagement and reach. Everyone complains about Facebook and I just whistle and look away. It would do us all good to mimic what she does.)
Buffer also is notorious for releasing their salary information.
And, just this year, they released a calculator that you can use to figure out how much you’d make working there.
It’s a level of transparency that is out of this world.
HubSpot Offers Agency-Specific Information
It’s always interesting to watch what HubSpot does.
When they re-launched their site to focus on their different audiences, I took note.
You now can get agency-specific information to help you with best practices, data, growth, and bookmarkable tips.
It covers everything from how to use bots to manage your social media to building videos on a shoestring budget.
No matter what you do, HubSpot has something for you.
Get Templates and Content Marketing with CoSchedule
I told Nathan Ellering, the CoSchedule head of marketing demand generation, that I will read anything they produce.
And that includes the forthcoming book by their CEO and co-founder, Garrett Moon.
(The 10X Marketing Formula, which will be available for pre-order in January.)
The CoSchedule team has written for Spin Sucks several times and I learn something new just reading my own blog.
It’s fantastic!
Their blog is no different.
Their most recent publication is a social media results template, which everyone should download and make their own right this very second.
You’ll also receive some of the most in-depth content marketing information on the web.
Add Customer Experience with Convince and Convert
I’ll admit that when Jay Baer reduced the amount of writing he does, I was reticent to stay subscribed.
But I have been pleasantly surprised!
Though you still get him every two weeks or so, the guest and team authors that fill in the other days are just as good.
(Which says a lot about his content team.)
You can expect to learn up-to-date information on digital marketing, social media, customer experience, case studies, and influencer marketing.
Learn Modeling and Statistics with Christopher Penn
It seems a little strange to me to wrap Christopher Penn into the PR blogs category, but here he is!
He does work for a PR firm (Shift) so it makes sense from that perspective.
And he does offer information communicators must know.
But it’s the kind of stuff that hurts a communicator’s brain.
After all, most went into this business to avoid doing math.
But I challenge you in 2018 to really study what he publishes.
It’s information you need to know—and it will help both your own career and the growth of your communications program.
Right now, he’s doing a series on modeling for marketers and, while it will make your brain itch, it’s worth the time you’ll spend with it.
Social Media Current
Social Media Current kind of runs under the radar, but it has the best of the best of all PR blogs out there.
Everyone mentioned here is included (Spin Sucks, too) so it’s an easy way to stay informed with only one subscription.
I don’t recommend subscribing only to it and not the seven others I’ve listed here, but it is a shortcut, if you so choose.
Launched by Jason Keath and his team about 18 months ago, there are five editors (myself included) who curate content each day.
I handle Wednesdays so you’ll see me there for your hump day.
The idea is to have three news items, three how-to stories, and one just interesting article.
This week I had articles on the new Instagram hashtag following and Facebook re-releasing the “poke” feature.
You can find everything you need with Social Media Current.
Your PR Blogs Recommendations
And now the floor is yours!
Which PR blogs do you recommend people subscribe to and voraciously read?
