BlogDay was created with the belief that bloggers should have one day dedicated to getting to know other bloggers from other countries and areas of interest. Today is the day bloggers recommend other blogs to our readers. This way, all blog readers will find themselves leaping around and discovering new, previously unknown blogs.
One of my goals is to introduce to you five blogs which may be flying under your radar. In other words “undiscovered” blogs. That’s difficult to do. For this list, I only considered marketing & business blogs. As a result this list is absent of blogs I read to improve my writing and presenting skills. So here are five of my favorites, hopefully you will find a couple new ones to add to your reading list.
The Brand Box by Amber Naslund. The Brand Box is about making sense of marketing and social media. Amber’s only been blogging since May but has already made quite an impact in the blogosphere, even getting into a hubbub with the New York Times. Amber is active and on Twitter and Plurk and has the ability to translate social media into plain English.
(update March 2014: The Brand Box is no longer with us and Amber now blogs at amber et cetera)
Wilma’s Wine World by Kim Stare Wallace. This blog is where my interest in small business and my love of wine collide. Kim “Wilma” Wallace is a second-generation winery owner of Dry Creek Vineyards in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California. Kim blogs about wineries, wine and business with a personal and homey touch.
Direct Creative Blog by Dean Rieck. I love practical advice and Dean Rieck deals it. One of the most powerful small business marketing tools is direct mail. If you want to learn how to do it more effectively, check out the Direct Creative Blog. Design, copywriting, best practices, it’s all there on Dean’s blog.
Branding Strategy Insider by several authors. One of the most authoritative branding resources on the Internet. You will find frequent links to BSI sprinkled throughout my regular posts. Well-know among marketers, this blog doesn’t get the attention it deserves from small business owners. It should because it’s a treasure trove of branding theory and advice.
Mine Your Own Business by Mike Buckley. What can a sewing business teach you about marketing and business? A lot! Actually, Mike’s company, Tacony, also does flooring, ceiling fans and lighting. Mine Your Own Business is a blog for independent retailers and Mike keeps his advice focused on small businesses.
Hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I do. If you have other blogs you’d like to recommend, including your own, use the comment section below.
Improve Your Blog Reading
I use Google Reader to read my blog feeds. I find it easy and useful in organizing all my blog feeds. To learn how to use Google Reader to make blog reading easy, see this tutorial How to Use Google Reader by Andy Wibbels and/or this YouTube tutorial from Tony Kummer on How To Use Google Reader. (update March 2014: Google Reader is dead and gone! Feedly is the most popular replacement)
After you get your feed Reader set up, make sure you add The Marketing Spot to your account or subscribe The Marketing Spot by email, and never miss another article. You can unsubscribe at any time.