Can you know everything about Digital Marketing? I don’t think so! It’s a discipline that’s changing daily and it feels impossible to keep up with it. So like any good professional I consume a daily digest of blogs, articles, videos and social media content to keep my knowledge current. People often ask me to recommend bloggers or websites so I thought I’d write a blog post and share my virtual digital mentors with you. If you have any other suggestions, then I’d love to hear them.

Who are the digital gurus?

I’ve categorised my digital gurus just as I consume their content – authors, bloggers, websites, YouTubers and social media marketers.

1. Authors

Erik Qualman

The man who coined the phrases Socialnomics and World of Mouth Marketing. Erik’s work is brilliant and like any great blogger or marketer, really easy to consume. I also love his books. Here’s my favourite video from Erik, called The Social Media Revolution.

David Meerman Scott

David’s book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR was the first book on digital marketing that I read back in 2007 and I’m still dipping and dipping out of it. It’s so easy to read and the case studies are great. My copy has lots of dog ears but I always have it nearby!

Bloggers

Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner

I get my Social Media Examiner digest every day about 4pm and I always receive it with great anticipation. Michael’s work is fantastic, and he has built up a very strong editorial team over the past number of years. There are now 90 writers producing blogs, podcasts, videos, articles, ebooks and social media posts. Their daily updates and weekly round-ups of what’s changing in the digital and social media world is invaluable. I look at Social Media Examiner as my research team – they are investigating, reviewing, researching and summing it all up for me in digestible bites! So thanks guys!

Jon Loomer

The man knows Facebook, inside and out! With the constant stream of Facebook Edgerank algorithm changes, Jon is a good man to keep you up to date. He keeps it niche as we say in the business! He also delivers online courses and his blog is invaluable to marketers.

Ian Cleary, Razor Social

Ah another fellow Irish person! Ian has made a remarkable breakthrough into the United States and I always look forward to his daily email of digital tips and tricks.  He calls himself the ‘Social Media Tools’ guy and he’s pretty good at demystifying, auditing and testing the hundreds of social media products out there. I particularly love his Tools Directory.

Websites

Search Engine Journal 

SEO made simple! That’s how I would describe US-based Search Engine Journal. It’s a site I frequent often and it’s really useful to keep us up to date with changes in the Google algorithm along with tips on how to ramp up your organic search marketing activities.

We were delighted to be named one of Ireland’s top Marketing Blogs by Search Engine Journal this week. And as the screen grab below shows, that blog post was shared 583 times thus far. Not bad for our own SEO!

Digital Marketing Institute

As a graduate of Digital Marketing Institute I keep up to date with their content and am also subscribed to their LinkedIn Group. So I am accessing their content in a number of ways. I particularly like the fact they keep their eye on the digital skills availability in Ireland and they also act as a benchmark in the digital education sector. They offer a broad range of digital marketing courses which you can complete online.

YouTubers

Video is an excellent medium to consume tips and updates on digital marketing. Here’s one on 2015 trends in digital that marketers should know from Hoppin Online Marketing’s YouTube Channel.

Social Media Marketers

The smartphone allows you to consume knowledge anytime, anywhere. Here are some social media accounts I follow on the go.

Search Engine Watch on Twitter

Social Media Today on Twitter

Social Media Week

Facebook for Business