Top Blog Lists: Top42 Content Marketing & 9 Best Blogs for 2009

Who are the top bloggers in your field? You need to know them and read them and leave comments. It's one of the top ways to drive traffic back to your own blog and get new readers. It's what The Blog Squad calls blog Outreach, part of the CODA blogging program which we teach in our Build a Better Blog Learning System.

Of course, it helps if you have pioneers in your niche like Joe Pulizzi (aka JuntaJoe) and his Top42 Content Marketing Blog list. Joe brings out a fresh list of blogs in content marketing every quarter.

Here's where I shed a tear and feel sorry for myself and this blog, because Writing on the Web slipped on the list from #3 to #12...but frankly, I'm just glad to be on the list in such good company. Joe has rigorous selection principles and isn't swayed by bribes.

Here are the top 10 of the blogs on the Top42 list:

1 Marketing with Meaning
2 PR 2.0
3 Chris Brogan's Blog
4 EyeCube
5 Conversation Marketing
6 Web Ink Now
7 Conversation Agent
8 Online Marketing Blog
9 ContentMarketingToday
10 Copyblogger

There are new blogs that come into the list each time, and everyone benefits from finding out about them. If you use content to market your business, you need to be reading these top blogs. Not all of them will appeal to your needs. Many are geared towards bigger companies. But this is where you'll find what other leaders are doing.

Need to find other blogs in your field? Search on Alltop and Blogs.com.

Our blog about business blogging, Build a Better Blog was listed as one of Mitch Mitchell's 9 Best Blogs for 2009. Read this for another interesting list of blogs you may not know about. These are real gems.

Start your own list if one doesn't exist in your field. When you do, this will do several things for you and your business:

1. You'll increase your knowledge about what's going on in your field
2. You'll be inspired to write better
3. You'll leave comments and get known on other blogs
4. People will be curious and check you out
5. You'll please the bloggers on your list and they'll write about you
6. You'll become even more credible and perceived as an expert in your field
7. You'll greatly improve your branding impact
8. You'll gain increased visibility

If there are lists already in existence in your niche, write the list authors and find out what the selection criteria are. Then keep those goals in mind as you develop content for your blog.

Blogging is about having conversations. It shouldn't happen in a vacuum. Get out on Twitter and follow your favorite bloggers. Retweet their stuff. I only found out yesterday that Joe had published his new Content Marketing Top42 list, through a tweet on Twitter. Now I have a list of a few new people to 'follow.'

Comments

[judi]

Great Article (they all are) yet this one spoke to me on an action level. thanks, judi

[Toy Fighter]

Thanks Patsi, and congratulations!

[Digital Products Center]

To bad that you are now 12th but I still include you on my list of 25 must-visit blogs related to internet marketing.

Marketing with Meaning wrote about Junta42 list as follows:

"What I really like about the Junta42 list is that its judging criteria is based mainly on the quality of our content, rather than the number of visitors, Technorati links, etc."

I always believe in quality not quantity.

[Alanna]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Alanna

[neilcy]

Make different with full inspiration.