Bloggers Learning from Other Bloggers

Today, I received an e-mail from good friend Drew McLellan, which was sent to a number of us bloggers asking us to create a post listing a few blog sites (and maybe give a word or two as to how you'd categorize them) that:

• Are chock full of practical tips
• Act as a living lab on how to write compelling blog posts
• Demonstrate how to build a community
• Teach marketing tools
• Are welcome wagons - bloggers who spotlight newbies

Drew thinks that "as fresh faces leap into the blogging waters faster than we can count them..., it's in everyone's best interest (and just good manners) to offer a helping hand to the neophytes." I agree, as my blog has grown, matured and changed because of all the great bloggers who have not only offered my suggestions but have shown me the way.

Later, after we have created a credible list, Drew will compile a master list/separate blogroll of blog sites that a new blogger should visit, explore and study.  Following you will find my recommendations. As a writer, I look for good writing first. The following blogs (and I could have listed 20 more) are examples of bloggers who are good writers, possess a strong voice and offer us unique insights into marketing, PR and advertising. Primarily, however, I chose these five because there writing is interesting and they also get away from marketing occasionally to offer up a fun post or two, and I believe those are two keys to growing readership and to marketing.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think of these bloggers and of my blog. I will share your thoughts with them and will appreciate anything you offer to improve my post. At the end of the day, we are never too experienced not to learn something new. And most important, we write for our readers not for ourselves, so what to you want to read and what could I do better?

• Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once (Liz and other writers offer suggestions and recommendations that are wonderfully written, and her blog is a great first stop for new bloggers.)
• Logic+Emotion (Since, David Armano doesn't have the title of marketer, some may wonder why I chose his blog. It's simple: Marketing is first and foremost about creativity, and no one shares insights into the creative arts better than David. Furthermore, his writing is personal and engaging, which I believe is the key to good blogging.)
• Hee-Haw Marketing (Paul McEnany is the most entertaining and one of the smartest bloggers in the blogosphere. Be sure to check out his series on Kohl's if you want to see how to handle a real-time case study.)
• Conversation Agent (Valeria Maltoni never ceases to surprise us with her range of topics and her ability to use writing styles appropriate to the subject matter. She is a must read, and we all learn from her.)
• The Diva Marketing Blog (Toby may be the best blogger I know. She mixes styles, covers lots of good material and reaches out to feature as many bloggers as she can. This is a person you need to know. Be sure to introduce yourself to her.)

And here are the first five from Drew, which you can find at the link above to his name in the first paragraph:

• Converstations (chock full of practical tips)
• CK's blog (compelling blog post examples)
• Viral Garden (demonstrate how to build a community)
• Lonely Marketer (teach marketing tools)
• Successful & Outstanding Blogs (bloggers who spotlight newbies)

One final note: This is not a meme to grow links. You are not being tagged. However, I invite you to participate in this conversation by sharing your five recommendations or by commenting or posting to these posts. If you decide to add your voice, please trackback to Drew so he can build the list.