“If you only read the stuff that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” — Haruki Murakami
What was once a manageable undertaking, reading is now a mind-numbing decision between hundreds of thousands of blog posts, ebooks and podcasts — most of which are poorly done, fake, wrong and/or just downright useless.
Because I read a lot — like a lot, a lot — as well as curate a weekly newsletter of the best things I read each week, I’m often asked what my favorite blogs are.
So I scrolled through my Pocket to see what blogs popped up the most and developed this comprehensive list of my “favorite” blogs.
My list covers a wide spectrum of topics (as I love to read about a lot of different things so I can connect dots faster) and all are trustworthy (according to me).
This list is in no particular order, and as I’m sure I missed some noteworthy blogs, please do leave recommendations in the comments below, along with why it’s a phenomenal blog and who would enjoy reading it.
Here are the categories I cover:
- Best Blogs for Entrepreneurs
- Best Marketing Blogs
- Best SEO Blogs
- Best Social Media Blogs
- Best Copywriting Blogs
- Best Career Blogs
- Best Personal Development (Lifestyle) Blogs
- Best Productivity Blogs
- Best Popular Online Publications
- Best Freelancing Blogs
- Best UX Blogs
Best Blogs for Entrepreneurs
Growth Lab
Growth Lab teaches SMBs how to start, build and grow their businesses through ACTIONABLE, step-by-step, meaty blog posts. And when I say meaty, some are 30-40 minute reads.
Link:
https://growthlab.com
Who owns it?
Ramit Sethi
Fave posts:
Trend Watching
Trend Watching is one of my favorite hidden gems. They publish one free briefing per month, and they are ALWAYS WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE!
Who owns it?
Reinier Evers
Link:
http://trendwatching.com/freepublications/
Fave Posts:
OkDork
OkDork features in-depth guides and strategies, based on proven frameworks and past experiences. You’ll learn things like: how to start a business, marketing, and more.
Link:
https://okdork.com/blog
Who owns it?
Noah Kagan
Fave posts:
First Round Review
First Round Review features 4,000+ word interviews with the smartest startup founders and their employees. The interviews are told in a story-like format with actionable advice weaved in throughout each post.
Link:
http://firstround.com/review/
Who owns it?
First Round
Fave posts:
Product Habits
Product Habits publishes “the best content for creating better products.” Product teams, startup founders and marketers will all enjoy Hiten Shah’s content.
Link:
https://producthabits.com/blog/
Who owns it?
Hiten Shah
Fave posts:
GrooveHQ Blog
GrooveHQ’s blog theme is “Journey to $10M a Year.” It features step-by-step, actionable case studies for massively scaling businesses.
Link:
http://groovehq.com/blog/
Who owns it?
GrooveHQ
Fave Posts:
Shopify’s Blog
Shopify’s blog is phenomenal. It teaches entrepreneurs how to build profitable businesses online. Its blog posts are actionable and meaty.
Link:
https://www.shopify.com/blog/
Who owns it?
Shopify
Fave posts:
Four Hour Work Week
Four Hour Work Week isn’t just a blog, it’s a lifestyle (and book). On it, Tim Ferriss provides readers with actionable advice that spans the spectrum of productivity, making money, personal development, health and marketing/scaling.
Link:
http://tim.blog/
Who owns it?
Tim Ferriss
Fave posts:
Nathan Barry
Nathan writes meaty posts about design and marketing. Do you want to become a better designer? Or build audiences and sell products? You’ll learn both on this blog.
Link:
http://nathanbarry.com/
Who owns it?
Nathan Barry
Fave posts:
Crew
Crew is a freelancer marketplace for designers and developers. Its blog centers around productivity, creativity and growing your startup.
Who owns it?
Tiny Capital
Link:
https://crew.co/blog/
Fave Posts:
Profit Well
Proft Well or Price Intelligently’s blog is the best blog on pricing strategies for entrepreneurs.
Link:
http://blog.profitwell.com/
Who owns it?
Patrick Campbell
Fave posts:
Make It
A modern blog on all aspects of entrepreneurship by CNBC.
Who owns it?
CNBC
Link:
https://www.cnbc.com/make-it/
Fave Posts:
Best Marketing Blogs
Sumo
Sumo publishes the same type of actionable content as Kagan’s other site: OkDork.
Link:
https://sumo.com/stories
Who owns it?
Noah Kagan
Fave posts:
HubSpot
HubSpot’s blog is the original inbound marketing blog. While most of its content is now aimed at new marketers, sometimes you get some advanced gems!
Who owns it?
HubSpot
Link:
http://blog.hubspot.com
Fave Posts:
Conversion Rate Experts
This blog is owned by the conversion rate optimization (CRO) agency, known as Conversion Rate Experts. It features in-depth case studies, usually about real results it delivered for its clients.
Who owns it?
Ben Jesson
Link:
https://conversion-rate-experts.com/articles/
Fave Posts:
ConversionXL
ConversionXL is one of the most popular blogs on conversion optimization, featuring actionable optimization advice, the latest research and detailed process maps on conversion optimization and data-driven growth.
Link:
https://conversionxl.com/blog/
Who owns it?
Peep Laja
Fave posts:
Matthew Barby
Learn more about all things marketing through actionable, proven case studies and tactics by the Global Head of Growth & SEO at HubSpot.
Link:
https://www.matthewbarby.com/blog
Who owns it?
Matthew Barby
Fave posts:
thinkgrowth.org
This is HubSpot’s Medium publication that shares stories, insights and ideas to help readers grow their businesses.
Who owns it?
HubSpot
Link:
http://thinkgrowth.org
Fave Posts:
Andrew Chen
Long-form essays on growth and cool things going on in Silicon Valley.
Who owns it?
Andrew Chen
Link:
http://andrewchen.co/recent/
Fave Posts:
DigitalMarketer
DigitalMarketer is the premier online community for digital marketing professionals. It’s a place where you can learn how to market like a pro, connect with industry experts, and get the strategies and tools you need to grow and scale your business to new heights.
Link:
http://www.digitalmarketer.com/blog
Who owns it?
Ryan Deiss
Fave posts:
Coelevate
Brian Balfour writes detailed essays on growth and user acquisition to help you build a growth machine.
Link:
Who owns it?
Brian Balfour
Fave posts:
Best SEO Blogs
Gaps
Gaps is a bootstrapped, three-man operation with the sole focus of helping create more online success stories by sharing unique business opportunities based on profitable case studies.
Link:
https://gaps.com/
Who owns it?
Glenn Allsopp
Fave posts:
Backlinko
Backlinko teaches readers how to rank higher in Google and increase traffic. This is *the* most actionable, in-depth blog on SEO out there.
Link:
backlinko.com
Who owns it?
Brian Dean
Fave posts:
Ahrefs Blog
Ahrefs teaches readers advanced marketing and SEO tactics. You’ll find detailed tutorials, case studies and opinion pieces from marketing practitioners and industry experts alike.
Link:
https://ahrefs.com/blog/
Who owns it?
Ahrefs
Fave posts:
Moz Blog
Similar to Ahrefs blog, the Moz blog will teach you everything you need to know about marketing and SEO.
Link:
https://moz.com/blog
Who owns it?
Moz
Fave posts:
Best Social Media Blogs
Jon Loomer
Jon Loomer’s blog is all about Facebook ads — for the *advanced* Facebook marketer.
Who owns it?
Jon Loomer
Link:
https://www.jonloomer.com/
Fave Posts:
AdEspresso’s Blog
Hootsuite’s AdEspresso has a badass “academy” that not only features meaty posts about Facebook ads but also insightful, in-depth guides and resources.
Who owns it?
Hootsuite
Link:
https://adespresso.com/academy/blog/
Fave posts:
Social Media Examiner
SME’s mission is to help readers navigate the constantly changing social media jungle. It features original, comprehensive articles, expert interviews, original research, and the news you need to improve your social media marketing.
Who owns it?
Michael Stelzner
Link:
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/
Fave Posts:
Best Copywriting Blogs
Kopywriting Kourse
One of the absolute best copywriting — excuse me, kopywriting — blogs you’ll read.
Who owns it?
Neville Medhora
Link:
https://kopywritingkourse.com/blog/
Fave Posts:
Copyhackers
Copyhackers teaches its readers how to boost conversions with words that drive people to take action. It will teach you to write copy that you’re proud to show off on your portfolio.
Who owns it?
Joanna Wiebe
Link:
https://copyhackers.com/
Fave Posts:
Copyblogger
Copyblogger teaches readers how to create killer online content. Not bland, corporate crap created to fill up space. Valuable information that attracts attention, drives traffic and grows your business.
Who owns it?
Brian Clark
Link:
http://copyblogger.com/blog
Fave Posts:
Best Career Blogs
Quartz at Work
Quartz at Work is a guide to being a better manager, building a career, and navigating the modern workplace.
Who owns it?
Atlantic Media
Link:
https://work.qz.com/
99u
99U is an online publication for smart creatives — designers, writers, entrepreneurs, marketers, etc. It kind-of reminds of Paul Jarvis.
Who owns it?
Adobe
Link:
http://99u.com/
Fave Posts:
Harvard Business Review (HBR)
HBR helps you navigate all your workplace conundrums. From abusive bosses to staying focused in the office and the future of work, HBR covers it all.
Who owns it?
Harvard Business Publishing
Link:
https://hbr.org/
Fave Posts:
TED
TED has even more phenomenal content hidden on its ideas’ blog. The posts are classic TED — just like the videos but written — for us people who prefer to read instead.
Who owns it?
TED
Link:
https://ideas.ted.com/
Fave Posts:
freeCodeCamp
freeCodeCamp writes the meatiest blog posts about development, design and data science. Not interested in those topics? Me neither, but I still LOVE reading this blog.
Link:
https://medium.freecodecamp.org/
Who owns it?
Quincy Larson
Fave posts:
I Will Teach You to be Rich
Ramit Sethi turned his bestselling book into a hugely popular blog. On it, he shares proven tactics for salary negotiation, interviewing and getting rich.
Link:
https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/
Who owns it?
Ramit Sethi
Fave posts:
The Firehose Project
Firehose’s blog teaches developers how to land a job and learn how to code… the right way. I also find some of its posts totally relatable as a non-developer.
Who owns it?
Firehose
Link:
http://blog.thefirehoseproject.com/
Fave Posts:
Best Personal Development Blogs (Lifestyle Blogs)
Marc and Angel Hack Life
The goal of this blog is to give readers the tools to identify and transform the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck. The blog offers more than 800 articles on happiness, productivity, emotional intelligence, relationships and self-improvement.
Who owns it?
Marc and Angel Chernoff
Link:
http://marcandangel.com/
Fave Posts:
Mark Manson
There’s no sugarcoating with Mark Manson. That’s why I love his blog. He covers everything from happiness to dating to habits and self-knowledge.
Who owns it?
Mark Manson
Link:
https://markmanson.net
Fave Posts:
Brain Pickings
Brain Pickings is a one-woman labor of love — a subjective lens on what matters in the world and why. Mostly, it’s a record of Maria Popova’s own becoming as a person — intellectually, creatively, spiritually — and an inquiry into how to live and what it means to lead a good life.
Who owns it?
Maria Popova
Link:
https://www.brainpickings.org
Fave Posts:
Science of Us
Science of Us is a smart but playful window into the latest science on human behavior, with the goal of enlightening, entertaining and providing useful information that can be applied to everyday life.
Who owns it?
New York Magazine
Link:
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/
Fave Posts:
Seth Godin
Seth Godin is probably the only person — besides Jason Fried — who can get away with writing such ridiculously popular short posts. The man really makes you think and question the norm.
Link:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/
Fave Posts:
The Players’ Tribune
The Players’ Tribune is written by professional athletes. Don’t write them off if you’re not into sports. I’m totally not into sports, but I find the content just completely motivating.
Who owns it?
Derek Jeter
Link:
https://www.theplayerstribune.com
Fave Posts:
Signal v. Noise
“Strong opinions and shared thoughts on design, business, and tech. By the makers (and friends) of Basecamp. Since 1999.”
Who owns it?
Basecamp
Link:
https://m.signalvnoise.com
Fave Posts:
Wait but Why
Wait but Why is hilarious and, most of the time, pretty damn insightful. It’s also eerily on-point. Tim says what we’re all thinking. The blog isn’t about one specific topic, and it’s known for its signature stick figure comics.
Who owns it?
Tim Urban
Link:
https://waitbutwhy.com/
Fave Posts:
Thrive Global
Thrive Global’s mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance well-being, performance, and purpose, and create a healthier relationship with technology.
Who owns it?
Arianna Huffington
Link:
https://www.thriveglobal.com/
Fave Posts:
Barking up the Wrong Tree
Barking up the Wrong Tree is written by Eric Barker. He answers all of your life questions and backs it up with science-based facts and expert insights.
Who owns it?
Eric Barker
Link:
bakadesuyo.com
Fave Posts:
James Clear
James studies successful people across a wide range of disciplines — entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and more — to uncover the habits and routines that make these people the best at what they do. Then, he shares what he learns via his blog and newsletter.
Who owns it?
James Clear
Link:
http://jamesclear.com
Fave Posts:
Art of Manliness
Ladies, don’t let its name fool you. This blog offers lots of hidden gems for us as well — from practical career advice and productivity tips to basic social etiquette.
Who owns it?
Brett McKay
Link:
http://artofmanliness.com
Fave Posts:
The Book of Life
It’s called The Book of Life because it’s about the most substantial things in your life: your relationships, your income, your career, your anxieties.
Who owns it?
The School of Life
Link:
http://www.thebookoflife.org/
Fave Posts:
The Oatmeal
Similar to Wait but Why, The Oatmeal features funny[-looking] comics that are so funny because they’re true.
Who owns it?
Matthew Inman
Link:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics
Fave Posts:
Scott Young
Scott Young answers the question: “What’s the best to way learn?” on his blog. He teaches you everything he’s learned about learning and thinking. Super interesting stuff!
Who owns it?
Scott Young
Link:
https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/
Fave Posts:
For The Interested
Josh Spector features a collection of curated and original things worth knowing, worth doing, and worth recommending on For The Interested.
Who owns it?
Josh Spector
Link:
http://fortheinterested.com/
Best Productivity Blogs
Todoist Blog
The Todoist blog is obviously about all things productivity. Its in-depth guides offer great insights to how to be more efficient — with or without Todoist.
Who owns it?
Todoist
Link:
http://blog.todoist.com
Fave Posts:
Farnam Street
Farnam Street is helps readers develop an understanding of how the world really works, make better decisions and live a better life. Shane Parrish address topics like: mental models, decision making, learning, reading and the art of living.
Who owns it?
Shane Parrish
Link:
Farnamstreetblog.com
Fave Posts:
Zapier
Zapier, the wildly popular workflow automation tool, has a phenomenal blog. Its in-depth, tactical posts will teach you how to be more productive in no time.
Who owns it?
Danny Schreiber is the marketing director at Zapier.
Link:
https://zapier.com/blog/
Fave Posts:
The Effective Engineer
Time is your most valuable resource. Learn how to use it efficiently. And don’t let this name fool you either. I’m far from an engineer, but I do extract little gems of productivity inspiration here.
Who owns it?
Edmond Lau
Link:
http://www.effectiveengineer.com/blog
Fave Posts:
Asian Efficiency
“Don’t let the name fool you – this website is for anyone who is interested in time management and productivity, not just Asians.”
Who owns it?
Thanh Pham
Link:
http://www.asianefficiency.com/blog/
Fave Posts:
Best Online Publications
New York Magazine
NY Mag has a few different publications I just love, such as SelectAll, The Cut and The Science of Us. The content is forward-thinking and usually provacative.
Who owns it?
Pamela Wasserstein
Link:
http://nymag.com
Fave Posts:
Quartz
While I tend to steer clear of Quartz’s hard news posts, I tend LOVE its more feature-esque posts — a lot of which are syndicated from other popular blogs.
Who owns it?
Atlantic Media
Link:
https://qz.com/
Fave Posts:
Bloomberg
While I don’t love Bloomberg’s political stories, I do love its meaty feature stories.
Who owns it?
Michael Bloomberg
Link:
http://bloomberg.com
Fave Posts:
Aeon
Aeon is a digital magazine of ideas, philosophy and culture. Publishing new articles every weekday, Aeon describes itself as a publication which asks the biggest questions and finds the freshest, most original answers, provided by world-leading authorities on science, philosophy and society.
Who owns it?
Paul and Brigid Hains
Link:
https://aeon.co
Fave Posts:
Columbia Journalism Review (CJR)
CJR’s mission is to be the intellectual leader in the rapidly changing world of journalism. Through its fast-turn analysis and deep reporting, CJR is an essential venue not just for journalists, but also for the thousands of professionals in communications, technology, academia, and other fields reliant on solid media industry knowledge.
Who owns it?
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Link:
https://www.cjr.org/
Fave Posts:
Nautil.us
Each month Nautilus chooses a single topic, and each Thursday it publishes a new chapter on that month’s topic. Each issue combines the sciences, culture and philosophy into a single story told by the world’s leading thinkers and writers.
Link:
http://nautil.us/blog
Fave Posts:
Best Freelancing Blogs
Paul Jarvis
Paul is the creator of the Creative Class. He writes articles about creating a better (not necessarily bigger) business for smart creatives.
Who owns it?
Paul Jarvis
Link:
https://pjrvs.com/articles/
Fave Posts:
Double Your Freelancing
This blog is great for new and old freelancers who want to earn more money and work with better clients.
Who owns it?
Brennan Dunn
Link:
http://doubleyourfreelancing.com
Fave Posts:
Best UX Blogs
The Logbook
This blog is created by a remote design and development agency, called Hanno. It takes about its processes a lot, which I enjoy, and definitely can teach freelancers a thing or two about running a business/firm.
Who owns it?
Jon Lay, Hanno
Link:
https://hanno.co/blog/
Fave Posts:
Nir & Far
Nir & Far is about the intersection of psychology, technology and business. Also known as “behavioral design,” topics include: UX, behavioral economics and a dash of neuroscience.
Who owns it?
Nir Eyal
Link:
https://www.nirandfar.com/blog
Fave Posts:
Dtelepathy
Digital Telepathy is a top UX design agency, and it’s blog is great! It’s about all things design-related.
Who owns it?
Digital Telepathy
Link:
https://www.dtelepathy.com/blog/
Fave Posts:
Orbit Media’s Blog
Orbit Media builds websites. Its blog features posts about all things web design and marketing.
Who owns it?
Orbit Media Studios
Link:
https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/
Fave Posts:
