Sometimes, all you need to achieve
breakthroughs in business is a good mentor. The path to growing a small
business using digital marketing is never easy nor obvious. Yet, by following
the guidance and advice of others, it can quickly become more clear.
Business owners these days have more
advantages than ever when it comes to finding great marketing insights online.
Whereas a few decades ago you’d have to buy books and attend talks in person,
now mind-blowingly great advice is just a few clicks away.
To help you find the information and
inspiration your small business needs to achieve greatness through digital
marketing, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the best digital marketing experts
worth following. Their content and vision will help you cut out bad habits,
embrace change and start engaging in strategies that grow your business
reliably.
Neil Patel
**Twitter:** @neilpatel
**Blog:** https://neilpatel.com/blog/
Neil Patel has a ridiculously great resume to
add to his inspiring, can-do personality. He co-founded KISSmetrics, Hello Bar,
Crazy Egg, Quick Sprout and countless other companies.
Reading [his bio\\
on QuickSprout](https://www.quicksprout.com/about/)
reveals a fairly inspiring rags to riches story.
Patel got where he is by learning through trial and error. He trained his mind
to break down fairly complex marketing concepts people take for granted in
order to repeat their success.
Now, on his blog, he does the exact same thing
for his readers. Every post he writes gives deep-level insights without dumping
too much on you at once. He also gives step-by-step instructions for how to use
the world’s best marketing tools.
The only issue is that he can be a bit
scattered, and his gung-ho business attitude means that he will bombard you
with sales pitches to sign up for. But even still, his highly personable
writing voice and capacity to break down tough subjects into digestible nuggets
makes him every bit worth following online.
Ann Handley
**Twitter:** @MarketingProfs
**Blog:** http://annhandley.com/blog/
Like Neil Patel, Ann Handley has a
jaw-dropping resume. She founded MarketingProfs, she’s a bestselling author,
and she’s worked with some of the biggest names in tech and marketing on the
planet.
But even more impressive are her writing
chops. She writes with the passion and skill of a full-time journalist. Every
one of her blog posts feels incredibly eye-opening. They also peel back the
layers — not just the hows and whys of writing good marketing content, but also
where the industry’s going and how we got where we are.
In other words, she offers not just great
marketing advice but also an all-important dose of context. The subjects she
touches on have equal value to big companies and small businesses just getting
off the ground, so make sure to delve into her pieces on both her personal blog
as well as her MarketingProfs author profile.
Kurt Elster
**Twitter:** @kurtinc
**Blog:** https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/search?q=Kurt+Elster
Kurt Elster’s got a magnetic personality and a
way of boiling down marketing strategies to their core components. Reading his
stuff is like putting on glasses after having fuzzy vision for years.
His main focus is ecommerce, which stems from
his deep relationship with Shopify. He even hosts [an\\
unofficial podcast](https://twitter.com/ShopifyPodcast)
on the service. But he also can help business
owners with their lead generation, marketing funnel, website design,
advertising and more.
Best of all, he uses Twitter to actually offer helpful
tidbits, not just dump links to his most recent blogs and events. Follow him to
read things that make your head nod vigorously.
Rand Fishkin
**Twitter:** @randfish
**Blog:** https://moz.com/rand/
Founder of the highly successful Moz, Rand
Fishkin nevertheless acts with the energy of an up-and-comer rather than an
established name in digital marketing. His [Whiteboard\\
Friday](https://moz.com/blog/category/whiteboard-friday "Link: https://moz.com/blog/category/whiteboard-friday")
series is an indispensable resource that helps business
owners get perspective on tough issues of the day.
He’s also got an unconventional approach to
marketing that aptly fits his odd name and even more unusual hairstyle. Yet, his
advice works, and it makes tough marketing decisions incredibly easy to break
down.
Barry Schwartz
**Twitter:** @rustybrick
**Blog:** https://searchengineland.com/author/barry-schwartz
Barry Schwartz is the CEO and founder of Rusty
Brick, but we know him best for his contributions to Search Engine Land and
Marketing Land. Chances are that if you see a great in-depth piece on SEO
practices and the latest search algorithm changes, Barry’s byline appears at
the bottom.
His approach to marketing is focused on
details and answering tough questions. At the same time, he isn’t above
cracking a joke or taking a lighthearted look at the industry. Follow his work
on Search Engine Land if you never want to be caught off guard by sudden Google
algorithm changes or the latest shifts in best practices.
Heidi Cohen
**Twitter:** @heidicohen
**Blog:** https://actionablemarketingguide.com/
Heidi Cohen runs the aptly named Actionable
Marketing Guide, and she’s also been a regular contributor on digital marketing
sites like Business 2 Community, ClickZ and Social Media Examiner.
Heidi has a professional approach to complex
marketing issues without getting too serious. Like Neil Patel, she breaks down
every concept into its smallest parts so that nothing is overlooked, but she
always remains focused and easy-to-follow. Her posts will have you taking notes
and trying new approaches to digital marketing that could revolutionize your
workflow.
Nick Loper
**Twitter:** @nloper
**Blog:** https://www.sidehustlenation.com/blog/
Nick Loper is owner and founder of Side Hustle
Nation. He really owns that “side hustle” angle, too. All of his advice and
ideas are centered around one concept: you could be making more money if you
channel your passion and energy in the right ways.
His advice relates more to structuring your
business model and developing new income streams, but it also touches upon
important marketing concepts. He also points out great resources that help
business owners save time while earning more money.
If you’re a freelancer, ecommerce retailer,
investor or just a passionate self-starter, Nick can act as your coach and
motivator to make more income.
Gene Marks
**Twitter:** @genermarks
**Blog:** https://genemarksblog.wordpress.com/
Gene Marks is a remarkably successful
journalist covering small business issues and the economy at large. He’s a
regular contributor to the Washington Post, Forbes, Inc.com and many other
respected publications. He’s also appeared as an analyst/expert on Fox News and
MSNBC.
Through his columns, Gene takes on the
trending business issues of the day. He also does a great job of analyzing
current marketing strategies. He’ll tell you as business owners what works and
what to worry about.
It also helps that Gene always has a fresh,
inquisitive attitude in the mold of a true beat reporter. His humor and
accurate takes will help you keep up with the pulse of modern businesses while
helping you become a more effective business owner overall.
Melinda Emerson
**Twitter:** https://twitter.com/SmallBizLady
**Blog:** https://succeedasyourownboss.com/author/smallbizlady/
Melinda Emerson speaks from the heart and
never pulls any punches. Her energy reflects the scrappy attitude needed to
succeed as a small business owner in America.
Keep up with her “Succeed as Your Own Boss” blog for
advice on digital marketing, management and just about anything else you’d need
to know to make it as a business owner. She’s also an avid Twitter user,
updating multiple times a day and always staying on top of the biggest trending
topics.
Jay Baer
**Twitter:** @jaybaer
**Blog:** http://www.convinceandconvert.com/author/jay-baer/
We started with one of the biggest, most
authoritative names in modern digital marketing, so we might as well finish off
with one!
Jay Baer posts exhaustive pieces on how to
master digital marketing techniques through simple strategies and best
practices. He relies on deep research and experimentation to source his data
first-hand, so you’ll rarely find hearsay or regurgitated facts on his Convince
& Convert blog.
As an added bonus, he also posts occasional
teardowns of marketing concepts business owners might take for granted. So read
his blog regularly for a much needed reality check from time to time!
Growing a Small Business Using Digital Marketing Gets Easier With the Right People at Your Back
We cannot emphasize enough how transformative
it is to stay well-read on digital marketing. By reading the latest studies and
data, you can stop making assumptions and start making the right call. You’ll
also stay up-to-date on changes and developments that would otherwise catch you
by surprise.
Keep reading smart people, keep trying new
things and keep giving your digital marketing campaigns your 100% best to make
growing your business more achievable with every passing day.