My Top 10 Non-South African Blogs
I recently put a list together for a client of my 10 recommendations for marketing / consumer-related blogs (there is a business in building custom rolled-up feeds for corporate clients – geeks take note). This is partly a reincarnation of that email. It also harkens back to a convo I had with Rich…! last Friday about how difficult it is to keep the ol’ RSS reader to a manageable size – eventually concluding with him that just ten good feeds would be ample, provided you had at least two or three really prolific AGGREGATORS in that list.
Now by aggregator I mean the kind of blogger who picks up on news from around the web, slaps a little interpretation on it and publishes it. It’s not really (or very seldom is) their own content (often some of their original content is interspersed inbetween), but it helps you keep abreast of the latest developments in the industry. Every sector has an aggregator. If you want the latest on Web 2.0 startup and company news you’d do well to go to TechCrunch for example – news aggregation and reviews (and you only need to look at founder Mike Arrington’s success to understand that aggregation can be a whopping nifty business). I have nothing against aggregators – I love them to bits. I think I happen to be one.
I’ve put together a list of my top 10 non-South African blogs – the stuff I just can’t afford to miss. Bear in mind my work is all about social software in the enterprise so this is through that lens. Regardless you should find some good resources between the AGGREGATORS and ORIGINATORS in the list.
So here’s my top 10 non-South African web (blog) feeds:
1. Micro Persuasion by Steve Rubel.
Steve is a phenomenal aggregator, but always has something useful to the phenomenal amount of content he generates. He’s currently vice president at an Edelman firm in the US, so he’s got that to worry about too, but a silly little thing like en exec position at an enormous PR firm is certainly not going to slow this man down. He’s prolific, engaging, and for me – the one most useful feed on the web for me, right now.
2. B2Day – The Business 2.0 Blog by Erick Schonfeld.
Consistently the best tech / web 2.0 / business blog in my reader. Erick seems to have so much time (or so much talent) to provide such great content. My first stop if I want to know what’s really happening online (although BusinessWeek and startups like GigaOM are great options too).
3. Church of the Customer by Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell. I have a crush on Jackie This blog is an outstanding resource for news on how web 2.0 is impacting the consumer, and in turn how this evolving consumer is impacting society and therefore business. There’s hovels of great case studies and examples and reading material on the site. One-stop shop for citizen marketing and customer evangelism insights.
4. Gaping Void by Hugh MacLeod. Hugh’s a marketing guru of note, and a pioneer in micro marketing strategies. Bottom line, read his blog. Oh and he has this whole cartooning thing on the side too. Not the most popular blog in the UK for nothing.
5. All Kind Food by Dennis D. McDonald. Dennis is the first blog I read when I want profound insights, advice and seriously thought-provoking updates on ‘enterprise 2.0′ – the integration of social software into the enterprise. Besides his expertise, Dennis is a really cool guy. If you’re trying to get your IT department to take blogging seriously, start them here.
6. Seth’s Blog by Seth Godin. Seth is a master marketing mind and an all round nice person. He sees things other people simply don’t see and challenges the geeks to make tech accessible to the rest of the planet. He speaks his mind, is honest and backs it up with some profound success. Not many geek marketers out there who don’t regard Seth as a hero.
7. Innovation Creators by Rod Boothby. Rod is unique. Not because he speaks about social software in the enterprise (God know there’s a bunch of us wrestling with that), but because he IS IN THE ENTERPRISE fighting the war. He is the inside man. He is the real thang. Rod knows what it’s like to struggle to get progressive ideas past archaic fear and trepidation. And it comes out in what he writes. Highly recommended.
8. Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds. Pure wisdom every time. This blog is so good I am loathed to tell people about it. If you ever speak in public, you need go no further… That said, if you want the best in the world at actually designing the presentation FOR YOU, speak to the Links.
9. Read / Write Web by Richard MacManus. For me, a better blog than TechCrunch or GigaOM. Richard has a more global outlook and is more comprehensive and objective in his writing. I love his stuff.
10. Two Point Ouch by Ian Delaney. The only real ‘up-and-comer’ (ok along with Dennis and Rod), Ian is one to watch. His posting is detailed, informative and insightful. He picks up on news quickly and commentates really well. Good luck and keep up the legendary work dude!
So that’s that. Hope some of these make sense for you as you wade your way through heaps of good blogs to find the great ones. Enjoy!
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