Online Resources for Social Media,
Marketing,
Writing, and more!
As a web content writer and professional blogger, I actively seek online resources to increase my knowledge and skill set. The world wide web is ever-changing and constantly evolving. It is important for me to understand the developments of search engine and social media practices, adapting my writing to the current trends for content creation.
To become a better content creator, I have sought to increase my comprehension of marketing, public relations, SEO, technology, and business. I also review online resources on writing to hone my craft.
[Note: I clearly communicate to my clients that I am not a marketing professional – I am a writer. I recommend clients who are in need of message and branding to hire a marketing pro to define their brand.]
As a content writer, I request the client’s branding message and incorporate it within content, utilizing SEO keywords. My goal is to provide written content that will effectively communicate on behalf of my clients – using the correct lexicon and vocabulary to promote their business. I also need to understand the different platforms (websites, social media sites) and adapt the content accordingly. With the constant change of business and technology applications on the internet, I utilize online resources to try to stay ahead of the curve.
So Much Information, So Little Time
There is a deluge of information available online – most relevant and some downright sketchy. Through trial-and-error, I have developed an ongoing list of reputable online resources from social media and marketing, to writing and creativity. At first, I was signing up for every blog and e-news release. Within a few months, my inbox was congested and practically impossible to navigate. I also signed up for many Google Alerts. Ditto with the same results. Now, I limit myself to 5 daily inbox messages and 10 weekly contacts via email. I have decided to go through my list and seek out the latest blogs and press releases. My inbox is manageable and I feel like I have more control over the information I actively seek.
Another great way to stay up-to-date on the latest technology, practices, and news is to read the promoted ‘shares’ of your contacts and connections. The one bit of morsel I have taken away from social media is that people like information and do not care for the sales pitch. I try to share on my social media sites an interesting article, adding a brief comment and link. I only share information I have read and that I believe has value to my audience.
Please note that the following list does not display the complete website address. To prevent any possibility of having a large amount of outbound links from my blog (definitely NOT good for SEO), I have identified the primary domain name. As with most internet URLs, many of these sites begin with http://www. There are a few that begin with just http://. I suggest you use a search engine (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) and type in/copy & paste what I have displayed. The search engine will then find the complete URL address for you. For reference: On my personal list, I maintain the complete URLs and hyperlinks so I can quickly access them online from my database.
I am also on the hunt for any additional online resources available. If you are aware of any other interesting resources, please feel free to share them with me!
Thank you,
Laura
Social Media/Marketing/PR
60secondmarketer.com
adage.com
alltop.com
blokube.com
ctct.wpengine.com
dannybrown.me
heidicohen.com
hubspot.com/blog
imediaconnection.com
jeffbullas.com
jonloomer.com/blog
lighthouseinsights.in
marismith.com
mashable.com
prnewsonline.com
pushingsocial.com
razorsocial.com
searchengineland.com
sociableblog.com
socialfresh.com
socialmediaexaminer.com
socialmediatoday.com
socialnomics.com
usefulsocialmedia.com
viralcontentbuzz.com
Technology
readwrite.com
smashingmagazine.com
techcrunch.com
techmeme.com
wired.com
Business
businessinsider.com
fastcompany.com
venturebeatprofiles.com
Writing/Content/Blogging/Creativity
allisonwinn.com/ask-allison
blog.nathanbransford.com
blogengage.com
bloggers.com
blokube.com
copyblogger.com
copyblogger.com/copywriting-101
creativewritingprompts.com
creativity-portal.com/howto/writing/writing.prompts.html
creativity-portal.com/prompts/imagination.prompt.html
famousbloggers.net
fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/01/08/a-guide-to-writing-well
fuelyourwriting.com
futuristspeaker.com
inbound.org
inspirationforwriters.com
jetreidliterary.blogspot.com
jobprofiles.org/library/students/50_awesome_open_source_resources_for_online_writers.htm
lighthouseblog.org
menwithpens.ca/blog
outbrain.com
placesforwriters.com
powa.org
problogger.com
procrastinatingwritersblog.com
publishersweekly.com
queryshark.blogspot.com
screenwritingtricks.com
squidoo.com/resourcesforwriters
storyfix.com
ted.com/talks
thestorystarter.com
viralcontentbuzz.com
writersdigest.com
writerunboxed.com
writetodone.com
writetodone.com/2008/03/03/31-ways-to-find-inspiration-for-your-writing
writing.colostate.edu
SEO
Seomoz.org
Seroundtable.com
Searchengineland.com
Stateofsearch.com
Searchenginejournal.com
Googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.co.uk
Straighten Up and Fly Write 
Laura, this is an absolutely AWESOME post on worthwhile resources!!!! As a writer and aspiring freelancer, it’s extremely important that I build an effective and reliable resource list. I’ve been attempting to build one for quite some time, but as you point out, some of the information online just isn’t dependable (or accurate) all of the time. I bookmarked this post and plan on checking out each of your resources individually.
I just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for the great leads on precious information I anticipate will be crucial in my on-going development as a writer.
One resource I will add to your list is a great source for all levels of writing. It’s a convenient site to visit if you have a brain lapse and need to double-check the basics (like MLA, APA or other formats) but it also goes into a little more details about more intermediate forms of writing, including professional writing.
The website is:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
I’m getting my Master’s in professional writing and we use this site often as supplementary material in various courses.
Thanks again for the wonderful leads! Please let me know if you find any other gems 🙂
Thank you, Stacey, for your kind comments. It has taken me just over two years to compile my list. A few times, I unintentionally ended up on sites with tracking cookies (my paid AVG Internet Security caught the spyware before it could download onto my computer). It really is important to find reputable sites to avoid this type of potential ‘surfing’ hazard.
I have added your Purdue reference to my ‘list’ and will check it out tonight. Good luck with your educational pursuits in writing! I believe everyone has the potential to be a writer. It just takes practice and solid feedback to advance.
Laura
I am really impressed along with your writing abilities and also with the structure in your blog.
Is this a paid subject or did you customize it yourself?
Anyway keep up the excellent high quality writing,
it’s rare to look a nice blog like this one today..
I comment whenever I especially enjoy a post on a site or I have something to contribute to the conversation.
It’s caused by the passion communicated in the article I looked at. And after this article Top Online Resources for Social Media, Marketing, Writing, and SEO | Straighten Up and Fly Write. I was excited enough to drop a commenta response 🙂 I do have 2 questions for you if it’s okay.
Could it be simply me or does it look like like some of these comments appear like written by brain dead
visitors? 😛 And, if you are writing on other sites, I would like to follow you.
Would you make a list every one of all your community pages
like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?
Oh, I don’t think they are brain dead! I think that English is perhaps a second language.
My FB account is stictly personal and my LinkedIn account is strictly professional. My Twitter account is a mix between the two so please follow me @Laura_LovinLife.
Thank you.
We stumbled over here coming from a different web address and thought I
should check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you.
Look forward to checking out your web page for a second time.
Hi this is kind of of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have
to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have
no coding skills so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience.
Any help would be enormously appreciated!
This blog is on the WordPress.com platform. They have provided all the coding and the blogger can choose what theme, or skin, to use. I like WordPress but there are other blogging platforms, like TumblR or Blogger, that are very easy to use as well. I would check out these three blogging platforms. They are extremely user-friendly and very easy to learn. Personally, I recommend WordPress!
Your method of explaining everything in this paragraph is genuinely nice, all be
capable of without difficulty understand it, Thanks a lot.
I just like the valuable info you provide for your articles.
I will bookmark your blog and take a look at again here regularly.
I am quite certain I’ll be informed lots of new stuff
right right here! Good luck for the next!