We at Reportz are big believers in the notion of sharing and collaborating. Sure, some healthy competition can’t hurt and is often necessary, but praising and giving credit to other companies that know what’s up in the turbulent world of zeros and ones is how we like to roll.
It’s all about finding that sweet spot between collaboration and competition, and what better way to do that than to provide our readers and clients with some of the best resources and communities that will give you valuable insights and actionable tips on how to grow your business?
Sharing ideas, giving feedback and helping each other reach our goals is the way to go.
So, let’s go over our top picks when it comes to informative resources, potent tools, and friendly communities that digital agency owners and entrepreneurs will find more than helpful.
Resources & Tools
MOZ
Definitely one of the most valuable resources that can help you grow your traffic and draw customers to your business. MOZ is a top-drawer marketing agency that can help you with:
- Keyword Research
- SEO Audit & Crawl
- Backlink Research
- Rank Tracking
- SEO Toolbar
- Business Listings Audit
- Citation Cleanup
- Local Ranking Factors
They also have an amazing blog and pretty helpful and user-friendly guides, so if you want to make your product/service more visible, and learn a bunch of useful stuff about SEO and digital marketing in general, MOZ will surely be your wizard of Oz.
Smart Blogger
For those looking to boost their blog traffic, Smart Blogger should be your next destination. This resource/blog/agency was founded back in 2012 by Jon Morrow, one of the most popular and most interesting bloggers to ever “lurk” the online world.
You can read his truly fascinating career/life story here.
Smart Blogger is perfect for writers who think they have better skills than most content writers out there, but don’t know how to reach wider audiences. If you have the know-how and a clear overview of what you want to accomplish, this website will certainly do the trick.
SEO By The Sea
Founded by Bill Slawski, the man who has been sailing the SEO sea since 1996, this agency is a slam-dunk for those looking to score quality queries.
Structured Data? Synthetic Queries? Augmentation Queries? Bill has them all.
SEO by the Sea gleans data directly from the search engines (think patent filings and whitepapers) and provides the readers with actionable pieces on how to:
- Create and share the type of content search engines are looking for
- Monitor how search engines rank web pages
- Predict the way search engines might change in the future
Backlinko
Brian Dean is perhaps THE man for all those looking to find fresh and actionable SEO tips and insights that will get the job done fast. His agency is where professional marketers go when they need proven SEO advice.
Apple, Disney, IBM, and Amazon are just some of the behemoth companies that subscribe to Backlinko’s email newsletter, so you know this guy isn’t fooling around.
“When it comes to link building, Brian Dean is the best in the business,” said Neil Patel, and Patel knows his stuff.
Distilled
Distilled is among the top digital marketing agencies that offer useful SEO, technical consulting, creative content, and digital PR tips that can indeed help you make the most of the online world.
They share their expertise through their blog, training courses and conferences.
For those who want to know what exactly impacts their ranking and which SEO changes to their website may results in significant traffic boosts, Distilled is certainly a destination you should visit this summer.
Social Media Today
This independent online community gathers the most interesting PR, marketing, and advertising professionals who act like your peers and share some of their best ideas and digital marketing tactics. Social Media Today shares about 70 blog posts on a weekly basis, while they also run an inventive Social Business Book Club and arrange informative webcasts.
Trendspottr
Trendspottr is another excellent social media analytics service that will give you useful info on what is currently trending on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other relevant data streams, so you can keep up and maintain your own content as fresh and as relevant as possible.
Trendspottr covers the following fields:
- Content Marketing
- Influencer Targeting
- Paid Media
- Crisis Management
- Market Research
Jeffalytics
The man behind Jeffalytics is called Jeff Sauer, the very same dude who created the Periodic Table of Google Analytics, so you know he knows what’s up. His website is a valuable source of relevant tips on smart blogging, brand marketing, technology, training, and WordPress.
Dibz
Team at Four Dots developed a link prospecting tool that can help you master your SEO campaigns like a pro. With Dibz, you will reduce your link prospecting efforts to mere minutes, while bringing your link building and influencer opportunities research to a whole new level.
This tool is suitable for both independent SEO consultants and full-service marketing agencies.
Point Blank SEO
This agency was created by Jon Cooper, an experienced link builder who’s been at the very top of the SEO game for more than 5 years. For those looking to learn applicable SEO and link building secrets, this is the resource you should be firing your bullets at, point-blank.
Zest.is
Created by Yam Regev and his team, Zest is a Chrome plugin you want to have. Why? Because they have the most rigid selection process, where every suggested content piece is checked manually and just 1% of the all suggested blogs get published. Nothing but value at Zest.
Facebook Communities
Although Facebook is a social media platform that is currently being flooded with mom and dad profiles, it is still THE most relevant network when it comes to communities and groups through which users can get in touch with the main people behind successful businesses, agencies, tools, products, services…
FB communities are the best way to glean useful information on your target audience, get feedback on your product/service, and get personal with your most valuable clients.
(Read how our Reportz team managed to Build and Grow a Successful Facebook Group in Under a Month!)
Here are several Facebook communities that offer great resources:
Badass Marketers & Founders
With more than 21k active users, Badass Marketers & Founders is one of the biggest marketing-related FB groups. It was created by Josh and people from BAMF Media, who don’t fool around with what they publish. There’s no direct advertising and their content is always top-level.
“Whether you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or growth hacker, this group is for you to learn, share, and grow,” say folks over at Badass Marketers & Founders.
B2B Marketers & Founders
For those looking for top-notch B2B knowledge and practices, B2B Marketers & Founders is the place to be. It was created by Andrei, an experienced B2B consultant who makes sure his audience always gets useful guides, case studies and material for free.
Good guy Andrei.
Growth Hack World
Every serious growth hacker and performance marketer should join the Growth Hack World community, where every single piece of content provides a plethora of actionable tips that you can implement in your own growth strategies.
Growth Hacking & Outbound Marketing
This community started as a group called Find That Lead, but it soon grew and became a place that gathers the best minds from the digital marketing world who thrive on sharing their priceless ideas and numerous useful resources. For free.
WordPress For Non-Techies
If you’ve had enough of bothering your techie and dev friends with your WordPress efforts, WordPress For Non-Techies is the place to check out.
Coffee with Dan
This is a pretty wild community that was founded by Dan Meredith who has a rather blunt welcome for all his members: “for entrepreneurs who want to get shit done, have more fun, make more profit all the while simply BEING THEMSELVES.”
Here, members share their best growth tips on a daily basis, while Dan the man also jumps in every once in a while to talk about both his wins and his fails.
Future Marketing
If you want to be among the first to learn about how the basics of online marketing will be changing in the future, this FB group is the one to join. Future Marketing is where legit experts gather to share their experience, know-how, strategies, tips and hacks that can help your business beat the competition.
Digital Marketing Questions
This community is packed with digital marketing professionals who share relevant insights about SEO, social media, PPC, analytics…
The Content Marketing Lounge
Founded by Nathan Collier, a journalist turned content marketer, this free FB group will help you reach important data on content marketing professionals. As Nathan says: “The Content Marketing Lounge is a supportive community where marketers can share, learn, connect, and grow.”
CopyMonk
For those looking to learn everything there is to know about copywriting and content marketing, CopyMonk is a community that gathers experienced business owners who provide informative online courses that can help you quickly master the world of content marketing.
Freedom Hacker’s Mastermind
Created by Kimra Luna, Freedom Hacker’s Mastermind is a pretty huge community where you can ask questions about online entrepreneurship and get fast, and more importantly, valuable and applicable answers from like-minded people who believe in mutual support.
NicheHacks.com Private Mastermind Group
For those looking to tap into the untapped affiliate marketing opportunities and learn useful hacks from their own niche, this group is definitely worth joining.
Social Media Managers
According to the group’s founders Kate Buck, Jesse Jameson & their moderation team, Social Media Managers is “Facebook’s oldest and most active group of Social Media Professionals.”
It is the place where social media professionals and strategists come to connect, share their best ideas, seek advice, but also have some fun with fellow managers. And the best thing is – all levels of social media managers are welcome!
Slack Communities
Slack has become an inevitable platform for most modern digital agencies with its beloved 90s charm. Here are some great Slack groups and communities you should check out:
Buffer Community
This Slack marketing community is packed with friendly social media experts from all corners of the world who are open to collaboration and willing to share helpful tips and hacks. You can get valuable feedback on your work, content, product and/or service very quickly and without the unnecessary sugar coating.
Online Geniuses
According to its founder, David Markowich (@davidmarkovich_), Online Geniuses is “the largest Slack community for marketers.” It is comprised of thousands of industry experts who are willing to share their secrets. “These are VCs, CEOs, marketing managers and experts from every niche,” says Markowich.
Social Media Marketing, CRO, PPC, SEO… Online Geniuses cover it all.
Startup Chat
This global startup community connects people from all around the world who are looking to both get and provide valuable tips, hacks and feedback on their startup endeavors. The group harbors over 7000 active members, some of which are startup founders, investors, press…
Reddit Groups
The legend says that Reddit knows everything, even before it actually happens. We couldn’t agree more. If you want to be among the first to learn, explore, share and discuss digital marketing secrets and hacks, Reddit groups are where the magic happens.
r/marketing
Perhaps the largest Reddit community that gathers online marketers who engage in informative and quite fun discussions, r/marketing is a group you will want to join if you want to find growth hacks, social media tips, and all kinds of data-packed marketing related articles.
Layered, and witty jokes are not scarce either.
r/socialmedia
For those seeking concrete and actionable tips from social media experts, freelancers, and marketers, r/socialmedia will probably be of great help to you, as this community offers useful insights about upcoming social media updates and growth hacks, as well as news, handy case studies…
r/advertising
If you are looking to glean helpful data and know-how from the turbulent world of online ads, this is certainly a Reddit group to check out. Here you can find info on best ads of the year, most successful global campaigns, handy books and tips on the art of advertising.
LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn is THE place for those looking to find their dream job and to expand their network of people coming from their specific niche. This is why LinkedIn groups are also a fine resource to tap into.
Digital Marketing
Anyone looking to scrape some juicy data from digital marketing professionals should consider joining this great community. This group covers everything from social media marketing, mobile marketing and search engine marketing, to email marketing, PR, online advertising, web analytics…
Social Media Today
This LinkedIn group is pretty active. It is comprised mainly of social media masters who excel at online marketing, PR, advertising, social network management…
Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals
If you come from the interesting and ever-changing world of Search Engine Optimization, inbound marketing, social media, link building and client prospecting – Inbound Marketers For Marketing Professionals is the place to be!
Twitter Chats
You thought we would fail to mention Twitter, didn’t you?
Jokes aside, Twitter certainly can’t be overlooked when one is talking about digital marketing resources and communities, which is why we saved this treat for the end of this lengthy article.
TwitterSmarter (Host: @MadalynSklar)
TwitterSmarter is one of the best Twitter chats for both aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs and digital agency owners, but social media marketers and managers won’t leave these chats empty-handed either. Connect – learn – share – grow, that’s their motto in a nutshell.
BufferChat (Host: @Buffer)
Not that many Twitter chats are as informative as BufferChat. This is a perfect place for those who want to learn more about social media, to master content marketing, but also learn hacks for productivity, work ethics, self-improvement… Truly an all-round group for entrepreneurs.
Your 2 Cents
Now that we shared some of our picks when it comes to best resources and communities for digital marketing entrepreneurs and agency owners, we would like to hear your suggestions on the topic.
Where do YOU go to reap the ripest fruits that we call growth hacks?
