Marketing requires research, and lots of it. No longer are the days when intuition is the only factor in deciding the marketing mix. As much as I would like to trust my intuition, sometimes data just plain kicks its butt, and I am humbled.
Whether you’re a new marketing rookie to the industry or a seasoned veteran, you always need a few sources to have in your arsenal of tricks that you can rely on.
In my case, I have about 20 websites that I consider to be my favorite ones because they are chick full of data that make my job a lot easier.
Speaking of data, we’re not talking about big data. We’re talking about the low-light pieces of data that are sometimes minuscule to recognize, but huge in impact. This data is not found on your website, in your analytics, or in any dashboard. It’s delivered right to your inbox from professionals that scour the marketing trenches looking for what I call the secret sauce.
You’re probably asking yourself, how do I know what to look for? That’s a great question. As a marketer, I am always thinking about my customers, their buying habits, device usage, social media frequency… the list goes on and on. Start thinking about what data you would like to have and write it down. Then start digging through your inbox for the data you’re looking for. It most likely won’t be hard to find. That secret sauce is usually right at your fingertips.
Here are my favorite sites that give me all the nuggets of info I need to stay informed and on top of my game.
http://www.hubspot.com/customer-case-studies
http://www.ioninteractive.com/case-studies/
http://www.forrester.com/home/
https://www.borrellassociates.com
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com
http://www.imediaconnection.com
http://www.coolbusinessideas.com
http://www.linkedin.com/today/?trk=nav_responsive_sub_nav_pulse
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