Top 42 Blogs Selection Criteria

About Our Rankings for the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs

Content marketing is all about the creation of great, story-form content (delivered through any channel) that ultimately influences someone to buy your product, take an action, or believe in a cause. So, Junta42's rankings of the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs take into account these fundamental beliefs.

1. The blog must cover one or more content marketing topics (see below).
2. The blog should include significant/substantial posts.
3. As a measure of quality, we should weight the importance of others linking to the blog (Google PageRank).
4. The blog should consistently communicate with the audience.
5. How well do we (Junta42) believe the blog adds something substantial to the content marketing industry?

 

More Detail about the Rankings

1. We began with a list of more than 100 blogs through nominations and known content marketing-related blogs (the initial 2007 rankings contained 81 blogs).
2. The expert team was comprised of three people (Janet Robbins, a veteran technology editor and researcher, and two members of the Junta42 staff [including the founder, Joe Pulizzi]).
3. All blogs were evaluated during March 2008. The list is updated every quarter. The previous update was December 2007.
4. Blogs that qualified covered one, a few, or many of the following content marketing categories:
   • Audio/podcasts
   • Content marketing/branded content/custom publishing
   • Digital magazines
   • eBooks/Books
   • eMarketing
   • eNewsletters/eZines
   • Integrated content marketing
   • Print magazines
   • Publishing
   • Social content marketing/Social media
   • Video
   • Webcasts/virtual trade shows
   • Whitepapers
5. We rated each on the following factors. The total of these measurements provided the blog's score and subsequent rank.
   
   • The number of posts in the five most recent posts prior to and including March 31, 2008, that pertained to a content marketing topic.
   • Substantiveness of Posts. Here we worked to weed out posts that fell short of adding value to the collective body of knowledge about content marketing. For example, blogs that simply linked to other blogs or articles without adding new information, perspectives or ideas to the commentary received lower scores than did blogs that consistently delivered unique ideas, thoughtful insights, deep coverage, rich media and the like - you know, high-value content - to the community.
   • Regularity of Posts. Here we looked at the frequency of posts throughout the month of March. Those posting on 3 or more days per week (12 or more days throughout March) received the highest number of points.
   • Google PageRank. All blogs were checked on the same day to record Google PageRank.
   • Junta42 Member Ratings. Blogs ranked on our previous Top 42 list received points for their position and their Hitch! popularity. Blogs that were newcomers to our list received a first-round quality score instead.

 

Disagree with Our Rankings?

If you like a particular blog in the list and think it should be ranked higher, click the Hitch! button. By hitching the blog, you will register your vote along with those of others who think we missed the boat in our rankings. The more a blog is promoted by different people, the higher it will rise in the rankings.

 

This Is NOT a Perfect System

Although we feel we did a good job on the Top 42 rankings, we are positive we didn't perfect the system. You may think we are crazy...and that's okay. Actually, we'd love to hear your feedback. Send us a note at info[at]junta42.com and tell us what we did wrong and how we could fix it.

The Top 42 is a work in progress. We are quite sure we are missing many of the best content marketing blogs around. Our goal is to find all of them at some point and get them on the list.

 

What We Like About the Top 42

Other than the Top 42 being an amazing collection of the best marketing and publishing minds in the world, we like the creation of this list because it's not all based on data coming from the likes of Alexa, Technorati, Bloglines and other top blog lists that purely "count" stuff.

Content marketing, even though it's been around for over 100 years, is still a pretty obscure marketing art and science. There are many bloggers out there that are simply fantastic, but don't get the eyeballs because of the niche they cover. As content marketing continues to grow, they'll be recognized...and we hope to help.

 

Why Should You Care?

Interruption marketing, in all its shapes and forms, is slowly dieing. Customers don't want to get bombarded by marketing messages...they want to be educated and entertained. Both businesses and their customers are catching on to this movement called content marketing. The Top 42 Content Marketing blogs include those thought leaders who are carrying the flag of the content revolution, teaching both buyers and sellers how to better communicate with each other.

These are exciting times in marketing. We believe the Top 42 not only adds to that excitement, but was a long time coming.

 

How Often Will the List Be Updated?

Due to the intense time it takes to review each blog, we intend on updating the list every quarter.

 

Know of a Qualified Blog That's Not on the List?

Put it in the queue! Junta42 continuously searches for other content marketing blogs to monitor and recommend to the community. But we can't find them all without your help! Just email us the information at add[at]junta42.com. Once you submit a blog, the Junta42 review team will analyze and rank it before adding it to the list.

Go to the Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs Now!

 

 

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