The CQ leadership team prides itself on being voracious consumers of authoritative marketing strategy sources. In such a fast-changing digital landscape, we believe one of our core strengths is our insatiable desire to learn continuously from the best minds across all industries – not just healthcare.
If you’re looking for inspiration, here is a collection of our squad’s go-tos for marketing insights, intelligence, and strategy.
Chris Slocumb, Founder: I love the HubSpot marketing blog. Its content is extensive and timely, courtesy of some of the best thinkers in marketing.
The Agency Management Institute podcast features a wealth of insights that have contributed to our success, and many episodes have content relevant to in-house
marketers as well.
And if you’re a PR pro, you can’t go wrong with the PRSA Newsletter, from public relations’ marquee channel.
Brian Shilling, Executive Vice President: For me, the Ann Handley Newsletter is where it’s at. It is a constant reminder to inject the human element into everything we do.
Also, the Moz Top 10 Newsletter keeps me up to date on the world of SEO which is constantly evolving. It surfaces the best insights from SEO thought leaders.
Josephine Zohny, Executive Public Relations Director: My top picks are the PRSA Newsletter – as a publicist, it is definitely my top resource and the most relevant to my work – and HubSpot. HubSpot is consistently among the first communication channels to deliver relevant and usable information on various topics of interest across the marketing spectrum.
Linda Healan, Senior Public Relations Director: I really like MichaelSmartPR for tips and tricks for more effective media relations. His insights, which are shared weekly in his newsletter, are always helpful and timely.
I also like to read a weekly roundup of news from the Content Marketing Institute. I find it helpful to understand how owned content can be repurposed for other areas, including PR, SM, etc. I also really like The Bulldog Reporter for excellent advice on all things PR.
Andrew Thompson-Young, Associate Public Relations Director: I’m constantly on the lookout for resources that sharpen my media relations skills, and MichaelSmartPR is indispensable for its actionable strategies and real-world case studies, which enhance my public relations toolkit.
Similarly, the Swaay.Health newsletter keeps me at the forefront of health communications. It offers insightful analyses of health tech and the world of healthcare, enriching my understanding of market trends and public narratives.
Casey Frushour, Senior Director of Creative Services: As a design professional, I lean a bit differently. Coolors allows me to quickly come up with numerous and awesome-looking color palettes based on preferred primary colors, a single image, or you can even have palettes randomly generated for you. It’s a beautiful mix of art and science.
Smashing Magazine is an excellent resource for design trends, inspiration, and software tutorials to help keep brands rising above the rest in visual design.
Marla Sokolowski, Senior Director of Digital Marketing: I’ll cast another vote for HubSpot – there seems to be a trend here!
My other top resource is MarTech, which covers all things marketing technology and beyond. It is a compendium of rich resources based on the theory that great digital data drives exceptional outcomes. MarTech is always top of mind for me whenever I seek information about automation, for example, or LinkedIn advertising developments and initiatives.
Melissa Syvrais, Marketing Automation Manager: I am a big fan of digestible content, short to the point, no fluff and high-value.
As a HubSpot super user, it’s no surprise I am a big fan of everything HubSpot, the HubSpot Newsletter, Trends Newsletter and The Hustle (shocking, also HubSpot!), which helps me stay up-to-date with crazy world news, what is trending and to keep up with the cool kids – they really know what they’re doing! Also, a great podcast for general knowledge expansion is the Think Fast, Talk Smart Podcast.
Melanie Hilliard, Senior Content Marketing Director: All hail the HubSpot blog. I concur with everyone else.
Another one of my go-tos is Content Marketing Institute’s blog – it’s a treasure trove of diverse opinions from uniquely qualified contributors. As a grammar nerd, I love Grammar Girl. I always find super helpful content about the things swirling around in my head such as when to capitalize disease names.
Dalton Patterson, Account Director: I second the Swaay.Health newsletter. Additionally, it constantly pivots to cover hot topics while diversifying its field coverage. While health tech has historically been their niche, they are actively working to further cover payor/provider trends with a looming launch into bio/life sciences.
Rayna Southart, Senior Content Marketing Manager: At the risk of sounding lame – HubSpot all day, every day, for the win.
I also really like Ann Handley. Her charm and wit make her insights highly approachable and oftentimes snicker-worthy. I mean, come on; what is a more engaging blog title than “Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New?” Words to live by.
Courtnay Huber, Project Manager: I’ve been listening to Women in B2B Marketing by Jane Serra as well as attending MarketingProf’s webinars. I like the breadth of topics they cover.
Pamela Li, Project Manager: With so many recommendations, I’ve also picked up the HubSpot newsletter. It’s a great source of knowledge and tips and helps keep me up-to-date. I also follow the Marketing Brew newsletter for news and trends in the marketing industry, and a long-time favorite for insightful ideas and various food for thought is the Seth Godin blog.
Aaron Ogg, Content & Digital Marketing Specialist: I digest so much health IT, life sciences, and pharma information daily that sometimes I need to hear different perspectives to keep the content I create fresh. I always stay locked into the Fast Company Compass newsletter to remain on top of trending business developments and challenges.
Another one of my faves is Search Engine Journal. It’s a great read for on-the-spot news and continuing developments in AI and automation.
Did we include your favorites? What should we check out? Our healthcare marketing agency would love to discuss what inspires you on the digital marketing front and how it could be woven into your own marketing strategy.
Note: This article originally was published in June 2023. It has been updated to include insights from new team members.
