In an industry as fast-paced as Social Media, it’s important that you always stay on the cutting edge of what’s happening. So how does one do that?
Social Media Growth - Epic
I’ve compiled a small list of what I believe to be the top sources of social media news, trends, and insights. I’ve broken them up into two different categories: Websites & People. These are the sources I go to every day to keep on top of what’s emerging in the world of Social Media.
[This is part of the Becoming A Social Media Rockstar series. Check out the rest of the posts in this series here.]
Websites
MASHABLE.com
“Founded in 2005, Mashable is the top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture.”
This is a site I make sure to visit every day to hear the latest in social media news. It’s definitely worth bookmarking. They also have done a pretty good job at integrating a social layer called “Mashable Follow“. If you register to the site, you can follow topics, categories, or people. It’s almost like their own social network! You can follow me on Mashable Follow here!
ALLTOP.com
Specifically, social-media.alltop.com is what I’m interested in. This is an aggregated news site of the top stories in the world of Social Media.
“The purpose of Alltop is to help you answer the question, “What’s happening?” in “all the topics” that interest you.
They also have a nicely integrated social layer. Find out more here.
SOCIALMEDIAEXAMINER.com
Another great source that focuses more on the HOW TO’s of social media. Very good resource for learning how to make the most of the tools available. In their own words,
“Social Media Examiner is a free online magazine designed to help businesses discover how to best use social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to find leads, increase sales and generate more brand awareness.”
As with the other sites, they’ve done a great job incorporating their own social layer. (See a pattern here?)
PEOPLE (Social Media Rockstars)
These are my top picks of people who are Social Media Rockstars. They are ahead of the curve, and on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the social media world:
Chris Brogan
Definitely one of the most well known social media gurus in the industry. I’ll let his Twitter profile speak for him. You can find him under @ChrisBrogan on Twitter. He’s blogs over at ChrisBrogan.com.
Guy Kawasaki
This is one of the guys that got me really fired up about social media. I saw him fist at a conference called Catalyst West. He is definitely of the most influential leaders in the game. You can follow him at @GuyKawasaki on Twitter. He’s also the co-founder of AllTop.com, and has written a number of books on the subject of social media.
Calvin Lee
Highlighted by Klout as a “Klout Star” and recipient of more than a few KloutPerks, Calvin is definitely a stand out in the world of social media. He’s a designer and founder of MayhemStudios.com. I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with him a number of times via twitter, and he is a really cool, down to earth guy! Follow him at @MayhemStudios on Twitter and check out his blog!
Michael Hyatt
Also someone who made me realize the power of social media, and it’s potential to change the world for the better. (I also met him at the CatalystWest conference.) Michael Hyatt is one of the men who I look up to the most. He is a godly man who know’s a lot about leadership. Not necessarily a social media guru, but he does blog about it quite often. His blog is one of my daily visits. Find him at @MichaelHyatt on Twitter.
What are some of the websites or people you would add to the list? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
[Infographic courtesy of digitalvidyan via Flickr]
I would add John from Tentblogger!
I love John too! He’s like one of my blogging heroes! The only reason I didn’t put him on this list is because his focus is strictly blogging. The sites/people I’m talking about are broader in their social media coverage. Not that I think John isn’t a social media Rockstar (with over 20,000 twitter followers, that definitely qualifies him) but his focus is on blogging alone. Make sense?
I agree. John is a power-house, but his focus is blogging, not social media. And though they are similar there’s enough of a difference.
Can you imagine? 5 years we didn’t have “Social Media Rockstars” and “Social Media sites” and now it’s a multi-million dollar business.
Yeah… Ca-RAZY!
Hey Dustin!
You suggested some great sources when discussing social media. Do you ever find yourself being overwhelmed by all the resources available for social media? I try to keep up with it but I get frustrated sometimes because of all the “noise” in my life.
I don’t often get overwhelmed because I try to stick to the leading sources. I figure if the top 3 aren’t talking about it, it’s not vital.
What are some other sources you look to?
Also, how did you figure out Alltop had a social-media specific section?
In the header area, they have letters a-z and you can choose any letter to search through topics. In the “S” section I found social media.
You hit the big ones I drop by. I also have to add in Gary Vaynerchuck. (And you!)
Thanks Loren! Gary Vaynerchuck is a good source too. His book Crush it is pretty good.
Thanks for another killer write up on source for Rockstar content. I just recently started following Mashable on Twitter. They do send out a lot of SM info. I myself do rely a lot on what you provide so as was said above, I list you in this catagory
Thanks David! You are such an encouragement!
Love the list, didn’t know a few of those resources yet!
Thanks, man!
Oh and can I get an invite to Google+ from you?
Of course! Just follow this link.
Nice list Dustn!
Here’s my fav 4:
Derek Halpern
Chris Brogan
Mike Volpe
Marcus Sheridan