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?

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.

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.

Social Media Examiner

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?

[Infographic courtesy of digitalvidyan via Flickr]