8 Social Media Stalwarts You Should Follow

Social Media is gigantic. Look at this info graphic from Business Insider  about interesting things that happen every60 seconds (originally Via Barry Ritholtz).

Interesting Things that Happen on Web in 60 Seconds

Part 2

You will see some incredible activity on the Internet. A lot of it has to do with social media. My previous post “Top 10 Social Media Tools You Can Use To Pump Up Your Network” focused on tools you can use, this post primarily introduces you to 10 Social Media Stalwarts you should bookmark, subscribe to, or follow:

Mari Smith ( @marismith) 

Ever since I knew about Mari Smith through Larry Chase’s FYI Web Digest For Marketers  rich e-zines (some of these newsletters are still gold, by the way), I have been stalking her (figuratively. I devour her Fan Page Content and her blog. She is known as the Facebook Marketing expert.

One look at her website and her Facebook Fan page and you’ll realize that she knows what she is talking about (if her dazzling smile didn’t work its charm on you as yet). Her latest book release  “The New Relationship Marketing: How to Build a Large, Loyal, Profitable, Network Using the Social Web ” is only new and is parked in the humongous list of other books she contributed to.
When she ruminates, she is still teaching you something — growth, focus, influence, team, commitment. I had a good time devouring whatever she wrote. Follow her; you’ll be pleased with yourself.

Kim Garst ( @kimgarst) 

Kim is someone I had the fortune of actually conversing on Twitter. After a couple of conversations, a few pleasantries and an e-book download later, I was floored. In fact, I was so motivated and influenced by her that I actually wrote-up a free report to be given away for my newsletter subscribers [If you didn’t subscribe yet, you should do now]. From How to Succeed on Social Media to secrets on pumping up the number of likes on your Facebook Fan Page, she covers the elusive, mirage prone path of Social Media for us beginners.

On top of all those “likes”, followers, and fans, she is approachable, helpful, and is one of the few people who take time out to talk to you.

Michael Stelzner’s Social Media Examiner (@Mike_Stelzner)

Michael  is the author of Launch, and Writing Whitepapers. He also founded Social Media Examiner – a multi-writer social media site that boats of over 70 writers producing content to keep 120,000 email subscribers hooked to content that covers everything about how a business should use best use social media to “engage” with customers.

While the whole site is worthy of mention (which explains why I am writing about it here), SME is planning to launch a networking club  – a free online meeting place to connect with peers share ideas, and hangout.

Chris Brogan ( @chrisbrogan) 

Chris Brogan is one of the greatest “typists” Social Media has ever seen with his typing crawling across books, tweets, blog posts, proposals, strategy documents and business plans. He is the president of Human Business Works – a company that focuses on customer acquisition and nurturing communities. A naturally gifted, professional speaker that he is, it’s all about connected, engaging, and sharing for him. He is also a New York Times Best Selling Author of “Trust Agents”, which he co-authored with Julien Smith (a bestselling NY times author, a consultant, and a speaker). He has startups like PodCamp to his credit.

Scott Monty (@scottmonty)

Scott Monty  sits at the top of Social Media at the Ford Motor Company. From his lofty perch, he certainly lives upto his reputation and is a sweet, nice guy. Although his blog might not make it to the top of the swashbuckling design of the century listings, it’s what he writes that matters. Intuitive, incisive, sharp, and quite an authority on Social Media, his posts are worth every digit turned gold.  His recent post is relevant to this post so do check it out.

Jason Falls (@jasonfalls)

Ever Heard of Social Media Explorer? It’s founded and edited by Jason Falls – a thought leader, educator, speaker and a social media consultant. Social Media explorer looks like an extension of Jason himself. It’s the leading publishing platform for insights, opinions, critiques, and the site already has a full roster of leading social media experts contributing regularly to it.

The website is nothing short of a social media powerhouse – it ranked as the number 1 site on the prestigious Advertising Age Power 150 Marketing Blogs. Jason Falls is also a stakeholder in backupify.com and is on the advisory board of Network Solutions and Tallwave. He has a list of achievements and associations listed on Social Media Examiner.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Wine Taster, Motivational Speaker, an entrepreneur, and a hell of a guy – that’s Gary Vaynerchuck for you.  I don’t remember where I saw this video where he talks about passion. I couldn’t get enough of him. I then hunted down for his videos, talks, blogs, whatever else I could get from him and I am not done yet. Although he might not sit down and give you tuitions on Social Media, he is a guy who is on the top of the influencing charts as far as Internet Marketing, Social Media, and entrepreneurship is concerned.

Sarah Evans (@prsarahevans)

Sarah Evans  is a thought leader, an animal lover, and a self-proclaimed twitter addict). She owns Sevans Strategy – a public relations and new media consultancy. If there’s anything you ever have to do with emerging media, new technologies, and communication, it’s Sarah Evans you should go to.  She describes as a “Social Media Freak”. I would say she is being modest because she is much more than that. She’s been listed on Vanity Fair’s America’s “Tweethearts” and on the Forbes’ 14 Power Women to Follow on Twitter.

I highly recommend you follow each of these social media stalwarts. You will certainly grab a lesson or two if their enthusiasm, outreach, influence, or just charm doesn’t rub off on you.

Shameless that I am, if you are reading this, you might want to follow me on @fetchprofits although I am no social media stalwart. I am just a struggling content strategist.