This post is two years late.
Most of us pimped the size of their follow lists long ago whether Twitter delivered real value or not. Twitter became, as @armano eloquently opined today about Facebook, like high school, more of a status heirarchy than value driver.
Putting celebrities and their followers aside for a moment, marketing analysts, planners, and pundits began figuring out the how's and why's of Twitter over the past couple of years. It took me a while, but the fluid marketer in me has found a sweet spot. So much so that I don't foresee going back any time soon. Why? Because Twitter delivers three things I need:
- Brand marketing information from a wide variety of quality content publishers that would otherwise be difficult to obtain at all or as quickly as Twitter can deliver;
- Access to perspectives from bona fide analysts, planners, and brand leaders in close proximity to cutting-edge marketing and consumer-focused strategy;
- Incisive commentary that about the larger world from likeminded (okay, and some not so likeminded) cohorts that typically either makes me think deep or crack up.
Creating a Twiteria of meaning turned Twitter from an also-ran to a must-use channel. Here's my Twitter "who" and "why" short list. Some are on the marketer's usual suspect list, others you might not have heard of or thought about. Have fun:
- @jowyang: No hyperbole here -- Jeremiah Owyang is a thought-leader; social influencer; and marketing / strategy pundit. Able to consistently push envelopes in under 140 characters. Every day.
- @charleneli: Both my mentor (from my former life working for her at Forrester) and mentor to brand leaders around the world. Charlene Li spawned the Groundswell (with J. Bernoff) and set the bar for social marketing. Great writer, too, able to see things most others don't.
- @edwardboches: I've not met Edward Boches but he seems to be the rare blend of "creative" and "strategist" many of us pretend to be. Clearly understands the interplay of media, brand, and person.
- @nickbilton: Gotta love the New York Times because people like Nick Bilton have transformed the way we think about and consume electronic media.
- @armano: It's one thing to make pretty pictures as a designer. David Armano tells marketing stories unlike anyone else, uniquely mixing marketing savvy with great design abilities.
- @briansolis: I like the way he develops strategic constructs out of simple points or disparate inputs. He also gets the interplay between messaging and the medium, has been instrumental in defining the role social media plays within brands in terms of both PR and consumer convergence.
- @cr1sa: Wired mag founder Chris Anderson doesn't post a lot, which might be a good thing, because like a lot of others I admire speaks when he has something interesting to say, not just to say something. In typical Wired fashion, it's usually interesting and different. Free, too.
- @psaffo: For those of you who know Paul Saffo, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's simply not possible to interact with him -- including reading his Tweets -- and not think differently about the world. And in most cases chuckle at it. Can bend time by looking both around the corner and through it at the same time. The world's smartest, funniest curmudgeon.
- @karaswisher: Love Kara Swisher's posts -- an unwavering snark. Knows what the difference is between what is news and what isn't; brings it to us first and provides meaningful context.
- @dberkowitz: David Berkowitz just knows his social-stuff. Consistently shares high-value digital media perspective and information.
- @marobella: @wirestone co-worker and mentor, Paul Marobella knows electronic media and how to post. Marketing, retailing, and hockey in his dna; great comic sense too.
- @the_real_shaq: Funniest man alive. Laugh freaking out loud Tweet-monster.
- @lancearmstrong: Cycling fan or not; cancer survivor or not; Lance is great to follow. Funny, insightful, and intuitively keen on Twitter's best and highest use.
- @fastcompany: I pick up new information and perspective on marketing and digital technology nearly every day from these guys. They've set the bar for transforming print to digital and social. Really high-value information, their tweets help me as a planner / analyst stay informed and smart.
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