Whenever I speak to small businesses that are considering launching
their own blog, there are always a few people that want to know which
blogs I think they should be reading to stay up to date on the
ever-changing world of social media. If you are just getting started
exploring blogs, here are some of my favorite ones that should help you
quickly get up to speed on blogging and social media.
Here's my list of must-reads, and if you click on the person's name, that will take you to their Twitter account. If you are on Twitter, you should be following these people there as well as reading their blog.
Social Media Strategy:
Chris Brogan's Blog - Chris' blog does a great job of not only showing you how to use social media sites and tools, but also explains how you can create a social media strategy, and incorporate the use of these tools into that strategy.
Social Media Explorer -
Jason Falls and
Kat French help you navigate the social media space with all the latest news and trends. This blog becomes much more valuable after you have gotten your feet wet with these tools.
Shannon Paul's Very Official Blog - I like Shannon's blog because it's written through the eyes of the social media user, and as such, can give you great insights into how your customers will view your blog, and what they are looking for.
Social Media Measurement:
KD Paine's PR Measurement blog - KD is the true social media measurement 'guru', and she's one of the leading experts for measuring the ROI on not only social media efforts, but marketing and PR as well.
Kami Huyse's Communication Overtones blog - Kami's blog focuses on pr and marketing communication efforts, but she also has wonderful insights into social media. Check out this
social media case study involving Sea World San Antonio.
General Blogging Help:
Darren Rowse's Pro Blogger - Written for bloggers that want to make money from their blogging, this blog still is a treasure chest of tips and tricks to make you a better blogger.
Brian Clark's CopyBlogger - Also great for blogging tips, with a focus on writing compelling copy.
Business Blogging Strategy: Toby Bloomberg's Diva Marketing blog - Toby's blog offers invaluable advice and case studies of small businesses and companies that are using blogs and social media in their communication efforts. She also does a wonderful job of profiling successful bloggers.
Business and Blogging - General blogging advice, but slanted toward the business that's using blogging as a way to connect with its customers.
Mike Sansone's Converstations blog - Absolutely perfect for anyone that needs Blogging 101 help. Mike does a very job of walking you through the very basics of blogging, down to a dictionary of blogging and social media terms.
These ten blogs will give you a great introduction to blogging and social media. My advice is to not only start reading these blogs and following them on Twitter, but start interacting with them as well. Read their blogs and leave a comment. Ask a question if you see something you don't understand. Or if you are on Twitter, talk to them there about the posts they write, or share their posts with your Twitter followers. The key is, don't just watch this space, participate! That's the best way to learn, by not only listening, but by asking as well. That's the wonderful thing about the blogging and social media community, so many people will go out of their way to help you, if you'll just give them the chance!
Mack Collier is a social media consultant, trainer and speaker. He has been actively immersed in social media since 2005, and in that time, has helped advise, teach and consult with businesses of all shapes and sizes on how they can better connect with their customers via these amazing tools and sites. While being passionate about the social media space, what truly excites Mack is the human connections that can result from the proper use of these social tools. His motto is "Don't focus on the tools, focus on the connections that the tools help facilitate." His goal is to help his clients create those connections with their customers, and nuture them into relationships that help grow their bottom line.
His social media 'homebase' is The Viral Garden, which in 2 years time Mack has grown into an influential marketing/social media blog with a monthly readership of over 100,000. He is also a frequent contributor to the website Marketing Profs, as well as the marketing blog Daily Fix, and small business blog Search Engine Guide. His writings have been referenced in several mainstream publications and websites, including The Washington Post, MSNBC.com, Ad Age, CNET, and The Boston Globe.
Mack is also a requested speaker and has presented at some of the top social media conferences and events, including South By Southwest Interactive, Marketing Profs Digital Marketing Mixer, and Small Business Marketing Unleashed. He is also passionate about teaching companies how to use social media sites and tools more effectively, and offers training and seminars privately to companies, in addition to his public speaking schedule.
You can learn more information about Mack's social media training and consulting services here. If you need a social media speaker for your event, or want to know where Mack will be speaking next, click here. If you want to email Mack, click here.
Mack wrote this bio. The third-person thingie is just for fun.
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