As we embark on 2012, the team at Awareness, Inc. consulted with the best and the brightest in marketing, strategy, technology, business and social media to help us identify the top news, analysis and trends resources for social marketing and social technology. Our industry is among the most dynamic, with many voices reporting, analyzing and advising on social technology, social media developments, successes, and best practices. To help you navigate the active social news space, we compiled this Ultimate Guide to the Top Marketing, Technology and Social Media Resources. This guide aggregates resources quoted by leading strategists such as David Meerman Scott, Brian Solis, Erik Qualman, Jason Falls, and Jay Bear, top analysts and influencers Jeremiah Owyang, Debi Kleiman, Laura Fitton, David Berkowitz, brand leaders such as Ekaterina Walter, Michael Pace, and Pam Johnston, and agency visionaries Steve Rubel, Mike Troiano, and Jonas Klit Nielsen in our free report on 2012 Social Marketing and New Media Predictions, to name just a few. The Ultimate News Resource Guide also contains the collective input from over 300 marketers from a cross-section of industries, company sizes and levels of social marketing experience (we recently polled these marketers for our upcoming annual report on the State of Social Marketing to be published in mid January) and asked them about their top information resources and their sources of inspiration.
Here it is - the 55 Top Marketing, Technology and Social Media News, Analysis and Trends Resources in alphabetical order:
3. All Things Digital @allthingsd
4. Altimeter Group @altimetergroup
5. Around the Net in Online Media
6. Around the Net @aroundthedotnet
7. Awareness, Inc. @awarenessinc
10. Brian Solis' Blog @briansolis
11. Bull Dog Daily Reporter @BulldogReporter
12. Business Insider @SAI
13. Chris Brogan's Blog @chrisbrogan
14. Convince & Convert @jaybaer
15. Customer Collective @yourcustomers
16. Darwin Awareness Engine Blog @darwineco
17. Direct Marketing Association @DMASocialMedia
18. Editors and Publishers @EditorPublisher
19. eMarketer @eMarketer
20. Exploring Social Media @JasonFalls
22. Forrester @Forrester
23. Gartner @Gartner_inc
24. Harvard Business Review @HarvardBiz
27. Mari Smith @MariSmith
28. MarketingProfs @MarketingProfs
29. MarketingSherpa @MarketingSherpa
31. Media Post @MediaPost
35. ReadWriteWeb @RWW
36. Robert Scroble @Scobleizer
37. SmartBlog on Social Media @SBoSM
38. SmartBrief on Social Media @SmartBrief
39. Social Commerce Today @marsattacks
40. Social Media & Marketing Daily
41. Social Media Examiner @smexaminer
42. Social Media Times @socialtimes
43. Social Media Today @socialmedia2day
44. SocialMediaMakerting.com @socialROI
47. TechCrunch.com @techcrunch
50. Trendsmap @Trendsmap
52. WSJ Media Marketing @WSJMedia
55. Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) @womma
Besides these top resources, today's marketers heavily rely on their Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook feeds to get to the top news and developments in our industry. You can follow these Twitter lists to easily get the latest from some of the top experts, and from our top resources, listed here. If you are looking for the top CMOs using Twitter, then look no further than this list of Top CMOs on Twitter. You can also read about how CMOs are engaging with Twitter. And one final Twitter tip - if you want to know when your top journalists are tweeting about your brand or relevant industry terms, use this new handy tool from Muck Rack.
And as David Meerman Scott reminds us, some marketers also get their insights from their peers - they make it a conscious effort to attend industry events and conferences where they get first -hands insights from their colleagues on what works and what's in store next.
Don't be shy - let us know if we missed some of your favorite resources. Experts and marketing leaders you follow not on this list? You have our word - we will update this top list based on your feedback. You can also download our free report 2012 Social Marketing and New Media Predictions, containing insights and predictions from 34 business strategy and marketing experts. Connect with us on Twitter #AwarenessSMM on Facebook at Social Media Marketing Best Practices and Social Media Marketing Mavens Pages or LinkedIn at the Social Media Marketing Mavens Group.
Mike Lewis
@BostonMike