Who to Follow  & Why

Here in the digital marketing world, the industry is ever-changing and rapidly evolving daily. When you work in such a fluid environment there is no shortage of opportunities to learn and grow as a marketer. One of the most crucial ways to stay ahead of the game is by following the industry’s top thought leaders. Picking the top dog’s brains not only can keep you in the know, but it challenges you to improve your own tactics as a marketer as well. Here – in no particular order – are some of the digital industry’s most influential thought leaders. Some you may be extremely familiar with, some may be new names to you – but all are worth paying attention to.

Mark Zuckerberg

This one is definitely not an unfamiliar name – being that he is the founder and creator of the wildly successful and growing social media platform: Facebook. Even Time magazine has consistently recognized him as one of the 100 most wealthy and influential people in the world since 2010. He’s certainly one to follow particularly for his obvious expertise and influence in the Facebook/Instagram world. If you work in social media or even use social media – keep tabs on this guy.

Neal Schaffer

Neal is known for being an author, speaker, and successful social media strategy consultant. He was recognized as one of the Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers for two consecutive years and also got recognition as a Forbes Top 5 Social Sales Influencer. Basically – if you’re looking to be in the know about social media – he’s your guy.

Rand FishkinFounder of Moz (formerly SEO Moz), Rand is an author, blogger, and all-around marketing/SEO/technology guru. He holds weekly “Whiteboard Fridays” that always carry great marketing information and tips – as a company we watch them every week to stay sharp. Add him to your list of go-to guys.

Shelly Kramer

Shelly brings her social media marketing, content, and branding expertise from her work at v3 Integrated Marketing. She’s an expert in the marketing and brand strategizing world and has an extremely influential twitter feed (32% of her tweets are retweeted!!!). Keep your tabs on her for all things marketing.

Sheryl Sandberg

Another expert from the world of Facebook – but with how influential Facebook is in everyday lives as well as marketing, it’s no surprise some of the top influencers would come from there. She’s the Chief Operating Officer over there and the founder of Leanin.org. She’s kind of brilliant – so you want to keep up with her.

Ann HandleyTo say Ann knows about creating and managing digital content is an understatement. She is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and is always sharing digital marketing knowledge bombs with us. Check her out and look for her on Entrepreneur, LinkedIn Influencers, Huffington Post, Mashable, and more.

Stay informed and educated by those who have paved the way for us. Of course these are just the tip of the iceberg of incredible influencers, there are countless others worth noting – who do you follow to stay in-the-know on industry topics?

Stay social my friends!