The 12 Blogs of Christmas

Things are winding down towards Christmas here, so I thought I'd share with all of you my 12 favorite social media blogs.

On the first day of Christmas...follow the thought leaders. These are my favorite people that look ahead, keep me on my toes, and make me think critically about social media/ marketing.

• Chris Brogan. If you want to see what's coming, he is the guy to follow. He has a never-ending stream of energy and ideas on several blogs on several topics. My favorite is Escape Velocity designed for people who dream of going on their own. Start with his main page--linked above on his name.
• Brian Solis. He also has a must read book I have reviewed here before, Engage. My favorite blog feature of his is the recently launched (R)evloution YouTube channel where he does interviews with movers and shakers like Katie Couric, Charlene Li and many others.
• Mashable. You can't not follow Mashable. I put that awkward double negative in there just to emphasize that following Mashable is a no-brainer for social media news. But they do post frequently, so check them frequently. I have their feed on my RSS reader so it's easy to keep up. One of the things I really like about Mashable is that they are multi-dimensional. They have all kinds of news from tech stuff to entertainment.
• Social Media Examiner. Not only do they have good blog content, but they also sponsor a number of great webinars. I did their Facebook Success Summit this year and it was well worth the $$. They also have a video channel that is super helpful with tons of "how-to's."
• Jeremiah Owyang. I get my dose of research, stats and industry trends here. There are several good "industry" blogs out there but I like Owyang's. He is an associate of Charlene Li (Groundswell and Open Leadership) at Altimeter and they are industry leaders for tech and social media in business. He is doing some writing recently on social media ROI and what's coming in that area. Deep, but good.

Five golden rings...when it comes to basic "how-to" stuff, here's a great place to start:

• Mari Smith. If you want to get any info on Facebook, she knows it. She is on Twitter, Facebook, and every other conceivable social channel you can think of. She does great instructional videos and is one of the most friendly, pleasant and engaging people out there. She is the queen of Facebook.
• Social Media Explorer (Jason Falls). Here you will get a real honest down-to-earth, "no holds barred" look at the social media landscape. Falls is one of the more colorful people I follow on Twitter. This fall, he added a dozen guest bloggers to his site and they have been producing some great content in addition to Falls.
• Tamar Weinberg. Weinberg's blog is called Techipedia. She works for Mashable and produces a blog of tips and strategies for social media use. I like her voice and point of view. Good content and she is one of the bloggers out there that has a good handle on social media strategy.
• Liz Strauss. Where Mari Smith is the queen of Facebook, Strauss is the guru of all things related to blogging. She is known for her willingness to promote regular people through her blog--she is a true facilitator of the success of others and a savvy marketer. Her group puts on conferences as well--SOBCon was in Denver this fall. She also has a YouTube channel.
• Copyblogger is another group blog dedicated to the art and science of blog writing with an emphasis on creating good content. (hey--content is king). This is a good "how-to" site for honing your blogging skills. Also, a good resource for learning materials.
• Higher Ed Marketing: I follow Andrew Careaga because I work in higher ed and he is pretty savvy when it comes to issues at the university level. He is also a music aficionado and shares that on Twitter. Make sure to check out his "Friday Five" on Fridays (of course).

And a partridge in a pear tree..you gotta have some fun in your day. This last blog is a personal favorite.

• Dr. BS: The Road Scholar. Dr. Bill Smith is the new media athletic director at the University of Arkansas. His blog is eclectic and informative. One day he will blog on technology and social media and the next it's pure Dr. BS philosophy and history. This guy writes fun and good stuff. He is a real techie and that comes through often on his blog.

With this, I leave you until after the holidays. Our daughters will be home for Christmas and I consider that the greatest blessing of being a parent of older children. Many thanks and blessings to all of you that have read my blog in 2010 and may you have a prosperous 2011. If you have any favorite blogs, share the links in the comments section. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.

image from www.wisdomportal.com