There is a mountain of
information published online daily, and sifting through it all can be
overwhelming for even the most dedicated and savvy person. So, where do you
turn for industry news? How do you stay current on the latest technology and
trends? Whom do you trust for relevant and actionable training? And how do you
review your news & data in a quick and efficient way? These are important
questions for any student, business person, marketer, or advertiser in today's
online world. I'll share my go-to resources with you in this first entry of
"Taming the Social Media Beast". Next, Part 2 of this series will
cover my personal process for reading, organizing, and analyzing key news and
data each day (in under a half hour)!
Personally, I've found
that I must strike a balance between relying on trusted sources and seeking out
new voices. So I've compiled a core list of industry leaders and publications
whom I trust to aggregate news and research and/or create relevant original
content that will add to my knowledge and skill-set. I turn to this list on a
daily basis to stay up-to-date. Then, I also periodically check industry
white papers, presentations, research reports and such for new and interesting
authors to monitor for inclusion in that list.
So, without further
ado here is my (unranked) go-to list of Top Social Media Sources for news, research, and training:
- Mashable.com - Pete Cashmore and the staff at Mashable.com are
literally the hub for all things social and digital. The website has a
wealth of free guides, infographics, tutorials and more in addition to
their constant stream of relevant industry news and reviews of the latest
technology and tools. Mashable Homepage
- Social Media Examiner.com - Michael Stelzner leads a group of over 50 regular
contributors to this excellent free online magazine. The site focuses on
providing comprehensive articles and videos on how businesses may use
leading social media tools for growth and optimization. Social Media Examiner Homepage
- Advertising Age - The latest marketing and advertising industry news,
columns, and white papers from Ad Age. Lots of free content, but I'd say
that a subscription is a must. Ad Age Homepage
- MediaPost - Free online membership to all sorts of news,
directories, publications, events, classifieds and more for media,
marketing, and advertising professionals. MediaPost Homepage
- Social Media Today - A website blogger board comprised of leading thinkers
on social media strategy, news, tools, and more. Social Media Today
specializes in building B2B communities and developing content assets. See
their About page for more info on their services outside the blog
collection. Social
Media Today Homepage
- Pew Internet Research - The Pew Internet & American Life Project is one
of seven ongoing efforts of the Pew Research Center. There's a wealth of
free information here related to the social impact of the internet,
including updated statistics and inforgraphics, reports, and
datasets. Pew
Internet Project Homepage
- Forrester Research- A leading independent research firm on marketing, IT,
and technology. A limited number of free research reports are available. I
have particularly found use in their Consumer Technographics data. To tap
into the bulk of their available research content (by category, industry,
or topic) check out their subscription services. Forrester Research Homepage
- Altimeter - This research-based advisory firm is home to two of
my favorite industry leaders: Charlene Li and Jeremiah Owyang. Altimeter
specializes in four areas: Leadership & Management, Customer Strategy,
Enterprise Strategy, and Innovation & Design. Consulting services are
available within those areas. Charlene was a Principal Analyst at
Forrester and has contributed regularly to their reports. I highly
recommend her books: Groundswell Book and Open Leadership. I recommend beginning with the Altimeter blog
posts and Media Room to check out the recent content. Altimeter Media Room Page
- Chris Brogan.com - My introduction to Chris Brogan began with his book
co-written with Julien Smith on trust: Trust Agents - Where to Buy . Chris is an industry leader in new media marketing,
and his blog was ranked #3 of AdAge's Power 150 recently. Check out his
website for all kinds of compelling analysis, tips, and reviews. Chris Brogan Homepage
- Hubspot - Hubspot is an inbound-marketing company which excels
at providing useful internet marketing tools and resources. There are all
sorts of free tools and material available on lead generation, blogging,
email marketing, and more. They even offer an Inbound Marketing University
self-paced certification program. Check out their stuff at Hubspot.com Resource Page
Ten other Social Media
and Research notables worth bookmarking:
- Harvard Business Review
- Edelman's
Trust Barometer
- Fast
Company
- Jay
Baer's Convince & Convert Blog
- Brian
Solis
- Social
Net Daily
- Nielsen
- Lithium
Products, Services, and Resources
- Marketo Resources
- Fuel
Lines by Michael Gass
Most of these sites
have a variety of channel offerings: website, blogs, email updates, Twitter
feeds, RSS, etc. Choose whatever method works for you. More on how I organize my
own in-flow of information in Part Two of this blog series.
