I hope you check them out – they’re all worth getting to know.

1. Community. Kim Woodbridge (@kwbridge). I use WordPress for my blog as I love the whole WordPress community, and Kim Woodbridge sums up why perfectly. Always sharing great blogging tips through her wonderfully named (Anti) Social Development blog, Kim is wise, smart and uber-friendly.

2. Ladies of Twitter. Libby Unwin (@LibbyUnwin). Libby makes me laugh. She always has a witty quip ready for you, and she’s such a “girly girl” that it’s refreshing (and I mean that in the nicest way!). She clearly loves her family and anyone that hates bad grammar but can consistently forgive my typos is always alright by me!

3. Gentlemen of Twitter. Jon Aston (@JonAston). Jon could easily fall into the Marketing category, but he truly fits into the Gentleman one. He’s a continuous source of support, inspiration, knowledge, smarts and wit. He has time for everyone, and I mean everyone, and he’s probably the best mix of a post-hippy punk you could ever meet!

4. Non-Profits. Lotay Yang (@Lotay). Some people might say that Lotay already has more than 50,000 followers so why add more. It’s not about the numbers, though, it’s the person, and Lotay is one of the best. A businessman that created the Black Card Circle Foundation, encouraging affluent business people to combine for social change, Lotay is a true leader in the non-profit field and a constant inspiration.

5. Marketing. Anne Sorensen (@marketingisus). I love Australians. They’re some of the most laid-back and friendliest folk around, after Canadians, and Anne is no exception. Yet she’s also a great marketer that founded Marketing Is Us, and is one of the best examples of marketing and new media/technology coming together.

6. Public Relations. Narciso Tovar (@Narciso). What can I say about Narciso? Okay – he’s an outstanding PR pro. He uses amazing music analogies to tell the  stories on his blog. He writes in capital first letters on Twitter (love this trick!). He is a bundle of fun and energy. He’s friendly with a capital “F”. And much, much more… Go check him out already!

7. Social Media. Sarah Evans (@PRSarahEvans). Yes, Sarah could have sat nicely in the public relations category, but for the way she’s using social media to advance PR and more, she definitely falls within social media smarts. Just look at how she’s bringing journalists, bloggers, PR and others together with #journchat as an example. Or her use of social media to raise more than $100,000 for a local shelter? Awesome.

8. The “Everyone Should Know” Wildcard Entry. Lee Safar (@leesafar). Hey, another Australian – cool! Lee is a singer/songwriter that I only recently got to know via 12for12k. She has a great sense of humour, a really cool voice, a very cheeky attitude and is quite simply a blast. Just don’t mention webcams and dial-up technology to her…

Cheers, guys, for being who you are every day of the week.

From Twitter to Blog – #FollowFriday Vol. 6 originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

I hope you check them out – they’re all worth getting to know.

1. Community. Khayyam Wakil (@iamkhayyam). Khayyam is an outstanding person and one that just keeps on giving. He’s one of these Twitter users that shares so much and never asks for anything in return. And away from Twitter he’s a pretty fine comedian as well – what’s not to like?
2. Ladies of Twitter. Mickey Gomez (@mickeygomez). One of the biggest hearts around, Mickey encapsulates everything that is right not just on Twitter, but the world. She offers unconditional support if you need it and anyone that plays a mean guitar like she does and is a fan of Joss Whedon is a-ok by me!
3. Gentlemen of Twitter. Matt Leonard (@mjleonard). To me, Matt is the epitomone of the phrase “gentle giant”. Who knows, maybe he’s only 5-foot but he looks like a big guy! This man is all heart – he’s an Internet marketer that doesn’t push, he wants to offer everyone a way to share their voice, and to Matt, family is everything. ‘Nuff said.
4. Non-Profits. Gabe O’Neill (@kidsareheroes). Simply put, Gabe inspires. We talk about heroes like our favourite sportsman, or actor, or musician. Gabe, on the other hand, makes every single child a hero. He shares their inspiring stories, encourages them to change the wold, and is a downright humble and awesome guy. Gabe, you rock man!
5. Marketing. Brian Carter (@briancarter). If you don’t already know Brian, you’re in for a treat. Not only is he an incredibly smart marketer who’s just launched TweetROI, he’s also an inanely funny comedian-type who thinks way outside any box. Check Google for his alter-ego Larry Possum to see the madness.
6. Public Relations. Heather Whaling (@PRtini). Heather is one of these people that sneak up on you and you realize you’ve been constantly learning from her without even knowing. She’s an incredibly smart PR gal that runs a great personal blog, and also one of the most engagingly chatty people I know.
7. Social Media. Brett Borders (@BrettBorders). Brett may not be as well known as people like Chris Brogan or Jason Falls, but his social media smarts are excellent. He runs the always entertaining Social Media Rockstar blog, and anyone that can be both a reformed hippie as well as lover of ambient music has definitely got my interest.
8. The “Everyone Should Know” Wildcard Entry. Avatar Koo (@avatarkoo). What can I say about Avatar Koo? Umm… she’s unorthodox; incredibly funny; entertaining; writes erotic romance stories; and for one hour in June, took 12for12k into the naughty side of life. Don’t take my word for it – go check her out now!

Cheers, guys, for being who you are every day of the week.

From Twitter to Blog – #FollowFriday Vol. 5 originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

I hope you check them out – they’re all worth getting to know.

1. Community. Seth Simonds (@SethSimonds). Seth’s an interesting guy. This is someone that shed 45,000 Twitter followers so he could concentrate on a lesser number and connect better. He tries video experiments to show his community the horror of waterboarding. He consistently has amazing conversations via the comments on his blog. He’s what I call a good egg.
2. Ladies of Twitter. Susan Murphy (@SuzeMuse). Sue is a bona-fide all-round megastar when it comes to multi-tasking. She’s a creative genius; video editor extraordinaire; voice of non-profits; geek; and one of Ottawa’s finest beer drinkers. She’s also writer of one of the best social media blogs period, without even being tagged as social media.
3. Gentlemen of Twitter. Iggy Pintado (@iggypintado). Iggy is one of these cool people that doesn’t only talk about stuff, he does it. He’s one of Australia’s most connected people; he’s written a book called “Connection Generation”; he’s an incredibly savvy businessman; and he still makes time for his family. One of life’s good guys.
4. Non-Profits. James Topham (@Topsatwarchild). I first met James when 12for12k supported War Child in January. Not only is he passionate about non-profits, he’s as unassuming as they come, which makes him great company. He’s also a fellow Brit, has a dry sense of humour and follows Toronto FC soccer club. What’s not to like?
5. Marketing. Sonny Gill (@sonnygill). Sonny is one of the smartest marketers I know. And what I like about him is that he doesn’t shout it from the rooftops. He shares great reads in his blog; he’s as sharp as a card on Twitter; and he and fellow marketer Scott Hepburn helped pay to fly a friend out to a networking event. Awesome.
6. Public Relations. Arik Hanson (@arikhanson). Speaking of flying out to a networking event, it was Arik who was that very person. Yet it was well deserved – Arik used his PR skills and networking to help land Sonny and Scott new jobs with communication firms. He’s also one of the most understated and underrated PR pro’s out there, and the founder of the Reader’s Choice PR Blogger Awards.
7. Social Media. Mark Horvarth (@hardlynormal). Mark could easily have sat in the non-profit choice, but I really like the way he’s using social media. He’s telling the story of homeless people through video, blogging and Twitter. He’s offering them a voice and allowing you to speak to them through him. THAT, my friends, is creative social media at its finest.
8. The “Everyone Should Know” Wildcard Entry. Michael Schechter (@mschechter). This guy is a star. He makes me laugh like a pig in mud whenever he starts ripping into my character. He’s a devoted dad and husband, is uber-friendly, and simply put one of these people that anyone would be better off for having him as a friend.

Cheers, guys, for being who you are every day of the week.

From Twitter to Blog – #FollowFriday Vol. 4 originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

Something a little different this week (and I realize it goes against my reasons for taking it to the blog – just listing names – but there’s a reason this week).

Everyone featured today fits into many different categories but one thing they all have in common is that they’re proud wearers of the 12for12k avatars. Designed by iGoByDoc, it’s a fun way of showing their support for a worthy cause outside of normal (and much appreciated) donations.

Apart from that, they’re all incredibly cool people doing amazing things offline as well (and I’ll be featuring them in much more depth in upcoming #FollowFiday posts, if I haven’t already).

So, what are you waiting for – check them out (each link opens in a new window so you don’t need to click back)! They are:

@_sarakate_; @DominickEvans; @judithsthoughts; @LibbyUnwin; @JamesAWoods; @allenmireles; @arikhanson; @bluestreak23; @HighEdSalesGuy; @iamkhayyam; @iGoByDoc; @JASunshine1011; @JGoldsborough; @JonAston; @KatieMDesigns; @KyleJudkins; @mickeygomez; @MSchechter; @nataliekeiko; @PromoMarketer; @rachelakay; @raekaye; @shannoncherry; @SocialPMChick; @iggypintado; @StaciJShelton; @suzemuse; @thebassman; @ZenMommy; @Rich_at_Dell; @mjleonard; @websuccessdiva; @12for12k; @MarketingProfs; @abarcelos; @AnneHyde; @nsbmom; @freelancerant; @AvenueZ; @_djh; @briancarter; @tmaduri; @concierge; @GinaLaGuardia; @jamiecalder; @johnhaydon; @liajen; @nakeva; @ramartijr; @SarahRobinson; @southplatte; @CherylFehlberg; @storyassistant.

If, by chance, I’ve missed anyone out, please let me know and I’ll sort that immediately!

Thanks for being who you are guys – your support means everything, as does everyone behind the 12for12k idea.

Normal #FollowFriday recommendations will resume next week. Have a great weekend!

From Twitter to Blog – #FollowFriday Vol. 3 originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

I hope you check them out – they’re all worth getting to know.

1. Community. John Haydon (@johnhaydon). John is a massive influence on me. From his sterling non-profit work to his social media smarts, and his incredibly friendly demeanour, he’s the true spirit of community. He also plays a mean guitar. One of my “must meet in 2009″ people.
2. Ladies of Twitter. Gina LaGuardia (@GinaLaGuardia). Did you know Gina has Mafia connections? Granted, it’s the Twitter Mafia, but still… Gina is an editing genius – so much so that she’s known as the Content Pimp. Got typo issues? Speak to Gina! She’s also funny as heck, as her exchanges with people on Twitter testify.
3. Gentlemen of Twitter. David Holliday (@_djh). David is one of these guys that everyone should know. He has a hand in many pots – photography, marketing, social media and it’s all mixed up with dry UK wit. His Twitter feed is a mix of laughs, questions and information. Which makes David great for Twitter parties.
4. Non-Profits. Mark Lovett (@GlobalPatriot). Mark is incredibly inspiring, both on and off Twitter. I’ve spoken to him many a time and always come away revitalized. He’s a Californian on a mission to end poverty and hunger, and offer sustainable solutions to many charitable problems. Basically, the guy’s a saint.
5. Marketing. Maria Reyes McDavis (@websuccessdiva). For anyone that relates Internet marketing to spam emails and pyramid schemes, let me introduce you to Maria. Brilliant online and offline marketer, Maria is a bundle of great information and tips that will help anyone looking for marketing advice and business success. Oh, and she’s a really nice person too.
6. Public Relations. Dave Fleet (@davefleet). Another Brit in the list yet deservedly so. Dave is to PR what Industrial Light & Magic are to George Lucas – inseparable. A genuine expert in both traditional and social media-led public relations, Dave also has one of the must-read PR blogs around. He’s also probably one of the fittest Twitter users I know. The swine.
7. Social Media. Scott Henderson (@scottyhendo). Incredibly knowledgeable due to his wide-reaching travels, Scott approaches social media from not what it can do, but what it can achieve (and there is a difference). He’s a connector in the truest sense and will help you see social media uses that will surprise you. Underrated star.
8. The “Everyone Should Know” WildCard Entry. Patrick Badstibner (@PBadstibner). Pat is one of life’s good people. He hardly has a harsh word to say; he obviously loves his family; he never fails to offer help wherever he can (both online and offline); and he has a great wit to boot. If you’re looking for a gentle giant on Twitter, Pat is your man.

Cheers guys, for being who you are every day of the week.

From Twitter to Blog – #FollowFriday Vol. 2 originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

I suggested why it should be more than just a name and a link on Twitter. So, here are my recommendations for this week. I hope you check them out – they’re more than worth getting to know.

1. Community. Calvin Lee (@mayhemstudios). I once wrote a post about why the word “community” is a combination of “communication” and “unity”. If that is the case, then Calvin is the perfect example of community. He shares a wealth of information, and it’s always more about others than it is him. One of Twitter’s leading lights and one of the nicest offline as well.
2. Ladies of Twitter. Jen Wright (@MissIve). I know, I know – Jen would probably be the first to tell me she’s no lady. But that’s by the by. If you’re looking for someone that’s clever, witty, sarcastic, hard-working, energetic and full of ideas, Jen’s your girl. She has more irons in the fire than anyone I know – and that’s saying something. Fun with a capital F.
3. Gentlemen of Twitter. Scott Stratten (@unmarketing). There are many categories Scott could fall into, but this one really fits him well. He’s one of the most prolific and helpful Twitterers I know, with a heart of gold and the chops to back it up. I’ll never forget what he did for 12for12k and if I only had one beer left to share, it’d be with Scott. That’s how cool he is.
4. Non-Profits. Stacey Monk (@StaceyMonk). What can I say about Stacey? She founded Tweetsgiving and led the way for non-profit ways to use Twitter. She runs Epic Change – an immense idea if ever there was one. In fact, such an immense idea she walked away from corporate business to start it. A true visionary and someone I can only hope to emulate.
5. Marketing. Kneale Mann (@knealemann). Did you know Kneale played a key part in the early days of the EdgeFest event? Or that he’s launched two radio stations and co-produced the CASBY Music Awards? And now he runs various marketing boot camps? I’ve met Kneale and speak with him regularly. You want a top-notch marketer? Speak to Kneale, today.
6. Public Relations. Rachel Kay (@rachelakay). One of the hardest working PR people I know, Rachel is to PR what Irn Bru is to Scottish people. She lives and breathes it. She’s an amazing networker offline. She is so cool at what she does that Vogue and Oprah are just another normal day for Rachel. Connect, learn, enjoy – she might even invite you to Club Rachel.
7. Social Media. Marc Meyer (@Marc_Meyer). If you’ve ever participated in one of Marc’s #socialmedia chats on Twitter, you’ll know he doesn’t take prisoners when it comes to saying the same old stuff. Great mind, leader in taking social media away from the norm, and he’s also a dab hand at taking interesting photographs.
8. The “Everyone Should Know” Wildcard Entry. Roger Hjulstrom (@booksbelow). As his username might suggest, Roger loves books. Reading them, selling them, maybe even hoarding them. He also runs a site that helps celebrities “keep it real on Twitter”. Roger gets the wildcard entry for making me stop and ask, “Say what?” regularly. Which is a good thing.

Cheers, guys, for being who you are every day of the week.

From Twitter to Blog – #FollowFriday Vol. 1 originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.

Lately, though, #FollowFriday seems to have just become an endless amount of names and no more. While the idea of recommending people to others is still worthy, personally I feel it would be more so if there was a reason for your recommendations.

Some people are doing this, which is great. Others are just listing the names and then the #FollowFriday hashtag, which is still okay.

Personally, though,  I prefer the former. If you’re recommending a #FollowFriday on Twitter it should be more meaningful than just a name. It should be about why that person inspires you, and why they would inspire others too.

It should be more than just a name and a link on Twitter – it should be about that person and why they’re great every day of the week. So here’s my deal.

Every week, I will post my recommendations. I will recommend seven people in seven categories, one for every day of the week. I’ll write a little bit about them and why they inspire me. And why they might inspire you.

It’s not saying that #FollowFriday has lost its way. It’s simply saying it could really light up the way that little bit more. I hope you enjoy the first seven.

1. Community – Richard Marti (@ramartijr). Anyone that reads this blog regularly will know one of my key mantras is community spirit, and Richard personifies all of that and more to me. He inspires me when I’m down with his endless enthusiasm and he has a genuine love for everyone around him. Simply put, he’s awesome.
2. Ladies of Twitter – Henie Reisinger (@HennArtOnline). Sometimes I think Henie is Richard’s twin. She never seems down; she’s infectiously optimistic; she is an amazingly creative person; and she wears sunglasses like they should be. One of the coolest ladies on Twitter.
3. Gentlemen of Twitter – Aronado Sanchez Placencia (@Aronado). What can I say about Aronado? If I need to laugh until my ribs hurt, he’s my man. If I need someone to joust with, he’s my man. If I need someone to make my cap look good, he’s my man. He’s also an incredibly nice guy to boot. Everyone should know Aronado.
4. Non-Profits – Nicole D’Alonzo (@nikisnotes). Here is a girl that has really got it going on. Podcaster. Journalist. Entrepreneur. Socially conscious. Change agent. Founder of Socolite.com to combine social media for good with businesses and bring society together. And she’s still just the tender age of 27. Nicole is a bona-fide star.
5. Marketing – Frank Reed (@FrankReed). Frank is an understated gem on Twitter. He’s unassuming; he’s inquisitive; he’s helpful; and he’s knowledgeable. He’s also one damn fine marketer – something that is apparent via his own blog and his spots on Andy Beal’s Marketing Pilgrim website. I learn a lot from Frank every day.
6. Public Relations – David Mullen (@dmullen). There is an insane amount of talented PR people on Twitter that this list could probably go on forever. One that stands out for me though is David Mullen. Sharp; insightful; questioning; never afraid to put the boot in on the industry he obviously loves. You like being made to think? David is your guy.
7. Social Media – Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan). Predictable choice? Nothing new there choice? Perhaps. But as far as social media goes, Chris is up there among a very few who walk the talk and share the words with everyone else. The guy is social media and should be a no-brainer for anyone remotely interested in the medium.
8. The “Everyone Should Know” Wildcard Entry. Christina Kingston (@CTK1). Although Christina is the first “wild card” entry, she is anything but. One of the funniest and most vocal people I’ve met on Twitter. She’s never afraid to speak her mind and usually has some witty retort for most things.

So there you go – my first #FollowFriday who I’d want to know both on and off Twitter. I hope you check them out and get to know them – you won’t be disappointed.

Cheers, guys, for being who you are every day of the week.

photo credit: ashley rose,

Because #FollowFriday Isn’t Just for Twitter originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.