Below are 10 reasons why you’re getting Twitter wrong and what you can do to make it better.

1. Batching

Tweeting frequency is often a problem for people. How often is too often?

A lot of people end up sending out a flurry of tweets all in one go (or batch) thinking if they get it over and done with they can get on with other stuff.

The problem with that is twofold: you’ll hack off your followers by filling their timeline with your inane ramblings and you run the risk of only reaching a very small percentage of your followers.

Not everyone will be using Twitter at the same time, so if you want to reach as many people as possible, spread your tweets out through the course of the day.

2. Room to RT

You see a lot of tweets go out with ‘Pls RT’ at the end (i.e. please re-tweet). That’s all well and good, but with only 140 characters to play with, if your message takes up all of them you’re not leaving your followers a lot of flexibility to RT.

If someone likes what you say, but then has to edit your tweet in order to be able to RT it, they probably won’t bother. Likewise, they may want to add a comment, but if there’s no room they won’t be able to.

3. Engage

If you want people to interact with you, you have to make your tweets engaging. But let’s get one thing straight, unless you happen to be a celebrity, it is unlikely you’ll get a flood of responses every time you tweet.

You’ll increase your chances though if your tweets are engaging.

4. Back to the RT

In number 2 I talked about re-tweeting and leaving room, well don’t forget that if you want people to RT you, you also need to RT other people.

When you see something of interest, RT it and share it with your followers. If you see someone asking for advice, RT it – unless you know the answer of course and then you should respond.

If you RT others, they are more likely to RT you in return.

5. Protection

On Facebook there are several levels of privacy you can use to protect yourself from unwanted prying eyes. Well, there is also a privacy setting available on Twitter, but if you are a business using the platform as a marketing tool, make sure you disable it.

Unlike Facebook, protecting your tweets makes you look very secretive. Why should someone have to ask to follow you? The whole point of Twitter is to be able to chat with anyone. Using the privacy setting would be like turning up to a networking event surrounded by an impenetrable wall of bodyguards.

Make yourself open and available to chat – if a follower really annoys you or sends abusive tweets you can always block and report them.

6. Follow me

One of the main headaches for anyone who is new to Twitter is how to get followers. Many people seem to have a hang up about following way more people than they have followers – well that’s where everyone starts.

The only way you can get your name out there is by following other people. Then if they like your stuff and RT it, their followers will see it, think ‘he/she’s great’ and will then follow you…and so it goes on.

So don’t get hung up by numbers.

7. Vague

If you have something to say, say it. Cryptic and vague tweets are annoying, pointless and frustrating.

That’s all I have to say on that one.

8. The difference between @ and .@

If you tweet about an article, blog or website and just use @, only the people who follow you and the site/person/article mention will see it. But if you use .@ everyone can follow it.

9. Think first

A tweet is for life (unless you delete it), but if it’s seen, well, you’re too late. That’s why you should never tweet in anger.

Always think very carefully about what you’re putting out there.

10. Chatty not sales

There’s nothing worse than having your twitter feed filled with spam tweets trying to sell stuff to you.

Tweet as though you were at a networking event. If all you do is tweet about your business with constant sales messages, you have become that person at the networking event everyone tries to avoid.

You’ve seen him, before he’s finished shaking your hand he’s thrust his business card and brochure in your other hand and told you all about his business and why you must buy from him. Then, without even asking you anything he wanders off to accost another victim.

But if you chat and engage with other tweeters, you’re the person who is naturally charismatic and draws people to them. The person who is more interested in who they’re speak to than themselves and who helps others and offers advice rather than sells.

I know who I’d rather be.

So there you go. That was a quick run through of what you’re doing wrong on Twitter and how you can make things right.

Remember, it is a social media platform that’s perfectly designed for conversation and engagement, so make sure that’s how you use it.

Comments

Well, for starters the only way to get people following you is to follow others, so this really shouldn’t be an issue.

But numbers are not the be all and end all of Twitter. Yes, we’ve all seen people (ordinary Joe’s, not super celebs) with tens of thousands of followers because they’ve followed one of those ‘how to get thousands of followers quickly’ blog posts.

Why?

It’s not impressive and all they’ve done is land themselves with a worthless Twitter stream of inane ramblings of people they’re not interest in.

It’s so much better to search out the people you want to follow and have a stream of interesting tweets from people you want to engage with.

But once you have your followers the next big hurdle is to get them to notice and engage with you.

The following 5 ideas will help you stand out, but it will take time and practice, no one becomes an overnight Twitter superstar – not even you.

1. Time zones

Your followers not only come from all over the country, but all over the world. They are all going to be using Twitter at different times of day, so if you have something important to say, say it once or twice at different times.

That doesn’t mean sending out the same tweets all day long, but once or twice at different times (only for the important stuff) is OK.

2. Talk

If you’re one of those people that sends out blanket tweets to everyone the chances are your engagement levels are zero.

If you want a particular influencer in your field to see what you’re saying, say it to them directly. Keep an eye on what they’re saying too and respond to them. Eventually, they will notice you and talk back.

3. Retweet

Having one of your tweets retweeted is a great feeling and will draw people’s attention to you.

If you have someone you particularly want to engage with, retweet his or her stuff (not everything, you’ll look like a stalker) if it resonates with you. They’ll start paying attention to you too.

4. Ask

Rather than just putting stuff out into the Twitterverse, start asking questions and advice. As a copywriter who works alone most of the time, I use Twitter as a knowledge bank. When I have a query about IT or need a recommendation for a service provider, I turn to my Twitter followers.

It gets you noticed and is a great way to start conversations with people.

5. Be consistent

When using Twitter it’s important to be consistent in what you put out if people are going to get a sense of your personality. If you always put out great information, retweet useful information and interact with other tweeters, you’ll start to build long-term and rewarding relationships with other people.

So you see, Twitter isn’t just about getting loads of followers. If you want to be effective you must get people to notice you.

Comments

Well, there’s always the good old-fashioned way of reading lots and lots of great writing and hoping some of it will rub off on you. Or you can keep reading and discover 10 tips that are easy to do and that will have a dramatic effect on your writing.

If you’re ready, let’s get started.

1. Same old, same old

Clichés, hackneyed phrases, commonplace words, whatever you want to call them, should be avoided at all costs (doh!).

If you want to stand out as a writer, take the time to think of a different way of expressing yourself rather than falling back on trite phrases such as ‘in this day and age’ etc.

2. Converse

Not a new subject to this blog, but one worth repeating over and over, the most effective way of writing is a conversational style. It’s how we’re used to communicating with each other.

It’s friendly, unpretentious and it gets to the point quickly.

Keep your language simple, your sentences simple and your message simple.

3. You

For some people, writing in the second person seems quite strange, but it’s the best way to engage with your readers.

You see it more commonly on blogs where the author is writing directly to his or her readers and recounting personal experiences, so the use of ‘you’ and ‘I’ is fairly wide spread.

So what’s stopping you from using them in your sales writing? You’re still writing to a person, you still want to engage with them, so you should be addressing them directly.

4. Stories

Everyone loves a good story – since childhood they’ve been part of our lives, so don’t stop using them now.

Just to clarify, that doesn’t mean start your brochures with ‘Once upon a time…’, that would just be daft. The story should be a case study or testimonial that shows how your product or service has helped a real person in real life.

5. Watch your grammar and spelling

An obvious one, but it still needs to be talked about.

Always check and double check your writing before publishing it. No one is expecting you to be a red-hot grammarian, but at least try and get the basics right.

The same goes for your spelling. Although your trusty spell checker will throw up blaring errors, it may not spot those occasions when you’ve used the wrong their or there. So always make sure you check your writing, or get someone else to, before publishing.

6. No flower power

Flower power?

That is what will happen to your writing if you over do the adjectives.

Adjectives are the ‘descriptive’ words that turn your writing into horrible flowery prose.

After writing your first draft, read through and cut out as many of the little suckers as you can. The end result will be leaner and far more powerful.

7. Adverbs

Yuk – a bit like the adjective, and adverb can kill your writing so chose your words carefully.

Why use a phrase like ‘ran quickly’ when ‘dashed’ has more effect?

8. !

Yes, I know I used one earlier, but surely I can be forgiven just one, can’t I?

Exclamations are great in reported speech and dialogue, but it’s unlikely you’ll be using either in your sales writing.

The words you use should be able to convey stresses without having to stick a ! at the end of them.

9. Cut

As you write you will have the tendency to add in all sorts of words that aren’t needed. Once you’ve completed your first draft, read through and cut out any words that don’t add meaning.

Tightening your message this way will increase its impact.

10. Evidence

If you write about something without offering examples or backing up your arguments with evidence, your writing is going to come across as being hollow.

Make sure you add in statistics, quotes and other research data to support your points.

There you go, I’m sure there are many other tips to help you write like a pro, but these 10 are my favourites.

If you have any other tips leave a comment below and let’s see how many we can come up with.

Comments

Probably not a lot.

If you were writing a piece for some marketing material it would be a different kettle of fish, but for internal comms – you’d just write, wouldn’t you?

That seems to be the thought process for many people. In fact for email communications there appears to a surprising lack in regard for how the writer comes across – that’s certainly the case for many emails received by my copywriting agency.

Granted the emails we get are from people looking for a copywriter, but at times the layout makes them difficult to read and many haven’t been read through before being sent.

Getting back to internal comms, usually these are emails requesting information, spreading information, informing about meetings etc. Perhaps, by some, these are viewed as necessary rather than important, but how they are written still says a lot about you as a person.

If you are sending an email out to your whole team (it could be 2 or 3 people or it could be hundreds), your attention to detail (i.e. spelling, grammar and layout) will all have an effect on their perception of you.

As a leader you’re expected to be methodical, eloquent and inspiring so it’s essential you think before you write.

Tips for writing great emails

1. Brief but friendly

No one likes an email that goes on and on without actually getting to the point. But that doesn’t mean to say it has to be blunt.

Make sure the most important information is at the top and, if it is going to cover several points, list them so they are easy to identify.

Also watch the tone of your email. When it’s for business it’s very easy to be dry and boring. You can still inject some personality, but avoid jokes and flippant remarks, as they may not come across well in writing.

2. Layout

Long emails without plenty of breaks are awful to read.

Keep your paragraphs short and sentences simple and avoid jargon. Yes, your colleagues will probably understand it, but it will make your email really boring and corporate.

3. Read through

Always read your email carefully before hitting send because once it’s gone, it’s gone. Check for typos and grammar issues along with whether it actually makes sense or not.

You may think this is all common sense, but just take a look at your inbox and see how many people are not doing any of these things.

Using simple language, a clear layout and paying attention to detail will help you communicate clearer with your team leading to greater efficiency and productivity.

It may be a small thing, but it does make a big difference.

Comments

The problem is, the time needed to produce that amount of content is rather hard to come by. We are all over worked and finding a few extra hours a week to write can be tough.

Of course, you can lighten the load by encouraging key staff members to produce content for you – many hands and all that – but there are also some other tricks you can use to help generate content and make the most of the stuff that’s already out there.

Recycle your content

We’re not talking about spinning articles for multiple sites, but rather taking a look at the content you have and making the most of it.

If you have a long article, why not break it down into bite-sized chunks – you may get 2 or 3 articles out of one.

Another great tip is to reuse white papers and reports. They will be full of useful information that can easily be broken down into smaller articles and re-written in a more informal style suitable for your blog or website.

Moving away from text, why not re-create the information in a more visual style such as an infographic? That way you can also make use of social sites such as Pinterest. Or you could create videos from the text for your YouTube channel. Everyone likes to take in information differently so by having it in a text, visual and video format there’s something for everyone.

Optimise

This one is more to do with making the most of your content through optimisation.

Everything you produce should be in line with your current SEO (search engine optimisation) strategy utilising one keyword/phrase per article.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that keyword also appears in the URL of your article and in the Alt tags for the images you use.

Standing out

The whole purpose of content marketing is to make it stand out and get it read. If you go for a wishy-washy format that’s pretty boring to look at, no one’s going to take the time to read it.

Make sure you use a strong headline and social sharing icons that indicate how many people have shared your material. Bulleted lists, charts and diagrams all help to add interest and, by keeping your article relatively short, you’ll encourage readers.

Call to action

These are not just for websites and sales materials.

They can be visual cues such as the social share buttons. If you want people to share your stuff or become a fan on Facebook, have markers to show how many people follow you or ‘Like’ you – they won’t want to be left out.

You can use your call to action to get people to sign up to your newsletter, go to a landing page, make a comment, in fact almost anything you can think of.

Get social

If you want people to read your stuff you’ve got to let them know it’s there. Tweet about it, link to it from Facebook, put it on your website and mention it in your newsletters.

Interact with your readers by encouraging comments and responding to them and, as already mentioned, make sure the social share buttons are present to encourage readers to share it with others.

You see, content marketing is not just about generating a constant stream of fresh material; you also need to think about what you already have that can reused in a different format.

By looking at it that way, you should be able to keep up with the demands of your marketing strategy.

Comments

Quite simply because:

1. They are instrumental in getting the reader to read your post
2. They encourage Google to bring you traffic

That’s right, they really are that powerful. So if you’re the type of person who writes their blog post and then sticks any old title on it, it’s time to change your ways.

Generating winning blog headlines

There are loads of articles out there offering advice on how to write the perfect headline for your blog posts, but below are 3 methods I find most useful.

1. Study

When you’re researching a subject for work or just taking time out to catch up with what’s happening in your industry, take note of the articles that catch your eye.

Think about what it was that made you stop and read. How was the headline phrased?

The same goes for when searching for a topic through Google. Take a look at the results and the titles that are displayed. What words and phrases were used?

2. Your audience

Think very carefully about whom you are writing for and what’s important to them.

Which words or phrases would they associate with your topic and what they use to search for information on that subject in Google?

3. Ask Google

Have you noticed that when you type in a search term in Google it comes up with some alternatives?

The added bonus is that the alternatives it offers are phrases that other searchers have actually used – so you know people are searching for those words and terms.

These three methods are very simple and incredibly effective. So when you write your next blog post, don’t leave the title as an afterthought; think about what you’re writing and whom you’re writing it for.

Comments

As we move further into a world where digital has replaced paper and online search terms have replaced 30 second TV ads, have we forgotten some of the basics? It we only listen to the on-line chatter might we miss the opportunity to fulfill desires that are not expressed? And, are we failing to get the kind of insights or feedback we need?

At the end of the day, I think it is about balance. I have seen companies eliminate brand tracking and customer loyalty studies because they believe they can find out what they need online. Web analytics are important tools, but they do not necessarily tell us why. Is a customer that reads your blog or clicks on your site necessarily a loyal customer? The digital world is full of metrics and on-line behavior tracking. What motivates that behavior is a little more difficult to discern.

So, while I am not advocating that everything be learned through one-way mirrors or phone-based surveys, I do propose that the right tools be employed to gain insights about current and potential clients. The best of all worlds might be to pair the two types of data so that one can understand how online behaviors correlate with attitudes, satisfaction and loyalty. In this way, one could, for example, understand the behavioral pattern of customers who are considering defection and develop a strategy to prevent them from departing. Too often, we act only after they have already gone when it is too late.

Insights can come from online tools and communities. But they can also come from analyzing data by segment or from simply asking why. And, while old-fashioned, surveys, ideation sessions and focus groups may actually turn out be good investments, “Build it and they will come” might work well in the movies, but it never was a great marketing concept!

Comments

Business leaders, pop culture and ground-breaking new research intersect to prove that our ideal future will be led by women.

We can finally put the old debate to rest … men and women are not equal: women are better. In the coming year, a combination of highly successful female role models, pioneering startups and pop culture references will combine to illustrate the many ways women and the way they think will influence business and culture in positive ways, and men who realize this and are able to shift their thinking will be the ones who succeed in the future.

Who should care?

This trend will affect all of us, and particularly those in leadership or management positions, educators, and entrepreneurs should focus on this trend and what it means for how they can influence others.

Get the Full Report of 15 Trends To Watch In 2013 >>

This trend was featured in my full “15 Marketing Trends In 2013 That Will Change Your Business” report. To see the full report for free online and learn about the ebook action guide for tips on using this trend in your own marketing strategy, visit www.rohitbhargava.com/15trends.

Comments

How many times have you seen a random Tweet that’s full of abbreviations that makes no sense whatsoever? What about Facebook updates that ramble on and on?

In this post, I want to look at how to write effective social media updates that have meaning.

Twitter

Twitter is probably one of the hardest platforms to write for, purely because you only have 140 characters to play with.

As I mentioned above, the temptation is to squeeze as many abbreviations in as possible to ‘cheat’ the character limit.

But that usually ends up in a bizarre tweet that few people will bother looking at.

Writing short copy is difficult, but also a great way of honing your writing skills. After all, with only 140 characters to play with it’s essential that every word you use counts.

You can tighten your message by cutting out unnecessary adjectives (something that will also help your general sales writing) and by getting to the point straightaway.

Keep your tweet to one topic and remember to add a link if you want to direct people to an article or web page that backs up your tweet.

Keeping your updates short like this will also help your followers. If they like what you say and want to retweet it, by keeping your character count down they should be able to do so without having to go in and edit it down.

Facebook

Although Facebook gives you far more room for your updates, it is still good practice to keep them punchy and to the point.

If you post rambling updates no one is going to want to read them, so keep them short, relevant and interesting.

Also, if you want to raise your reach on Facebook ask for comments and reactions. The more reactions your post gets, the more newsworthy it becomes, which will increase its appearance in news feeds.

By adding video, polls and images you can increase your level of engagement, but what’s also important is to remember to post when your followers are likely to be online. The scheduling tool is perfect for this.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is more about business and less about personal interaction. It is a platform from which you can show your expert status within your field. That means comments about needing a coffee, what you had for lunch etc., are not really going to be all that effective.

For LinkedIn look at posting news stories that are relevant to your industry and add your comments and opinions. This will encourage others to do the same and get a conversation started.

It’s also a great place to share news about your company, whether you’re hiring new people, starting a new exciting project or diversifying.

This social media platform opens up the opportunity for longer updates, but again they must be relevant and interesting.

As you can see, social media copywriting can be a complex animal, but it is also a great way to practice your short copy skills.

Comments

The original list was from my own network, but now nearly all nominations come from past honorees. So this list is not my list as much as it is from a community of talented people recognizing their peers. We are only curators that hope to draw attention to women who are making a difference and impact on or through the world of social media.

Congratulations!

Amy Porterfield - Taking an honest approach to life and business is what Amy Porterfield does best. She’ll be the first to tell you that working for yourself (like a boss) has always been on her bucket list since childhood. Her career has been a whirlwind of Harley’s, traveling the world with Tony Robins, and finally reaching her goal of being her own boss. Today she works as a social media trainer and consultant, and is the co-author of Facebook for Dummies. You can find Amy spending time on:

• Twitter: @amyporterfield
• Blog: Amy Porterfield Blog

Why Amy Rocks:
“Amy Porterfield rocks social media through education. She offers great advice on her blog, developed a course on Facebook marketing called FB Influence, and is co-author of the Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies along with Phyllis Khare and Andrea Vahl.” – Amy was nominated by Kristi Hines (@kikolani).

Andrea Vahl - Sassy social media straight talk you can’t ignore from Grandma Mary. Andrea’s alter ego “Grandma Mary” gives marketers the lowdown and offers advice (as grandmother’s are known to do) on using social media for business. In addition to being a video personality, Andrea is also an author, social media consultant and speaker, as well as the Community Manager for Social Media Examiner. For more on Andrea be sure to visit:

• Twitter: @andreavahl
• Facebook: Grandma Mary Show

Why Andrea Rocks:
“Andrea Vahl doesn’t just educate her audience about social media through her blog – she does it with flair through a well-known persona named Grandma Mary. She is co-author of the Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies along with Phyllis Khare and Amy Porterfield and she runs the Social Media Examiner Facebook Marketing Club.” – Andrea was nominated by Kristi Hines (@kikolani).

Arianna Huffington - This woman shows no fear, and she means business. Arianna Huffington launched the Huffington Post in 2005 and it quickly became one of the most read, linked to , and cited media brands in the world. Arianna is currently acting as the president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, has won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, and has been named to the Time 100. You can find more about Arianna here:

• Twitter: @ariannahuff
• Blog: The Huffington Post

Why Arianna Rocks:
“I admire Arianna for the obvious — she’s an entrepreneur who built a news website from a blog into an empire. But more than that, I admire her fearlessness for the risks she takes and opinions she’s never afraid to share.” – Arianna was nominated By: Ann Handley (@marketingprofs)

Aubrey Sabala - An impressive resume, honesty about her inappropriate nature, and a great sense of humor are all part of the reason that Aubrey Sabala “rocks”. Currently the VP of Marketing & Communications at Sailthru, Aubrey has worked for Facebook, AOL, Digg, Ask.com, and Google. While it must have been hard to leave the Silicon Valley for New York, she’s taking the city by storm and sharing it all on her social networks. Want to know what Aubrey is up to? (WARNING: not for the faint of heart)

• Twitter: @aubs
• Blog: Aubs

Why Aubrey Rocks:
“Aubrey Sabala, has been building community and outstanding products in the social media industry for years. In her work and personal life, she brings a passion for communication, sharing and speaking her mind. And what a clever mind it is!” – Aubrey was nominated by Stephanie Agresta (@stephagresta)

Connie Bensen - If you’re looking for someone with a community building green thumb, Connie Bensen is your woman! Not only is Connie the Sr. Manager of Global Social Media and Community Strategy for Dell, and listed by Forbes.com as one of the top 20 marketing and social media blogs by women, she’s also a speaker and has been quoted in numerous books, eBooks, and publications for her social media expertise. Catch up with Connie:

• Twitter: @cbensen
• Blog: Connie Bensen Blog

Why Connie Rocks:
“Connie Bensen is easily one of the hardest working social media practitioners that I know. I’ve followed her through social networks as she’s risen in responsibility and across companies from Alterian to where she works now at Dell as Sr. Manager, Global Social Media and Community Strategy.” – Connie was nominated by Lee Odden (@leeodden) – Disclosure – TopRank has worked with Connie as a client.

Deanna Zandt - Her signature platinum locks, technological expertise, and appearance on CNN, Fox News, and BBC radio make Deanna Zandt a very recognizable social media rockstar. Deanna is the author of Share This! How You Will Change the World with Social Networking, a highly sought after consultant, Forbes contributor, the list just goes on and on. While best known for her expertise in technology and social media, Deanna is also a writer and graphic illustrator of stories and comics. Some places you might find Deanna include:

• Twitter: @deanna
• Blog: Deanna Zandt Blog

Why Deanna Rocks:
“Deanna brings her incredible social web knowledge with depth in the political and non-profit sphere. She has been involved in the social sphere since long before there was even the concept of social media.” – Deanna was nominated by Tara Hunt (@missrogue)

Ekaterina Walter - As the Social Media Strategist for Intel, Ekaterina Walter, aka “E”, works where high tech and integrated marketing come together. Her passion for connecting with other people is one of the reasons that she’s achieved the success that she has. Ekaterina’s passion for learning and uncovering new challenges makes her a force to be reckoned with. Her motivation? In her own words, “living a full life”. Her new book, Think Like Zuck: The Five Business Secrets of Facebook’s Improbably Brilliant CEO Mark Zuckerberg can be pre-ordered on Amazon or BN. Places you’ll find Ekaterina:

• Twitter: @ekaterina
• Blog: Building Social Bridges

Why Ekaterina Rocks:
“Google Ekaterina Walter and you’ll find a long list of accomplishments. These accomplishments are incredible, but what is even more amazing about Ekaterina is her fierce passion for people, their stories and how it all connects.” – “E” was nominated by Lisa Grimm (@lisagrimm)

Heather Whaling - Working in the PR industry for nearly a decade has armed Heather Whaling with the know how to draw on her experience to help small and midsize businesses and nonprofits integrate their traditional PR tactics with online strategies. Heather is the President of her PR consultancy, Geben Communication. Her primary focus is on media/blogger relations, social media strategy, writing, and integrated marketing strategy. If you’re looking for a PR mixologist you can connect with Heather here:

• Twitter: @prtini
• Blog: prTini

Why Heather Rocks:
“Heather is not only a generous thought leader to her colleagues, her agency, Geben Communication has grown rapidly since its founding just three years ago — a testament to the fact that she walks the talk. Heather’s clients benefit every day from her real-world strategic approaches, which she then shares with us via her PRTini blog. She truly rocks!” – Heather was nominated by Kellye Crane (@kellyecrane)

Justine Ezarik - Gammer, vlogger, graphic designer, and Internet personality are only some of the many talents of social media rockstar, Justine Ezarik. Her YouTube channel alone has over 26,170,841 views (WOW!). Her magnetic personality and sassy quips make her a must watch for anyone looking for gaming tips, or those of you who just want to be entertained.

• Twitter: @ijustine
• YouTube: ijustine

Why Justine Rocks:
“As one of the brandividual pioneers in online video, Justine Ezarik, aka “iJustine”, has been an impressive example of what a motivated, passionate individual can do with content and a social channel like YouTube. She’s built a brand level audience with a million plus subscribers. She’s an inspiration to anyone with great ideas and the motivation to share them in fun and interesting ways.” – Justine was nominated by Lee Odden (@leeodden)

Jennifer Leggio - As a self professed Twitter addict, Jennifer Leggio gets communication! Acting as the Vice President of Corporate Communications for Sourcefire allows Jennifer to communicate to her hearts content. She also contributes to Forbes, ZDNet, Mashable, and PR 2.0. Added bonus, she’s also a comedian and music promoter. You can find Jennifer on:

• Twitter: @mediaphyter
• Blog: Forbes

Why Jennifer Rocks:
“Jennifer is one of us girls who is a geek (or unicorns, as the tech world calls us). She thinks Star Wars humor is funny, she loves sports, and has her own sharp-witted and dry sense of humor. But she was nominated because of her work around communications, advertising, marketing, and IT/security and how social intersects the four.” – Jennifer was nominated by Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich)

Kandace Hudspeth - It’s a firm belief of Kandace that you really can have it all, and accomplish anything you put your mind to. And she has done just that. In addition to being a FitLife coach, Kandace is the Executive Strategy Partner and Director of McCann Social Central at McCann Erickson. Her team leverages strategic partnerships and forms relationships to create relevant engagement for the brands that she works with. If you’re looking to soak up some of Kandace’s social media awesome, you can find her here:

• LinkedIn: Kandace Hudspeth
• Twitter: @kandacehudspeth

Why Kandace Rocks:
“Kandace has led the development of McCann’s social media practice and strategic thought leadership and focuses on an approach to social that is focused structure, process and measurability.” -
Kandace was nominated by Alisa Leonard (@alisamleo)

LaSandra Brill - As the Sr. Manager of Global Social Media for Cisco LaSandra Brill has made her mark as a change agent and marketing visionary. She is even the visionary behind one of the top five product launches in Cisco’s history! Her team is responsible for implementing a mix of innovative digital, mobile and social media techniques. You can find LaSandra rocking social media on:

• Twitter: @lasandrabrill
• Blog: Cisco Blog

Why LaSandra Rocks:
“From the early days of the social web, I’ve seen LaSandra grow in her social media roles with greater responsibilities and impact.” – LaSandra was nominated by Lee Odden (@leeodden)

Lauren Salazar - Her experience as a writer, editor, producer and community manager for New York Magazine have helped prepare Lauren Salazar for her current role as the Social Media Manager for Weight Watchers. Lauren uses the same personal touch with the community management at Weight Watchers that she does with her own Twitter account. She does a great job of creating a true engagement by finding a way to really connect and relate to her audience. You’ll find Lauren engaging on:

• Twitter: @sassandglitter
• LinkedIn: Lauren Salazar

Why Lauren Rocks:
“I’d like to nominate Lauren Salazar, the Social Media Manager at Weight Watchers. She’s dramatically increased engagement on @weightwatchers and their Facebook community by really connecting with their followers’ passion to live healthier.” Lauren was nominated by Missy Ward (@missyward)

Leslie Bradshaw - If you’ve ever seen one of the awesome infographics created by JESS3, then you should know exactly who Leslie Bradshaw is. As the President, COO, and Co-Founder she has grown the company by over 800% in the past three years showing a revenue increase to over $5M. Leslie’s team has the unique and much sought-after ability to turn a set of complex data into a beautiful work of art that is composed in a way that makes it easy to understand. If you want to feast your eyes on some awesome social content you can find Leslie at:

• Twitter: @lesliebradshaw
• Blog: Leslie Bradshaw Blog

Why Leslie Rocks:
“She’s the brains (and possibly the brawn! – ha) behind Jess3, which has done the social web a big fat favor by relentlessly adhering to quality in the content it produces. In an era where so many infographics are nonsensical, terrible, stupid and flat-out ugly, Leslie and her firm have been uncompromising.” – Leslie was nominated by Ann Handley (@marketingprofs)

Lisa Barone - From being a long time and famous blogger in the search marketing world to co-founding her own agency to being published in Inc. Magazine, Business Week, Forbes, and the New York Times, Lisa Barone has assumed her role at Overit Media as the Vice President of Strategy perfectly. Her unique ability to understand the pain points of business owners while communicating both offline and online has been a very valuable asset for her clients. You’re likely to find musings from Lisa in one of the following locations:

• Twitter: @lisabarone
• LinkedIn: Lisa Barone

Why Lisa Rocks:
“Lisa Barone is insightful, funny, and one of the strongest minds on the social business web.” – Lisa was nominated by Liz Strauss (@lizstrauss)

Lisa Horner - Her job at Citrix Online has a very clear set of initiatives, and she’s rocking them. Lisa Horner runs media, social business, campaign management, content strategy and global events and is poised to continue growing awareness and increasing engagement for Citrix. While she’s not running meetings on Go To Meeting you can find Lisa on one of the following:

• Twitter: @lisahorner
• LinkedIn: Lisa Horner

Why Lisa Rocks:
“Lisa is the director of Demand Gen for Citrix’s GoTo Meeting brands. Super smart and incredibly motivated, I admire what she’s doing internally and externally to further the GoTo Meeting brands.” – Lisa was nominated by Ann Handley (@marketingprofs)

Nilofer Merchant - Someone who is known within their industry as the “Jane Bond of Innovation” is clearly not messing around. Nilofer Merchant’s career has taken many different roads, all of which have proven to be great experience and exposure.

• Twitter: @nilofer
• Blog: Nilofer Merchant Blog

Why Nilofer Rocks:
“Nilofer has decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies and understands how to bridge the knowledge gap between grassroots, online community thinking and the more old school ways of corporate thinking. She not only inherently understands the social web, but knows how to sell it to the CEO.” – Nilofer was nominated by Tara Hunt (@missrogue)

Randi Zuckerberg - If anyone has done soup to nuts marketing it’s Randi Zuckerberg. Before starting her own companies, Randi was in charge of creative and buzz marketing at Facebook. Currently she is acting as the Founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and R to Z Studios. She’s also responsible for the new hit Bravo television series, Start-ups: Silicon Valley (a topic I’m sure she knows a lot about). You can find Randi on:

• Twitter: @randizuckerberg
• Facebook: Randi Zuckerberg

Why Randi Rocks:
“Randi was the first marketing person at Facebook and built its online and social media approach, including Facebook Live events. She is a true social media pioneer.” – Randi was nominated by Francine Hardaway (@hardaway).

Sandy Carter - She has worked at IBM for over 20 years and in that time has more than earned her stripes. Working her way through different areas within the same organization has given her a unique perspective and armed her with the knowledge to attract and engage new and existing customers. Sandy Carter is currently the Vice President of Social Business Evangelism and Sales, a position that is well deserved. If you want to tap into Sandy’s wealth of knowledge you can find her on:

• Twitter: @sandy_carter
• LinkedIn: Sandy Carter

Why Sandy Rocks:
“Sandy Carter rocks the social web big time — both as a participant in social media and as an executive responsible for social at IBM. Plus, she found time to author, Get Bold, a book on social business.” – Sandy was nominated By Marcia Hansen (@marciahansen)

Shelly Kramer - Words of wisdom from Shelly Kramer: “If you’re not measuring, you’re not marketing.” Shelly has over 20 years experience in marketing and is the Founder and CEO of V3 Integrated Marketing, a full service digital marketing firm. Her company blog has been named one of the Top 20 Best Marketing + Social Media Blogs by Forbes, and has been honored by PostRank as one of the top marketing blogs. She has also been named by Forbes as one of the Top 50 Social Media Influencers and on of the 150 Most Influential Women on Twitter. Find out where Shelly is spending her time online:

• Twitter: @shellykramer
• Blog: V3 Blog

Why Shelly Rocks:
“Shelly is equal parts thought-leader, marketing maven, motivator, mentor, provoker, do-gooder, and social media knowledge-sharer. Yep, she’s all that kind of awesome!” – Shelly was nominated by Zena Weist (@zenaweist).

Sloane Davidson - Her decade of experience in communications, marketing, strategic partnerships and social media made Sloane Davidson a perfect pick for Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing at Lippe Taylor. Currently she’s managing a team and works with clients in the beauty, health, wellness, and consumer verticals. Sloane is nationally recognized as a speaker, blogger, and brains behind a nationwide malaria prevention campaign. Her smarts have gotten her recognized in Psychology Today, LA Times, LAWeekly, TechCrunch, and so many more. For more on Sloane’s social media smarts, find her at:

• Twitter: @sloane
• LinkedIn: Sloane Davidson

Sloane was nominated by Shauna Causey (@shaunaCausey)

Sudha Jamthe - eBay is lucky to have Sudha Jamthe working on their Social Commerce initiative. Her nearly 20 years of marketing and business development have proven to be an asset to the company in many different facets. Sudha’s focus on numbers and measurement allow her to always strive to implement the very best of marketing’s best practices on a consistent basis. When she’s not browsing eBay you’ll find her on:

• Twitter: @sujamthe
• LinkedIn: Sudha Jamthe

Why Sudha Rocks:
“Sudha rocks as she goes out of her way to help educate those around her about metrics and analytics. She is also a great speaker on this topic and is one of those quiet forces that more people should know about.” – Sudha was nominated by Kristie Wells (@kristiewells)

Tinu Abayomi-Paul - She is the trifecta of the marketing world. Tinu is an author, promotion specialist, and entrepreneur. She’s been blogging for over 10 years (which few have) and helping companies to increase their targeted leads, capture those leads, and deepening relationships to create lifelong customers.

• Twitter: @tinu
• LinkedIn: Tinu Abayomi-Paul

Why Tinu Rocks:
“Tinu is a strong voice online, and has been since the social web was young. She engages with resourcefulness, humor, and leadership in many ways especially as the chief editor of WomenGrowBusiness.com.” – Tinu was nominated by Jill Foster (@jillfoster)

Victoria Ransom – Hailing from Harvard Business School, Victoria Ransom has accomplished (in a very short time) what many entrepreneurs can only dream about. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Wildfire which was acquired by Google in 2012. She’s made Wildfire a 24/7 priority, but if she’s not at her desk you’ll find her rocking social media, travelling, snowboarding, or surfing. See for yourself what Victoria has been up to:

• LinkedIn: Victoria Ransom
• @victoria_ransom
• Blog: Wildfire Blog

Why Victoria Rocks:
“Victoria Ransom is a young entrepreneur who started her company because she saw a problem: no one knew how to market on FB. Last year, her social media marketing company made her a wealthy woman when she sold it.” – Victoria was nominated by Francine Hardaway (@hardaway)

Yael Cohen - The whole concept for Yael Cohen’s company was built on her desire to help her mom through a difficult time. In 2009, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and began researching every piece of information she could get her hands on. What started as a t-shirt with the phrase “F@*$ Cancer” on it evolved into a charity whose mission is to take a proactive approach to cancer prevention and the way that society views cancer.

• Twitter: @yael
• Blog: F Cancer

Yael was nominated by @ShiraLazar.

Thank you to the women from the 2011 Women Who Rock Social Media for making their nominations for this year. A lot of incredible women were suggested and as always, it was difficult to narrow that list of nominations down to just 25. We tried to include at least one person from each 2011 honoree’s recommendations. We looked at social networks, accomplishments and several other secret sauce factors.

How do you get on this list? There is only one way: To be nominated by someone who made it in the current year. So be sure to connect with this year’s honorees through Twitter, LinkedIn and other relevant social networks. If you’re on their radar, maybe you’ll get nominated for 2013.

Lists can include everyone of course, so please share in the comments who you think rocked the social web in 2012.

A BIG thank you goes to Ashley Zeckman for helping to create this post.

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