Five Outstanding Internet Marketers You Should Follow If You Want To Make Money, Be Relevant & Build An Online Business Based On Integrity And Value
Posted on 14. Dec, 2009 by Keith O'Brien in Leadership, Online Marketing, Social Media
Did you know that it is estimated that we are now exposed to more information in a single day than our parents were in an entire month at the same age?
Take that same comparison back a generation to your grandparents and the reference point is an entire year.
That’s insane, right.
Consider the following: Facebook with all the newsfeeds, Twitter, YouTube, Good old fashioned TV, magazines, RSS feeds, Google alerts, emails, the internet in general, Iphones, smart phones, Ipods…it’s daunting.
But it’s true. So much, so very fast.
There is no place that this is more evident than in the world of online marketing and social media. I just came on the scene over the last year or so and I have been studying feverishly. I tell my clients and subscribers… “I know more than most and less than many.”
When you are trying to build a business online…it’s tough to know where to start.
Who do you listen to? There are so many ‘experts.’ Who is right? Which direction do you go?
So many people come online and try to find a quick fix. That’s not the right mindset. Business online, in many ways, is the same as offline. You need to commit to learning a core set of skills and you need to provide lasting value for your customers. Most importantly, you need to continuously learn how to become better at doing both.
Some people think they can hide behind an online veil. That may be true for a while, but if you want to build a long term, successful business, you need to be authentic in all of your communications and business dealings.
It’s easy to see who is putting out content that they really believe is valuable and who is putting out content that is simply to generate traffic. The people I am going to share with you do both consistently by focusing on the first. Their content rocks and people love them for it.
HERE ARE MY 5 TOP INTERNET MARKETERS OF 2009.
(These are in no particular order)
1. Pete Cashmore
Most people are going…who? You are more likely to know Pete’s blog…Mashable. (http://mashable.com) If you had to pick just one site to visit to learn about everything web 2.0, Mashable is it. In less than 5 years, Pete and his team have grown Mashable into the goto site of millions of online readers. Their content is fun, intelligent, creative and always packed full of relevant material.
What’s great about learning about social media and web 2.0 marketing from a source like mashable is that you can pick and choose what calls you and dive deeper into any subject without the personality of a guru breathing down your neck with pressure to buy this or that. You can certainly buy lots of things on the site, but every post isn’t riddled with them.
There is so much fricken value on their site it’s amazing. With Alexa.com ranking Mashable with a top 500 most trafficked site in the world, lots of people agree. It’s one of the top 10 most profitable blogs on the planet. How would you like to have 42,000 back links? Wow!
2. Chris Brogan
Brogan is a social media and business development specialist who flat out just delivers. His content is clean, focused and immediately applicable. I actually only found Chris a few months back but was immediately drawn to his message and way of being.
For example, lot’s of people (including myself) provide content in the form of lists. Top 10 ways to drive more traffic to your site, 5 ways to become a Twitter rockstar, etc, etc. Well, Brogan frequently does too…but his lists are a touch bigger. For example, here are a few:
50 Ways To Take Your Blog To The Next Level
40 Ways To Deliver Killer Blog Content
50 Ways On Using Twitter For Business
Like I said…Chris delivers. Someone could be brand new online, join Chris’s site and with focus and determination, learn how to build a massive following and make money. Brogan rocks. His photo in the about me section is a little scary, but he still rocks!
3. Brian Clark
Again, just like Pete Cashmore, most people are going, “who?” That’s because like Pete, Brian Clark is branded by his website Copyblogger. www.copyblogger.com As you can imagine from the name, it’s all about copywriting. But that’s not the whole truth. Copyblogger is about so much more.
At the core, it’s copywriting to create traffic to your site. For me though, it’s about cultivating your entire online presence in a way that is both reflective of who you are and drives traffic. Both of those are important.
Their cast of writers is witty, personable and extremely relevant. I subscribe to both the newsletter and blog feeds and save every article. They are that good.
4. Gary Vaynerchuk
I’ve included Gary on this list because Gary doesn’t teach internet marketing or social media marketing…he lives it. Gary took his father’s wine store in Springfield, NJ from $4 million a year to over $50 million a year with more than 50% of that coming from internet sales.
Gary’s the perfect example of how to use video marketing, social networking and your authentic personality to explode a brand…or as Gary would say, “Bring The Thunder!”
If you love wine, Gary is your guy. But also, savvy marketers will watch everything Gary does and how he does it. He is a brilliant showman and has turned a traditionally stuffy topic of wine tasting/knowledge into a world where every man is welcomed. If you want to learn how to build community, go check out Gary’s site…you will be one of over 90,000 people a day to do so.
5. Jeremy Shoemaker
Shoemaker is a bit unconventional, even by Gary Vaynerchuk’s standards, but you can’t argue with his results or his authenticity. He’s the real deal, growing his passion over the years into a massive business. He’s transformed himself from a 400 lb techno-nerd to a lean, mean internet marketing machine.
Jeremy has created some wildly popular programs, tools and sites and his blog is a constant in the Technorati’s 100 most visited blogs. At the end of the day, Jeremy’s post are fun, creative and full of usable info.
He calls it like it is. He doesn’t hold back. He doesn’t care if he gets his hands dirty in order to create a message that is powerful. Jeremy may not be for everyone, but with an alexa.com rating around 5,500 and 35,000 daily blog readers, he’s for many people.
These are my top 5 but there are many more
This is by no means an exhaustive list and I am the first to say that there are so many talented people online. I have found these guys to pump out consistent content that I enjoy reading and find incredibly valuable.
Just as importantly, I like their “flavor.” Their authenticity shines through and I am engaged. You may or may not feel the same way, but if you want to do well online, you should find some mentors that you connect with.
Go check them out if you haven’t already and let me know what you think.
Who makes your Fab 5 list? Leave your comments with the 5 people who most influence you online.
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Cheese Fries
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http://www.gardenmagiconline.com David Soper
