More than that, even when employing a digital marketing agency, taking a digital approach saves you money and brings in higher conversions and ROIs. Look at it this way, with traditional marketing you can take out an ad on a local paper that will be seen by a limited audience, but with digital marketing you can post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and much more, reaching a much broader audience with a much lower cost.
For this, you need to know what’s what in the realm of digital marketing. And who better to turn to than the top tech influencers 2017 has seen? Exactly, here are 20 of the top thought leaders you should be following.
1: Neil Patel
Image Source: twitter.com/neilpatel
The co-founder of Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics and Hello Bar, Neil Patel is one of the top marketing and analytics influencers you’ll come across today. Make sure to also check out his blog with tons of useful tidbits!
Memorable Quote:
“There’s only one key behind producing great content day after day… You don’t need to be the best writer. You don’t need to be a top expert (although it can help). You don’t need any fancy tools (although they can also help). What you do need to do is understand your reader.”
2: Mark Schaefer
Image Source: entrepreneur.com/author/mark-w-schaefer
Best-selling author, keynote speaker, consultant and blogger, Mark Schaefer is the guy you turn to for social media and marketing advice.
Memorable Quote:
“Creating great content is not the finish line. It’s the starting line.”
3: Rand Fishkin
Image Source: twitter.com/randfish
As the founder and ‘Wizard of Moz,’ look no further than Rand Fishkin if you want to know anything and everything about SEO (mobile SEO included).
Memorable Quote:
“Search engines are unique in that they provide targeted traffic—people looking for what you offer.”
4: Guy Kawasaki
Image Source: guykawasaki.com/author/guy-kawasaki/
As chief evangelist of Canva and previously of Apple, Guy Kawasaki’s feed is filled with gems relating to graphic design, marketing and technology.
Memorable Quote:
“Create something, sell it, make it better, sell it some more and then create something that obsoletes what you used to make.”
5: Mike Stelzner
Image Source: twitter.com/Mike_Stelzner
If you’re familiar with Social Media Examiner, then you’re familiar with its CEO and founder, Mike Stelzner. And with those titles it’s no surprise that his feed is packed with the latest news and updates of the social media marketing world.
Memorable Quote:
“Empower your readers with social sharing buttons.”
6: Jeff Bullas
Image Source: udemy.com/user/jeffbullas/
As a best-selling author, keynote speaker, marketing blogger and #1 Global “Digital Marketing Influencer,” Jeff Bullas is a man of many hats.
Memorable Quote:
“Less is more. Keeping it simple requires time and effort.”
7: Mari Smith
Image Source: twitter.com/MariSmith
Have questions on Facebook, Twitter or other social channels? Well, Mari Smith is now your go-to source for social media marketing advice.
Memorable Quote:
“Content is king, but engagement is queen and she rules the house!”
8: Seth Godin
Image Source: twitter.com/ThisIsSethsBlog
Straying from the norm, Seth Godin’s Twitter page is a retweet of his blog. That being said, he’s a marketing wizard who deserves that ‘Follow.’
Memorable Quote:
“Why use social media? Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.”
9: Larry Kim
Image Source: twitter.com/larrykim
The founder of WordStream and CEO of MobileMonkey, Larry Kim is someone you know if you advertise online. Enough said.
Memorable Quote:
“Search marketing is all about harvesting existing market demand. Don’t get me wrong: as search marketers, we do a brilliant job of harvesting that demand. But search doesn’t grow new demand.”
10: Pam Moore
Image Source: about.me/pammktgnut
Pam Moore is one of Forbes’ Top 10 Social Media Power Influencer, has worked with countless global Brands, and specializes in leveraging social and digital technologies.
Memorable Quote:
“If you aren’t using social media, you are creating language barriers with your audiences.”
11: Kim Garst
Image Source: entrepreneur.com/author/kim-garst
Twitter expert, social media pro and CEO of Boom! Social, Kim Garst is a Top Forbes Influencer with highly relevant social media Tweets.
Memorable Quote:
“Legendary service is one of the criteria that sets one company apart from its competitors. It’s the mark of a truly authentic company – you just can’t fake caring!”
12: Barry Schwartz
Image Source: twitter.com/rustybrick
Whenever there’s a new update to Google’s algorithms, Barry Schwartz is there to save the day. Not only is he an editor with Search Engine Land, but also the executive editor of the hugely popular Search Engine Roundtable.
Memorable Quote:
“Any time choice is restricted in some way, there is bound to be someone, somewhere, who is deprived of the opportunity to pursue something of personal value.”
13: Avinash Kaushik
Image Source: twitter.com/avinash
Avinash Kaushik is the digital marketing evangelist of Google, co-founder of Market Motive, and a blogger who makes data simple.
Memorable Quote:
“To guarantee success, spend 95% of your time defining the problem and 5% of the time solving it.”
14: Pam (Dyer) Hughes
Image Source: twitter.com/pamdyer
Memorable Quote:
“Social media is inherently a selfish medium.”
15: Brian Clark
Image Source: twitter.com/brianclark
The definition of an entrepreneur, Brian Clark is known as a thought leader in everything content marketing.
Memorable Quote:
“These days, people want to learn before they buy, be educated instead of pitched.”
16: Amy Porterfield
Image Source: twitter.com/amyporterfield
From her various blog posts, podcasts and knowledgeable Tweets, Amy Porterfield will help you grow your social presence and monetize off of it.
Memorable Quote:
“My business strategy has always been to learn from those that are getting results and model what’s already working.”
17: Marsha Collier
Image Source: twitter.com/marshacollier
With an impressive 48 books under her belt (many on eCommerce), it’s no mystery why Marsha Collier has been featured in Forbes, Time, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and much much more.
Memorable Quote:
“Content-based marketing gets repeated in social media and increases word-of-mouth mentions; it’s the best way to gather buzz about a product.”
18: Brian Halligan
Image Source: forbes.com
Brian Halligan is CEO of HubSpot, a senior lecturer at MIT and occasional motivational quote Tweeter. But really though, his feed is filled with posts on inbound marketing and sales.
Memorable Quote:
“In God we trust; all others bring data.”
19: Scott Monty
Image Source: quora.com/profile/Scott-Monty
A real social media maven (seriously, The Economist names him as the #1 Social Business Leaders), Scott Monty was global head of social media at Ford and is currently the CEO of Brain+Trust Partners.
Memorable Quote:
“Trust in corporations is declining. It’s sliding every year. Trust in government is down. Trust of businesses is down. Whom do people trust? Experts, analysts, people who are independent, in some instances the media, but also someone who is like them—family, friends, coworkers, someone who is part of your network.”
20: Glen Gilmore
Image Source: https://twitter.com/GlenGilmore
Another Top Forbes Social Media influencer, Glen Gilmore has been called a ‘futurist’ by IBM and a “man of action” by TIME magazine. And if you’re a fan of technology and the future, take a look at his feed. You’re welcome.
Memorable Quote:
“Be committed to excellence. Listen and respond better than anyone else. Aim to earn trust, not ‘followers.’”
Thought Leader Roundup
Got all of that? No worries if not, here’s a tl;dr version of the top tech influencers on Twitter you should be following:
- Neil Patel
- Mark Schaefer
- Rand Fishkin
- Guy Kawasaki
- Mike Stelzner
- Jeff Bullas
- Mari Smith
- Seth Godin
- Larry Kim
- Pam Moore
- Kim Garst
- Barry Schwartz
- Avinash Kaushik
- Pam Dyer
- Brian Clark
- Amy Porterfield
- Marsha Collier
- Brian Halligan
- Scott Monty
- Glen Gilmore
Tell us your thoughts in the comments