Kick-ass social media advice for the real entrepreneur

20 Social Media Divas You Should Be Following

To finish the week, we wanted to spread some love and create a list of the most influential women in social media today.

These women are either providing great content online or leading the industry into new concepts or technologies. The truth is that they are leaders worth following online.

Two things to mention before going on the list:

First, There is no specific order, this is not a ranking, I just listed 20. And…

Second, of course there are many more that I probably left out but it’s your turn to add your favorite divas in the comments section of this post.

So let’s do this…

1. Mari Smith

Co-author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day and president of ISMA, Mari Smith is the queen of Facebook. She blogs at MariSmith.com but it’s more likely to be found at either her Fan Page or on Twitter.

2. Kristi Hines

Kristi Hines blogs at her own Kikolani, recently included in the Social Media Examiner “2010 Top 10 Social Media Blogs” (leaving me out… just kidding Kristi).

As if running a blog on your own wasn’t hard enough, Kristi also contributes to FamousBloggers and Search Engine Journal. You can also follow her on Twitter.

3. Denise Wakeman

Build A Better Blog is a source of amazing advice about business blogging but Denise, founder of the Blog Squad, also provides great tips on online visibility at her YouTube channel.

Denise is also one of the main contributors at Social Media Examiner, one of the most popular social media blogs today. You can also follow her on Twitter.

4. Pam Dyer

Pam Dyer was just named # 23 on the Junta42 “Top Content Marketing Bloggers” a few days ago for her blog Pamorama, which is becoming more popular by the day.

Pam is also a featured blogger at Social Media Today but I enjoy the most is her amazing Twitter stream full of awesome shares and resources.

5. Tamar Weinberg

When you have a Twitter “Verified Account”, you have a celebrity status. Tamar is the Community Director for a little website you might know called Mashable.

What you might not know is that her own blog Techipedia is also a social media power house. I’m not exaggerating, you don’t get #31 on the AdAge Power150 for nothing. Follow Tamar on Twitter.

6. Shama Kabani

Her new book “The Zen Of Social Media Marketing” just hit the stores. Shama is the president of The Marketing Zen Group and host of her own Shama.tv. Also follow on Twitter.

7. Ann Handley

Ann Handley is the Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs. She is the genius behind the site’s success. Among other recognitions, Ann is #1 in the 50 of the Most Powerful and Influential Women in Social Media.

Follow her on Twitter under @marketingprofs.

8. Lisa Barone

One of the writing styles I really love, Lisa Barone is the co-founder and Chief Branding Officer at Outspoken Media, which she shares with Rae Hoffman and Rhea Drysdale. The Outspoken Media blog is filled with great stuff by Lisa.

You can also find her contributing at SmallBizTrends or follow her on Twitter.

9. Allen Mireles

Allen Mireles has been a social media consultant since 2006… yeah, longer than Twitter. According to Diana Huff, Allen is one of “The Top 25 Very Smart Businesswomen to Follow on Twitter“.

Allen writes at her own blog AllenMireles and you can also follow her on Twitter for some great conversation.

10. Julia Roy

Senior Manager of New Media at Coach, Inc. and as she claims, a “real life digital girl”. Julia runs her own YouTube show TweetWeek and blogs at JuliaRoy.com

Most of the action happens on Twitter so make sure you follow her there. One thing I can say is, Julia makes social media look good.

11. Amber Naslund

It’s no secret, Amber Naslund has become one of the heavy-weights in social media. She is the Community Director at Radian6 and a very active speaker.

What I enjoy from Amber is the smart content provided on her personal blog Altitude Branding, today #36 on the AdAge Power150. I also recommend her free ebooks.

12. Maria Reyes McDavis

You might know her as the Web Success Diva, also name of her blog. Maria is among the 50 of the Most Powerful and Influential Women in Social Media and considered one of Internet’s most valuable female brands.

Great content on social media, SEO and blogging. You can also follow this diva on Twitter.

13. Corvida Raven

She is definitely an influential woman of tech, as she claims on Twitter. Corvida is the mind behind SheGeeks, where she shares great content about social media and technology in general.

Don’t miss @corvida on Twitter.

14. Kris Colvin

Kris Colvin is a user and brand experience designer, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Fresh ID and creator of Twitterface. Kris also writes at KrisColvin, a very well known and nicely designed blog she runs over Tumblr. Pretty busy I guess…

Follow Kris Colvin on Twitter.

15. Deirdre Breakenridge

Co-author of Putting the Public Back in Public Relations with Brian Solis and author of PR 2.0 New Media, Deirdre Breakenridge is one of the most respected authors in new media. She also shares great content on her blog.

Also follow her on Twitter.

16. Valeria Maltoni

Valeria is another heavy-weight in social media, she blogs at ConversationAgent, recently named #2 on the Junta42 “Top Content Marketing Bloggers” and #31 on the AdAge Power150. If you only subscribe to a few blogs about social media, this needs to be one. She also contributes on blogs such as FastCompany or Social Media Today.

Valeria is also consider one of the Most Influential Online Marketers of 2009 according to Invesp. Make sure to also follow her on Twitter.

17. Shelly Kramer

Yes, Shelly Kramer is one of Forbes “30 Women Entrepreneurs To Follow On Twitter“. Owner of Kansas City based V3, an integrated marketing and social media agency.

You can get some of her content on the V3 Blog and you can follow her on Twitter.

18. Cindy Ratzlaff

Better known on the Twittersphere as @BrandYou, Cindy Ratzlaff is also in the Forbes “30 Women Entrepreneurs To Follow On Twitter“.

She blogs at her own CindyRatzlaff.com mostly on personal branding and social media. Also, a lot of good stuff at the Facebook Brand New Brand You fanpage.

19. Shannon Paul

Shannon Paul runs her blog at Very Official Blog, member of the AdAge Power150 and one of the finalists at the Social Media Examiner “2010 Top 10 Social Media Blogs”. Shannon works as the community manager for PEAK6 Online.

Make sure to follow her on Twitter.

20. Liz Strauss

Founder of SOBCon. Liz Strauss share amazing content at the Successful Blog. One of the Top 100 Social Media & Internet Marketing Bloggers and the Invesp Top 100 Most Influential Marketers of 2008 among an extensive list of recognitions.

You can also connect with Liz on Twitter.

Now It’s Your Turn…

Well, it was hard to stop at 20. I was really aiming for 10 at the beginning and ended up with 12, then 16 and I can keep going… but then you won’t be able to add your favorite Divas on your comments!

You can also follow my Twitter List: Social Media Divas, where this list will keep building up.

About Francisco Rosales
I'm the author of SocialMouths. I also help entrepreneurs and small businesses turn their vanilla "web presence" into a profit powerhouse using techniques on social media, content and email marketing to generate traffic and convert to leads and sales. Caffeine addict and a hopeless fan of Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Bazinga! Learn more

Follow me on Twitter ·

The FREE DIY Mini-course for building Facebook Tabs

I guarantee you this DIY mini-course will have you creating Facebook Tabs in a few hours!

http://kikolani.com/ Kristi Hines

Glad to hear yours was just an hour. I have several sites on one account, so when it got one, it got them all, and I had to get them all back to square one before it was resolved.
http://www.donaldlafferty.com/about Don Lafferty

Considering the members of this list with whom I've worked and played, I'm interested to connect and learn more about those with whom I'm not yet familiar, and those mentioned in the comments.

And since I was referred to this discussion by @dkasrel, I have to throw her name to the rest of your readers as a solid contender, although relatively new in the space. keep an eye on her.

I also have to, have to, have to mention, @smallbizlady, Melinda Emerson. Go check out her chops in her twit stream and her weekly chat, #smallbizchat. Her new book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months is getting coverage all over the place. As Melinda says it, she's “on a mission to end small business failure.”

But I gotta say, when I saw the word “Divas” in your title I was excited to see the men who made your list until I read that it would just be women, because God knows, some of the dudes in social media are divas for real.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Are you hosting on NetSol?
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thanks for the great additions Don, just added them to http://twitter.com/#/list/socialmouths/socialme… and will definitely keep an eye on them.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thanks Erno,

All great, thank you. I have to admit we dropped the ball with Michelle MacPhearson, Laura Roeder and Pistachio… the list could easily be 30. We'll check out the rest too.
http://kikolani.com/ Kristi Hines

Godaddy actually. From all of the details I read about the NetSol hack, mine was a bit different.
http://www.MarketigngZen.com Shama

Francisco -

Sorry, I meant my list – people I know from the list above and can truly say I am proud that they are colleagues. A credit to the field. = )
http://dave-lucas.blogspot.com DaveLucasNotes

A nice diverse group of female groups… I'd like to dump my ladybloggers into your mixing bowl! Great Post!
http://dave-lucas.blogspot.com/2010/02/12-x-12-…
http://dave-lucas.blogspot.com DaveLucasNotes

Hey Sharma! I get heat for having posted a list of ladybloggers with “too many” women of color!!!

http://dave-lucas.blogspot.com/2010/02/12-x-12-…
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thanks for sharing Dave.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com Michael A. Stelzner

Lots of fine ladies on this list. I know and respect many.
http://www.websuccessteam.com Janette

Absolutely, she was the #1 before we knew any of these fine ladies
http://www.websuccessteam.com Janette

Two more additions worth noting:
http://twitter.com/SallyFalkow – Sally Falkow
http://twitter.com/MarciSEOer – Marci Rosenblum
trevordierdorff

You definately need to add Lori Ruff to this list! #9 Woman on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/loriruff
http://www.rocktheworldbook.com/ LoriRuff

Trevor – you ROCK my World! Thanks!

Francisco, great list… It's an honor to be recognized for the work we do. And the cool thing the list is GROWING! Incredible women who make a difference are jumping into social (something we're naturally good at in real life) media daily.
catfive

Great list – some I am following and some I am going to check out. One that I do follow that i don't see here is Laura Roder. Love her!
http://twitter.com/Virtually Virtually

Hi F, I would add Erin Blaskie to the list ~ http://twitter.com/ErinBlaskie
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thanks for stopping by Mike.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thank you Janette.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thank you Lori for taking the time to stop by. I just sent you an invite on Linkedin.

Have a great weekend!
http://twitter.com/dbreakenridge dbreakenridge

Thank you and I'm honored to be included on the 20 Social Media Divas You Should Be Following list!
http://www.rocktheworldbook.com/ LoriRuff

I'm happy to accept – thanks! I love your blog… I did a recent post about the top 10 women on LinkedIn after my partner found my standing. he had to scroll through 150 people to find us! Have I said yet that you just Rock?! It's very cool of you to build others up and I'm grateful to be on your scope.
http://www.creationstudio.ca/ Website Design

Thank you for making this list of great social marketers. It is great to see what others are doing on their social media pages and is a glimpse of how to do it right! Very insperational.
http://startupmeme.com Sardar Mohkim Khan

I understand your passion – and not igniting any argument here and stating the obvious: the list isn't about racial discrimination and no where has he written a word that says its Whites who Dominate Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network. Maybe he has left out a couple of them, but you can always make that suggestion.

I still think the author can add a few more names if we can suggest them. And he has stated that in his reply earlier.
http://facebook.com/marismith MariSmith

Francisco!! Oh my, what a wonderful gathering of gals – I am humbled and honored for your kind mention. It's always interesting to review lists of any sort – it's one person's perspective as you point out, and I love how you encourage and invite (and graciously comment on) other contributions!!

Thanks for all *you* do to make a different in the socialmediasphere too!
sue_anne

The problem with lists like this is that everyone can name lists of people that should be included. I'm disappointed that there aren't more non-profit social media folks on this. Where's Beth Kanter (@kanter), or Stacey Monk (@staceymonk) of Epic Change or @Amanda of Twestival.
http://www.techipedia.com Tamar Weinberg

And thank you for that! This is a fantastic look at some really incredibly talented people.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

No, thank you.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Mari, thanks for the kind words, good to see you here.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Very good point Sue and great additions to the list, thank you.
ShellyKramer

Bravo, Jon! Well said. If you don't like someone else's list, make your own. Bitching rarely accomplishes anything.
ShellyKramer

Francisco, what a day-maker (made up word, which I'm good at) this post was. And how very honored, and humbled, I am to be included amongst these women whom I mostly know and very much admire. I also just spent some time nosing around your sites (after all, if somebody's gonna say nice things about me and I don't yet know them, I need to remedy that, post haste) and you are quite an impressive hombre your own self. Love what you're doing, love how you're doing it.

Thanks again for the inclusion here – it is quite an honor.

@shellykramer
http://v3im.com
http://echimarketing.com/ Eureka Janet

aw…Shelly…pls don't pee on my parade…if I can't bitch for at least equal the amount of time I spend doing Pilates …then I just don't feel…well, Right. *wink~!
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Shelly, thanks for your words, it really means a lot coming from you. The list is made of women we truly respect and listen to and you are definitely one of them.

Thanks for stopping by!
http://midliferoadshow.com McMedia

Great Post! Thanks for the introductions….
http://www.Ja-Nae.net Ja-Nae Duane

Francisco, this is the beginnings of a great list. I agree that some amazing women have been left off, but I am still excited to see a list of women.

Ja-Nae
@TheSunQueen
http://www.brprgroup.com Christopher Renz

Check out Jennifer Batchelor – Digital Director at BRPR Group. Check her out @thebrprgroup
http://twitter.com/NatashasNotion Natasha Forouzannia

These women are all amazing!!! I aim for their marketing level.
Hopefully someday I will be on a list like this! I am new to business/marketing blogging and tweeting but I am on my way!

Advice is welcome!

My marketing blog:
http://www.NatashasNotion.blogspot.com
Twitter: @NatashasNotion
http://www.marketlikeachick.com Coree

Thanks so much for the shout out, Janet! I appreciate all your support and love the feedback we can always count on from you.

This is a great list of ladies here…a few faves that are on the Forbes 20 Best Marketing & Social Media Blogs by Women list (http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/14/social-media-t…), too!

It's always hard to come up with a definitive list like this, I know, and I'm really happy to find more women who are rockin the social media world!
http://www.marketlikeachick.com Coree

You are awesome for putting this together, Francisco! Thanks so much for promoting women in the social media world. And thanks for adding me to your list! I'm honored.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thank YOU Coree! an honor to have you stop by…
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thanks for sharing your blog Natasha, I'll make sure to check it out.
http://www.socialmouths.com Francisco Rosales

Thanks Christopher, will do.
ivanataylor

I'd recommend Anita Campbell is the Editor in Chief of the award winning http://www.smallbiztrends.com and http://www.BizSugar.com. Her popular website, Small Business Trends , is regularly noted as a rich informational resource. In 2005 and again in 2008 the site won the Forbes “Best of the Web” distinction for small business blogs. The site also has been highlighted or profiled in the Wall Street Journal (2007), on MSNBC’s “Your Business” show as Website of the Week, twice in the New York Times (2005 and 2008), and was a CODIE 2007 Finalist.
http://www.suppliesguys.com/Blog/Peripheral-Visions/facebook-is-making-major-waves-across-the-web-should-google-be-worried Wil Herb

Great list. I've been following Mari Smith for awhile, her insight is second to none. Shama Kabani looks to also have an interesting take on social media. Thanks again guys! Now the next post I'll be looking for will be the top
lcdavid

It was reallly a great informative blog post..,.
Thank you for sharing it here…..Net Web Service
anon

Yep, and folks continue to marginalize your viewpoint.
Seo_services_company

Cool divas of social media wowwww
http://www.laptopbatteriesinc.com/see_all.html good batteries

I like the article!happy to share
Dell
http://www.seoconsult.co.uk Mack

I agree with you, i have seen women's as good in management from my experience, and in social media too they can be good….